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Do you have hope for a better future for our world? Or do you expect things to get worse? Do you think we can make a difference in this day and age? Or will the world just get darker and darker in your view? Our eschatology matters. What we believe about the future matters.
I want to encourage you to fight. We can still engage the culture and influence the world. We carry the presence and power of God. As we live out our Christian values, we can still be a voice in this world and turn the tide back toward God.
Don’t lose heart! Don’t give up! The soul of our nation and the nations of the world are worth fighting for. The good news is, we fight from victory. Jesus has already won. Jesus is the King of Kings, and there is none greater.
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name (authority) that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As Christians, we are to proclaim His preeminence. We are to rally around our king and announce His supremacy and majesty to the world. We are to spread the good news of what life is like in His kingdom, under His rule. A kingdom ruled by a loving and merciful God who can heal our pain and strengthen us to bear good fruit.
But if you believe that the kingdoms of this world are too great to influence, you will not engage. You will sit on the sidelines and wait for destruction.
What do you expect to happen? Think about it. How much is that influencing your willingness to stand up for God’s truth and righteousness and engage a failing culture?
Fight from Victory
The fight is not actually with people, it’s with their beliefs and ideologies.
Ephesians 610 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
We are not fighting for victory. We are fighting from victory. Our king has already won. The dark forces and enemies of God in spiritual realms have not been fully destroyed yet, but it’s coming. Jesus has all authority and power but His kingdom is still increasing. It is the rock cast into the earth that will overcome all the kingdoms of this world, but it is not yet fully physically manifest. But it’s coming.
Consider this passage in light of Christ’s present kingdom. Paul is making a case for resurrection, but also gives us insight into the current reign of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Jesus Must Reign Until The End
You may be under the impression that Christ WILL reign when the end comes, but this passage says Christ must reign UNTIL the end. You have a role in Christ’s reign until the end.
1 Corinthians 15. 24 Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
The end comes after Jesus has destroyed all of His enemies. He has defeated all His enemies, but He has not yet destroyed them. He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.
Let me ask you a question; how is Jesus currently reigning? The answer is simple, through His church. THROUGH YOU!! He is the head, and we are His body. We are filled with His spirit, walking in freedom from sin and death, announcing to the world the victory of our king.
Christ must reign until the end. Many Christians believe that Christ will not reign until then end. The end is coming. One day God will sovereignly decide it’s time for the return of Christ and the resurrection. Until then, Christ must reign. I ask again, how does He reign until then? Through you!
The Body of Christ is the most influential and power demographic on the planet. We are ambassadors from Heaven in a foreign land, announcing the defeat of the enemies of God and His ever increasing kingdom.
Christ reigns today as you yield to Him and obey Him from the heart. He reigns by living through you as you trust and follow Him, displaying the fruit He bears through you. We must be willing to accept the difficult responsibilities that God calls us into. We must not shy away from our kingdom responsibilities and give up on this world.
God has not given up on this world. He is alive and active. He is saving people. He is healing people. He is inspiring people to step into their ministries and be voices of change for His kingdom. I pray you are not so pessimistic that you are just waiting for the destruction of all things.
“For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.”
Influencing Culture with Your Vote
We can still make a difference as God’s kingdom continues to increase. We can still exercise our God given rights on this planet and be agents of good. In the US we have the privilege of voting. Voting will not solve all our problems but it is one way for us to exercise our kingdom influence.
With your vote you can protect life. You can promote personal responsibility. You can vote out Luciferian ideologies that manifest in the form or socialism and communism. You can stand against the consolidation of power and the financial oppression of those who hate God.
There is no perfect party. I don’t believe God is for one party or another. But there are policies that are closer to God’s values than others. You have the right and responsibility to speak up. Voting will not save the world, it’s just one way to influence our world. We still have work to do until the end. We must step into every realm of the world’s kingdoms and influence them from our position in God’s kingdom.
30 million Christians didn’t vote in the last Presidential election. My guess is because they think it’s no use. Don’t sit on the sidelines and pass up an opportunity to use your kingdom influence. If Christians united and put God first, the governments of the world would be forced to listen. We can make a massive difference through our unity.
Yes, there are well meaning Christians in all parties. I’m not telling you who to vote for, I want to encourage you to remember what kingdom you represent. Remember the values of that kingdom as you vote. Don’t stay on the sidelines, engage the world around you and spread the news of the Kingdom of God as you go.
