From: Ben Kelley
Subject: Where is your allegiance?
There are many ways we can "divide up" the people of this world. Race, religion, nationality, gender,
financial status, political preference, vocation, etc., are just a few of the
groupings we may or may not consider ourselves a part of. Some people
within these various divisions strongly stress their allegiance to the
particular group they belong to. It becomes one of, if not the,
driving force(s) in their lives. I realize many are convinced they
should stand with their group, but of necessity, claiming to be of one
group means you have a separation from those in the "other"
groups. That means there is some type of
division. No matter what particular group you stand
allied with, I believe God's Word teaches us (believers) there is to be
no divisions meriting your full and true allegiance,
other than the one separating the redeemed of God from the
unredeemed. I offer you three passages which underscore what I'm
saying--
And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for
thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy
blood out of every kindred, and tongue,
and people, and nation; (Revelation
5:9)
Lie not one to another,
seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on
the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of
Him that created him: where there is neither
Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond
nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
(Colossians 3:9-11)
Hereby we perceive the love
of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren. (1 John
3:16)
I know people are sometimes
proud of being a member of whatever "group," but that always creates
some type of distancing from those who are not a part of that "group,"
whether intentional or not. Scriptures tell us there is no valid reason
for division amongst those who have been redeemed out
of those groupings. "Belonging to Christ," or as it is more
commonly called, "Christian," is the only
distinguishing element of our being that should merit our allegiance.
The verses from Colossians say "Christ is all," not your
nationality, ethnicity, gender, profession. Scripture, as shown from the 1
John verse, says that unity of the Spirit should be so strong that we would "lay
down our lives" for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Let me give you
just a few verses showing that we are to be united in
Jesus:
So we, being many, are
one body in Christ, and every one members
one of another. (Romans 12:5)
That ye may with
one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (Romans 15:6)
For as the body is one, and
hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many,
are one body: so also is Christ. (1
Corinthians 12:12)
That they all may be one; as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in
us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21-Jesus'
prayer)
The New Testament speaks of
"the brethren" almost 50 times. Jesus, in His prayer interceding for us,
asked the Father for us to be "one" and He said it was because
that would cause the unbelieving to believe that He really was sent
from above. That's why Satan and this world system works so hard to
dis-unify us. We unite over what is really
important to us. What's really important to you?
Where is your
allegiance?
Ben
(note: I actually wrote this
several days ago, but didn't sense God's leading to send it out
then. It is now a few days before Independence Day, July 4th. I
believe what I say in this message concerning our allegiance. It is
to God!! I also want it clearly known that I am very thankful
to God for the country HE allows me to live in. I thank Him for
the United States of America!)