No constitutional freedoms in the Kingdom of God

Here's a distinction worth remembering. Travis Stanley explains the difference between political freedom and freedom in Christ:

The freedom Christ offers is not freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, freedom of press, freedom to marry, freedom to get an education and get a job, freedom to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Christ’s freedom is the ability to say, as Paul said, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” It’s the freedom to find life in the midst of death, joy in the midst of sorrow. It is the freedom to live life with joy and courage, even when other freedoms that we hold so dear are not available.

If the American definition of freedom was what God intended, then Jesus would have set up a democratic form of government in 1st century Palestine . . . . Instead, God, through Jesus, called us into the kingdom of heaven, a kingdom which transcends national boundaries, is not dependent on national definitions of “freedom” and the “good life”, and calls us all to place our allegiance solely in Christ and the Christ-like life.

I'm glad Travis made that point. It's distressing to see many of my fellow countrymen proclaiming a faith in Christ yet becoming more passionate about the country than the Kingdom. It's all too easy for the church and Christians to go off-message fighting political battles when our real mission is much more urgent. All Christians need to remember that, although we're called to obey the human governments placed over us, our primary citizenship is in the Kingdom of God. And that Kingdom, brothers and sisters, has nothing to do with rights.