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Dual citizenship can be a wonderful thing. Did you know that citizens of the United States of America are allowed to carry more baggage on an
airplane from London to Los Angeles than citizens of most other countries? Being a citizen brings certain rights and advantages in both the national and international arena. It makes a big difference.
I am a citizen of the United States of America, but I am also a citizen of a more important kingdom; the Kingdom of God. Having this dual citizenship allows me certain advantages. For example, when I am abroad and feel threatened by anyone, I can go to my embassy and plead for protection from my government. However, if I am anywhere and I feel attacked by any force of nature or spirit, I can call upon the King to protect me. I don’t call upon an angel or some delegated protector, I call upon the name of Jesus Christ.
Not only does He protect His ambassadors, he is also our guide for the journey. As kingdom citizens, we follow our King, not the wind.
The Kingdom of God is hard to define in any normal, scientific way. It can be described as many things: within us; where two or more of God’s
people are gathered; in heaven; and more. God’s kingdom can not be limited to one place or time. His kingdom is all around us. All of creation is in His kingdom. We often view Christians as the followers of an ancient rebellion against an evil empire, known as The World. But I submit to you that The World is the evil rebellion against the kingdom of God.
We are part of God’s good creation and He has claimed reconciliation with us to be his highest priority. Once you realize who is really in charge and who this created world belongs to, you can start to adjust your life accordingly. When you make this claim of belief in your life, you can stop looking at polls and putting your finger in the air to see what to do next. Grounded in God’s will, you can look at life and its everyday decisions as a part of your role in the Kingdom of God. And as kingdom ambassadors, the difference God makes for us, is a difference we offer to a world wandering
aimlessly.
Ambassadors of a God-centered and kingdom-minded worldview can change the world in which they live. We should be looking at people in The
World, not as the enemy since the battle is not against flesh and blood, but as lost brothers and sisters to be sought after. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and He didn’t get that mission by sticking his finger in the wind. We are now his hands and feet in this world, commissioned to do as He did.
Listen to Paul: "So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17).
Paul continues: “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20, NIV).
Kingdom ambassadors are sure to misrepresent their King when a "finger in the wind" is their primary guide. We have marching orders. Reconciled with God, we can tap into His glorious will. Our ministry always moves toward reconciliation, not revenge. We walk in newness of life, not stagnation. Regardless of the wind, we march full speed ahead with God.
What a difference!
Micah J. Foster is a Religion and Creative Writing major at Pepperdine University. He is also in
“Won by One”, the a cappella singing group from Pepperdine. His career goal is to be a youth minister after graduation.
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