Set Apart for a Different Kingdom

In Luke 4:43 Jesus Christ says, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." This is a fascinating verse because we see Jesus give a purpose statement for why he was sent to earth. He came to preach the good news of God's kingdom.

This kingdom is far different from the kingdoms of men. While one emphasizes things above, the earthly kingdoms strive after the things below. As members of Christ's church, our citizenship is in the kingdom of God. It is in heaven. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:20, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Even though we reside for a time here on earth, our true loyalty is to the kingdom above. God expects us to live holy lives, edify the church, preach the gospel to the lost, and care for the poor and needy. While doing this we must always remember that our allegiance is to God and his reign. We are here, but at the same time we are set apart for something better.

I no longer have a desire to be a part of man's systems any more than I have to. For example, man tries to make things better through government. Occasionally this can be helpful, but usually it fails. This is because most of the people involved in this are not part of God's kingdom. Count me out.

I'll continue to obey the laws of the land and pay my taxes. However, my involvement in government ends there. I'm done with voting. I will never seek any sort of public office. I will not join the military under any circumstances (I'm too old anyway). I'm not going to be involved in any sort of man-created governmental activity. I'm done with it.

My motivation in this stems from three places. First and foremost, Jesus gave much instruction to his followers. Trying to change the world through politics was not one of them. Second, the early church did much good but none of it was through political means. Third, I hold much in common with the Anabaptists. They shunned political involvement. Of course, this got many of them killed, but that was a price they were willing to pay.

I desire to live out a life as a member of the kingdom who does not look to man's kingdom processes to make a difference. Count me in when it comes to doing good through God's means. Count me out of secular politics.

The Kingdom is Not About Guns, Republicans, and Limited Government

I cannot adequately express how tired I am of Christians fighting the culture wars. It is exhausting to hear about Christians wrapping the cross in the flag, rallying for the Republican Party, and demanding their "rights." By listening to some, you'd think that that the right to bear arms is a gospel issue. You'd also think that the Democratic Party is the spawn of Satan himself. I'm disgusted by the amount of energy and emotion so many believers spend on these sorts of issues.

The Kingdom of God is not about secular politics. It is not concerned with conservatism, limited government, military engagement, taxes, etc. Rather, the Kingdom of God is concerned with us glorifying God through living as his children. God desires changed lives not through governmental influence but through the power of the gospel. Real change for the better in society does not come through decision making in Washington, but rather through the Holy Spirit changing hearts.

When we let the scriptures, and not politics, inform the way we live, we see something far different from the American dream. We see the people of God as people who give up their rights. We see people who expect persecution. We see people who understand that they are resident aliens who temporarily live in a strange land. We see people who understand that their citizenship is in heaven. We see people who never feel too comfortable in this society because its values are so different from that of the Kingdom.

Let's spend our time and energy where it really matters: on Kingdom priority issues. What are those issues? I'm talking about caring for the poor, sick, and needy. I referring to building up our brothers and sisters in Christ (and being built up by them). I'm talking about boldly and lovingly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm pointing to living holy lives in the midst of a wicked world.

God's Kingdom is not of this world. We must remember God's priorities and live according to them.

Looking to be Great in the Kingdom?

Jesus made it clear that greatness in his kingdom equals servanthood:

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

This flies in the face of everything the world tells us. That shouldn't surprise us since our Lord's Kingdom is not of this world. The challenge to us as the church is to avoid the world's definition of greatness and instead to strive after that of Christ.

What does this look like in day-to-day living? I believe it means that we take opportunity to do for others and set examples for others. Instead of being concerned about status or authority, we simply try to help other people as they have need.

As I think back on my life, the greatest people I have known have been servants. Some of these folks have held positions of leadership in the church while others have not. Regardless, it was the service that I recall fondly. That's what made them great.

God and Kingdom

On Memorial Day I'm once again reminded that it is an odd thing to live in the USA and also be a follower of Christ. I'm thrilled to have the political freedoms that we do, but I also realize that political boundaries mean nothing within the Kingdom of God. I'm grateful to the service men and women who have died defending these freedoms, but at the same time I cannot personally justify the taking up of arms to kill another human being for political reasons.

I choose not to celebrate patriotic holidays such as Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and Veteran's Day because this nation is not truly my home (to clarify, I enjoy the day off from work, but I don't wave the flag). My ultimate citizenship is not here. Rather, it's in heaven. I've written previously here and here about not loving my country.

As opposed to the phrase "God and Country," we followers of Jesus should be thinking in terms of "God and No Country." A more positive way of saying that is "God and Kingdom."

Jesus spoke more about the Kingdom of God than just about anything else. It may have been his favorite topic. For example:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." Mark 1:15

But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God." Mark 10:14

"I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." Luke 4:43

"To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand." Luke 8:10

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

Those of us who are in Christ are also in His Kingdom. We have the daily privilege and duty of living out Kingdom life in whatever place we call home.

The Kingdom of God is not constrained in any way by political boundaries. There was a time when this was, to one degree or another, not the case. God dealt specifically and uniquely with the nation of Israel from Abraham until the time of Christ. Upon Jesus' coming, the kingdom began to spread to the Gentiles. We see this in rapid fashion in the book of Acts. Political boundaries, while a reality of the day, no longer mattered.

Christ's commission (Matt. 28:18-20) to us as the people of his kingdom is to make disciples of all nations. This refers to people groupings, not political states. In Acts 1:8, his followers are told to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. In Luke 24 Jesus says, "Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations." Again, our Lord is referring to people groups.

As we live for Christ, most of us will remain in the political states where we were born. This is just the nature of life. In ultimate terms, where we live is not significant. We could reside in the USA, Russia, Indonesia, Egypt, Andorra, North Korea, Chile, or any other country. The circumstances of our lives certainly differ based on where we live. For example, Christians in North Korea face vastly more persecution than anything we deal with here. Despite this, Christ expects us to live for him and him alone wherever we live.

Some of us will no doubt cross political boundaries to share the gospel. This is a beautiful thing. We must remember that we do this and/or support others in doing this in order to take the gospel to those who haven't heard it - regardless of political entity.

Political nation-states do not matter in God's Kingdom. This, quite simply, is why I do not love my country, I feel no duty to it, and I no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance.

My allegiance is to Christ and him alone. It is his kingdom that has eternal significance.