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"THE CONFESSION OF THE KING" "Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the KING of the Jews?Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?Jesus answered, 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 is my KINGDOM not from hence.Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a KING then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a KING. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:33-37) (caps mine) This thrilling 18th chapter in John's gospel takes us on the journey of Jesus' betrayal, arrest, trials, and Peter's denial. This dramatic chapter underscores the fulfillment of prophecy, the reality of Jesus' kingdom, and the ultimate triumph of truth, even in the face of denial and betrayal.Now we read here that Governor Pilate was interrogating Jesus to see if he was guilty of sedition against the Roman government. Others before Jesus had claimed to be the Messiah and had started militant insurrections. In most Jews' minds, the Messiah would be a king as well as a spiritual leader. Pilate surely had informers who told him about Jesus. Pilate asked if Jesus was a king and why the Jewish leaders had turned Him in. Jesus' replies are found in the above verses. It assured Pilate that Rome had nothing to fear from Jesus. Jesus' kingdom is a spiritual kingdom.The Church has had trouble in history when it forgot this saying of Jesus. The Crusades and the Inquisition are always brought up as an example of how Christianity is just as evil and destructive as other religions. The problem with that accusation is that those examples are contrary to Jesus' teaching and are therefore not true Christianity. Whenever people try to get Christians to rally to fight for an earthly kingdom, they are asking them to ignore Jesus' instructions.Folks, our battle isn't against people (2 Corinthians 10:4). The battle is spiritual, and we will win it with prayer and determination. Our enemies are defeated by the love of God and thru our testimony of the Saviour of sinners. The world thinks this is naive, but the Roman Empire would fall to Christianity by those very means. We resist spiritual forces in the heavenly realms through prayer. We conquer one soul at a time thru the power of the Word of God.Don't be fooled by those who tell you that we must establish God's Kingdom by force or laws. That kind of thinking only gives our opposition a reason to speak against us. Follow Jesus' example. Man's reign over the earth will one day end, and Jesus will rule over everything!Friends, if force was the way to deal with evil, Jesus would have called for His Angelic Army (Matthew 26:53). The time will come for force when every last soul has decided for or against Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:11-16). Then, and only then, will the KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS lead us into a battle of judgment. Until then, souls will be won with the Word of God and thru the Power of the Holy Spirit.