t’s election time again in Cyprus. Last month elections were held for the Archbishop of the Orthodox church, after the unexpected death of Chrysostomos II. Next month Cyprus will see a new president voted into power. So it’s no surprise that social media, cafes, barber shops and kitchen tables all over the island have been buzzing with conversations and debates over who the worthy successors of these seats should be.
Meanwhile, candidates’ campaign, platforms and policies are pushed, hands are shaken and babies are kissed.
When the dust clears and the votes are tallied, we can only hope our beloved island will be in good hands, moving in a good direction.
Coming from the USA, I grew up with a healthy respect for the election process. I firmly believe that anyone living in a country where they have the right to vote in a fair election, are duty bound and responsible to exercise that right. Use it or lose it, as they say.
But even the most optimistic voter recognizes that it is usually just a matter of time before the distinctions between the previous and current administrations fade, if not disappear altogether, in the morass of political bureaucracy. History testifies to the fact that even the strongest governments and brightest political stars fall over time. Despite thousands of years of experimentation there always seems to be ‘something’ that leads to the decline, division, or destruction of man’s empires.
So what is that ‘something’? The Bible’s answer is very simple. It’s us. You and me. Mankind.
According to the Scripture, God created the earth primarily for mankind to inhabit and enjoy. He gave our forefather Adam authority over the world and commanded him to exercise righteous dominion over it. The biblical narrative states before Adam was able to fulfill that command, he succumbed to Satan’s temptation and sinned against God, whereby their communion was broken, and Adam forfeited the authority he’d been given over the world.
The sin and separation that shattered the paradisial beauty and unity of Eden is the same sin that separates people still today and makes lasting cohesion so impossible.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that God didn’t give up on mankind or His original plan for us.
The Word of God teaches that God sent His only Son Jesus to save us from our sins. He came to undo all the terrible effects of sin. Where Adam failed, Jesus prevailed. Where Adam unleashed sins catastrophic effects upon the world, Jesus brought forgiveness, grace and salvation through His sinless life, sacrificial death on the cross, and glorious resurrection from the dead. Having then reclaimed the Kingdom that Adam had forfeited, the exalted Lord Jesus now reigns from heaven at the right hand of God the Father.
“For God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves”
Colossians 1:13
Presently Jesus’ Kingdom resides in the hearts of His people by faith. As He stood before those who would crucify Him, He said, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” As the verse above from Paul’s letter to the Colossians points out, a spiritual migration occurs every time someone puts their faith in Jesus and the finished work of His cross. God forgives us, cleanses us, renews us and literally grants us full citizenship in His Son’s eternal Kingdom.
A Christian’s feet should be firmly planted on the physical ground of this world, fully engaged in the realities around us, but our hearts, through the Spirit, are anchored in the Kingdom of our Lord. We also believe that it is only a matter of time before Jesus returns literally and physically to the earth, to restore God’s original plan for the world and to install His Kingdom. As one of the most well-known prayers of Jesus says, “May Your (God’s) Kingdom come. May Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” That prayer has been answered in the life of every believer already and will find its ultimate fulfillment when Jesus returns.
God invites you to be a part of His Kingdom now. Will you respond? Millions of refugees today risk life and limb to get to a country that offers a better life. How much more willing ought we be to do whatever it takes to be saved and made a citizen of God’s Kingdom? Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
While we still need to be engaged in the political processes available to us to make the world a better place, we can settle forever the issue of which King and Kingdom we truly belong by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. And whether we witness the return of Christ in our life-time, or step into eternity when it comes to an end, may we hear these glorious words from our King, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34)
By Pastor Tim Mattox
Paphos Calvary Chapel
www.calvarycyprus.com
