National Consciousness Part 3: Jesus is NOT a religious person

I have always been convinced of this basic idea - we need to stop being religious. We need to get Jesus of Nazareth out of the “religious” category, and place Him in rightful place as Prime Minister of a Nation - anointed One of a People, called by God to be a new creation - a blessing to all the families of the earth.

For far too long, Christians in Singapore and in America and many parts of the world, consider their ‘faith’ in Jesus within the categories that the world, and not least our secular governments want us to think within. For many of us, Christianity is a option we have in our “religious affiliation”. It sits along side other options like Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Muslim. Jesus has been confined into a narrow space along side with spiritual gurus, and religious teachers. Whilst the world is being shaken by the likes of Jack Ma and Mark Zuckerburg; powered by the wealth of Bill Gates and the Jess Bezos; mesmerized by the charisma of Barack Obama and the wise rulership of Lee Kuan Yew, Jesus has been confined to a very small area of our lives under the category of “’self-help and self-improvement” at best; and ”spiritual/ religous” at worst.

We need to put Jesus back in his rightful place as the rightful heir and king of the holy nation of Israel; the Son of God, and LORD of all the nations of the world; the firstborn of the New Order of life on the earth, under the orders of the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Father of all. No this is not “Game of Thrones”… but if we were to imagine Jesus of Nazareth like Daenerys Targaryen, we might be slightly better of than people who place him just as a religious leader.

One of the ways to help us get that start is to ask the question - what is the Church? Who is the Church? Again, when we think Church, we usually think - a religious organization. Or some spiritual community of do-gooders. Nice people who are moralistic and ‘spiritual’. Because we have a terrible view of Jesus, we also have a terrible view of ourselves. The apostle Peter helps correct that when he says -

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

This is not just some nice “spiritual” metaphor or religious idea for Peter. When he says, chosen race - he means, a race just like Chinese, Indians, Malays who possess and exhibit in a certain cultural identity. A people with a certain way of speaking, a way of thinking, a way of living. When he says, holy nation, he means quite literally - a nation, set apart by the Creator God, from all the other nations of the world. When he says, a royal priesthood, he is describing the purpose by which these people (a race and nation), are being chosen and set apart for - to mediate God to people and people to God; to join the will of Heaven to Earth and to life Earthly concerns into the will of Heaven. 

The Church is not a religious organization. The Church is not a society governed by the laws of Singapore. The Church is not even some funny ‘spiritual’ community that exists to teach good things to people anad help do good in the world. The Church is a chosen race. A holy nation. Called by the Creator to mediate His Presence and Wisdom and Government on the earth and in the world. And Jesus is the PM of this nation. Jesus is the firstborn of this chosen race. Jesus is the High Priest that works with Us, empowering us by HIs Spirit to mediate His rulership and guidance and wisdom and power in our homes, for our workplaces, in our neighbourhoods.

Let’s get Jesus out of our religious categories, and hail Him as our rightful Prime Minister. As we do, we will discover our lives enriched, our friends and families blessed and our work in this world given fresh meaning and perspective in the light of leadership.