Only SOME Nations?
Is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God a message of hope for only SOME nations, or is it Good News for all nations and peoples? Too often in church history, the Gospel has been perverted into Good News for some nations, but apparently bad news for others, or at least for the latter, a less appealing message. And 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 Gospel with certain nations, races, cultures, and political ideologies.
After his resurrection, Jesus declared
that “All authority in heaven and on Earth is given to me. Go, therefore,
and make disciples of ALL nations.” 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).
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| [Photo by Alin Andersen on Unsplash] |
By 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.
In the Book
of Revelation, for example, the entire universe declares the slain Lamb “worthy”
to receive all power and glory BECAUSE he redeemed men and women “by
his shed blood” from every nation, tribe, and people – (Revelation 5:5-14).
ONE GOD OF ALL MEN
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 has condemned all
men to bondage, despair, decay, and death. In the end, death awaits every man regardless
of his rank, wealth, gender, or ethnicity. 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 – the faith of Jesus Christ - (Romans
3:22-30).
And Paul
uses his radical monotheism to make 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 or national
origin - (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 made new and 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 for an
inheritance, “even the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Indeed, 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 even economic systems. This is the destructive political
myth promoted under the name ‘Christendom,’ which is the attempt to associate
and even identify Jesus and his teachings with specific races and nations.
If anything, ‘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
from within and from without the church.
Jesus of Nazareth 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,
life, death, and resurrection - (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 this task is necessary before Jesus returns at the end of the age to consummate all things.
Neither national borders nor political
aspirations will prevent HIS Gospel from reaching God’s intended goal, though
enemies of Jesus will continue their attempts to divert the church from its God-given
mission.
His life-giving message is for
every man, woman, and child on the Earth 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.
Thus, in the truest sense of
the word, the Good News of the Kingdom of God is a universal and inclusive
faith.
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,
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.
