The Kingdom of God is just that…a Kingdom. It is ruled by our King. We are His subjects and He is fair and just and kind to those who are loyal to Him. He takes care of us and He asks that we help Him care for this Earth and all within it.
“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Genesis 2:15
It is very reminiscent of a Monarchy…with the exception that it is not ruled by a human, but by God.
The early church shared all of their resources to sustain one another. Scripture says in Acts 2:44-45, that they put everything they owned together and every man had what he needed.
“And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” Acts 2:44-45
The early church was told to take care of the widows, the orphans, the poor and the crippled. Scripture also says that those who have extra should help to meet the needs of those who don’t have.
“For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.” 2 Corinthians 8:13-15
Doesn’t that sound like socialism? It does to me.
This leads to the next logical question then…
Why, as a Christian, would we not be pro-socialism or even pro-monarchy by a ruler since it seems to reflect God’s Kingdom?
I will go on record to say that more liberal social policies appeal to me. The idea that we can all take care of each other is massively appealing. I personally believe that as a Christian, taking care of one another is in itself the very act of taking care of Jesus.
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:35-40
Honoring equality, taking care of the less fortunate, being kind to this earth, and welcoming strangers from oppressive and foreign lands…all appeal to me.
I know that when God breathed into man the breath of life, and man became a living soul, God’s DNA became a part of us. This is why we are born knowing there is some sort of God and must find something or someone to worship. It is because the God DNA in each of cries out to connect to God. Over time, man has found a way to feed that DNA with many forms of gods…money, sex, fame, intellect, religion, politics, preachers, presidents…in a futile attempt to replicate in this broken, fallen world, what God created whole and perfect and functioning that mankind messed up.
So, herein lies the problem…
God gave these commands to the early church, because it IS the command of God to the church to be the mirror image here in Earth of what the Kingdom of Heaven will look like.
It is the church who should be promoting and practicing these social reforms…not politics.
The government has taken a role in problems that were to be solved by the church. The church has allowed their responsibilities to be replaced by political powers that be. And it is the church who now squeaks the loudest that the government should not mandate social reforms we do not like, yet we are practically doing nothing in return.
I will ask myself these questions in full transparency as a Jesus follower…
⁃ I am pro-life and want political action to be so, yet have I fostered or adopted or reached out to a pregnant mom to ask if she needed housing and help with her baby? Or do I just shout against abortion?
⁃ Have I helped a person with a disability to see if they had needs? Medical help? Equipment help? Daily care help? Or do I just shout for Medicaid cuts.
⁃ Have I bought food for a family, or invited them to dinner, or provided Thanksgiving dinner, or provided breakfast before school or snacks for after school…or do I just demand Food stamps be cut.
These are hard questions to ask and to answer, yet they must be asked…and answered…if we are sincerely seeking to honest and true.
The problem with the government trying to replace the God DNA with themselves is also very problematic. It will never work and God will let things crash.
First of all, the government is not the church. God told the church to do these things, not the government. He does have a plan for government. According to Scripture, the governments job is to punish evil and reward good.
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.” 1 Peter 2:13-16
I think our judicial system is probably the most accurate form of biblical government we are to have.
Second of all, God will have no other gods before Him, so if a government attempts to take the place of God, it will fall.
So the logical question that now follows is…
“Shouldn’t a government reflect Gods Kingdom?”
To this I say no. It simply cannot. You see, even as the church, we have one King…one Lord…one faith…one baptism…and all of our care for what God has given us to do comes from our King. It is because of HIS mandates that the church, under the leadership of our King, should reflect the Kingdom of God here on earth.
It is His power that enables us. It is His will that inspires us. It is His mission that compels us. It is His goodness that fuels us. It is His Kingdom that guides us.
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” Ephesians 4:4-6
Man-made religions and institutions get into trouble having an earthly head. Pastors get into trouble trying to be the head. This is why the Apostle Paul said to only follow Him as he followed Christ. Blind loyalty and followship to any “head” is extremely foolish. This is why we are to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, but we are to render to God the things that are God’s, and at the end of the day, why we obey God rather than man…even to governments that have taken authority in spirituality that was never theirs to have. That belongs to those who walk in the Spirit.
Governments get into messes trying to reflect the Kingdom of God when they are not spiritually equipped to do so. The majority of politicians are corrupt, carnel, power-hungry, and most of the time only looking out for how to promote themselves under the guise of taking care of the citizen. There are good ones out there, but they are rare.
For a government that is so removed from God overall, to now take their same platform to promote a type of government that God said belonged to the church, is already going to be futile…no matter your political party. Corruption sets in. Power sets in. Greed sets in. Money-based decisions set in. And off the rails it goes. There will only be discord and unity will not be found. Unity is found in Christ and Christ alone and light and darkness cannot be traveling companions according to God.
My hope is not in a political party or candidate.
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.” Psalms 20:7
This world is not my home.
“I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.” Psalms 119:19
My citizenship is sure and my future is bright!
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:13-16
I am careful where my allegiance lies as serious consequences will follow my choices.
“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.” Isaiah 30:1-3
This is the team I have joined.
“They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.” Jeremiah 50:5
As the church, as followers of Jesus, I pray we take our own personal, spiritual responsibilities to others just as seriously as we take this election.
If not, we are the problem in this country and I hope we don’t blame one more Republican or Democrat for our failures.
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