Yes, we live in this physical world among many different people, cultures and beliefs. The Lord God gives every person free will to choose whether they will believe in Him or not. In this sense, living among many varied people, we are to coexist and live peacefully among all mankind as much as is possible. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Romans 12:17-18 But when the Kingdom of God is within you, by salvation through King Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit—our Kingdom Governor—there is no coexisting of His Kingdom in you and the things of this world.
One of the first attitude adjustments we must make is to get rid of our religious thinking, which too often is a mixture of God’s Word and the cultural attitudes of denominations. As I have mentioned many times, Kingdom living has nothing whatsoever to do with religion or denominational laws and traditions. Religious thinking believes in coexisting with other religious cultures and traditions. It makes room for everyone, every belief system and every philosophy. That is in the world, not within a Kingdom citizen.
What is IN you is WHO you are and WHOSE you are.
When the culture and beliefs of this world are in your soul, coexisting with your Kingdom life, you are simply double minded, which causes confusion and unbelief. When you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8 NLT
Many people, surprisingly even many who attend a church, think that there are “many roads to God’s Truth” and each road is just as valid as the next. This belief makes room for Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Scientology, Unitarianism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witness, witchcraft, paganism, to name a few. All these beliefs exist in this world, but not in the Kingdom of God living within you. Coexistence regards equal accommodation as its highest value. When someone embraces that belief, they will ‘waffle’ and question God’s Constitution. Our highest valued belief is only found in God’s Constitution—the Bible.
When you believe in everything, you will stand for nothing.
Keep in mind that Jesus didn’t bring His Kingdom to coexist with this world’s beliefs. There is no coexistence in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Lord Jesus gave us His priority: But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:33-34
The Kingdom of God didn’t come to earth to coexist, but to take over and transform all who will receive Jesus and His Kingdom. In God’s Kingdom, there is only one vision, one will, one standard, one law, one belief system, one value system, one moral code of ethics, one code of conduct and, most of all, one culture—that is the King’s culture. Do you recall what King Jesus prayed to His Father concerning us—His people? “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as We are One. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me.” John 17:20-23 NLT
Keep in mind that what religion does is separate and divide the Lord God’s people. Think about the churches here on earth. Right now, think about different Christian churches you know. They believe in God, believe in Jesus His Son, yet their denominational laws and traditions keep the people separated. That was not God’s plan for His people. Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore. Psalm 133:1, 3
There is only one King and only one Kingdom and it is a government, not a religion. He is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords! Coexistence in His Kingdom is impossible. The Holy Spirit—our Kingdom Governor—does not coexist with this world. Remember the Lord Jesus’ parable, likening the Kingdom of Heaven to yeast: Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.” Matthew 13:33 NLT If you will seek His Kingdom in your life, it will expand in you like yeast, filling every part of your being!
Remember, as Kingdom citizens, we must be prepared for clash and conflict as this world and God’s Kingdom clash. We cannot enter the Kingdom of God and continue to live like our unsaved family, friends and associates. All of the sudden everything changes…our culture, our nature, our priorities, our mind. You are a new creation in Christ, the old is gone and everything has become new. People will even say that “you’re different”… “you’re no fun anymore”… “where’s the person I used to know?” Well, that person died, is under the blood of Jesus, and you are now a new creation and citizen of God’s Kingdom. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Always remember that you are in this world but not of this world. Our battle is not with the world but within our self as we become more and more like Him. I have given them Your Word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your Word is truth. John 17:14-17
For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. Philippians 2:13 NLT
Our purpose and assignment on this Earth isn’t to coexist or compromise our Kingdom citizenship to get along. Our lives are to be totally transformed into what the Lord God has purposed. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. Romans 12:1-5 NLT
Remember, your greatest asset is your faith in the King’s Word.
All scriptures are NKJV unless noted
W.R. Luchie
D. Arlene Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
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