PATRIOTIC SPIRIT VS HOLY SPIRIT
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Everything we do, is motivated by some spirit. Even when there is a figure in form a person standing as the motivator, there is still some spirit inspiring the person to motivate another person.
If I show LOVE consistently, to all people, even to those who hate me, if I refuse to let my lack of luxury things steal my JOY, if I exhibit a PEACEFUL character and I'm always PATIENT in all situations, and I'm always GENTLE, if I'm always filled with GOODNESS and I have FAITH as father Abraham, and I'm so MEEK as a dove, and I also have a remarkable degree of SELF CONTROL, then it might be concluded, that I have a great proportion of the Holy Spirit in me.
Because everything altogether, as we see in the book of Galatians 5: 22-23, is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Where you see one, you must find every other, and where one is absent, it ceases to be a whole and if it ceases, it is no longer qualified. Therefore, if a person is faulty in one, such a person can no longer be said to have the Holy Spirit.
So there is nothing like "oh, that man is such a loving husband but his wife provoked him, that was why he got violent with her", neither is there any prayer like "oh lord, pls all our enemies (especially the Islamic terrorists) should have their own bombs explode on their heads ". No, that's definitely not Holy Spirit. If there are still similitudes of the above examples in us, I think we may need to check our faith again.
Most often, we show attributes that are directly opposite to the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which shows that we don't have the Holy Spirit in us. And most often, we do it on grounds of love for our so called countries. We say we love our country so much, you hear words like "there's no other place we would go if anything happens to this our country", THE PATRIOTIC SPIRIT.
A follower of Jesus Christ is not supposed to say any negative words to any body no matter the grounds. We should emulate our LORD, even as they killed Him and mocked Him, He simply forgave them, saying "Father forgive them for they know not what they do".
There are many things we are missing on the grounds of patriotism, forgetting that we are in this world, but we are not of this world, that our forefathers were sojourners on this earth, (1 Chronicles 29:15 For we are strangers before thee, and SOJOURNERS, AS WERE ALL OUR FATHERS: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding). But today, believers are so passionate about this earth, about their countries, as if it is their inheritance, forgetting that we are pilgrims on this earth. I think we are only patriotic to the system of this world, by doing this. (1 Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and PILGRIMS, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul).
On a very obvious scale, the Patriotic Spirit, is used to encourage people to kill and become murderers. If you have watched movies like "the Bourne series" or "the Unit" you would know that those soldiers were assassins because they were motivated that they were doing what's best for their country and their country would never forget them for that which they did. What a reason to carry gun to kill other people!
Now, there are also soldiers in your country, though you may not be doing the shooting and murdering, but they are doing it in your name. They are fighting for "the citizens" they are fighting to protect "your land". And you support them wholeheartedly, "may god help our soldiers", is that not what you say? "May god help the president" what do you know that president is doing? Oh, you listen to the newscaster? The newscaster will only report what they are asked to report.
There are a few Bible verses that seem to be confuse believers on this matter, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence" (1st Timothy 2:1).
The above verse to me, is one of the most wrongly interpreted verse of the Bible, because most believers see a ground to be good patriotic citizens in God's word. Meanwhile, (considering the presiding verses), the above verse is not about being a patriotic citizen but about loving all men and wishing that they would come to know the truth about salvation and not the counterfeit that those that have gone out from us are now preaching. This to me, is simply laid out before us and I'm angry that we missed this simple truth for long time. I'm angry with myself that I missed this simple truth, but I don't think it's too late anyway.
My state government celebrated her fortieth anniversary recently and the president came and a hip-pop artist was invited to entertain them, even I, was annoyed at the way he was singing. Why didn't they call a good gospel singer to come and sing praises to God for having kept the state for 40 years?
I understand they also usually have thanksgiving for programmes like that, why didn't they come to your church for the thanksgiving? Can you say the person that preached to them at the church they went preached the undiluted truth of the word to them? Now look at what the Apostle was saying, "Some people have gone out from us, they claim to be serving the same God that we are serving, many people recognize them with us, but these people are not serving the same purpose as we are serving, they serve their own selfish purpose... Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence."
Did Daniel pray that Nebuchadnezzar be dethroned because he wasn't doing the will of our God? The three Hebrew brothers didn't wish death for the king that threatened to throw them in fire, rather they pray that God should glorify His name in the situation and if not, they would prefer to die.
John the Baptist didn't wish death for Herod, he only told him the truth to his face.
Even the Apostles only asked that God should give them boldness to preach the gospel in the face of strong opposition and persecution.
Though this world is not our world, but we don't wish the people of this world evil, no matter how small. Rather we wish they might come into the knowledge of salvation.
Now in other not to mislead or subtly incite believers against the government, Apostle Paul tells us to obey the government because the ruler is there as a minister of God. This is true because the reason why the government is there in the first place, is to maintain law and order in any given society. The government was established to uphold the basic laws of God; thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal... to also provide basic needs for the people; good road, tap water, electricity, job, good schools, etc, that's why we are told to pay our taxes, (Rom. 13: 1-5). Though the government also takes the resources created by God to make all these things available to the people. So in other words, the government is only there to maintain peace and order in a given society, but peace is only guaranteed if believers would stand on the truth of the word of God.
The Church is supposed to be the body that dictates what happens to the government, even the government would seek to know what the church has to say before doing some things, but believers are only being "patriotic", forgetting that they are sojourners here and light to the world.