There are no political divisions in the kingdom of God, and the life of every believer who walks in the Spirit reflects this truth, for he refrains from engaging in earthly political partisanships. Being citizens of a heavenly country, believers are “ambassadors for Christ”, operating in this foreign land. They are “foreigners” and “pilgrims” temporarily living on this dying planet. This world is not the believer’s home, and those who act as if it is, those who pursue its benefits and pleasures, “pierce themselves through with many sorrows” (1Tim. 6:10). Jesus commanded his followers to “turn the other cheek”, and he was the perfect example of doing so. While on trial for his life, he explained to Pontius Pilate, “If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight” (Jn. 18:). We are not here to improve earthly conditions for humans; that is for human governments to strive to do. God’s saints are here, just as Jesus said he was, only to bear witness to the truth.
No purely human condition exists in the kingdom of God. That is why earthly socio-political partisanships are contrary to the Spirit. The life of godliness is neither conservative nor liberal, neither free-market nor communistic. God’s way is simply not of this world, in any respect. We find God’s men and women serving Him on earth as kings and queens sitting on thrones (David, Esther), and we find them serving Him as fugitives, running from authorities (David, Elijah). We find them on earth as slaves (Eleazar, Onesimus), and we find them as slave-masters (Abraham, Philemon). We find them among the richest people in the world, and we find them living in caves, wandering about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, afflicted, maltreated (Heb. 11:37–38). We find them on earth as Jew and as Gentile, as male and as female, as young and as old, as educated and as uneducated. We find them sick, (Elisha died of a sickness) and we find them healthy.
But in God’s kingdom, all human conditions are irrelevant. Paul touched on this when he wrote to the Galatians that in Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor freeman, nor male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
There is only one purely earthly condition that is promised to all believers, at all times, in all places, only one earthly condition commonly experienced by all who have ever believed and served the true God: persecution. Paul left his young protégé, Timothy, with no illusions; he warned him plainly that “all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” This admonition mirrors that of Jesus himself, who warned Paul as a young man when he first was called, of all things he would suffer for the sake of the gospel (Acts 9:16).
Peter exhorted the saints not to be discouraged when they obeyed Christ and suffered for it: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is coming to try you, as though a strange thing is happening to you. On the contrary, rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also rejoice and be glad at the revelation of his glory. If you are being reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, he is blasphemed, but on your part, he is glorified” (1Pet. 4:12–14).
We who believe are promised but one thing on this wicked planet, that is, we will be misunderstood and unwanted by all who belong to this world. Nevertheless, our sure hope of eternal life and peace overrides all the hurt that this world can inflict upon us. That precious hope has sustained millions of hurting saints through the ages as it did Paul: “I consider the sufferings of this present time to be unworthy of comparison with the glory that shall be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). So, hang in there, fellow sojourner. How things are in this world is not how things will always be.
