Politics and the Kingdom of God

The relationship between politics and the Kingdom has always been tenuous. What you find, throughout history, is that men have always created a convolution of spiritual things and natural things. It came about when the church began to seek and to gain the approval of the state. The church law (church authority and the power of the church to adjudicate things) relied upon a nexus with the state in which the state granted to the church permission to do things within the church. When this occurred, the state became preeminent and the church became subservient because the state retained final authority. The state granted limited authority to the church, particularly granting something called ecclesiastical authority.

It was from this trap, where the church traded its empowerment from the Holy Spirit with that of the support of the State, that we get the tradition of establishing Church By-Laws and Credos. The agency of the State demands standardization as a means toward civil cohesion. Credal forms of church doctrine are required to ensure the principle aim of Western government: benevolence toward the State. In the U.S., the reach of state power and the limits afforded to the church by the state are found within the 501(c)3 designation. This statute was spun from the same yarn from which Constantine formed the Edict of Toleration and subsequent Roman decrees that installed Christianity as the religion of the Roman Empire. Like the Babylonian's before it, the Roman Empire's influence upon the worship of the Living God would germinate perversion to the point of being unrecognizable from the original intent of God.

This leaven (and the rot that came with it) has had nearly 1700 years to work through the lump. The institutions that arose out of these perversions are beyond repair.

This fell off the page.

Hello Aaron, I can't say I really understand all of that political language you posted, but insofar as your title, I can comment on that as per the Bible. The Bible teaches us that the true children of God are not to get involved with the affairs of this world. In other words, worldly people get involved with worldly things, but spiritual people get involved with spiritual things.

Colossians 3:2–4 (KJV 1900)
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

God teaches us that we are but pilgrims in this sin cursed world with no permanent dwelling place, like Abraham. This means that our kingdom is not of this world, because if it were, then we could fight. This was the very reason Christ was delivered to be crucified and no one stopped it. Because, this world was not his kingdom, nor is it ours.

John 18:36 (KJV 1900)
Jesus answered, 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.

All God requires of his people while here on earth is for us to submit to everyone who is in a position of authority over us because every single one has been placed in that position by God himself. And if we resist against those with whom we disagree with, then we are resisting the God who put them there.

Romans 13:1–4 (KJV 1900)
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Agreed. The last part is a non sequitur to my original premise: the mixing of politics and the people of God creates perversion of God's original intent.