Only SOME Nations?
Is the Good News of the Kingdom of God a message of hope for only SOME nations, or for all?
Often in church history, the gospel has been perverted into good
news for some nations, but bad news for others. This occurs when representatives
of the church of the same Jesus who gave his life for the world associate his name
and message with certain nations, races, cultures, and ideologies.
After his Resurrection, Jesus of
Nazareth declared that “all authority in heaven and on earth is given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Installed as Lord over
all creation, he commanded his envoys to proclaim his realm and salvation to
all men in every nation, whether Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, male or
female - (Psalm 2:6-10, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts
1:7-9).
By his sacrificial
death, he established the promised “priestly kingdom” of men from every
nation who are dedicated exclusively to his service. In the book of Revelation,
for example, the entire cosmos declares him “worthy” to receive all
power and glory because he redeemed men and women “by his shed blood.”–
(Revelation 5:5-14).
In his death
and resurrection, the God who created all things has “spoken” definitively
and with great finality in His Son, Jesus Christ - (Hebrews 1:1-4).
ONE GOD OF ALL MEN
The Apostle Paul writes in his
letter to the churches of Rome 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 us all regardless of rank, wealth, gender, or ethnicity.
However, through Jesus, every
man and woman may receive right standing before God, forgiveness, 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, 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 - 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.
PERVERTING THE FAITH
Sadly, many church
organizations link the biblical faith to specific nations, ideologies, and even
economic systems. This is the destructive political myth promoted under the
name “Christendom,” the attempt to associate and even identify Jesus with specific
races, nations, cultures, and political agendas.
If anything, “Christendom” is the
counterfeit of the true and universal Kingdom of God
taught in the Bible, an idolatrous conceit propagated by deceivers and
political operatives both within and without the church.
The Nazarene 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 gospel message-
(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 the gospel from reaching God’s intended goal, though enemies of the Cross of Christ will continue in their attempts to divert the church from its Christ-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
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 places faith in Jesus Christ.
