Unity Primitive Baptist Church

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Support Noah Sheldon For those who know Noah, you know he is such a loving little boy. Noah Sheldon is 2.5 years old and brings so much joy to everyone around him. He has been diagnosed with quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy, cortical vision impairment & Infantile Spasms. While he is 2.5, he is currently developing

Our King is Not of this World and Neither is Our Conversation (Citizenship)

“My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” John 18:36

Jesus spoke these words in response to Pilate asking if the Savior was the King of the Jews. No doubt Pilate asked the question to learn if Jesus was guilty of sedition and treason against Rome as state sanctioned Jewish religious leaders (religious statists) claimed. (See John 19:12-15) Jesus did not deny He is a King. Rather, he asserted since His is not an earthly kingdom His servants would not use worldly tactics to accomplish His release. Moreover, despite being falsely accused by religious statists and unjustly convicted of sedition and sentenced to death on the cross by Roman government, Jesus' resurrection from the dead proves beyond doubt that his kingdom does not need political success to be victorious.

Jesus' pronouncement should be telling for Christians who in good conscience struggle with how to respond to present day political upheaval. Fact is the political powers in Jesus' time were far worse than is the case in America today. They were utterly ungodly and corrupt. Their legal system was arbitrary and unjust, taxation was oppressive, poverty was rampant, and all political opposition was suppressed by the brutality of the Roman boot and sword.

Yet, the New Testament has little to say about politics. And when Jesus was confronted with political issues, he scantly addressed them and immediately shifted focus back to serving God. For example, when asked about paying taxes to Rome he stated “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.” Notice how quickly Jesus turned the conversation away from politics and back to serving God. Also, notice how his audience was amazed that he had but little interest in the excessive tax policies of Rome.

In Philippians 23:5-8 Paul teaches we are to conform our priorities to what Jesus demonstrated is important. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” From this we understand serving God is our primary duty and how to do so should always be at the forefront of our thinking. Honoring God through godly obedience must come before all other causes. It must rise above all else. We are to serve God with single-mindedness to our utmost ability, even to death if necessary. All other loyalties are subordinate to serving God and must be abandon when they come into conflict with our duty to serve Him. For, it is impossible to serve two masters. (See Matthew 6:24)

This is especially so where political loyalties are concerned. The empty claims of political parties must not replace God. For their vain promises give but false hope when we permit ourselves to be deceived and have our loyalty to God supplanted by the vain jangling of worldly powers. In contrast, the promises of God are sure and steadfast. They are true and unchanging. Political promises gender strife and debate as proponents and opponents strive for political gain. But God's promises give us peace and hope in which we are able to “glory in tribulations” because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. (Romans 5:1-5)

Our citizenship is in heaven with the eternal God who gives us hope by faith as confident expectation of eternal life as Paul teaches in Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour.” Just so, it makes no sense to place our trust in vain, temporal powers whose broken promises fail or perish with them. It makes no sense because “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Friends, political hope is vanity. It does not and neither can it supply best or even lasting solutions. I suspect this is one reason that, despite his appearing at a time of extreme political upheaval and intrigue, Jesus said little about politics. He knew it is but temporary theater. Our citizenship, loyalty and hope are with God. As citizens of God's eternal kingdom, we would do well to focus our attention and energies on serving God as did Jesus and leave political activism to those misguided souls who thrive on vain jangling and strife over foolish questions.

A Scriptural Alternative to Seeking Political Solutions to Spiritual Problems

The short essay seen below offers what I believe is the beginning point for we who are believers to address the political problems that confront us today. Present commonplace reactions by opposing factions of vile language, purposeful misrepresentation and mischaracterization, demonization of those with whom we disagree, and violence to address political disagreements suggest Satan is winning on both sides of the political spectrum. If this be so, then political disagreement is a pretense Satan is using to hide the true nature of the conflict, which is spiritual warfare. Just so, the essential nature of current disagreements is not political. It is spiritual. Moreover, it is not our neighbors who are our enemies. It is the devil.

This essay seeks to present the scriptural beginning point for an alternative reaction to political turmoil in which we believers occupy our station not as liberals or conservatives, but rather as "ambassadors for Christ" by serving as light and salt to the sin-darkened and utterly distasteful world of politics. But first, we must repent.

“Repentance Not to Be Repented Of”
By Michael Ivey

“Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10

In this text Paul teaches there is a repentance that sticks. It is a repentance born of godly sorrow which engulfs our souls with intense sadness, utter shame and genuine remorse for offending our Creator God. It is the sorrow of a sin sick soul who acknowledges sins we have committed with true regret.

The Greek word which is translated repent is μετανοέω metanoeo. It means to think differently, change one's mind, morally to have compunction. From this we understand true repentance changes our attitude about sin and sinning. This repentance is motivated by love and respect for God and produces changed thinking which with genuine regret utterly abhors every thought and behavior that offends God and wishes only to obey God. True repentance brings us face-to-face with how personally insulting and offensive our sins are to God; that each time we willfully disobey Him is the immoral equivalent of nailing Jesus to the cross and spitting in his face.

How is it possible to repent with such conviction as to effect real and lasting change? It is possible by godly sorrow, which Paul indicates causes steadfast repentance: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.” In source and manner godly sorrow is unlike worldly sorrow which is that fake sorrow which we employ for convenience, or to escape consequence and is cast aside at first opportunity. In contrast, godly sorrow leads us into repentance that effects real and lasting change in our behavior. This sorrow proceeds from one's new creature -born of God- spirit. Thus, it has no hint of self-pity. Rather, focused wholly on God, godly sorrow is a soul-stirring sadness that envelops all our being and demands all our attention for having so greatly dishonored and disappointed God. It casts down our souls with deep and complete sadness that cannot be ignored nor appeased by anything less than true repentance. Godly sorrow thus overwhelms carnal lusts for things which displease God and replaces them with yearnings for sweet fellowship with him.

Peter's statement in Acts 3:19, “Repent and be converted ...” indicates those who truly repent with godly sorrow are converted. The Greek word for convert is ἐπιστρέφω epistrepho. It means to turn to, denoting a change of course. In the case of repentance, the changed course is to turn away from a course of behavior that offends God by turning to a course of behavior that pleases God by following Jesus.

Peter's statement implies a touchstone relationship exists between true repentance fashioned by godly sorrow which changes how we think about sin and conversion which changes our behavior: To be converted on must repent with godly sorrow and those who truly repent by godly sorrow are converted. From this we understand that being converted is proof of true repentance. Which means we are assured we are truly repentant from our sins by a conversion in which we turn away from behavior that displeases God and turn to behavior that pleases him. In the absence of such apparent change there is no conversion, and if there is no conversion there is no true repentance.