Kingdom Principles

Kingdom Principles

Heaven to benefit from heavenly jurisdiction. Our citizenship is constant, and the Kingdom government exercises jurisdiction over us wherever we are. The Kingdom constitution says that we are in the world but not of the world. Even though we are in a foreign territory—actually, our government’s colony—our registration is not here. When it says our citizenship is in Heaven, it means that our registration, our official documentation, is not on earth. When we are born again, our names are written in Heaven’s “official registry” as valid confirmation that we are now citizens of Heaven, even though we still live in the colony. So even though we are physically away from the Kingdom “country,” we are still citizens of the Kingdom. When Jesus stood before Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, Pilate asked Him, “ Are you the king of the Jews? ” (John 18:33b), to which Jesus answered: It is important to note here both what Jesus said as well as what He did not say. He said, “ My kingdom is not of this world ”; He did not say, “My kingdom is not in this world.” He said, “ My kingdom is from another place ”; He did not say, “My kingdom is not in this place.” As the official representative of the emperor, Pilate possessed kingly authority in Judea. Speaking as one king to another, Jesus acknowl edged His kingship. In fact, He stated plainly to Pilate: You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37b). And what was that truth? The truth that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived—the only message Jesus preached. So Christ’s Kingdom My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, My servants would fight to prevent My arrest by the Jews. But now My kingdom is from another place (John 18:36).

184