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My Kingdom is Not of This World
Reproduced from Signs of the Times, November 1, 1845
Thus spake the Son of God when mantled in the flesh. He stood arraigned
at the bar of Pilate; and when, if there had been anything in the elements
of this world which could contribute to the defense or benefit of His
kingdom, they must have been called into action. All the interests of the
kingdom which He claimed as His own, centered in Him, and the destiny of
the kingdom, for weal or woe, was at that important moment hinged upon
the result of what was at that time progressing.
None of the princes of this world knew Him; He had not made a revelation
of what He was, even to those who sat empowered to deliver Him to death.
He had not labored in His ministry to make Himself familiar to the crowned
heads of the nations of the earth. He had proposed no treaties or terms of
alliance with them; not had He called on them, or any of them, to propose
terms for His acceptance; for the nature of His kingdom was so radically
different from every kingdom under heaven, that it was not possible that an
alliance could be entered into that could subserve the true interests of either
party. His kingdom truly was destined to encounter the violence, enmity,
wrath, strife, and persecution of kingdoms of men, both in her King and in
the subjects of her government.
The powers which should oppose Him in person and in His people were not
such as He was compelled to succumb to for what of power to resist, for
He reminded Pilate that he would not have had any power, if it had not
been given him; and on another occasion He declared that He was able to
call on His Father, who would instantly honor His requisition for more than
twelve legions of angels--a force sufficient to overwhelm all earthly powers
engaged against Him; but how, in that case, could the Scriptures be
fulfilled? Not an intimation was made of raising up an earthly force to resist
the assaults of the enemies of His kingdom, even if a force had been
requisite, He would have called from the heavenly world.
We may well conclude, that if in that most trying hour, when His holy soul
was pressed within Him, He had nothing to ask of the rulers of this world,
there never could a period arrive when the powers of earthly princes should
be required to defend Him or His cause. To those who tempted Him with
their questions concerning tribute money, He said, Render unto Caesar the
things which belong to Caesar, and unto God the things which belong to
God; thus clearly intimating that the governments were not only distinct
from each other, but that the distinction should be perpetual; and that the
requisitions of Caesar, or of the governments of the nations, had to do with
men as citizens of the world, and that their obligation to earthly magistrates
and rulers was not relaxed nor abolished by the administration of His laws.
And again, that the things of God were not to be rendered to Caesar, but
unto God.
Things of a civil nature, relating to the natural rights of men, were to be
settled by God's own providential appointment, by human legislation; but
the things aside from a respect for and obedience to earthly potentates, in
natural matters, belonging to God, such as matters of faith, of conscience,
of religion, were not things over which the kings of the earth had any
supervision or power, and things in which His subjects were not at liberty
under any circumstances, to submit to the dictation or legislation of any
other than God Himself.
The kingdom of Jesus is not of this world. In its origin, elements,
provisions, policy, protection, government, or destiny. Its origin is heaven--
it is a heavenly kingdom. The King is the Lord from heaven; He said, "I
proceeded forth and came out from the Father;" and again, "What and if ye
shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before," etc. The
subjects of his kingdom are of the same origin, for "Both he sanctifies, and
they that are sanctified, are all of one; for which cause he is not ashamed
to call them brethren" and he said, "Thine they were and thou gavest them
me." "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the
world." etc.
The laws for the regulation of this heavenly kingdom are not of earthly
enactment. Christ the anointed of the Father, is the sole Legislator, and he,
by His Spirit, writes his law upon, and sets it up in the hearts of his
children. The elements, or component parts, viewed separately or
collectively, are all of God, and every plant that the heavenly Father has not
planted shall be rooted up.
The provision on which this kingdom is sustained, were given us in Christ
Jesus before the foundation of the world, and being prior to, could not be
of the world. Grace, mercy, peace, righteousness, and truth, with all things
else necessary for the commandment of the everlasting and unchanging
decree of God, were treasured up in the Head of the church before the
world began; and all the provisions of his spiritual house on which His poor
are fed; were brought down from the abounding and overflowing fountain
from which every good and perfect gift comes. And he will abundantly
bless her provisions and fill her with bread.
The policy of this kingdom is from above. "For our conversation is in
heaven," and it is therefore as becomes the children of God. All earthly
religions have to depend on human policy, human wisdom, and humanly
devised means; but not so with the kingdom which no man can see except
he be born again.
The protection of that kingdom is of him who is a wall of fire round about
it, and the glory in its midst. All anti-christian religious establishments
desire the arm of human government--regal power, and human means for
their protection; but not so with the kingdom of Jesus Christ; the eternal
God is the refuge of His people, and underneath them are the everlasting
arms.
All provisions on which the subjects of the kingdom of our Lord are fed,
comforted, instructed, and secured, are spiritual, and therefore cannot
emanate from any but a spiritual fountain. Although the world, the flesh
and Satan have volunteered like the aliens about Jerusalem in the days of
Nehemiah, to furnish God's people with food, the order of the government
forbids the traffic with them; and it is impossible that the children of the
kingdom should be fed with any other food than that which God has
graciously provided, and abundantly blessed.
Should the government of the kingdom of our Redeemer be to any extent
divided with angels or men, whatever part or portion these should
administer, must necessarily detract so much from the power and glory of
Christ. "The government shall be upon his shoulder; and of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end." So stands the record of
the Holy One. The subjects of his government are forbidden to call any
man, master, or father, as their Master and spiritual Progenitor is in heaven,
and nothing can be born of the flesh but flesh; so that without being born
again, no man can see the kingdom of God. A legislature of unregenerate
men who cannot see the kingdom, would be very poorly qualified to
legislate for a kingdom which is to them absolutely invisible; and if there
were none but regenerate men seated in legislation, they being by the new
birth qualified to see the kingdom of God, would to a man, know by the
same illuminating work of the Spirit, that they could do nothing to aid in the
legislative or executive departments of the Messiah's kingdom.
The destiny of the kingdom of which we write, differs essentially from that
of all other kingdoms. The best systems of human government are destined
to crumble to the ground. In the providence of God, empires are founded,
kingdoms and republics are raised up, they reach their climax, and then
decline, and finally cease to be reckoned among the things that be; but the
kingdom of Jesus is an everlasting kingdom, and a dominion that shall never
end. It shall never be changed, superseded, or transferred to other hands.
The mountains shall depart, the hills shall be moved, the earth and the sea
shall pass away, and all the elements of this world shall be dissolved, but
the kingdom of our God shall survive them all, and flourish in eternal bloom.
How presumptuous then, for monarchs of the earth, whose transient glory
is as a withering flower, or human legislatures which God shall obliterate,
to prepare the way of the rising empire of his to reach forth the guilt-polluted
fingers of their power, to point out the course in which God
requires his children to move.
Seeing, then, that we look for such things--seeing that we have received a
kingdom which is not of this world, which cannot be moved--let us have
grace whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and Godly
fear; for our God is a consuming fire. |
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