 Image by Jean-Christophe Bouvier from PixabayUnderstanding who you are in the Lord God’s government is very important. Jesus was never sent here on this earth to start or create another religion called Christianity. He didn’t give His life for that. He never stated or implied that those who believed in Him should be called Christians. When the Lord Jesus first came on the scene, His very first message was that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 The Lord Jesus was focused on His message from His Father. Even His earthly first cousin John was in one accord—in line with His message. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” Matthew 3:1-2 It is all about His Kingdom. A kingdom is a government, not a religious organization, as most would have you believe. For many years—the majority of my life—I thought I was a religious person, part of a religious organization, known as a Christian. That was all I knew. It was only when I started to study the Lord God’s Constitution for myself, rather than only knowing what I heard preached, that I realized who I really was. The first time I ever read the word “Christian” in His Constitution was in Acts 11, after Jesus had left this earth. Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Acts 11:25-26 It was then that I first realized that the disciples didn’t call themselves Christians. King Jesus never told them they were Christians. The people around them saw them and called them Christians. They took the name after Jesus the Christ. The word Christ means the “Anointed One”. To understand who you really are, you must go back to your second birth. King Jesus stated it like this: Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3:3 NLT In order for you to become a citizen of His Kingdom, you must be born again by His Spirit; in other words, being filled with His Holy Spirit. Too many people who say they are Christians do not actually understand who the Holy Spirit is. Many join a church, participate in praise and worship and consider themselves Christian. That is all true, but in order to become a citizen of God’s Kingdom one must be born again, filled with and governed by His Holy Spirit. This is the reason we say that the Holy Spirit is our Kingdom Governor. We are led by His Spirit and He is Governor over our territory. We submit to His governing will! Jesus made it very clear; if you aren’t born again you can’t even see the Kingdom of God. Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water (natural birth from our mother’s womb) and the Spirit (filled with the Holy Spirit), he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8 Religion has combined this with “accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior”, while skimming past the importance of being filled with and governed by the Holy Spirit. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life; For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 We cannot be “good enough” for life in His Kingdom on our own without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is only by submitting to His Will that we are able to grow and mature in His Spirit. But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Galatians 5:22-25 NLT This is how we come into the full understanding of who we are in His Kingdom! My wife Arlene and I are ambassadors of His Kingdom. We are not religious at all. We stay in His Constitution—His Word. Ambassador Paul put it perfectly: But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. Philippians 3:20a We only speak things concerning our Kingdom government. We speak the words of our King. Once you are born again, you must learn the ways of the King, by reading and studying His Word. By submitting your will to the Holy Spirit—our Kingdom Governor—He will lead you into all Truth. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all Truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14 Remember: If you allow people to name you, they will define you. That is what they did back in Antioch. They named Paul and Barnabas by calling them “Christians”. From that point on others embraced it also. Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” Acts 26:28 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 1 Peter 4:16 At no times did the Lord Jesus ever called His disciples “Christians”. It was other people, who named them. That is my point. Understand who you are! If we were supposed to be called Christian and create yet another religion, wouldn’t that have been the focus of our Lord Jesus? He was focused on God’s Kingdom and what life in His Kingdom looked like! Remember, your faith in the Lord God’s Word is your greatest asset in His Kingdom. All scriptures are NKJV unless noted W.R. Luchie www.kingdomcitizens.org |
