The Privileges of Citizens of the Kingdom

The Privileges of Citizens of the Kingdom THE PRIVILEGES OF CITIZENS
OF THE KINGDOM
By Thomas D. Rose The theme assigned by Brother James F. Cox for our study this evening is, “The Privileges of Citizens of the Kingdom.” To induce aliens to become citizens and to encourage citizens to live an abundant life a more comprehensive and significant subject could hardly be framed. Therefore it is worthy of the most profound and favorable consideration possible on the part of every soul whom God holds accountable. Let us note carefully the substantives used in this statement. The word “privilege” is from a compound Latin term, the component parts of which mean private and law. Hence, a law that is for or against an individual or individuals composing a group. Webster defines the word as “a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage or favor; special en-joyment of a good, or exemption from an evil or burden; a prerogative; a peculiar or personal right, or advantage, especially when enjoyed in derogation of common right.” In verbal form, it means to accord some particular right to or exemption from. Such rights, advantages or privileges, are not to be treated as matters of indifference. With every special favor there is a corresponding obligation. The next word to consider is citizen. It is a translation of a word, the root meaning of which is the same as the word translated city. Thayer gives the following definition: “The inhabitant of any city or country; the associate of another in citizenship, that is, a fellow-citizen, fellow-countryman.” Webster describes a citizen as: “An inhabitant of a city or town who enjoys its freedom and privileges as freeman; a member of a state; a person, native or naturalized, of either sex who owes allegiance to a government, and is entitled to reciprocal protection from it, opposed to alien.” Citizen is a New Testament word. Paul said, “I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city.”

Kingdom is suggestive of a king, territory, citizen, rule, and law. The Lord’s people in their relation to divine government are called a kingdom. With regard to the birth and reign of the Mes,siah, Isaiah said, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever.” In the realization of the above prophecy, John said, “And he made us to be a kingdom, priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” “I, John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus.” The kingdom of our subject is “the kingdom of heaven.” With reference to the same thought,
kindred phrases are employed: kingdom of God, his kingdom, kingdom of the Son of his love, my kingdom and thy kingdom. This language emphasizes the divine nature of the kingdom. Jesus, said, “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 Jewrs: but now my kingdom is not from hence.” The kingdom of heaven is divine in its origin. Daniel, the statesman prophet, foretold its beginning and its superhuman power. In his night visions, he saw one like unto a Son of man who came to the Ancient of days, “And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pas,s away and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.” The kngdom is divine, not only in its origin, but is likewise heavenly and spiritual in its king, its laws, its mission, the character and destiny of its subjects and their privileges. The king and kingdom of prophecy are early and easily identified in the New Testament. John and Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. Jesus taught his, disciples to pray for it to come. Before his death Jesus said that some present would not taste of death till they saw the kingdom of God come with powder. After Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, Peter declared, in the city of Jerusalem, “That God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.” From the second chapter of Acts through the book of Revelation, the kingdom of heaven is affirmed to be a living reality and Christ as a ruling and reigning King of kings and Lord of lords. The citizens of the kingdom of heaven are all who by the power of the gospel have been delivered out of the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the Son of his love; all who have been born of water and the Spirit, and are seeing, enjoying the reign of the Prince of Peace in their hearts and lives. All who constitute the kingdom and are loyal citizens are the legal and favored heirs of all the special advantages, benefits and rights in connection with the reign of the second David who would occupy the throne when the fallen tabernacle of the first David was reconstructed. Every providential blessing and personal privilege that we are now enjoying by virtue of our citizenship in the kingdom of Christ is, in fulfillment of those glowing prophecies so bright, radiant and hopeful given by men borne along by inspiration. These will continue to be our rich and glorious, inheritance until Christ delivers up the kingdom to God, even the Father, and an abundant entrance is given into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The entrance into the eternal kingdom with all that it means is but the consummation of our present privileges as faithful and obedient citizens. That there are manifold duties, grave, exacting and inflexible, bound upon every Christian by him who has all authority in heaven and on earth no one will deny. Truly, the gospel of Christ is a law of life, for it binds obligations, it prescribes a rule of daily conduct, it richly rewards the obedient and punishes the transgressor. But to regard this citizenship strictly in terms of cold, drastic and severe obligation; to obey the laws of the king at the lash of the ‘ whip; to respect and respond in the spirit of a dumb driven ox, or even as a bond-servant, is to literally deprive oneself of the divine happiness that is vouch-safed to those called into the sacred service of the Lord. The highest, holiest and most satisfactory service to all concerned is that rendered in sincere appreciation for all the favors and privileges, of the king of glory. Much lifeless, listless and spiritless service will be eliminated, and in its stead will be that service which satisfies the seeking heart of God and the earnest longing of one’s own soul when citizens are actuated by a deep and abiding consciousness of the king’s love, mercy and goodness. To our subject Paul has made a very distinct contribution in the latter part of the third chapter of Philippians. Nominal Christians, mere professors and false teachers had arisen. Both Paul and Peter said that such hindrances and stumblingblocks* would be the sad experience of the kingdom of heaven. In verses 17-19 the apostle warns against them and describes them in no uncertain terms. “They are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.” They were earthly, sensual and self-indulgent and had wholly forgotten that “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking.” In bold contrast with such conventional and worldly citizens, Paul next presents the celestial citizenship. “For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Perhaps the meaning of heavenly citizenship reaches its height in this passage. In Jerusalem a mob sought to kill Paul. Lysias, the chief captain, rescued him with soldiers and centur- ians. In making his defence the wise and courageous apostle declared his Roman citizenship. The chief captain said to him, “Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea. And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am Roman born.” Citizenship of Rome, acquired by birth or with a great price, was regarded a very high distinction. More than once it saved Paul from ignominy. If citizenship in a kingdom of this world was then, and is now, of such tremendous value, how much more incalculable is the worth of citizenship in the kingdom of heaven before whose onward and triumphant march the iron kingdom was to be broken in pieces and consumed. The phraseology of our subject indicates that heaven’s kingdom has a plurality of citizens, and that each citizen is the possessor of a plurality of privileges. “Our citizenship is in heaven,” said Paul. The word “our” is emphatic. We are fellow-citizens; “fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God.” Fellow-citizens who actually have and enjoy fellowship with God, with Christ and with one another. The Greek word, which occurs no where else in the New Testament, does not mean speech, not conversation as we commonly use the term. It conveys the idea of citizenship or commonwealth. This citizenship is a privilege from God. The word “is” is also emphatic, signifying present existence. If we are Christians in the sense of inspired language our citizenship is not projected into the future, but is now. A recognition of this principle is primary and absolutely fundamental in the entire life of a servant of the Lord. We do not have to wait until after death to begin the enjoyment of “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” Christianity is pre-eminently a present day matter. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Every one who forsakes ail for the kingdom of heaven shall receive now in this time a hundredfold of certain blessings and privileges of the Father’s provision. Many would gladly and gratefully accept citizenship in the kingdom of Christ if they could see that it pays rich dividends to serve Jesus now. In preaching the gospel and teaching the word of God much s,tress should be placed on this point. The passage says, “Our citizenship is in heaven,” not on this earth. Heaven is the glorious center of Christ’s spiritual empire. The Christian lives, in two realms at the same time. Locally, he is a citizen of this world, and as such must render to Csesar the things that are Caesar’s; spiritually, he is a citizen of heaven and must render to the King of kings the things that are his. Christ lived in the world and paid his tax as other men, but he was not of the world. Christian citizens are to be Christly now. Every soul is, to be in subjection to the higher powers but is to give first consideration under all circumstances to the kingdom of heaven. Christians are pilgrims in and strangers to this world. As citizens of a foreign country do not feel at home, so heavenly citizens are not at home in this, world. “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly.” Like Abraham of old, they constantly and eagerly look “for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” From, the seat of our commonwealth we wait for a Saviour in blessed anticipation that our corruptible bodies may be fashioned anew and conformed to the body of his glory. No wonder then, that Paul admonished the Colossians to “seek the things that are above, where Christ is.” In worldly matters men will fight for their rights, but as Christians many live complacently, far beneath their heavenly rights and privileges. The freedom that any country guarantees to its citizens, is of vital and first importance. One of the definite and special rights with which a Christian Citizen is invested is liberty in Christ. Paul raised the question: “What advantage then hath the Jew?” “Much every way” was the reply. The Jews enjoyed many superior privileges, especially during the golden age of the Jewis.h monarchy, in the administrations of David and Solomon. The law of that kingdom at its best was a yoke of bondage. It was largely external and was a system of types and representations of which the gospel, the law of liberty, is the sum and s,ubstance. The apostle further speaks of “our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus.” The liberty of which he here speaks is a divine right of every citizen of Christ’s reign. The law for the regulation of all Christians is the law of liberty. “But he that looketh into the perfect law, the law of liberty and so continueth, being not a hearer that forget- teth but a doer that worketh, this man s,hall be blessed in his doing.” These Scriptures and others of like imnort have been terribly abused. Liberty in Christ does not mean license to do as one pleases. This liberty is thoroughly circumscribed by the law of the king. It is perfect not only in contrast with the law of Moses, but is entirely perfect in furnishing every citizen unto every good work and for the accomplishment of all of God's purposes and plans in his people. It is perfect and perfecting in its very nature. It gives complete freedom from all the burdens and weaknesses of the old law. It does that which the law through the weakness of the flesh could not do. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The gospel of freedom provides liberation from, the outward and ritualistic services of the law of Sinai; it altogether exempts a citizen of the Lord’s kingdom from all the doctrines and dogmas of men, from all the institutions, and ecclesiasticisms of Catholicism and Protestantism; it also gives full freedom from the influence, guilt, power and penalty of sin. It even goes beyond this. It offers sanctification and entire preservation for spirit, soul and body at the coming of our Lord Jesus, Christ. The law of liberty frees one from all the past, it supports him in the present and adequately provides for the future. Conscious and appreciative of this personal favor in the kingdom of heaven, citizens are to speak and do “as men who are to be judged by a law of liberty.”

Privileges of inestimable worth to every soul under the government of the Prince of Peace are suggested in Romans 14:17 : “For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Things purely outward and of an indifferent nature were disturbing and hindering to the peace and progress of the kingdom. In every age there has been a large class, of professors who have been extremely punctilious regarding eating, drinking, mint, anise and cummin, but cared nothing for the weightier matters, righteousness, peace and joy. The kingdom of Christ is to help men in things material, but it was, not established for that purpose. It rises far above and beyond that. It deals primarily with things inward and spiritual. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” It extends to Christians, that which the world and the kingdoms of men cannot give, righteousness, peace and joy.

Self-righteousness is human and destructive. God’s righteousness, is a special and personally beneficial right to every citizen. “Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone that believeth.” This rightousness must be sought and appropriated. Chris-tianity consists of much more than morality. Right-eousness is based upon the word of God and proceeds therefrom. It is right doing, right living according to the divine standard of life and service. It comprehends justice, truth and purity. Righteousness of Chris.tians must exceed that of all others.

“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus.” This peace of mind, heart and soul is a living and supporting experience of all who trust and obey, but is, not fully understood by any. “Being therefore justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The kingdom of heaven passes through many struggles, trials and tribulations. Storms arise and tempests, rage. With much consolation to the disciples Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as, the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.” The peace of God enables the true citizen to be tranquil and unruffled when discord develops and dangers threaten. To have this peace one must follow after things that make for peace and promote concord in the kingdom of heaven.

Suffering and sorrowful humanity sighs for happiness which can be had. “I bring you good tidings of great joy” is an angelic announcement. Joy unspeakable and full of glory is God’s, favor to those in his kingdom. From entrance into covenant relationship with Christ this is true. After being taught and baptized, the eunuch went on his way rejoicing. The jailor at Philippi rejoiced greatly with all his house having believed in God. The key word of Paul to the Philippians was joy. From the first, that great gospel joy flooded their hearts and was to continue regardless of circumstances. “Rejoice in the Lord always: again I will say, Rejoice” was the final admonition to them. A loyal citizen feels keenly his personal responsibility to his government; and too, he has, his reciprocal rights from the government that he supports. One of these is protection. Recognizing the possibility of imposition and injustice he should consistently uphold the power that guarantees to him s,afety and security. To live temporarily in a foreign country and under another flag helps one to appreciate the protecting power of the country of which he is an inhabitant. To be assured of the presence, power and protection of a mighty government affords much satisfaction and courage. If this is true in political and temporal kingdoms, how much more so in the kingdom with infinite resources and that shall stand for ever.

God commanded Moses to lead the Israelites through the dreary wilderness and into the promised land. This meek man knew something of the fearful responsibility of the task and the dreadful difficulties that he would encounter. To the Lord, he said, “Thou has.t not let me know whom thou will send with me.” “My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest” was Jehovah’s reply. Moses felt his own insufficiency and utter helplessness, to such extent that he cried out, “If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.” He knew before starting that without divine aid the journey would be a miserable failure. As God promised to be with Moses, so has the Christian’s King promised to be with him. To the disconsolate disciples Jesus said, “I will not leave you desolate” or orphans. In the most stupendous work ever undertaken by men, he promised, “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” This promise of his, presence carries with it all the power and co-operation of the God-head bodily ; it extends his comfort and protection to all who maintain their spiritual integrity and allegiance to him as prophet, priest and king. In the execution of the commission, Peter enjoined believers, to repent and be baptized unto the remission of sins, with the inseparable and sustaining promise: “And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Christians are a habitation of God in the Spirit. After many years of actual experience with Christ, Paul exclaimed, “I can do all things in him that strengthened me.” As a citizen and subject, he firmly believed what his Master had said, “Apart from me ye can do nothing.” He was certain that in Christ every thing expected by a sympathetic Saviour could be done. To him, the word impossible was not the language of a redeemed soul. He did not attribute the strength to do God’s will to his own ability. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.” For Christian success he relied implicitly on his Lord’s declaration, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Daniel’s deliverance is an example of God's sufficiency. The humblest Christian has, access to omnipotence so long as Jehovah is his trust. When his soul shall make her boast in Jehovah, he is protected by the divine armour and is girded by divine strength. With the strength of heaven as, one’s personal right, he cannot plead his weakness for stumbling. He must stand unmovably like a rock and put forth active power like a spiritual Samson. By waiting faithfully on the Lord, his strength will be renewed and made equal to every demand. The citizen who lives on the lifegiving word is equipped for every duty, trial and temptation. An application of Paul’s injunction, “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” will enable him to say, “Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Greatness has been the aspiration of men and the goal of human endeavor in all generations. Men have sought and suffered to occupy positions of honor and power in the world. Greatness in the truest sense known to man is the special birthright of every citizen in the kingdom of heaven. As to the worthiness of efforts to become great, all depends on the conception of what constitutes greatness. God’s, thought of greatness is as much higher than man’s, as the heavens are higher than the earth. Near the close of the Jewish economy one of the greatest men from the days, of Adam appeared in the hill country of Judasa. His greatness was not an accident; it was the result of righteous and blameless parents, communion with God and strict discipline in his life. His greatness consisted of the unusual service that he rendered to the Lord and sinful humanity. As a man, his vigorous constitution, his natural gifts, his knowledge of nature and men and his maturity of power and spiritual growth made him head and shoulders above his fellows,. As a preacher, he was in a class to himself. His work was not in the centers of population but in the sparsely settled wilderness. Men of every rank and throughout Palestine came to hear him. His oddity of dress and food was not the attraction; but his message of sublime faith and holy living preached in the spirit and power of Elijah created a sensation and moved men. He was as, bold as a lion and had the courage to rebuke An- tipas as Nathan did David. As a prophet he saw what the sects of his day never saw. He saw face to face that which Abraham and others saw from afar. He was the last of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. As a man, preacher or prophet who was the peer of John the Baptist? The one for whom he came to prepare the way said that John was much more than a prophet. Yet, Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath none arisen greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” By virtue of the station enjoyed, the relation to Christ, the piivilegcs, granted, the blessings to be had and the work to be done, even the least in Christ’s kingdom is greater than John. This should challenge the best in every citizen of the kingdom. The prophets pointed out the coming Christ; John pointed him out as, the Lamb of God among them; those in the kingdom can preach and teach that Christ has suffered and entered into glory, and that he reigns today and intercedes as high priest through whom his people have access to God’s grace and mercy. They can lead men to believe on the Christ who was, dead but lives for ever more; they can persuade the lost through obedience to the gospel to become the recipients of all the merits of the atoning death. The humble servant of all is declared to be the greatest of all. To spend and be spent in building up the kingdom among all the nations and perpetuating it throughout all generations is the climax of all service. It is the work by which God is glorified in the kingdom of heaven. Everyone whose citizenship is in heaven has the superlative prerogative of exalting Christ as King by doing a work that will endure for time and eternity.

Man is the image and glory of God. He is inherently religious. No period of degeneration, nor depth of degradation has ever eras.ed from his heart the conception of a Supreme Being. In sin he has lost sight of many of his original rights, but has never forgotten nor forsaken his primitive privilege to worship. he will, yes, he must have a god to which he pays veneration and from which he expects blessings. His God may be his Creator, or it may be the creation of his own hands. The right to worship is universal and eternal. Everything from God Almighty to the lowest of beasts, even the reptile, has been and continues to be worshipped by beings made in the image of their Maker. Worshippers partake of the nature of the object which they adore or idolize. This, accounts for the highest possible plane of civilization on which the worshippers of the only true and living God have ever lived; it likewise gives the ground for the plane of debasexnent on which millions continue to merely eke out an existence. For the transformation of lives and for the restoration and maintaining of God’s image, there is nothing more potent than the privilege of divine worship. Men ascend or descend according to their worship. The, status of any people is largely determined by their religious devotions.

God has, always wanted a people like himself. To the end of making and keeping men godly he has in each dispensation provided a system of worship that was suitable for that particular age. The patriarchs built their altars and gathered their families for worship. The Jewish religion was national and therefore centralized. During those eras much of their service consisted of animal offerings and material oblations; hence it was formal and heartless. Their approach to God was ceremonial and at a distance. 33ut suice the time that the heavenly host sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased”; since the shepherds left the Bethlehem manger “glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen”; and since the wise men who represented literature and learning saw the young child and fell down and worshipped hhn, men have worshipped with a new significance. That God might seem less, historical and more fully revealed to man, and that man might know him more intimately and draw more closely in his worship, God came down in the flesh, in the person of his Son. Jesus said, “If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also” and “He that hath seen me hath seen my Father.” Citizens of the kingdom of heaven have advantages and privileges in their worship never before experienced. They do not have to go to Mt. Geiizim with the Samaritans, nor to Jerusalem with the Jews. They do not have to make a long pilgrimage to Mecca, nor find some holy shrine at which to pray. The worship of Christians is not localized. Jesus, said to the woman at the well, “The hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father; the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth.” Wherever and whenever as many as two or three gather and do as worship that which the New Testament authorizes, and do so in genuine sincerity, with reverence and awe, there God places his name and his blessings. God is Spirit, and all who worship him, must worship in spirit and truth. No picture has ever filled and thrilled the hearts of Christians with greater joy, nor given more inspiration, than the fourth and fifth chapters of Revelation. God is, upon his throne, and the Lamb is standing- at his right hand holding a book. In the spirit and posture of true worship, the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, a host of angels and every created thing give power, riches, wisdom, might, honor and bles,sing. Heavenly citizenship, liberty in Christ, Christ’s presence, righteousness, joy and peace, true greatness and true worship are some of the privileges of citizens of the kingdom of heaven.