A brother writes: In John 18:36 our Lord is recorded as saying “My Kingdom is not of this world”; we take this to mean that the consecrated have no part in the affairs of this world, as it is not our time to do so. When the Church is complete (head and body) then we will meddle in the affairs of this world. In the meantime we should be living our lives as pilgrims and sojourners. We are in this world, but we are not of it.
That being said, it boggles my mind to see and hear brethren with political agendas. A year ago was by far the worst that I have seen it, with the last Presidential election and watching brethren on Social Media taking sides on LGBT, illegals, gun control, etc. and attacking each other. Some even admitting that they vote. It’s just mind blowing. Is it any wonder that out Lord asked “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
In response to our brother’s comment we presented the following reply:
Such IS to be expected of the professing church (the church nominal) as they have made it a habit to meddle in the affairs of this world almost from the very beginning (that is as soon as the fathers fell asleep). They have always felt it was their responsibility to impose the dictates of Christ upon the world, forgetting that as sinners, men “are not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can they be.” (Rom. 8:7), nevertheless they vainly attempt to usher in the kingdom of God by force.
However one would expect better of the Lord’s consecrated people. They know very well that the present order (society as it presently exists) cannot be saved, but must make way for the new order to come, that very soon this present evil world is to pass away with a great noise (hissing, turmoil and confusion) in the great time of trouble which is upon us, in which the elements (society in general) will melt with fervent heat (dissolve into confusion and trouble, into violence, anarchy and bloodshed); both the earth (the present social order) and the works that are in it burned up (dissolved) 2 Pet 3:10-12 , this cannot be averted; the present order must make way for the kingdom of God and his Christ.
As our Lord stated, “My Kingdom is not of this world (age)”, not of this present order or arrangement of things. As it was not the mission of our Lord to rule the world at his first advent, but to lay down his life for the world, so it is not the mission of the Church to rule the world (to enter into to its politics and government an attempt to impose the Laws of God upon the world), no! Rather it is for us to “lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
“Our sympathies lie, of course, with the whole groaning creation crying for just rights and justice. But the Christian was not asked to throw his or her efforts into social reform, improved legislation or political issues. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants fight.” (John 18:36)
If the Lord’s kingdom were of this world then it would be incumbent upon all the true followers of the Lord to fight to better it in any way which they could, but it is not.
“The true Christian knows that the day of blessing and the day of ‘refreshing’ and ‘the restitution of all things’ must await the return of the Lord. It is then that Christ sets up his Kingdom. It is then that Christ removes the Kingdoms of this world, both the civil and religious ruling power of earth, replacing them with a new civil and religious ruling power. Originally, all Christians held to this view. They knew their part and lot was not to try to remake the Kingdoms of this world in to the Kingdom of God. They knew they were not to enter the world’s politics, nor to enter its wars.”
It is a sad spectacle to see so many deluded Christians in support of this present evil world, this is nowhere better evidenced then in their constant meddling in politics and in the affairs of government in their vain efforts of averting the downward direction of this nation. Had they studied the word of the Lord more properly they would have realized that such was to be expected as outlined in prophecy, and that their frugal attempt to arrest this downward trend, to up-hold the present order puts them at variance with God.
“You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this [present evil] world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
It seems rather odd that one would pray, “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, (i.e. pray for the “new heavens”, under the powers and leadership of the glorified Christ head and body, and for the “new earth”, the new social order to be established under that leadership, the kingdom of righteousness)’, and then in the same breath pray that the Lord should heal “the present heavens and earth”.
This they unknowingly do when they vainly offer up prayers pleading the Lord to heal this nation in which we live, that it might once again be returned to the Christian values of which it was supposedly founded.
Do they imagine somehow that this nation is somehow separate or apart from “the present heavens and earth”, apart from this present evil world? That it is not a part of the professed Christian nations of this world, styled Christendom, which the Lord designates, Babylon?
Continued with next post.
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That being said, it boggles my mind to see and hear brethren with political agendas. A year ago was by far the worst that I have seen it, with the last Presidential election and watching brethren on Social Media taking sides on LGBT, illegals, gun control, etc. and attacking each other. Some even admitting that they vote. It’s just mind blowing. Is it any wonder that out Lord asked “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
In response to our brother’s comment we presented the following reply:
Such IS to be expected of the professing church (the church nominal) as they have made it a habit to meddle in the affairs of this world almost from the very beginning (that is as soon as the fathers fell asleep). They have always felt it was their responsibility to impose the dictates of Christ upon the world, forgetting that as sinners, men “are not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can they be.” (Rom. 8:7), nevertheless they vainly attempt to usher in the kingdom of God by force.
However one would expect better of the Lord’s consecrated people. They know very well that the present order (society as it presently exists) cannot be saved, but must make way for the new order to come, that very soon this present evil world is to pass away with a great noise (hissing, turmoil and confusion) in the great time of trouble which is upon us, in which the elements (society in general) will melt with fervent heat (dissolve into confusion and trouble, into violence, anarchy and bloodshed); both the earth (the present social order) and the works that are in it burned up (dissolved) 2 Pet 3:10-12 , this cannot be averted; the present order must make way for the kingdom of God and his Christ.
As our Lord stated, “My Kingdom is not of this world (age)”, not of this present order or arrangement of things. As it was not the mission of our Lord to rule the world at his first advent, but to lay down his life for the world, so it is not the mission of the Church to rule the world (to enter into to its politics and government an attempt to impose the Laws of God upon the world), no! Rather it is for us to “lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
“Our sympathies lie, of course, with the whole groaning creation crying for just rights and justice. But the Christian was not asked to throw his or her efforts into social reform, improved legislation or political issues. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants fight.” (John 18:36)
If the Lord’s kingdom were of this world then it would be incumbent upon all the true followers of the Lord to fight to better it in any way which they could, but it is not.
“The true Christian knows that the day of blessing and the day of ‘refreshing’ and ‘the restitution of all things’ must await the return of the Lord. It is then that Christ sets up his Kingdom. It is then that Christ removes the Kingdoms of this world, both the civil and religious ruling power of earth, replacing them with a new civil and religious ruling power. Originally, all Christians held to this view. They knew their part and lot was not to try to remake the Kingdoms of this world in to the Kingdom of God. They knew they were not to enter the world’s politics, nor to enter its wars.”
It is a sad spectacle to see so many deluded Christians in support of this present evil world, this is nowhere better evidenced then in their constant meddling in politics and in the affairs of government in their vain efforts of averting the downward direction of this nation. Had they studied the word of the Lord more properly they would have realized that such was to be expected as outlined in prophecy, and that their frugal attempt to arrest this downward trend, to up-hold the present order puts them at variance with God.
“You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this [present evil] world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
It seems rather odd that one would pray, “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, (i.e. pray for the “new heavens”, under the powers and leadership of the glorified Christ head and body, and for the “new earth”, the new social order to be established under that leadership, the kingdom of righteousness)’, and then in the same breath pray that the Lord should heal “the present heavens and earth”.
This they unknowingly do when they vainly offer up prayers pleading the Lord to heal this nation in which we live, that it might once again be returned to the Christian values of which it was supposedly founded.
Do they imagine somehow that this nation is somehow separate or apart from “the present heavens and earth”, apart from this present evil world? That it is not a part of the professed Christian nations of this world, styled Christendom, which the Lord designates, Babylon?
Continued with next post.
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