The Politics of Heaven

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By Ben Bush


The Politics Of Heaven

The Good News of Jesus Christ! What a message! To think that the 
Sovereign Creator and Sustainer of this universe would submit 
Himself to a lowly existence and the cruelty of His rebellious 
mankind just to demonstrate His loving grace and mercy and provide 
Himself as the Eternal Sacrifice for the sins of all mankind is the 
only message for those yet to meet their only holy Savior. The 
revelation of this gospel to those possessing no redemptive 
relationship with their Creator brings them to the threshold of the 
most momentous decision they could ever be faced with. No other 
doorway in their life will ever contain the possibilities inherent 
in this one act of the will for or against Jesus Christ. As one 
abiding in death is drawn to the only possible source of life, so 
are they which incline their ears to the clarion call of Christ.
For one who has received the tender mercies and all-sufficient grace 
of the crucified, risen and exalted King of Kings, this message is 
sure. It is not a conglomeration of conflicting stabs at truth, but 
instead is the only harmonious answer for their previously tormented 
life. For one who has not proceeded over that threshold of faith 
toward the Giver of life, this message is nothing more than another 
illusion championed by religious Houdinies as a temporary elixir for 
an illusory existence. Why grasp at a meaningless façade of air when 
the world is prompting you to embrace the substance of worthwhile 
activity? Anyone can see that assisting the local community, 
supporting neighborhood projects, promoting public school programs 
and similar civic functions not only help others, but also provides 
meaningful fulfillment to a person's life. A fortunate few get to 
receive the ultimate in civic accomplishment and pride by attaining 
the highest level of service; public political office. In this realm, 
fulfillment reaches its zenith. Even for those helping someone to 
climb the political ladder, the feeling of fullness and meaning take 
on a................dare we say it?............a spiritual dimension. 
With that said, wouldn't it be wonderful if the religious and the 
political could be thrust together? To be able to significantly 
participate in molding public policy for the good of your fellowman 
while gaining divine approval would be the best of both present 
tangible reality and future imperceptible possibility.
 
Better yet, could the possibility exist that God actually mandates 
the exuberant participation of His people in the political process 
of this world system? Could He actually provide for the well-being 
of His own by having them labor to bring about their personal destiny 
on this earth? Could the inherently evil but necessary systems of the 
world be conquered by the strategies and military maneuverings of 
temporal soldiers of Christ?
 
These questions have been answered in the affirmative by a significant 
cross-section of people in this country that have come to be known as 
the Religious Right. Their affiliation with the Republican Party and 
conservative values has been a response to the perceived threat to 
their Christian liberties by various anti-family, anti-Christian and 
anti-American activist groups. With the seemingly ever increasing tide 
of attacks on our freedoms has come the matching level of political 
involvement by the entire spectrum of conservative Christendom. From 
pro-family groups such as Focus on the Family to pro-constitutional 
rights militant Jay Sekulow and the American Center for Law and Justice, 
the thundering lock-step march of psychological recruits for the momentary 
Cause of Christ can be felt throughout the halls of American Government. 
To ignore these devoted draftees and their significant firepower of votes 
is to potentially commit political suicide. Their zeal is obvious to all 
and their cause is religious in nature, a formidable combination 
recognized by even the novice of historical research.
 
While recognizing the stature of these Christian groups as a whole, vital 
questions remain involving their participation in the civil realm. Without 
denigrating their professed relationship to the Son of God or their 
humanity, questions regarding the mandate of their Leader must be proposed. 
If they are truly following The Captain of their Salvation and His Word, 
then we would expect to find the regulations of His War Manual to include 
orders and policies voicing the ways and thoughts of the Commander-in-Chief. 
These ways and thoughts would simply be a reflection of the nature and 
character of their King and His Kingdom. Let's study what the King of King's 
Constitutional Covenant has to say. 
 
What position does God occupy in relation to Mankind? 
 
CREATOR God is initially revealed to us as the Creator of the universe in 
Genesis, chapters 1 and 2. Other verses naming Him as "Creator" are 
Ecclesiastes 12:1, Isaiah 40:28, Romans 1:25 and 1Peter 4:19. The 
significance of the title Creator lies in the fact that the creator always 
has authority over that which he creates. This simple truth is reiterated 
throughout Scripture for those under His command to understand. Who better 
for Paul to remind than those familiar with the letter of the Roman law that 
"Hath not the potter power over the clay.....? The word power is a Roman 
legal and political term which is the embodiment of and can be translated as 
authority, jurisdiction, liberty, or right. This principle is evidenced among 
people in America by the Constitution of the united States in 
Article 1, § 7, Para. 8, which delegates to Congress the power "to promote 
the progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to 
Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and 
Discoveries;" The Declaration of Independence also contains a recognition of 
the Creator by an elite group of schemers by stating "....that they are 
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights...." Since the time 
of Cain, certain men of governing bodies have a limited and natural 
understanding of the hierarchy of creation due to their equitable relationship 
with God under a covenant of protection and retribution. God's position in 
this hierarchy, due to His nature, is supreme. 
 
 
KING While the position and title of Creator is revealed to benefit mankind, 
it is nonetheless a conditional position and title. As long as there is no 
creation, there is no creator. The title and position of King is completely 
different. The difference is in the eternal nature of the title and position. 
God has always been King. The apostle Paul refers to the King in 1Timothy 1:17 
as "eternal". In relation to God's capacity as Creator, He was King before He 
was ever Creator. He reigned as Sovereign before He ever created. In fact, His 
actions as Creator were the actions of a Sovereign.
 
As a parenthetical necessity we will now recognize one essential component of 
a sovereign of any type; subjects. A supreme ruler must have someone to 
administer his authority upon or to. Apart from exercising control over 
subjects, a king is living in the delusional grandeur of his own mind and 
deluding none but himself. 
 
 
With that point established, let's ask and answer a question likely to arise 
in the context of discussing the nature of the "eternal King". "If the Eternal 
King ruled as king before His initial act of creation, who were His subjects?" 
As stated before, the King's Manual should supply the needed revelation. 
Upon our repentance of faith in Christ's Person and work, our redemptive future 
is sealed by the arrival of The Holy Spirit to indwell our bodies. The 
provision of His eternal Spirit enables us to perform in our spirit, soul and 
body acts which would otherwise have no eternal value when offered to an Eternal 
King. This supernatural Endowment exhibits the same character traits of the King 
himself as He walked upon this earth; traits such as "love, joy, peace, 
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance..." Galatians 
5:22-23. The last in this list, temperance, is the key to answering our question. 
The word simply means "self-control". Our King not only expects us to act with 
self-control, as He did, but provides the means to do so from Himself. This is 
quite insightful when contemplating the character of the eternal nature of God 
the King. If He is eternal, and He is, then His exhibition of self-control didn't 
begin when He robed Himself in the flesh of a man. He imported that characteristic 
as an attribute of His Nature from eternity into measured time. Self-control was 
an inseparable and eternal part of Him. Apart from any creation, He controlled 
Himself. He was subject to Himself.
 
On the surface this might sound rather hollow. God ruled Himself. Alone in the 
universe except for Himself! So what!? No rebellion to confront. No disputes to 
settle. No sin to judge. No worship to accept. Man himself might be able to thrive 
in such a situation!
Lest you think the Eternal King would leave us to swoon in our pursuit of 
comprehension, once again His Manual meets our need. Theological dissertation 
aside, the King unveils a portion of Himself at His baptism. Matthew, Mark and 
Luke record the event under inspiration and identify the three Persons of the 
Eternal Godhead; the Father commending His Son, the Son being baptized as a Man and 
the Holy Spirit lighting upon the Son in the form of a dove. Rather than abandon 
these narrations as novelties of a first century heretical sect of Judaism, let's 
proceed back to the Book of Beginnings, Genesis. We find that the word translated as 
God throughout the first chapter is elohiym. This word is in the plural form (
three or more) as opposed to the singular (one) or dual (two). Our understanding of 
the Eternal Triune God is further solidified when Elohiym says in verse 26, "Let us 
make man in our image..."(Emphasis added) God refers to Himself in the plural form.
The significance of this fact lies in the plurality of the Godhead controlling 
Himself. Each Person of the Godhead has separate and distinct duties and 
responsibilities in relation to the other two Persons. Each of these duties and 
responsibilities are carried out flawlessly as One, thus God controls Himself 
because He is subject to Himself. After all, He is King!
 
 
SAVIOR While every man can acknowledge the Creator as having certain sovereign 
claims over them as King, their response to the King in His capacity as Savior 
determines their earthly and eternal status, as a subject of the King. It is in 
this capacity that the high and lofty King lowered Himself from the eternal realms 
and stationed Himself within time while partaking of the nature of mankind. Limited 
by this robe of flesh, the King nevertheless accomplished what, to this day, remains 
the dividing point between the King and all men; absolute and holy perfection. Never 
once failing to meet His Father's Standard of life, He offered that life as the 
requirement for the mark so badly missed by Adam and every man since. Having accepted 
this offering, the Father raised Him from the dead, thereby ratifying a New Covenant. 
Acceptance of this fact and the One establishing this fact determines your status 
before the risen King. To turn to the King in repentance and receive His offer of 
forgiveness and eternal life transfers one into what is known as the Kingdom of God. 
To not accept His offer is to remain apart from the presence of God in what is known 
as the World. We shall now take a look at the distinctive characteristics and 
relationships of each. 
 
 
The Two Realms
 
KINGDOM OF GOD This term encompasses the separate spiritual reign of Christ the King 
in the lives of those accepting His eternal gift. Upon transfer into this new realm, 
the believer embarks upon a completely unique lifestyle identified by the specific 
words of Christ. These words and the concepts underlying them were easily recognized 
in the culture of that day and carried specific political and legal ramifications for 
those within their application. It would behoove believers in modern America to pay 
close attention to the Manual of the King as He teaches us about His Realm.
The first glimpse we receive of the distinctiveness of the Kingdom is when Christ 
tells His disciples that ".....upon this rock will I build my church;..." 
(Matt. 17:18, KJV) The Greek word translated "church" is actually the word "ekklesia" 
(Strong's Conc. # 1577) and means "a calling out" or "to call out". Ekklesia is a 
political term referring to the assembly of full male citizens called together for 
the purpose of conducting official business pursuant to their responsibilities as 
full citizens. These duties of citizenship stem from their membership of a city 
(Gr. polis) The Greek polis or city-state was well developed by the time of Christ 
and was readily adopted by the Romans. A male born in a city had the highest political 
status as a citizen. Citizenship purchased by or otherwise conferred upon a male was 
always inferior to that of birth. Please note the contrasting treatment of Paul by the 
centurion and his captain upon learning that Paul was a Roman by birth. (Acts 22:24-29, 
16:37-39 ). All political activity and conduct were determined by the particular polis 
a person was born in. Even under Roman rule there were various political policies and 
laws in effect in cities of different regions of the Roman Empire; this in spite of 
the totalitarian nature of Rome. Ultimately, all political activity centered around 
the various pagan gods of the polis. Yes, political activity and allegiance to such 
activity were considered religious in nature. Politics was considered a service to the 
gods.
 
In light of these historical facts, it is most interesting to learn that, as a called 
out assembly of believers, we are called upon to conduct the official political 
business of the community (Gr. Politeuma, Strong's Conc. #4175) of none other than New 
Jerusalem. Our Lord tells us in Phil. 3:20 that our community of political activity 
begins in heaven. Earlier (Phil. 1:27) Paul told the believers in Philippi to let their 
conversation (Gr. Politeuomai, Strong's Conc. #4176) be as it becometh the Gospel of 
Christ. Their conduct as citizens of heaven was to not only originate in heaven but was 
to also reflect their sovereign King and His policies. 
 
 
WORLD The "world" is a term referring to the centralized system of government created by 
rebellious man whereby those "outside the presence of the LORD" and initiated by God 
exercise comprehensive and delegated authority over all other citizens "outside the 
presence of the LORD", and, to a certain degree, those with qualified citizenship who 
have been "accepted" of the LORD. 
 
While many readily acknowledge that our Lord initiated the three major institutions of 
life; the family, civil government and the ekklesia (not to be confused with the church), 
many overlook the beginning of civil government's organized dominion of the earth and its 
founder, Cain, revealed in the Book of Beginnings, Genesis. In fact, God Himself offered 
the authority to Cain when Cain became upset because God did not accept his sacrifice. If 
Cain chose to, he could have dominion over all men simply by not choosing to act pursuant 
to God's requirement. In short, rebellion initiates Cain into the realm of governing all 
other rebellious evildoers as well as those accepted in the beloved.
The eternal irony of this arrangement lies in four points; one about God, two about Cain, 
the last one about God's people. 
First, only an eternally omniscient Yahweh could know and understand the man whose 
rebellious heart drives him to create and accomplish everything imaginable to replace the 
God he rejected. This is evidenced in all aspects of government activity around the globe. 
This very impetus, though, eventually causes man to create the infrastructure necessary to 
perform the initial mandate to Adam, dominion of the earth. But, alas, rebellious man is 
left exactly where he placed himself, on the outside looking in, when it comes to ultimately 
completing this task. Again, the omniscience of our LORD speaks, as succinctly revealed in 
Proverbs 13:22, saying everything man, apart from Yahweh, accumulates is amassed eventually 
as a Last Day inheritance for those justified by Faith in Christ.
 
Second, Cain's attitude toward those accepted by Yahweh is shockingly and starkly revealed 
in his acceptance of Yahweh's offer to rule. He sacrifices Abel! This act in founding the 
world system as we know it today officially proclaimed the open and inherent enmity between 
the world and those committed to the Way of Yahweh. Governments of the World and their 
citizens have been shedding the blood of Yahweh's people for centuries. As Yahweh informed 
Cain, their blood speaks on their behalf and is a testimony to all who will truly hear.
 
Third, Cain receives from Yahweh a mark of identification and promise of seven-fold 
retribution for those who would harm Cain in the execution of his duties of governing, all 
because Cain feared the hostility of other men toward him for his murderous and rebellious 
sacrifice of Abel. This God-ordained mark is currently in use in the modern world of today 
and retributive justice is still carried out swiftly around the globe against those who 
despise and harm government officials.
 
Fourth, Yahweh's people are to submit themselves (just as Eve to Adam) to this enemy, even 
as they experience the intense desire to wield the weighty sword of divine authority over 
the lawless. Instead, they must trust Yahweh to provide everything they need, even protection 
and a peaceable life. This includes trusting Yahweh to use the World's government as a source 
of commendation, even as the world seeks their permission to devour them. He truly is the only 
Provider and Protector under these conditions.
 
So we see that, in contrast to the political conduct and policies of the ekklesia originating 
in the city of the LORD'S presence, the political conduct and policies of this world system 
originate "outside the presence of the LORD".
 
THE KING'S EARTHLY MESSAGE
 
To further bolster the case for the differences between the World and Ekklesia, a brief look at 
the word's of Christ will reveal much about the nature and activity of the two realms. He had 
much more to say than one might think.
 
Prior to the commencement of His public ministry, Jesus was lead of the Holy Spirit into the 
desert to be tried by Satan, the same one cast out of heaven and, subsequently, appearing to 
Adam and Eve in the garden of Yahweh. While the three areas of trial may be familiar to many, 
only one is needed for the immediate purpose of this article.
 
After successfully resisting the first two trials of the Tempter, the Lord of Glory is then 
shown every kingdom of the World system and the glory accompanying each. At the conclusion of 
this show of pomp and circumstance, Satan presents a conditional offer to Jesus with the 
following words, "All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." 
The response of Jesus is direct and pointed, "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou 
shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Satan obediently departed as 
angels ministered to Jesus.
 
An important truth in this scenario is the fact that the offer by Satan was legitimate. He was 
not attempting to offer something to Christ he had no authority to offer. This is proven by the 
response of Jesus. Though Jesus did not directly address the issue of legitimacy, He did address 
the issue of the condition upon which this legitimate transfer of authority would be based, 
worship. Christ informed Satan that to worship him in any manner would be a violation of the Law 
of Yahweh. Any violation of the Law by Jesus would destroy the Redemptive plan Yahweh actively 
implemented with the fall of mankind in the garden. Any ascension to and claim of power must be 
according to the written Word of God already revealed at that time. To ascend and claim otherwise, 
would be to void His claim as the second Adam, thereby nullifying any legitimacy to physically 
rule on earth in the future. To refuse the offer of Satan in this manner is to acknowledge the 
legitimacy of his offer.
 
The next occasion to be mentioned occurs before Pilate. After Pilate enquires about His status as 
King of the Jews, Jesus has occasion to inform Pilate regarding the nature of His dominion by 
saying, "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."
 
This statement imparts vital information to both the World and the Ekklesia of God. Jesus' 
statement provides Pilate the knowledge that Jesus and His followers pose no physical threat to 
the military might of Rome because Christ's kingdom did not originate with the World system. Since 
the nature of Jesus' reign was different, His military officers, earthly and heavenly, would not 
fight to prevent harm coming to Him. For Pilate to conclude otherwise would have committed him to, 
at least, initiate a process to eliminate this threat by whatever means possible. Pilate found no 
fault in Jesus.
 
This statement also informs the officers of His Ekklesia that His interests are not promoted or 
protected in this world system by the means of physical might. As 2 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that 
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal or fleshly, they are still mighty enough to pull down 
the strongholds of the enemy. The use of physical might to promote the rights and liberties of the 
Savior is prohibited.
 
One final statement of Christ will be pondered in order to make the point that the World and the 
Ekklesia are, not only of differing natures, but separate entities altogether. Before Christ is 
delivered to the Jews under cover of darkness, He speaks candidly to His disciples about Himself, 
the World, His disciples and the relationship of each one to the other two. While this passage in 
John 14 reveals much about these relationships, Christ makes one statement which is most telling. 
He promises that the Father will send them another Comforter in verse 16. He calls the Comforter 
the Spirit of Truth in verse 17, then adds a few more phrases cataloging the distinction between 
the Spirit of Truth and the World. Verse 17 says, "Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot 
receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, 
and shall be in you." Jesus simply says that citizens of the World do not have the ability to 
receive the Holy Spirit. As long as they remain a citizen of the World, it is impossible for them 
to do so. Only by turning to King Jesus as Savior, in repentance and faith in His work of 
redemption can any person receive the seal of God's work within, the Holy Spirit, thereby changing, 
not only their eternal status, but, their earthly status as well.
 
We are lead back to the purpose of the Lord Jesus Christ coming to this earth and His Ekklesia 
remaining on this earth. Jesus said in John 3:17-18, "For God sent not his Son into the world to 
condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not 
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already." Therein lies the answers to our 
questions regarding the nature and scope of our political activity on this earth.
 
 
WORLD RECONCILIATION Every action undertaken by the Ekklesia of God has at its core the Gospel 
message of reconciliation to the King of Kings. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ 
is the political message of Heaven to a World eternally separated from its Creator and King. Having 
declared the status of the World to be already judged in their present state of unbelief, Christ, 
nevertheless , has chosen to present to the World His Word of Reconciliation. He performs this 
ministry of reconciliation through his appointed governmental ministers, called Ambassadors.
 
The office and duty of an Ambassador is created when a person enters a redemptive relationship with 
Jesus Christ by faith. Though the duties of this new found citizenship may be minimal at first, 
they gradually expand as this person's love, knowledge and understanding of the Savior increase 
under personal spiritual study and the administration of Senior Ambassadors. These Senior 
Ambassadors perform their duties through the designated offices and enabling power of the Holy 
Spirit. This local administration of government is carried out for the maturing of the 
ecclesiastical saints so that they might further perform the work of spiritual administration. All 
of this edifies the Ekklesia of Christ.
 
Please note that the Ekklesia has all of the duties of administration of any government of this 
World, except one; Criminal sanctions against lawbreakers. This one area has been reserved for the 
legal heirs of Cain to implement. The Ekklesia has the God-ordained responsibility to instruct and 
govern other believers in the relationship between various institutions founded by Yahweh (Ekklesia, 
Family, World Government) and the duties of each. Only then will the political activity of each take 
place within the proper god-ordained context and instruction. As enticing as the exercise of Worldly 
authority is, the parameters have been set for all to observe.
 
With that said, the foremost duty of an Ambassador for Christ is to faithfully represent and promote 
the political position of Christ to the World citizens, with the understanding that the two realms 
are in natural conflict and irreconcilable. Any Ambassador should know that he is not present in 
this World to represent the interests of the World. He is there to convince the World of the 
superiority of reconciliation with Christ himself, thereby severing any permanent citizenship of the 
World. As pointed out before, true conversion cannot take place in the heart of a person and have 
that person remain a permanent citizen of the World. A renunciation of Worldly citizenship by 
truthfully declaring and receiving Christ as Savior transfers a person by spiritual birth into the 
realm of the Kingdom of God and forever changes the nature of that person's activity. An allegiance 
to a new and different Sovereign King is established.
 
Our initial questions have been answered, though not exhaustively. While many related questions 
remain and will be addressed in this forum at a later time, nowhere in Scripture will we find the 
Captain of our Salvation issuing orders to His legions of followers to take up the political cause 
of the World and fight for the liberties and privileges offered by this elite group identified by 
their consistent rebellion toward Jesus the Savior. Never once do you find the Apostle Paul, as 
educated and imparted with ability and zeal as he was, confronting the lofty elite of the Roman 
empire in order to change its laws or implement new ones to match some past glory or to 
accommodate the new noteworthy group christened by the World as "Christians." Never does our Lord 
urge us on to experience the dizzying heights of Worldly political accomplishments for His Glory 
nor to engage the enemy of the World on legal, ,philosophical, or political battlegrounds in order 
to claim compromised Worldly Territory for our Conquering King. 
 
This strategy comes from the crypt of hellish deception cunningly offered to those innocently 
ignorant of the Manual of our Commander in Chief. Rather than studiously consulting the Bishop of 
their Souls and His Word for the guidance necessary, many are proudly plunging into what has become 
the abyss of errant desire and non-existent returns by seeking to convince the World to act pursuant 
to the mandates of Someone other than their Worldly leader. Short of seeking salvational asylum in 
the Kingdom of God through King Jesus, World citizens are being asked to commit treason to their
 master, which they will never do.
 
It's time for the exuberant and faithful of Christ to act with the future day of judgment in mind. 
May we not have the same mindset as the World, who value frenzied action for lofty goals at the 
expense of obediently doing the Will of the Father and being intimately known amidst the Glory of 
Yahweh. May we search the Scriptures diligently for the lighted path before us. May the eyes of 
our understanding remain focused on the finished work of Christ and His rule above all principalities, 
powers and dominions. May we remember to propagate the greatest political message of the ages, the 

Glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ, the politics of Heaven our Home.

 

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