Hope for only SOME Nations?
Is the Good News of the Kingdom of God a message of hope for only SOME nations, or for all?
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 Lord over all things, his disciples were
commanded to proclaim his sovereignty and salvation to men and women 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 self-sacrificial death, he established the
promised “priestly kingdom” of men and women from every nation separated
for his use. It is for that very reason that the entire creation declared him “worthy”
to receive all power and glory in the visions of Revelation. In the death
and resurrection of His Son, the God Who created all things has “spoken”
His definitive and complete word - (Hebrews 1:1-4).
Paul taught 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! It has condemned everyone to bondage, despair, decay, and death.
One’s ethnicity, gender, or social status makes no difference. But now, through
Jesus, all may receive right-standing before God, and all on the same basis – the
Faith of Jesus Christ - (Romans 3:22-30).
And Paul used 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 because of biological descent or national origin - (Colossians
3:11).
God, in Christ, is creating a new humanity with its members
drawn from every nation. Regardless of national origin, each person who places
his or her faith in Jesus is being shaped into his image.
No nation, race, society or culture can claim Jesus as its
possession. The announcement of the good news of salvation and the enthronement
of Jesus is a message of hope and life for all humanity.
Sadly, too many churches have a
long history of linking the gospel and Jesus to specific nations, cultures,
political ideologies, and economic systems. This is the destructive lie
promoted under the term “Christendom” in the attempt to identify Christianity
with specific races, nations, and ideologies. “Christendom” is the counterfeit of
the true and universal Kingdom of God over which Christ now
reigns supreme.
The announcement of God's kingdom transcends all national, ethnic, social, and economic boundaries. Any attempt to limit it by such categories violates the very heart of the Gospel - (Matthew 24:14, Galatians 3:28).
The mission of the Church is to proclaim this good news throughout
the whole habitable earth. The completion of that task is necessary before the
return of Jesus in glory. Neither national borders, racial biases nor societal
demands will prevent this mission from reaching God’s intended goal.
This message of hope is for
every man, woman, and child, wherever he or she may live, whatever his or her ethnicity
or gender. All have sinned, and all need God’s salvation. No one deserves
it, but God has graciously made it available to all on the same basis: the
faith of Jesus Christ. In the truest sense, this
gospel is a universal and “inclusive” faith.
When Jesus returns at the end
of the present age, only one Kingdom will be left standing. As his disciples, we
ought to reject any attempt to associate, link or identify Christianity with a
specific nation, race, or civilization, thereby excluding some from the
glorious salvation and everlasting life available freely to all in him alone.
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