In the early 1990s, Nirvana (a band I never got into) released their song Smells Like Teen Spirit. History buffs say it was the musical equivalent to the Kennedy assassination. That is, people remembered where they were when they first heard the song. It was that transcendent.
I was a public school teacher in those days, and the song was everywhere … even years after its release.
After what took place this past July in Florida, I’ve realized that something is in the air. Something significant is afoot. And it smells like God’s Spirit.
Let me riff on one aspect of it. Today’s political atmosphere is so radioactive that countless Christians are dividing from one another over politics. How can this be? It’s because they’re engaging the dialogue through the same matrix that the world employs.
All those political smackdowns that Christians engage in every day on Facebook reflects a complete misunderstanding of what the kingdom of God is. It also underscores that so many believers have lost sight of the gospel that was preached in the first century — what Jesus called “the gospel of the kingdom.”
Don’t make the mistake of confusing the kingdom with the conservative right. The gospel of the kingdom will make the conservative right livid.
Don’t confuse the kingdom with the progressive left. The gospel of the kingdom will make the progressive left furious.
Don’t confuse the kingdom with the libertarian movement, the Tea Party, Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, Occupy Wall Street, the Green Party, Trumpism, Obamaism, Clintonism, Communism, Socialism, Capitalism, Bidenism, or any other political movement.
At the center of God’s kingdom is the absolute lordship of Jesus Christ — who still happens to be alive and active. Yet Christ’s lordship is not only at the center. It’s at the circumference and in the margins.
And the outstanding and unmistakable (meaning, you can’t miss it) message of the kingdom is that Jesus of Nazareth is the rightful King and Lord of the world.
But His lordship has disturbing implications which — when submitted to — force us all out of our comfort zones and political categories.
Submitting to Jesus and His kingdom is not the same as giving yourself to a political cause, no matter how good or noble that cause may be.
The kingdom of God — and its blistering message — is completely OTHER than any political party or movement of this world. And it is the kingdom — not any political movement, ideology, or party — that demands your total allegiance as well as your passion.
Have you ever noticed that Jesus didn’t fit into the prevailing categories of His day? Have you ever noticed that when He was asked a question, or was given two options, His answer came from a completely different plane? He refused to use the world’s matrix, including that of the “religious world.”
This is a mark of the kingdom. It’s also a mark of the King. The Lord thinks on completely different levels than the world does.
Many believers are beginning to wake up to this reality. They are recognizing that the kingdom of God and its remarkable gospel transcends both the political left and the political right. So they no longer identify with those categories. Nor do they discuss the issues of the day using the same matrix the world does. They’ve transcended. Just like Jesus, their responses are coming from an entirely different plane. And it smells like God’s Spirit.
I’ll say more about the kingdom next week.
(For those inclined to “read into” articles, this is a blog post, not a book. You can read the previous articles in this series to get the context. As well as the others articles that are coming.)
Click here for all the articles in the Kingdom of God Series
Great!
Amen! God’s Kingdom has nothing to do with this world.
I agree 1000% with YOUR WORDS. I, too have actually noticed that SOMETHING is in the air. SOMETHING that is different, not new, just different. SOMETHING that hasn’t been seen for a long time now.
Honestly, that SOMETHING is refreshing.
This is so refreshing – keep these messages coming! We all need to be challenged to keep our focus on Jesus rather than getting distracted with the things of this world that are not furthering the Kingdom of God!
Thank you Brint for your encouraging words helping to keep us Christians focused on our walk with Jesus our Lord and soon coming King and his kingdom. Diana Hart.
Amen, so true!
Anxiously awaiting more on this series…It’s how I know it should be, but sometimes have difficulty communicating it to others. I use to conflate Christianity and my political beliefs and if you didn’t follow what I believed politically you weren’t as spiritual as me…Thankfully God had mercy on me and I humbly repented of such worldly attitude. I’m ready for God to move so His people understand we can’t look at things through, as you said, “the same matrix that the world employs.” God operates on a different plane and level. I’m ready to move to His arena of the Kingdom.
I think this is a really helpful blog. Thanks
This message is so timely – living in another country, working cross-culturally and being confronted with corruption, racism, whatever-ism on every side… His Kingdom is righteousness, peace, joy in the Holy Spirit!
Amen!
Wow! Couldn’t agree more!
I remember watching as one brother was counseling another brother. The brother who was counseling the other brother seemingly was talking about something totally unrelated to what the brother was asking. However, somehow that brother got his question answered. It’s like he got to the root of his problem. I believe it was the Spirit of God.
Excellent!
Amen!!!
Frank,
This is so good, thanks
John
Thank you, Frank, for the reminder that we are in this world, but ultimately not of this world any longer. Thanks to our Saviour who gave all for us. In such a highly charged society, it’s getting harder to keep that focus. We must continue to be that light of Christ set apart on a hill.
I like the article. I just wish I could share it with the buttons and not have it be a huge ad for your book which doesn’t relate to the topic of the post.
Facebook pulls the images from the post, so it’s not intentional. BUT if you copy and paste the link, when the image appears, click the X on the right of it, and the image will disappear. Simple.
We’ve added a header image to it. Hopefully, Facebook will pull that image now. We’ll see.
It almost feels like I am betraying my country when I take a step back from the “fight” to protect the unborn, traditional marriage, the government extorting our money for evil causes, etc…but as you noted here, that passion is misplaced. If my focus is through my spirit creature and not that old carnal creature, I see it’s the souls of those around me that deserve my God-given passion – the ones (one another) I see and touch daily. And their political ideology should not effect my Jesus-given passion for them. Jesus loved Jerusalem – but He didn’t fight Rome and it’s soldiers to save it – He fought and destroyed death through His obedience and sacrifice – so that His chosen ones could live with Him in the new Jerusalem. This is what I have to remind myself of often in this chaotic temporary world that demands I choose sides. When they pressed Jesus to choose, He chose the option they knew nothing about. May the LORD keep this understanding clear and fresh in me.
I feel the same way when it comes to standing against injustice, helping the poor and marginalized, and caring for the sick and helpless. This article helped me to put things into perspective and look at it another way. I’m reading the previous articles, so good, and can’t wait for the next one.
Frank, could not agree more. What is your policy relating to your readers quoting material like this on our own Facebook or other social media sites? I would like to summarize what you said for my friends on both sides of the political spectrum, and give you attribution. Is that ok?
Dan, please don’t quote me on social media because without the context, it will lead to severe misunderstandings and misrepresentation. Just share the link to the blog post – manually – or using the social share buttons below the article.
That way 1) people can read the whole article in context and 2) comment so I have the chance to respond, as I’m doing now with you.
Thanks.
No problem Frank. Makes sense. Will do so … and … really appreciate your wisdom and communication.
Yes Frank I am with you all the way!
I like this. Higher thoughts and ways of God (Is 55) call us into higher categories of thought and worldview. This lifts us above prevailing cultural and political categories. I think the challenge is how do we walk this out on the ground with effect in the public square? I.e., political discourse, harnessing political will.
It begins with first understanding the problem and the solution. Stay on the email list. More coming. Big subject.