Only SOME Nations?

Often in Church History, the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been perverted into Good News for some nations, but apparently bad news for others, or at least for the latter, a far less appealing message. This occurs whenever representatives of the Church of the same Jesus who gave his life for the entire world associate and even identify his name and message with certain nations, races, cultures, and political ideologies.

After his resurrection, Jesus declared, “All authority in heaven and on Earth is given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of ALL nations.”

[Photo by Alin Andersen on Unsplash]

Installed as the Sovereign over the entire Cosmos, he commanded his envoys to proclaim his sovereignty and salvation to all men in every nation, whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, or male and female - (Psalm 2:6-10, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:7-9).

Through his sacrificial death, the Nazarene established the promised “priestly kingdom” of men from every nation, a body of believers dedicated exclusively to his service, and mediating the light of his Gospel to the world.

The Apostle Paul writes in Romans that God’s righteousness is actualized “through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe, for there is no distinction.” Sin is the Great Leveler that condemns all men to bondage, despair, decay, and death. There is no escape.

However, through Jesus, every man and woman may receive right standing before God, the forgiveness of sin, and everlasting life, and on the same basis for one and all, namely, the faith of Jesus Christ - (Romans 3:22-30).

Paul uses his radical monotheism to stress the point.  “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also!” No one is advantaged or disadvantaged before Him due to biological descent, national origin, or culture - (Colossians 3:11).

In Christ, God is creating a new humanity, one covenant community, and its members are drawn from every nation. Regardless of one’s place of origin, everyone who places faith in Jesus is being reconfigured into his image and likeness.

No nation, race, culture, or political ideology can claim Jesus as its possession. According to the Psalmist, God has given His Son the “nations,” plural, for an inheritance, “even the uttermost parts of the Earth.” The entire planet and its inhabitants belong to him.

Because of his death and resurrection, he is the “Ruler of the kings of the earth.” They serve him, not vice versa - (Psalm 2:8, Revelation 1:4-6).

Thus, the announcement of the Good News of Salvation is a message of hope, salvation, and life for all men and women regardless of their nationality or ethnicity.

PERVERTING THE FAITH

Sadly, many churches and ministries link the biblical faith to specific nations, ideologies, cultures, civilizations, and economic systems. This is the destructive political myth promoted under the name ‘Christendom,’ the attempt to associate and identify Jesus and his teachings with specific races, nations, and political agendas.

However, ‘Christendom’ is an abominable COUNTERFEIT of the true and universal Kingdom of God proclaimed by Jesus and his Apostles, an IDOLATROUS conceit propagated by deceivers and political operatives both within and without the Church.

Jesus announced a kingdom that transcends all national, ethnic, social, and economic boundaries, and any attempt to limit it by such categories violates the very essence of his message, and what his life, death, and resurrection accomplished at great cost - (Matthew 24:14, Galatians 3:28).

The mission of the Church is to proclaim His Good News to the “uttermost parts of the earth,” and the completion of that task is necessary before Jesus returns at the end of the age.

Neither national borders nor political aspirations will prevent HIS Gospel from reaching God’s intended goal, though His enemies will continue their attempts to divert the Church from its God-given mission, especially the many “howling imposters” working inside the people of God, “deceiving and being deceived.”

His Life-Giving message is for every man, woman, and child on the planet regardless of ethnicity.  All men have sinned,” and everyone needs God’s saving grace. No one deserves it, but God has graciously made it available to everyone through the faith of Jesus Christ. In the truest sense, the Gospel is a universal and inclusive faith.

[Photo by Andi Kleeli on Unsplash]

When Jesus returns, only one Kingdom and one nation will be left standing. As his disciples, we must resist every attempt to link and identify the Apostolic Faith with specific nations, cultures, political parties and ideologies, or civilizations.

If we do not, we may exclude others from the salvation that is freely available to everyone who chooses to place faith in Jesus and what God accomplished in him at great cost.

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RELATED POSTS:

• His Salvation Offer - (The Good News announced by Jesus of Nazareth and preached by his Church offers salvation to men and women of every nation and people)

• Goal of the Church - (Jesus has tasked his disciples with proclaiming the Good News of GOD’s Kingdom in and to every nation on the Earth)

• An Idolatrous Conceit - (‘Christendom’ is the idolatrous tactic of invoking God and Jesus to validate national and political institutions, agendas, and ideologies)