Chapter 10 • THE BELIEVER AND THE STATE:
"RESIST NOT EVIL"
Jesus could not have been clearer in his teaching: he showed that the sword, the club, the crowd, a number of whom would have been unarmed, and resistance to evil all belong to "the power of darkness" of this world. Thus one cannot separate non-combatant from combatant service and say that one is not as bad as the other. Each is part of "the power of darkness".

The believer belongs to a different citizenship. As Jesus said to Pilate, "If my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews . . ." But it was because his kingdom was not of this world that Jesus did not ask for "more than twelve legions of angels".

Every believer wields a sword: "The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." This is the weapon of his warfare against "the world-rulers of this darkness". He also, with this Word, has to fight himself, because it is in the individual that war, strife and contention arise, from "the aggressiveness of your bodily desires".

When seen through the eyes of Jesus all the forces of law and order, whether national or international, are not our active concern: they are provided for a world order to which we do not belong.

Although we are called upon, as the first Christians were, to obey magistrates, we are not to sit on the bench with them! Whoever read of an Apostle or disciple being a magistrate! And in view of the teaching of Jesus, including the blessings of the Beatitudes, who could conceive his approval for anyone who joined the police force, sat on a magistrate's bench, or became part of a non-combatant corps!

This is not to say that we should avoid services of love to our fellow men when opportunity calls for it. We should give freely of our compassionate service to all in need of it. Whilst we are strangers and pilgrims in the land in which we dwell, we are not its enemy.

During the American Civil War of 1860-61, Dr. Thomas rightly claimed that Christadelphians were part of "An elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession . . . to show forth the excellencies (virtues) of him who called them out of darkness into his marvellous light".(tm) Believers tend to forget the nobility of this high and heavenly honour of God's call, and often overlook the fact that their primary duty in life is to manifest His Name and purposes to the people around them.

By teaching and example Jesus showed three ways in which it can be done: Resist not evil, love the world as God loved it, and preach the Gospel. He had little time for anything else-and neither have we.