Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm20040331.htm

APPLYING THE CHRISTIAN'S POSITIONAL RICHES IN CHRIST
Part XIV: Applying The Truth That Believers Are Translated Into The Kingdom Of God's Beloved Son
(Colossians 1:13 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. Some believers express anxiety over the current political situation, fearing godless candidates will gain high governmental positions and cause their country to deteriorate in economic, military or moral realms.
    2. One of the 33 positional truths every believer possesses the instant he or she trusts in Christ is the fact he is translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son, cf. Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. III, "Soteriology," p. 248. Applying this truth edifies us regarding this life's current political concerns:
  2. Applying The Truth That Believers Are Translated Into The Kingdom Of God's Beloved Son.
    1. Most Christians are aware that Scripture predicts the future earthly kingdom of Christ, cf. Rev. 20:1-4.
    2. However, besides this hope, the instant one trusts in Christ as Savior from sin, he is removed from Satan's spiritual rule that dominates this world and is placed into Christ's spiritual kingdom (as follows):
      1. As we learned in the last lesson, before experiencing Christ's salvation of the soul, every human being belongs to Satan's worldwide dominion and carries out Satan's bidding, cf. Eph. 2:1-2; 1 John 5:19b.
      2. However, the instant one believes in Christ for salvation from sin, he is wonderfully delivered from Satan's power of darkness and is translated into Christ's spiritual kingdom, Col. 1:13a,b as follows:
        1. Dean Alford (New Testament for English Readers, new ed., in loc. as cited in Chafer, Ibid.) states the action described in Colossians 1:13 is "strictly local'", meaning it is accomplished in this life [cf. Also Henry Alford, The Greek Testament, 1856 ed., vol. III, p. 191.]
        2. Accordingly, the instant one believes in Christ, he or she becomes a member of God's kingdom on this earth in this life before Christ's kingdom is established at Christ's Second Coming to earth!
      3. The blessings that can flow from this truth IF the believer HEEDS God prepare him for blessing regardless what happens in the political climate of the world around him that is controlled by Satan:
        1. At faith in Christ, one becomes a member of Christ's kingdom while living in this life, John 3:3, 5.
        2. Thus saved, God calls him [by the indwelling Holy Spirit's power] to function righteously in this life regardless what occurs in the current political landscape around him, 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12.
        3. He is thus a foreign ambassador for Christ on the earth, even in his humanly native land, and he represents the coming kingdom interests of Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:20.
        4. As such, the believer as a good ambassador of Christ heeds the laws of the earthly governmental landscape around him to testify of the law-abiding, sensible, gentle nature of His Lord, 1 Peter 2:13-17. He responds this way to every governmental power and ordinance with the exception that he must obey God rather than these powers if he must do so to avoid sinning himself, cf. Acts 5:29.
        5. The believer has confidence that regardless how evil or foreboding the political landscape around him becomes, His Lord is proceeding to build His Church on the earth to the point that the powers of Satan are not able to overcome it, cf. Matthew 16:18. Thus, he is motivated to keep doing God's will of discipling others, knowing Christ is with him to help him in his work, Matthew 28:19-20.
        6. If the believer who thus obeys God as a good ambassador of Christ's is raptured by Christ (2 Thessalonians 4:13-18) or if he dies naturally or even if he is martyred for his faith by even an evil earthly power, his soul leaves the earth to enter his heavenly capital with great fanfare by God and His angels, 2 Pet. 1:11; Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 867.
        7. In the end, the believer will return to the earth when Christ comes to set up His kingdom, and will rule with Christ in triumphant glory, cf. Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-4.
Lesson: Once one believes in Christ, he is removed from the power of Satan to the kingdom of God's Beloved Son to enjoy a meaningful "foreign ambassadorship" of representing Christ's COMING rule on earth to the world's inhabitants; as such, if he DOES God's WILL in this life, NOTHING -- not even evil rulers or powers -- can DETER his experiencing current PERSONAL blessing and God's success, and he can joyfully anticipate the day Christ returns to set up His earthly rule of righteousness.

Application: To handle the current EARTHLY political uncertainty EFFECTIVELY, let us trust in Christ and function for HIS kingdom REGARDLESS what we face in this earth's political climate!