“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
(1 Peter 2:9)
What would change if the Kingdom of God became visible, if we could clearly identify its borders and recognize its citizens? What if the Kingdom were a nation like the other nations of this world, with passports and citizenship and the works?
How would we view our loyalty to that nation compared to other loyalties in our lives? Would our obligations and duties be somehow made more obvious?
The Kingdom of God is a nation, in a very real sense, even if we can’t see it with our physical eyes. Believers are co-citizens of a holy nation. Beyond that, we are members of the same family, part of the same body. The ties that bind Christians go far beyond all other affiliations we may have.
Well, for starters, many of our wars would not have taken place because it would seem unthinkable that we would kill another professing Christian just because they live in another nation or tribe. Think about it…Rwanda – Christians killing Christians because they saw each other as Tutsis and Hutu rather than one family of God; The American Civil War: Christians killing Christians because they saw each other as Union and Confederate rather than one family of God. But that is what the principalities and powers wish to do…get us to see each other as enemies identified by some other name than that of Jesus Christ – and when that happens, it becomes rather easy to rationalize such killing.
So what if Christians took 1 Peter 2.9 seriously? Perhaps Christians would tell the principalities and powers of this world to find someone else to fight their wars for them because we refuse to kill our fellow people (as well as our enemies which Jesus calls us to love).
Grace and peace,
Rex
Rex said it very well…I abhor at how we go about playing “world police”. True peace would be the case indeed if we had it as you mentioned in your post. When something is physical, we believe it clearly, but when we go the spiritual route, we “calim” belief, but our actions say otherwise…Great post Sir!
I agree with both comments above and add that maybe, just maybe when we learn to focus on the spiritual (2 cor 4:16-5:7) realizing everything in the world even our bodies are temporary then we would see what God sees and learn to treat others the way God would have us treat them as His children.
Thanks gentlemen for the insights. Rex, have you read Mere Discipleship by Lee Camp? The Rwanda example is how he begins the book.
I’ll confess that my thinking flows along the lines of what you guys are talking about. I will continue to explore this over the next few days.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Yeah, that is the book (with the Rwanda example) that got me thinking about it. Then I realized that the American Civil War fits the same criteria not too mention other wars that the US and Much of Europe has been involved in. Also, if you read Alister McGrath’s “Christianity’s Dangerous Idea” which is an account of Protestant Christian history, one of the sad things that stands out is the fact that Christians are killing other Christians, divided over particular reformers (i.e., Calvin, Zwingli). And this is supposedly one of the reasons that people of Europe fled to the “new world”…to escape the bloodshed and yet, what has happened?
Grace and peace,
Rex
Loved “Mere Descipleship”..awesome book!!
I took your questions to be rhetorical – I think in a very real way we ARE living as citizens of this kingdom. We do have a passport (is not the Spirit called a guarantee). Obviously I understand that we don’t have border guards and such, but the questions: Where does our allegiance lie? What are our obligations and duties. These are all very real. Do we really believe people are dying as we walk among them? nd that we know the ONe who can save them?
Good questions. Thanks.
Hi Scott R.! Good to see you here in The Kitchen.
(Not that Scott Mc isn’t always welcome; regulars are especially appreciated)
How many of us pass John’s test (1Jn 4:6-13) for knowing Him, though? I agree that lots of us have heard of him “by the hearing of the ear” (Job 42:5), but how many of us “walk as He walked”?
I know I don’t; love is nowhere near the top of the character traits I exhibit. Joy? Peace? PATIENCE? Kindness? Gentleness? Goodness? Faithfulness? Self-control? I’ve done a bang-up job of finding external ways to look like I’ve got #8 and #9 down pat. The other 7? who cares about them as long as I look faithful and exhibit self-control?
yeah, but the declaration of independence gives us the right/authority to rebell against our govt again, any time we see fit