A higher kingdom with a heaven born constituency led by the Highest King, naturally results in qualities of character that are unique, and in most cases, opposed to those of the natural world system. We have been born into this kingdom and have become subjects of this Highest King, when we were born from above by the work of the Spirit of God. Jesus prayed in John 17 that the Father would not take the earth dwellers out of this world, but to protect them from the evil one while they are still here.
The psalmist (David) expresses a sentiment in his 12th psalm which I am sure many times today we could express the same feeling.
“The godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.”
At times, it seems there has been a dearth of individuals who are faithful and full of integrity. It seems more and more people have adopted the “look out for number 1” attitude. The words of those described in the psalm are words of flattery, vanity, and falsehood. Contrast these with the words of the Lord Jesus which were pure, with no hidden agenda. While through the product of sin, the faithful disappear, God’s words remain steady and pure.
This heavenly kingdom that is seeking influence in the earthly environment is counter to the spirit of the age, and the citizens of that kingdom should be counter to the qualities and tenets of the earthly and earthy society. It is no coincidence that Jesus births us into His family and then leaves us here to further His kingdom and its influence in the hearts of mankind. We are those citizens and we are the earthly caretakers of the message of this kingdom, which finds it source coming from Heaven itself. It was not just jumbled or empty words that Jesus used when instructing His disciples how to pray. But when He prayed,
“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth like it is in heaven,”
He was in fact praying and proclaiming that the qualities and characteristics that are resident in the heavenly kingdom, which we cannot see, would become evident in the earth. Since our citizenship resides first and foremost in heaven (Philippians 3:20), we have been tasked with communicating this heavenly kingdom in the earth, one person at a time. What are some of the qualities of a kingdom citizen and how are we doing in exampling the character of this kingdom and its King?
Well, let’s first look at what David considered missing from the culture. “The faithful have vanished.” Faithfulness is the hallmark of a heavenly kingdom because the King is ultimately faithful. David’s son, Solomon, echoes his father’s thoughts when he writes,
“Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?”
You can find a faithful man (or woman) when you find one serving the King in the manner He requires. He is faithful so we are faithful. Regardless of our surroundings and the events of our lives, we remain steadfast, firm, andenduring to the end of the matter. When people come looking for us, they find us with our hands on the plow and going forward with the mission of the kingdom in the earth. The word we often conclude our prayers with – “amen” – is derived from the same root as the word for faithful. Amen simply transmits the idea that, “it is firmly and truly so!”
Old Geyser in the Yellowstone National Park is predicably dependable in its eruptions. Approximately every 60 to 90 minutes there will be an eruption of the famous geyser that will shoot water and steam into the air about 100 feet, (the highest is believed to be 185 ft.) and it will last for several minutes. As visitors gather around the geyser, they can count on the inevitability of it erupting on schedule. This has been going on for many years and no one questions if the geyser will release the show again.
That is the kind of faithfulness that is expected from a citizen of the heavenly kingdom, drawing our clues from God. When Habakkuk wrote “the righteous shall live by faith,” what he was literally saying was
“The righteous person in his faithfulness shall live.”
In the Gospel of Luke, the Lord Jesus gives us a principle regarding faithfulness. He says that if we will be faithful in a little, then we will be faithful in much. If we are faithful with money – we will be entrusted with true riches (which isn’t money, by the way). And if we are faithful with another’s property or investment, we will be given that of our own. We can see the value of being those who are not counted until they prove they can be counted upon.
Another quality of those living here below as citizens of a higher kingdom is that of loyalty. It is an accurate statement to say that a faithful person will naturally be loyal. Disloyalty is often, if not always, due to the self-protection or self-aggrandizing of oneself to the exclusion of looking out for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4) Loyalty and faithfulness are cousins, because each one remains steady and dependable, regardless of the circumstances. Loyalty is a trait that is listed in Micah 6:8 as what the Lord requires from us. Loyalty is a crucial trait for the believer, according to the Lord’s word to Hosea – in chapter 6.
“What shall I do with you… For your loyalty islike a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes away early… For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice”
Loyalty is always about the other person. Sacrifice can be manipulation, with the results aimed at oneself. The Spirit Filled Life Bible says that loyalty is,
“Loyal covenant love, extended to others because it has been experienced in one’s own relationship with God.”
You can’t give or be what you do not have or have received. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive?” God is faithful, so we are faithful. God is loyal, so we are loyal.
As God’s kingdom kids, we are joined in covenant with the Lord God and therefore with His other kids. Our lives together in the Lord are those governed by covenant. Loyalty is referred to as the salt of the covenant. By that we mean salt is used to preserve from decay, and whatever salt is applied to, it invariably penetrates. It does not lie inert on the surface. It is also an element that gives flavor or zest.
In Bible times, men understood the meaning of keeping their word with each other at all costs and this was called “the covenant of salt.” Men wore a pouch of salt tied to their belt and when they made covenant, they would each exchange a pinch of salt, putting their grains of salt into the other’s pouch and vice versa. If a man would try to break his covenant, then the other would say “Yes, if you can retrieve your grains and yours only from my pouch of salt.”
Salt preserves and holds together. What holds our covenant with God together is His loyalty. All of us have at times given God ample reason to kick us to the curb and start over. But the loyalty He extends to us is not because we are worthy of loyalty – but rather it is born out of His very nature. Our loyalty to one another is what will hold us together during the hard times, especially during those times when we don’t agree. Salt represents purity, fidelity, and loyalty. To accurately communicate the nature of God’s kingdom, we must practice loyalty to one another without reservation.
The final quality we will look at regarding behaving as citizens of heaven is that of integrity. Excuse the redundancy, but from the April 1999 issue of The Kernels of Truth, I give you this quote.
“Webster defines the word “integrate” as the act of taking integers, or single digits, and putting them together to make a whole entity. The integers themselves can’t be the whole, but neither can the whole be complete without the integers. As a matter of fact, the word “integrity” means “the completeness which enables one to integrate.” When Christ completed His work, he made us complete and gave us the ability to integrate with His people.”
To integrate with God and His people means there is no misalignment or ill-fitting taking place. Integrity recognizes it is our responsibility to properly integrate with our Maker, rather than expecting Him to adjust Himself or His ways to us. Integrity moves self out of the way and does not attempt to reshape God to suit our whims. It provides stability in our lives. Job was a grand example of maintaining his integrity in the face of unspeakable distress. Take a look at this verse. In His reply to Satan, God says this about Job.
“Job 2:3 – “…And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.”
Our refusing to compromise or acquiesce to the enemy’s taunts displays our integration with our Maker and keeps us stable.
Now let’s finish up by asking ourselves some questions.
First of all, do I live a credible life? Do I do what I say I will do? Is my word worth trusting?
Next, is my life genuine, or do I just play games with God and His people? Do I really see myself as one of His kingdom agents and am I taking that seriously?
Can I be counted on to “come through” in a crisis? Can people depend on me, or do they expect me to skip out on what is facing me/us? Is my name synonymous with being prompt and trustworthy?
Is my “yes” “yes” and my “no” “no”? Do people feel like they can take my word to the bank, or do they warily look on to see if I will honor what has come out of my mouth? Do I have the backbone to stay with my “no” when it would violate the characteristics of this heavenly kingdom I represent?
Finally, does my behavior foster loyalty and friendship? Is God’s people’s response to me one of wanting friendship and a relationship built on loyalty?
There are many more inventory questions we need to ask ourselves, but maybe these will stir up something inside of us that will foster other questions.
At the end of the age, the only kingdom that will be standing will be the kingdom of God. When we were born again, we were born into a war. The kingdom of God verses the kingdom of darkness is not a new novelty that just arrived. Ever since Lucifer was removed from his position in heaven, there has been conflict. It is not a newsflash as to which of these two kingdoms will prevail. John writes in his revelation that the ultimate and final destiny of the evil one looks like this.
“The devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
Until that time, we will keep on advancing and furthering the message of the prevailing kingdom, led by the conquering King Jesus. Until then, as citizens of a heavenly kingdom with an earthly mission, let’s…you knew it was coming…
