(John 18:40.)
The blessed Lord and Master had just said unto Pilate, " My Kingdom is not of this world ; if my Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews:but now My Kingdom is not from hence." He had already been rejected as an earthly King, the heir of David, and was now about entering into and bringing in His heavenly Kingdom ; and hence He could so clearly and strongly set this truth forth. By the way of the cross He was just then entering into His heavenly Kingdom, and opening up that new and living way into the holiest which He has new made for us ; and hence He could truthfully say, " My Kingdom is not now of this world." He is now reigning in His heavenly Kingdom, and. all power in heaven and on earth is given into His hands. All His saints, to faith, are also there with Him and hence they too are not of this world and cannot fight, or vote, or hold office. Voting implies office holding, and fighting too, and this, true Christians in the light cannot with a good conscience do. They dwell with Him, where He is, in His heavenly Kingdom, and their fellowship, social relations, are with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ ! "He died to deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father ; " the Father of the saints. "They are not of the world, even as I am not," says our Saviour-God. "Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His body of glory, according to the power whereby He is able to subdue all things unto Himself." It is clear, therefore, that now He is reigning in His heavenly Kingdom, and is gathering out of the world a company of redeemed ones for an eternity of fellowship with Himself there.
This company is not of the world, even as He is not ; and hence they cannot take part in the worldly things. They cannot vote, hold office, or fight, because they are not citizens. Their citizenship is in heaven, and their allegiance is to their own heavenly King and Master. Citizenship on earth is treason (even if unconscious disloyalty) to our true Sovereign. Voting and office holding carry with them the obligation to fight, which is in direct antagonism to every thing Christian. There is no such thing on the earth as a Christian government, or a Christian nation, or a righteous war, in a divine sense, and necessarily there cannot be, because Christian principles in practical operation in the world would destroy all human organizations, all. nations, and all human government. All would be brought into allegiance to God as Father, and all men brethren. The true world's leaders are Barabbases, like Alexander, Caesar, and Bonaparte. Man has chosen Barabbas and rejected Jesus and he will follow him to the end. A man to make war and kill his fellow men by the wholesale cannot be a Christian in the light of God. He may profess Christianity and be even a Churchman, and possibly "born again," but still be in the darkness of infancy in Christianity if he can make or prosecute war. "War is hell ;" it is of the devil, and only a Barabbas can prosecute it successfully.
A true Christian can never, if he have any light, any knowledge of the word of God, prosecute war successfully. Conscience will intervene, a sense of obligation to God will cause him to hesitate, to temporize, and delays bring failure. Ah, if the Lord's people but knew it, the grace which has fitted us for Christ's Kingdom, has spoiled us for this. We are strangers here.
A true Barabbas would not hesitate, but press onward to the end without fear, favor, or conscience.
A Christian man is out of his place as a ruler in this world. " Not this man, but Barabbas," is the world's deliberate choice, and also the world's necessity as at present organized. The god and prince of this world is Satan, as we are specially taught by the word of God, and through his efforts man has been brought to reject Jesus and enthrone Barabbas. J. S. P.