Every Tribe, Tongue, & Nation

One of the most famous and well known verses in the Bible is John 3:16.  In that verse we discover three crucial truths that can save our soul: God loves all of us in the whole world, God gave us His Son, and whoever believes in His Son has eternal life.  The first part is very important to understand, “For God so loved the world.”  Jesus did not just die for one group of people in one land.  He died for all of us and people from every country in the world will be in Heaven together!

Our different cultures are something to be appreciated and celebrated.  I have had people say to me, “Christianity is a Western religion,” or “Jesus only died for the Jews.”  Neither of those two statements are true.  Jesus Christ and Christianity started in Israel (Nazareth and Jerusalem to be exact).  It is not a Western religion and it certainly did not come from my country of America.  Jesus died for all of us, every single person in the entire world, because God loves us.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus speaking in John 3:16

Let’s take a look at the Book of Revelation and catch a glimpse of what it will be like in Heaven as people from all over the world worship Jesus together!

“And they sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take

the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you

purchased men for God

from every tribe and

language and people and

nation.

You have made them to be

a kingdom and priests

to serve our God,

and they will reign on the

earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10

That is beautiful and awesome, Amen!  Sometimes people think that when Christians share Christ around the world we are trying to oppress their culture or they look at us as “colonialists” or “imperialists.”  When I share the Gospel message of Jesus with you, I am not trying to oppress you and I definitely do not want to oppress or take over your culture or your country.  I am simply sharing God’s Truth because I want you to be free from sin and death and I want you to go to Heaven.  That’s it.  There is nothing in it for me.  We are not saved by works.  We are saved by grace and out of the overflow of that grace, through God’s love, I preach the Gospel to you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

No matter what country you live in, I respect, love, and value your people, your culture, your way of life, your heritage, and your very precious lives on this earth as fellow human beings created in God’s image.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it does not mean you throw away your tribe, language, people, or nation.  I am still an American, but I am no longer a worldly American living for my sinful desires.  I am an American who has loved and followed Jesus Christ since I was 18 in October of 1996.  I was born and raised here and I love my country, but Jesus is set apart in my heart as Lord and my allegiance is to Him first.  I do not throw away my nation, but I throw away the sinful ways of my nation and choose to follow Jesus.

Jesus does not want to take away your tribe, language, people, or nation and neither do I.  Jesus wants to forgive you of your sins and set you free and it’s my great honor to be an evangelist for Him who spreads that message around the world.  Keep where you are from deep in your heart.  God created you and put you where you are on this earth for a reason.  When I share Jesus with you, I am not telling you to become a Westerner or be American.  I am telling you to flee from sin and death and receive eternal life through faith in Jesus!  Sin and death are on this earth no matter where you live.  Eternal life through faith in Jesus is available to you no matter where you live too!

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:22-24

I love all the colors in Indian clothing and celebrations.  I love African praise and worship music.  I love hearing people praise God in different languages.  Those are just a few examples.  Can you imagine what it is going to be like in Heaven with people from all over the world living in perfect peace and harmony?!  It is hard to imagine in our divided world, but it is going to be so beautiful I don’t even have the words!

Wherever you live in this world, please remember that Jesus died for you too.  God came to earth as a man and paid the price for our sins that we couldn’t pay.  Jesus did not just die for one nation.  He died for the entire world, so that we could be reconciled with God and live with Him in Heaven forever.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

You can receive Jesus by faith right now no matter what country you live in!

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:9-13

“…So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

Acts 11:18

There is no difference between us folks!  God created all of us in His image and He loves all of us!  He created every tribe, language, people, and nation and every single one of us who believes in Jesus will worship the Lord together in the perfect peace of Heaven forever!

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jesus speaking in John 6:38-40

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:1

Don’t ever forget, God loves everyone in the whole world and He wants everyone to come to Him, and that includes you!  He does not want you to perish!  He wants to give you eternal life!

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

Grace and peace to you all in the Name of Jesus who loves you!