First of all, it is necessary to define just what a Christian is according to the Word of God. The word "Christian" is found three times in the New Testament: in Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and 1 Peter 4:16. It implies one who belongs to Christ because of faith in Him, redeemed by the blood of Christ, and identified with Christ in glory where he is even now "raised up together, and made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:6). Because of being "born . . . of God" (John 1:13), God is his Father, heaven is his home, and it is there he has his citizenship (Phil. 3:20).

The Lord Jesus says Christians were given to Him by His Father "out of the world" (John 17:6). He continues, "The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (v. 14). He prayed, "Not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil" (v. 15), and "Sanctify them (that is, set them apart, separate them) through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth" (v. 17). Then He said, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world" (v. 18).

The Spirit of God through the apostle Paul in 2 Cor. 5:20 declares that Christians are "ambassadors for Christ." Hence, as Jesus said, though not of the world (i.e. the world system) they are in it to represent Christ's interest and the interests of heaven—their homeland—to see by their testimony to have men "reconciled to God."

Likewise, the Spirit of God through Peter declares Christians to be "strangers and pilgrims" (1 Peter 2:11). They are strangers in the world with which they are to have no fellowship, for "The friendship of the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4). They are pilgrims simply passing through the world, with heaven as the goal before them, and the world as a wilderness they are leaving.

Christians, then, are "ambassadors," "strangers and pilgrims" in the world, and hence have no participation save to "do good unto all men" (Gal. 6:10).

Christians believe that "the powers that be are ordained of God" (Rom. 13:1). Because of that, God enjoins the Christians in these words: "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God." In 1 Peter 2:13 we also read, "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." Christians are responsible, then, to obey the government, and also to pray for those in government, of which we read in 1 Timothy 2:1-3: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority."

The Lord Jesus is the Example Christians are to follow being exhorted to "follow His steps" in 1 Peter 2:21. When Jesus was asked about taxes, Jesus said, "Show Me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said Caesar's. And He said unto them: Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's and unto God the things which be God's" (Luke 20:24,25). He also had Peter catch a fish with a piece of money in its mouth and told him to use it to pay taxes for Himself and Peter (Matt. 17:24-27).

When Jesus was asked to get involved in making a legal decision in a matter, He refused, by saying, "Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?" (Luke 12:14). His time for judging had not yet come, and neither has it yet come for the Christians.

Paul and Peter both exhorted the Christian slaves to be obedient and subject to their masters (Eph. 6:5; 1 Pet. 2:18). They never led a movement to change the politics of the world whose god and prince is Satan, but to be in it, enduring suffering as unto the Lord.

Hence, neither the Lord Jesus, Paul nor Peter were involved in changing conditions in the world condemned to judgment. Their ministry was to the end that sinners would be taught their link with a rejected Christ out of the world, and living in it with the hope of heavenly glory before them.

The day of reigning over the world is coming for the Christian. However, that will be only after God has judged the world by Christ who will appear with the Christians and then set up His kingdom of righteousness and peace. Then, Christians will judge or govern the world, reigning over the earth with Christ. (See 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 5:10; 20:4-6).