Thursday, July 7, 2016

Where Do You Live?



Being a Christian is not a right.

One more time.

Being a Christian is not a right.

WHAT?! I know, it's tough to believe. We live in a country with freedom of religion, so we're pretty used to it being a right. And we are fiercely protective of that.

But to sanction faith to the confines of something that is simply "a" right, "a" piece of you, "a" part of your life is perhaps the problem. The term Christianity itself has lulled us into the mindset that it is one of many religions, instead of a term being used to describe one who is seeking the supernatural and perfect relationship with our Creator. It is not simply a belief system, but living life in truth, through the deep-seeded desire to see eternity that the Bible says God has placed in each of us. It exists beyond all other labels and constructions of our mind. 

Therefore, it cannot be relegated simply to being a part of our American identity. It is not a side benefit to citizenship of a nation. Rather than being a part of our identity as an American citizen, it is a separate identity as a citizen of Heaven, as pastor Randy spoke of Sunday. The two coexist, and we decide which one we let affect the other. 

With these two identities we hold, we are given authority by God to be not just citizens, but ambassadors. It is our duty to usher in the atmosphere of Heaven to meet earth when we come together in prayer and in worship. Whether it is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, committing ourselves to the will of God, or standing in unity that precedes all other earthly boundaries, we must decide as Christians to allow our citizenship in Heaven to be our strongest loyalty, as an ambassador's strongest loyalties are to that of their home country. This does not necessarily mean there will always be dissension between the two--our biggest responsibility is simply being a representative of the love of Christ here. However, if situations arise that put our American identity at odds with our identity in Christ, we must again decide which will affect which.

Across the world, ambassadors of Christ have made the decision. Though the countries they are in stand in direct opposition to their home in Heaven, they remain in Christ. But not only do they remain in Christ, they step beyond the embassy; beyond the safe group of other Christians and church communities and into the risk of punishment under the law of the place they are in for the sake of others; for the sake of their identity as a citizen of heaven. As Pastor Randy said on Sunday, they know their rights, and when their Heavenly authority does not match their earthly right, they accept the consequences for doing good that this entails, however unfair. They know which will stand for eternity. Being a child of God outlasts government. It outlasts persecution. It outlasts election seasons. It has outlasted every culture that has approached it since the beginning of time. 

So in this politically charged, uncertain, and unstable point in our history as a nation, I encourage you to remain. Remain in your foremost identity as a child of God and allow the knowledge that no man or woman can ever change who God is be a comfort, as well as a point of unity in the body of Christ.

Written by: Brianna Vanderveen
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

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