JANUARY 15TH, 2021      |      The Bible is clear; as Christ followers, we are first and foremost citizens of the Kingdom of God. Jesus is our King, our supreme leader. We live in the world but are not of the world. Through God’s Word we learn how to live, love and lead from His rule and authority. We are also citizens of the United States, and the Bible is clear how we are to live, love and lead in relation to our governing authorities. We are citizens of two kingdoms and this often creates tension. Never has this been felt more than in our recent election season. Our readings today give us a glimpse of how we are to live in response to the ruling authorities of our nation. Nowhere do we read we need to be in full agreement with the persons leading us and the policies governing us. God established and upholds the principle of government even though some governments do not fulfill His desires. How then are we to live in the tension of being citizens of two kingdoms? Consider the passages we read today. They instruct us to: • Obey. Christians are to be law-abiding citizens. (1 Peter 2:13-14, Romans 13:1-2) • Pray. Pray for all those in authority so that we can live lives of peace and godliness. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) • Love. Love one another. We can demonstrate this by guarding our discussions on social media and with others whom we may disagree with. Let love rule our conversations and behaviors. (John 13:34-35)