Kingdom Culture
Photo by Sunguk Kim on Unsplash
My Gen-Z younger son is pretty annoyed with his generation. He shared this with us recently, unsolicited.
Most of his friends – even believers – unconsciously subscribe, repeat, and push the mostly liberal culture of their social media generation. Not that he disagrees with everything, but he is just annoyed how they don’t think critically for themselves, and anyone who even questions them, will be vilified and even persecuted in that medium.
Today, whether we realize it or not, we are influenced and driven by the cultural context and upbringing that we most subconsciously align with. Culture is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society," said Sir Edward Burnett Tylor.
With the advancement of technology, media and internet, information has become the international currency of society. It is estimated that about 5.1 billion people worldwide use the internet, and a large majority also have access to radio and TV. And whether we know it or not, the communication of information is NOT neutral. It is consciously, unconsciously, or subconsciously biased by culture.
Today, we either live in a mostly western “guilt-innocence” culture, or a majority world “honor-shame” and “power-fear” culture, or a mixture of both. Add to that popular and liberal culture constantly and insidiously infiltrating our minds and heart, no wonder there is great divisiveness among the followers and disciples of Jesus. We are kingdom people, but when we fall prey to the culture around us, then anger, guilt, shame, offense, accusation and deception can easily divide us.
So what is kingdom culture? Jesus arrived at a point in history in a pre-dominantly “honor-shame” culture. He did not try to overturn that culture, but what culture did He bring that was paradigm-shifting? When Jesus first started to speak and teach publicly, what was His message?
Matt. 4:17 - From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matt. 4:23 - Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
His primary message, or “good news” or “Gospel,” was always about the kingdom of heaven “at hand” – meaning near, close by, forthcoming, soon, about to happen. And His means by which to bring about the “kingdom” was to ask ordinary men and women to “follow” Him. “Repent” – meaning turn from, or leave, whatever normal things and practices you are used to, intentionally get up and follow after Jesus (follower), learn from Him, and become more and more like Him (disciple). A kingdom is a realm ruled by a King (or Queen) with people following the authority and governance of that King. Jesus did not come to preach Christianity. He came to preach the kingdom, and to demonstrate kingdom characteristics, shown by acts of power, restoration, love, honor, justice, mercy and truth. Jesus’ followers and disciples learned from Him by walking with Him and doing what Jesus did.
That is still the case today as we follow Jesus and do what He did. Jesus followers and disciples establish kingdom culture on earth.
I believe kingdom culture is neither shame-honor, guilt-innocence or power-fear, but instead glory and honor, righteousness (no condemnation) and justice (justified and adopted as sons and daughters of the King), and power (of the Holy Spirit) and absolutely NO FEAR!
If we are to rule and reign with Christ, we much act and behave like sons and daughters of the King! We must understand that “God created humans with glory and honor. Adam and Eve were honored co-regents, naked yet unashamed. Then shame entered the story," wrote Jayson Georges in "The Good for Honor-Shame Cultures."
Jesus came to restore glory and honor, by taking upon Himself all of the shame on the cross and crucifying it once and for all. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:1-2). Jesus also bore for us on the cross all guilt and sin, and with His victory and resurrection, justified us from judgment and condemnation… ”all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). We are freed from guilt, and innocent before Him by His righteousness, and His payment for sin, not by any of our own effort.
For me, whenever someone accuses me, or offends me, especially because of my own failures or weakness, I am always reminded to bring those feelings before the cross, and once again exchange it for His honor and glory, and victory over sin and death. I say to the accuser of the brethren: “I refuse to feel condemned or ashamed, because there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I am a son of the King, and I have repented (yet again) and stand forgiven and clothed in His righteousness (yet again).” Even if I don’t feel forgiven, I claim 1 John 1:9 each time, and believe in the promise of His Word, rather than my feelings. But a gentle truthful loving rebuke from a brother or sister, is always like salve on a wound, while it stings, and brings some level of pain, it is always a sorrow that produces repentance (2 Cor. 7:9-10), not a shame or accusation that leads to further wounding. That is kingdom culture.
And, as sons and daughters of the King, we must understand power and authority and teach all followers and disciples to act and behave accordingly. Jesus said: “All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me, therefore go and make disciples of all nations (people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the end of the age,” according to Matt. 28:18-20. Further, Jesus promised in Acts 1:8, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” We have the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus who has all authority with us, why then are we afraid and behave like those who fear earthly power and authority?
Again, for me, while I live in a world and society with structure, hierarchy, authorities and powers, and I give them due respect, I always remind myself: “I am a son of the most high King. I will respect the authorities that the Lord has allowed and established all around me, but none of them have power over me, unless I allow them to have power over me.” Jesus lived that way. No one could have falsely accused Him, or wrongly crucified Him, unless He allowed it. That is why I fear no one, nor any authority. I have Jesus in me, and the power of the Holy Spirit in me, what can man do to me?
Sit down today and write up your list of characteristics that define kingdom culture for yourself. Check it against the Word of God. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight, wisdom and revelation. And resist our worldly culture and baggage, and intentionally live out kingdom culture. A culture of glory and honor, righteousness and justice, power of the Holy Spirit and fearlessness!
Eph. 4:26-32
25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are parts of one another. 26 Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
About the author: John Ho was born in Tainan and has lived in Taiwan, Thailand, Laos and the U.S. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley (USA) and is a licensed architect with his own consulting practice. He is a third generation believer whose grandparents were saved through missionaries with the China Inland Mission, who went deep into China where others did not. John is the husband of Mary Ho, International Executive Leader of All Nations International. They have two sons.
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