This blog serves as an outreach for Pastor Randy Powell of the First Baptist Church of Franklin, PA. Feel free to ask questions or send me an e-mail at pastorpowell@hotmail.com
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
How does the Kingdom of God advance? By doing exactly what is contrary to fallen human nature. Our natural response to having an enemy in life is to seek to crush that enemy, but disciples of Jesus Christ are called to a far more difficult and radical commitment: love our enemies and pray for them.
'Christian' Nationalism, by immersing itself in the fight for control of the kingdoms of this world, and the fights among those kingdoms (i.e. geo-political rivalries and wars), has chosen to live according to realpolitik rather than the commands of Jesus. How can we love our enemy, they say, when we're at war with them for control of America? The stakes are too high to trust lover over power is the lie they're telling themselves. How can we pray for our enemy, they say, when they are a rival to our nation? We are God's chosen nation, his instrument in this world, is the lie their pride is telling them.
Lip service that 'Christian' Nationalism may pay to Jesus' teaching and attitude aside, the reality demonstrated again and again is that the struggle for societal/governmental control and domination inherent to 'Christian' Nationalism's ethos has already concluded that what Jesus taught his followers is unrealistic, if not outright naïve. In fact, one recent political figure mocked Jesus' command to 'turn the other cheek' at a gathering of supposedly Christian political operatives. {Donald Trump Jr. tells young conservatives that following Jesus’ command to ‘turn the other cheek’ has ‘gotten us nothing’ - Baptist News Global, by Mark Wingfield}. That gathering was sponsored by Turning Point USA whose website (at the time) proudly proclaimed: “We play offense with a sense of urgency to win America’s culture wars.”
Here's the thing, Jesus didn't call us to "play offense...to win America's culture wars." Jesus called us to live self-sacrificially while praying for our enemies. Will this strategy 'win' in this world? Probably not, but that's not where our priorities are supposed to be as Christians. 'Christian' Nationalists may have a long and bitter list of enemies, people and organizations they're willing to fight to the death (sometimes literally) to defeat, but followers of Jesus Christ have been forbidden, by God, from indulging our sinful nature in this vain pursuit. Our calling is higher, purer, and far more difficult: "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
Concluding his section on the triumph of faith in Christ, being both our means to justification and forgiveness, the Apostle Paul asks what room is left for boasting? The answer, clearly, is none. All who come to God by faith do so because they realize they are not self-sufficient, that they don't measure up on their own.
Along with this thought, Paul points out that God is the God of both his covenant people (Jews and Church) and the rest of the world (Gentile and un-Churched). That being said, faith is the solution for both even though one group has the advantage of knowing more about God, both need Christ's salvation, both need grace.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
How cozy with the Kingdoms of this World (human governments) can the Church be before it loses its saltiness? In other words, if the Church wields dominion in this age, determining military policy, tax provisions, environmental regulations, food and drug safety, and the whole host of decisions over peoples lives that a modern government must make {choosing not to regulate an area is of course a decision too}, will such a Church retain any of its required saltiness?
The context leading up to verse 13 of the Sermon on the Mount is the Beatitudes. Just prior to telling his followers to be salt, an element essential for life in the Ancient World, Jesus proclaims that the Kingdom of God is counter-intuitive by declaring those whom society normally looks upon as 'losers' to be "blessed". You see, the Kingdom of God is not business as usual, it isn't a slightly better version of this world's cultures and governments, it isn't a tweak of the old; the Kingdom of God is a radical change of human behavior and interactions on a fundamental level from top to bottom.
For far too much of Church History the Church has been content to nibble at the margins, to strive for a better world without putting the Word of God to the test by living in accordance with ALL that it teaches. The Church has lived by faith, but only so far. And yet, 'Christian' Nationalism would ask us to lean into this hesitancy, to go all-in on ruling here and now by using the very methods and tactics that this world has devised to grasp and maintain power. "Be Christ-like and trust God with the results? You naïve fool, we'd lose if we did that!", there actions (and at times words) proclaim.
Can you honestly say, when listening to politicians, that any of them (save perhaps some on the local level) are acting in their role as public leaders according to the vision of the Sermon on the Mount? Are any of them striving to establish the Kingdom of God? So, why are they, politicians and pundits, being treated as leaders of Christianity? What training, calling, and experience do they have in Christian discipleship, in leading with a servant's heart?
On of the great tragedies here is that God has called his people to far more. To a more abundant and purposeful life here and now through radical self-denial and service. Take back the country for God, the culture? Why would God want them, he's already spelled out his plans for a far greater prize.
The following 'decree' was written by pastor Dutch Sheets, a member of the New Apostolic Reformation, a loosely affiliated group of Charismatic Christians who believe in Dominionism, which in a nutshell is the belief that God has given the Church the authority to take control of the Earth from Satan and we need only claim it. The following prayer thus contains the expected 'name it and claim it' style of some of the Charismatic movement, combined with a stark American 'Christian' Nationalism that venerates the American Constitution to idolatrous levels. My comments interspersed below will be in bold. To view the decree as a pdf: The Watchman Decree
[What is Dominionism? As explained by self-appointed apostle Peter Wagner, a founder of the NAR movement, before his death in 2016, “Dominion has to do with control. Dominion has to do with rulership. Dominion has to do with authority and subduing. And it relates to society. In other words, what the values are in Heaven need to be made manifest on earth. Dominion means being the head and not the tail. Dominion means ruling as kings.”]
WATCHMAN DECREE
As a Patriot of faith, I attest my allegiance first and foremost to the kingdom of God and the Great
Commission. Secondly, I agree to be a watchman over our nation concerning its people and their
rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness—
From the beginning the decree defines a "patriot of faith" as someone who puts allegiance to the Kingdom of God and the Great Commission first, but in the very next sentence that line is blurred beyond recognition. The "Watchman" analogy is taken from Ezekiel 33 where the prophet is told that he must warm his countrymen of impending danger lest their fate be on his head if he keep silent. While it would be an acceptable interpretation of the principle behind this text to say that Christians have a responsibility to warn the Church of impending danger, it is NOT in keeping with Ezekiel's prophecy to say that Christians bear this responsibility for America. Why? Israel was a covenant people, a theocracy, where God had a specific and detailed set of blessings and curses that were derived from the commands the people had agreed to obey. Ezekiel's responsibility flows out of this context. Israel knew what God required of them, their ancestors had committed themselves to obeying it. In the Church Age, God has made no such relationship with ANY nation/country/people. It is clear that the members of the NAR, as 'Christian' Nationalists, have assumed God has indeed made a promise to America akin to that which he made with Israel, unfortunately for them (and the Church, the Gospel, and our nation) scripture makes not such promise...A question that has no answer: When, where, how, and with whom did God make a covenant with America? What are its stipulations, what is demanded of us and what is promised by God? A covenant isn't implied, it has to be spelled out and agreed upon.
In addition, the responsibilities of the Watchman are linked in the decree to "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness", things that Ezekiel was most certainly not focused upon nor would they have made any sense to him, for where in this list is righteousness or faith? Already the Declaration of Independence has replaced the Bible as the guide by which we are called to act.
WHEREAS
• we, the Church, are God’s governing Body on the earth
This is the foundational assertion of the text, but it is in no way made in Scripture. Jesus calls his disciples to be "salt and light", to sacrifice and to serve, in no way does he, or any other apostolic source, command the Church to govern the earth. Search in vain for the source of this claim in scripture, it isn't there. This is 'Christian' Nationalism's bold lust for power, power we are not commanded to seek, and power we are not capable of wielding morally. {See: Tolkien's LOTR and what the Ring does to those who think they can wield it for good. Tolkien was a Christian with an orthodox Christian worldview, and it shows.}
• we have been given legal power from heaven and now exercise our authority
Legal power? This seems to be setting the groundwork to place 'Christian' Nationalism above the law in America, ironic given all of the veneration here about the Constitution.
• we are God’s ambassadors and spokespeople over the earth
Even a phrase at first glance like this that seems orthodox has a flaw. The Church is Christ's steward/ambassador on the earth, not over it. Subtle, but it fits the pattern of seeking dominion and power over others.
• through the power of God, we are the world influencers
World influencers? Does God need extra social media likes and clicks? What a strange phrase. The Church is called to do justice and love mercy, what this has to do with being a 'world influencer' is a mystery.
• because of our covenant with God, we are equipped and delegated by Him to destroy every
attempted advance of the enemy,
Again we have a dangerous bit of bravado here. Is the Church capable of overcoming the Gates of Hell, absolutely, Jesus promised that, but that ultimate victory and this bold claim are far apart. The Church (and Christians) will also suffer defeat, persecution, and loss in this world.
Who is the "our" that has a covenant with God? The Christians in America, or America itself? As the text later in the declaration shows, they mean the latter.
WE MAKE OUR DECLARATIONS:
1. We decree that America’s executive branch of government will honor God and defend the
2. We decree that our legislative branch (Congress) will write only laws that are righteous and
constitutional.
Again, righteous laws do NOT equal constitutional laws, although that link is implied strongly here. One can write a constitutional law that falls far short of being righteous, believe me America history has plenty of examples, it can in fact be immoral in every way and pass constitutional muster.
3. We decree that our judicial system will issue rulings that are biblical and constitutional.
The not subtle linkage continues, now biblical and constitutional are together.
4. We declare that we stand against wokeness, the occult and every evil attempt against our
5. We declare and we now take back our God-given freedoms, according to our Constitution.
Which begs the question: Which God-given freedoms found in the Constitution do they not now have?
6. We declare that we take back influence at the local level in our communities.
7. We decree that we take back and permanently control positions of influence and leadership in
each of the *Seven Mountains.
There is a vast difference in a pluralistic society between influence, which all individuals and groups have a right to aspire to, and control that precludes the rights of others. 'Christian' Nationalism isn't the only movement/philosophy seeking such domination over others, but it very clearly is on the list.
8. We decree that the blood of Jesus covers and protects our nation. It protects and separates us
for God.
Where in any orthodox and historic understanding of the work of Christ upon the Cross, of the efficacy of his shed blood, does the idea that Jesus' blood protects our nation, specifically, come from? Are they claiming that Jesus shed his blood for America? For a kingdom of this world? Again, blasphemy is not too strong a term for this. The shed blood of Jesus separates America for God's purposes? Why this nation and not another? Why only this nation? There is a massive prideful exceptionalism at work here.
9. We declare that our nation is energy independent.
Ezekiel is scratching his head at this one. What does being a Watchman on behalf of your people have to do with energy policy? Nothing. Best to move on than ponder why this made the cut.
10. We declare that America is strong spiritually, financially, militarily and technologically.
There are questions about all four of them being true, at times, but especially the first one. America is spiritually strong? By what metric? Declining church attendance and membership? The rampant sexual immorality and materialism among those who call themselves Christians? The willingness of self-professed Christians to violate any and all of God's commands in order to gain the power to 'take back America for God'?... In addition, proclaiming that America's military is part of the equation harkens back to the worst parts of Church History: The Crusades and the Thirty Years War.
11. We decree that evil carries no power, authority or rights in our land nor over our people.
And yet it most clearly does. America is a far more violent nation that fellow Western democracies, to name one way in which evil is more than comfortable in this land.
12. We decree that we will operate in unity, going beyond denominational lines in order to
accomplish the purposes of God for our nation.
I can actually get behind this one. I'm all for ecumenical efforts to do Kingdom work, if only they meant this about things other than 'winning' the Culture War and crushing their enemies.
13. And we decree that AMERICA SHALL BE SAVED!
Again, in what portion of scripture is this folly grounded? America doesn't need to be saved because America is a nation not a person. Millions of its people need to be saved because they are not in relationship with God through Christ, but that is not what they're talking about here at all. If the preamble declaring loyalty to the Kingdom of God first meant anything at all, #13 would never have been written. If you watch the video, this line is shrieked with fierce intensity. This is the sad truth of 'Christian' Nationalism, the nation's success is the only thing that truly calls forth passion and sacrifice (or violence, the sacrifice is often asked of others).
America, in fact, cannot be saved. Not a single kingdom of this world will continue after the return of Christ. When Jesus establishes his kingdom each and every nation on the planet will be obsolete. In reality, we have no idea when that day will come, and the United States of America may be just as much a distant memory as the Byzantine Empire by that point. It may sound like a broken record, but God's purpose in this world is NOT to elevate America, if the Kingdom of God advances while America teeters and falls, so be it. The prayer is 'thy kingdom come, thy will be done,' not 'our kingdom win, no matter what it costs.'
We know this country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.
We know the truth; therefore, we stand for truth and will NEVER be deceived!
The endless debate about how much of America's founding is connected to Judeo-Christian principles, as opposed to the also influential Enlightenment, for example, is a red herring that nevertheless invokes strong passions and anger.
We will NEVER stop fighting!
We will NEVER, EVER, EVER give up or give in!
And if this isn't God's will, what then? Is the only path forward for the Kingdom to fight?? What if this never ending fight is ruining the witness of the Gospel (hint: it already is), must the fight continue no matter the cost?
We WILL take our country back.
Who has the country now? How will we know when 'we' have it back? If our team controls the White House, Congress, and the Supreme Court, is the war over? FYI, this happened between 2016-2018, and yet the Culture War continued to rage, the warning that 'they' were coming to get 'us' and destroy America didn't slack one bit. 'We' won elections, and yet the war continues unabated, how can this be when political power is the end to which immoral means are being excused?
We WILL honor the ONE TRUE GOD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
Good, please do. While you're at it, read his book and see how he wants to be honored.
AMERICA SHALL BE SAVED!
Aside from the general overuse of caps in this decree, which matches up well with the way in which this prayer is shouted in the video, this once more underscores the way in which 'Christian' Nationalism is a diversion from what God actually told his people to do, the Great Commission, to what he never told them to do, seize geopolitical power for themselves.
“Working together with Him, we strongly urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain [by turning
away from sound doctrine and His merciful kindness]. For He says, ‘At the acceptable time (the
time of grace) I listened to you, and I helped you on the day of salvation.’ Behold, now is ‘the
acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation.’” 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (AMP)
*Seven Mountains of Influence include media, business/finance,
family, education, politics, arts/entertainment and religion
In the end, this decree, despite being a frightening display of non-biblical theology that ignores the warnings of Church History, serves as a clear example of what 'Christian' Nationalism is, what it aims for, and why Christians should not only have no part in it, but also oppose it.
We have seen a shift in the past several years, now members of Congress and their allies who claim to represent Christianity, are willing to call themselves Christian Nationalists. They're willing to say, "what's so bad about wanting Judeo-Christian values to prevail?" without dealing with the reality that the prevailing in question is a matter of domination not persuasion, of coercion not repentance. As a Baptist I shudder to see so many fellow Christians, people whose service to others over the years demonstrates that their faith is genuine, being deceived by this path, and I shudder to see that history's lessons are being ignored once again. "Power tends to corrupt, absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely." - Lord Acton. The Church is not an exception to this rule.
So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Speaking to the generation that returned to Jerusalem from Exile, the prophet Zechariah rebukes the timidity of the people, encouraging them to finish the work on rebuilding the Temple. From a practical standpoint, the Israelites were a shell of their former might and glory. No longer an independent kingdom, no longer the possessors of a beautiful city with mighty walls and a magnificent temple. And yet, and this is the key, the LORD Almighty sees no reason why the Temple cannot be rebuilt.
God does NOT calculate possibilities based upon human power; period. Why? Because he's God!!
The advancement of the Kingdom of God is likewise NOT based upon the availability and use of human power. Laws, armies, wealth, privilege, status, none of them are necessary for God to fulfill his purpose in this world. Why? Because his purpose is a spiritual purpose, first and foremost, the saving of the Lost by the effective sharing of the Gospel and the transformation of the redeemed into Christ-likeness. In the end, human power is not only unnecessary to advance this agenda, history has demonstrated time and time again that it is often counter-productive. In other words, a Church with power, by this world's way of defining it, is typically less effective at its spiritual mission than a Church without power in this world. The classic example of this is the Early Church. Prior to Constantine, the Church was a minority in its culture, without status, without wealth or coercive power. And yet, growth was explosive, and importantly, when martyrs were made it was being done to the Church not by the Church.
'Christian' Nationalism, in a sharp contrast that ought to be a massive warning sign, is focused primarily upon earthly power, as if this is a path toward achieving God's will. To that end, a slogan like, "Take America Back for God" employed by politicians for political ends, is not only disingenuous {Are they actually planning on giving America to God should they win power? Really??}, but also blasphemous. The power they seek is not God's power but their own, the purpose to which they will put power when they achieve it are not God's purposes but their own, and an America wholly under their control would NOT be more honoring and pleasing to God simply because politicians who claim to represent God wield earthly authority. As Han Solo frustrating says in The Force Awakens, "That's not how the Force works!"
Recognizing this dangerous contrast, between the power Christians are called by God to wield (spiritual: serving and sacrificing) and the power that 'Christian' Nationalism grasps after (earthly: dominating and self-advancing), Calvin College historian Kristin Kobes Du Mez wrote, Jesus and John Wayne How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Her premise in a nutshell is that Evangelical (and also Fundamentalist) Christians prefer John Wayne to Jesus. Rather than a humble servant willing to forgive his enemies, they prefer a hard charging tough guy ready to destroy them. Unfortunately, her analysis is all too accurate. Just this past week the YouTube channel, When We Understand The Text, whose content is written and narrated by a pastor, fully embraced 'Christian' Nationalism, mocking the weakness of those who warn against its dangers (i.e. wimps like me).
In the end, "thy Kingdom come, thy will be done" is our daily prayer, and as the prophet Zechariah made clear to those willing to listen, it won't be by might or power, but by God's Spirit.
On one level, the Gospel is as simple as knowing and accepting that Jesus Christ did for your sins, it is a message that a child can grasp and accept. On a deeper level lie the questions about how this works and why it was necessary. The Apostle Paul explains that the sins (rebellion against God) committed by those who have, or one day will, believed in Jesus are paid for by his shed blood on the Cross. Jesus was a sacrifice of atonement, a substitution taking our place whose death satisfied the full and permanent cost of our sins, because Jesus was both God and Man, and because his life was without sin, his one sacrifice can cover multitudes beyond counting.
14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean.
Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
stop doing wrong.
17 Learn to do right; seek justice.
Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.
As someone who has belonged to and served only small churches (yes, the building we have here is huge, the congregation hasn't been big since the 1970's), I can attest to the desire and hope for growth coupled with the insecurity about the future that typifies small churches and their pastors. We want our churches to grow, and we want the Church in America to grow. What I don't want, and what I hope most of my fellow pastors can see to be for what it is, is insincere or coerced growth. What is the value of a church bursting at the seams if the Gospel is not preached, if lives are not being transformed by the Spirit, and if the prayers offered up are not sincere?
As the prophet Isaiah made clear, God is not impressed with acts of worship from hearts that are far from him, even multitudes of them. When it seems that everyone in a community is a Christian, the pressure to fit in can result in people being along for the ride, enjoying the benefits (economic, cultural) of belonging to the group without any of the personal sacrifice and commitment demanded of disciples of Jesus. Bonhoeffer railed against this shallowness in the German Lutheran and Catholic Churches, calling it "cheap grace." Such a scenario existed in America during the 1950's, for example, often seen as the Golden Age that 'Christian' Nationalists are hoping to bring back, but outward conformity does not guarantee a healthy Church, Jim Crow's power among millions of 'Christians' made that clear enough.
Now, however, with Church attendance declining, the temptation offered by 'Christian' Nationalism is to compel various forms of participation on behalf of an unwilling population, to fill our churches again with the stick since the carrot is not longer available.
One of the clearest example of this type of mandatory participation would be the reimposition of prayer in the public schools. While millions of American Christians would cheer this as a victory, the cost to future evangelism would be high, and the result far less than what is promised. Would God suddenly bless America's geopolitical position in the world and economy because school children are required to say a prayer written by a government official? Isaiah knew the answer to that one. In fact, God would be angry rather than impressed with such empty gestures.
In the end, the path that 'Christian' Nationalism offers is a worldly solution (ironic isn't it) to a spiritual problem, both our theology derived from the Bible, and our knowledge of Church History assure us that it won't work. The Church's ultimate victory will not be won at the ballot box, by legislation, or as has been tried far too many times, by the sword.
What should the Church be doing instead of scheming to wield political power? As vs. 16-17 explain, what God actually wants from his people is a (1) rejection of immorality, (2) an embrace of righteous living, (3) and a genuine commitment to work on behalf of those facing injustice and oppression.
This verse is among numerous similar portions of scripture that encapsulate what the people of God should focus their energies upon in one simple sentence. The Kingdom of Israel during the Old Covenant, and the Church during the New Covenant, has a God-given obligation to those on the bottom of society's social hierarchy.
How then does this verse offer a refutation of 'Christian' Nationalism? One aspect of that criticism would be the need for Christians who honor the Word of God by taking this obligation seriously to push back against the policies and structures of their society that marginalize and disadvantage the poor. In other words, American culture, the laws and policies of the American government, and even Capitalism itself must be examined for how they are contributing to the misfortune of our neighbors. Is a democratic government better than an autocratic one? Virtually always, but that doesn't make it flawless, and that doesn't make it beyond criticism when 'our team' is in the White House or controls Congress. Likewise, is capitalism the best economic system of those humanity has tried thus far? Hard to argue from either history or statistical analysis that it isn't, but capitalism has inherent flaws of its own, ones that favor the rich and powerful and disfavor the poor and weak (as does every governmental and economic system created by man), these need to be confronted and countered, even if it clashes with the politics of 'our team'.
Because of the deep identification of 'Christian' Nationalism with the society it seeks to control, the prophetic voice of the Church is muzzled, recent history has shown that those within the Church who speak up for the poor are dismissed, often with vitriol, as 'woke' or 'liberals'. Why the hostility toward those who point out the clear and ongoing flaws in the system? During a war you don't criticize your own team, supposedly. And make no mistake, 'Christian' Nationalism sees itself at war, always. "America, love it or leave it" is a sentiment at home within 'Christian' Nationalism, but if I listen to God's Word as a Christian, I will be called,
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8b, NIV)
In all honesty, I love America, I consider myself blessed of God to have been born here, but I reject in its entirety the demand of 'Christian' Nationalism that I "root, root, root for the home team". When America is wrong, morally, we are blessed with the right to say so, even when that criticism needs to be aimed at 'our team'. The people of God are called to defend the weak and uphold the cause of the poor, no matter who bears responsibility for that plight, thus silence to protect the (unholy) marriage of Church and State is dereliction of duty.
God as "King of all the earth" is a foundational aspect of the Judeo-Christian worldview. God has no rivals and certainly no equals. The position and dominion of God is secure, always has been, always will be. And yet, 'Christian' Nationalism brings the Kingdom of God down into the trenches, pitting nation against nation, viewing the rise of America (or England, the Holy Roman Empire, Rome, etc. before us) as the flowering of God's purposes, and the potential fall of the favored nation as the withering of God's will. How can this be? Does God not rule the whole earth? Is his purpose not accomplished in every nation?
One of the reasons why 'Christian' Nationalism fails to see the big picture is egocentrism, the belief that God's will must revolve around us and our nation because we're just that important (as compared to other peoples and nations of the world, whom God evidently cares much less about). This was, at times, a flaw of ancient Israel as well, one that Holy Scripture punctures in the story of the prophet Jonah. The entire book of Jonah is a withering rebuke of Israelite nationalists whose concern about humanity stopped at the boundary of their own ethnicity. God's concern did not end there, however. As the prophet Jonah throws a tantrum while watching God's mercy against Nineveh unfold, the book ends with this line:
Jonah 4:11 New International Version
And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?”
The view of Jonah was far too narrow for God, spending three nights in the belly of the great beast of the sea didn't cure him of his folly, so the book ends with us wondering if he hardened his heart following God's rebuke, or repented.
Likewise, the Gospels contain numerous examples in the actions and words of Jesus that refute the notion that God's focus on one nation means that others fall through the cracks. Two prime examples being Jesus' discussion with the Woman at the Well and the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Lastly, there is one caveat to this discussion, one that will be dealt with numerous times in the texts yet to come in this series: Israel had a covenant with God. Abraham's descendants did have a relationship with God that held promises of great favor AND a stricter level of scrutiny regarding their actions. Israel is the exception to the rule, but as Jonah learned the hard way, the special status of Israel did not remove the other nations of the world from God's concern.
In the end, the Church is NOT Israel, and America is NOT Israel. Whatever promises God made to Israel remain with them, they are not transferable. 'Christian' Nationalism fails, in part, because it seeks to focus God's concern on one nation (the one we happen to live in, imagine that), viewing the world in terms of power politics and national rivalries as they impact that one nation. God's concern is higher, deeper, and much broader.
It was painful, personally and professionally, to watch so many of my fellow Evangelicals (as well as Fundamentalists) in America deny the reality of COVID-19 in the face of ever increasing evidence. It was also disheartening to hear fake 'cures' touted by some of these same voices while the readily available vaccine was rejected (as part of some global, even Satanic, conspiracy). Having spent time in our area hospital praying with and for exhausted nurses, and having presided over the funeral of a fellow pastor and his wife who died on the same day of COVID, this lack of acceptance of basic facts and the nasty hostility toward doctors and scientists, has left a mark. I won't soon forget it. However, when it comes to the grand sweep of history, as traumatic and disruptive as COVID-19 was to the world for two plus years, it will one day be relegated to the history books along with such momentous moments as the fall of the Berlin Wall and 9/11. Future generations will be unlikely to continue to hold the mostly politically motivated, fact denying, COVID-19 related actions of millions of American Christians against them. Climate change is a different sort of beast. Why?
The affects of COVID-19 are fast fading, wounds of this sort to the human psyche heal when the harms fade away, but the mounting affects of climate change are increasingly being felt. If the predictive models are true, the ongoing cost will be upon the shoulders of billions of people throughout the world, and not just once, but over and over again with each successive drought, wildfire, flash flood, and hurricane. COVID-19's impact lasted 2+ years, and we were all so tired of dealing with it, climate change won't have an expiration date, it will build and remain, year after year. With widespread suffering, and the pain (as it always is with such things) felt more by the poor and powerless, the world will look to blame those who stood in the way of mitigating the worst of climate change's affects in the early decades of humanity's grapple with it, when decisive action might have made a big difference. There will be plenty of blame to go around, China will receive some of it, but most will fall upon the West, America in particular, in part because only in America has there been widespread denialism and opposition to mitigating steps, even by private businesses. {In Europe, conservative parties disagree with liberal ones about how to mitigate climate change, not about the reality of it.}
To those on the outside looking in, it may seem curious that American Evangelicals/Fundamentalists have been so deeply and vehemently opposed to the scientific consensus regarding climate change {As if, by force of will, you can change facts}. Four reasons for this stance stand out among others:
How exactly does one witness to those with a degree in science if your theology demands that they abandon generally accepted scientific conclusions on a whole host of topics in order to become a Christian? This is a long standing issue, but one that has grown in recent years into outright hostility toward not only scientific facts, but those whose work revolves around science.
When #'s 1 & 2 combine, we have the increasingly common acceptance of the notion that any scientific consensus is itself evidence of a conspiracy theory, something we saw manifested during COVID-19. If 99% of global climate scientists agree that our current era's climate change is largely affected by human activity, that fact becomes a primary reason to oppose said consensus. One of the reasons why is #4.
We know this to be true: If the Republican party supported policies to combat climate change, and the Democrats (for whatever reason) opposed them, Evangelicals and Fundamentalists would be shouting their support of these policies to combat climate change from the rooftop, and thumping their chests about how important this is to God. This is certainly not the only issue where we see the Church in America acting as if it has a Red wing and a Blue one, often to our shame.
(4) An in-our-lifetime eschatology that is convinced the End Times are upon us, thus negating any serious commitment to environmental conservation or protection. If it is all going to be destroyed in the next few years, who cares? {This attitude disastrously applied to COVID-19: The Mark of the Beast isn't what you think.}
Yesterday I saw, for the first time, a meme from a pastor that proclaimed that climate change MUST be false because it violates the sovereignty of God. A small amount of knowledge about world history will debunk this foolishness. Humanity has been affecting the environment in which we live for thousands of years, mostly in a negative capacity. North Africa during the time of the Roman Empire was a productive province, responsible for much agricultural production, things have changed. God's power and control has not been diminished by this human impact on our world in the past, nor is it in the present.
In the end, what is sorely lacking in much of the 'Christian' vitriol against the scientific consensus regarding climate change is a proper orthodox understanding of stewardship. The Biblical narrative begins with stewardship in the Garden of Eden, but somewhere along the way segments of the Church in America decided that environmental stewardship was not our responsibility. A biblical understanding of stewardship would also act as a check on the rampant consumerism, and disregard for the poort, that affects so much of the American Church, but alas it is a neglected theological imperative.
One hundred years from now, when communities the world over are grappling with the negative affects of climate change, those hoping to share the Gospel in them will have to respond to accusations such as this: "We are in this mess because of American Christians, why should we listen to what you have to say about Jesus?"
After establishing that the Law is incapable of saving those who have broken it, as all of humanity has, Paul then begins to explain HOW the righteousness of God, as revealed through the Incarnation, can be applied to humanity. How can the righteousness of Jesus save us? The answer is faith. Faith, belief, trust, hope, in Jesus...From here the Good News gets better, everyone who believes in Jesus can be "justified freely by his grace." What does this mean? It means that God, as the judge of the living and the dead, will declare sinners 'innocent', not because of anything we have done, but because we have faith in what Jesus has done for us, taking our sins upon his shoulders while on the Cross.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
Another failure of the worldview behind 'Christian' Nationalism is that it assumes that human power structures (from elections and lawmaking, on up to political violence and armies) are the key to advancing the Will of God. Scripture proclaims the opposite: No human power, no matter how sizeable, can stand against God, AND God is not dependent upon any human source of power to fulfill his will. In other words, when 'Christian' Nationalists proclaim that their team must win the next election in order to 'save the Church' or 'protect Christianity' (more on why those are red herrings in later texts) they are making a false assumption about God's power that shockingly limits the ability of God to work out his will in our world when 'our team' isn't in control.
Likewise, when 'Christian' Nationalists begin to talk about the need to utilize violence, perhaps even civil war, to accomplish these supposedly necessary ends, they are not only attempting to overcome evil with evil, or turn two wrongs in to a right, but also proclaiming that God's Church, people, or nation (we aren't a Christian nation, but that argument for another text) will lose if we don't shed blood to protect it!! God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, is supposedly incapable of advancing his Kingdom if this nation or this culture are not what 'Christian' Nationalists proclaim that they must be. Is God so weak? Is his will so fragile? Not at all.
What are Christians called to do?
Titus 2:12-13 New International Version
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
I must have missed the part where God commands us to conquer in his name.
Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”
Among the ways in which 'Christian' Nationalism damages the Church is by compromising its moral authority. When the Church (or segments of it) ally themselves with worldly (political) power, it creates an incentive to criticize 'them' for moral failings and a disincentive to criticize 'our team' for those same moral failings. In our own setting, we have seen this play out time and time again since the rise of Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority. In addition to giving 'our' politicians and pundits a free pass while lambasting those of the opposition, 'Christian' Nationalism also encourages the defending of organizations and institutions (See: Clergy Sex Scandal, Catholic, Protestant, etc.) because they are part of that same team effort and if their moral failings were made known, if a reckoning and justice were to be pursued, it would be seen as a win for the other side. When the nation or world is divided in this way into two camps competing for worldly power (as opposed to Paul's theology of worldly vs. spiritual), moral authority diminishes to a tactic, a cudgel, for the bashing of one's enemies, justice is denied, and the Church becomes complicit, at the least, in it.
How do we know God doesn't operate in this fashion? The case of King David is illustrative. Despite being the man hand-picked by God to rule Israel, and having been given the title, "a man after God's own heart", God didn't hesitate to send the Prophet Nathan to excoriate David and pronounce a hard judgment against him (2 Samuel 11-12). God didn't look the other way, and he didn't engage in the repugnant 'what about' moral equivalency that seems to be the go-to response anytime a member/institution on 'our team' commits moral evil (hint: we'd call it a sin if they did it). That King David was on his own side didn't pervert God's justice, let alone stop it.
How does this use of morality, as a tool for our own power rather than a standard to live by, affect our Gospel presentation? How does perverting Justice advance the Kingdom of God? These are questions that 'Christian' Nationalism has no answer for, and as God's Word makes clear, that's a problem.
There was a commercial that aired when I was a kid that asked the philosophical question, "how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?" After three licks the wise old owl gives up and bites the sucker.
I thought of that when compiling my list of scripture passages from my seminar on The Church and Politics which is largely built upon Pastor Gregory Boyd's book, The Myth of a Christian Nation (click for my response to the book). How many passages of scripture would it take to refute 'Christian' Nationalism? If God had given us two or three such admonitions, would it be enough to sway those infected with this heresy? This is the first post in a (intended) series of 62 such passages. Some of them will be redundant, but that too adds strength to the case against this ideology. This is not an exhaustive list, other portions of scripture could be cited, but in the end the question remains: Are 62 passages of the Word of God enough?
Note: History refutes 'Christian' Nationalism. Any non-jaundiced look at history will show time and time again the danger to both Church and State when the two are melded together, but people have an amazing ability to ignore history (See: The Puritans in England under Cromwell) or rewrite it to suit their agendas (See: the Lost Cause in the South after the Civil War). The Word of God is supposed to be different for Jews and Christians. It is supposed to have an authority greater than that of philosophers, historians, politicians, and even pastors. Are those who call themselves Christians in America today willing to listen to God's Word?
Genesis 25:29-34
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
At first glance one might wonder what this passage has to do with 'Christian' Nationalism, but it offers up two powerful moral lessons: (1) Perspective is important: Esau overvalued his immediate hunger and undervalued his birthright. In so doing he placed the fear/worry of now above concern for the future. 'Christian' Nationalism does the same by proclaiming that Kingdom of the World (human nations) cares and concerns are greater than Kingdom of God (The Gospel, the Church, Spirit) commands. It is an imbalance in priorities, the putting of that which is essential below that which is temporary. This is a theme we will see repeated in many of the passages to come. (2) God decides who we are supposed to be: 'Christian' Nationalism fails to appreciate the reality of what the Church is supposed to be, i.e. its birthright. Why are we here in this world, what are we to strive for, and how are we to go about it? All of these questions are answered in detail in the biblical texts (again, themes we will be returning to) and all are under-represented, if not outright ignored, when following the path of 'Christian' Nationalism.
Lastly, a definition that will help bring this ongoing discussion into focus:
What is 'Christian' Nationalism? "Christian Nationalism is an ethno-cultural ideology, that uses Christian symbolism to create a permission structure for the acquisition of political power and social control." - Jemar Tisby, author, historian, and committed Christian
Note: The use of 'air quotes' around the term 'Christian' is on purpose. It is not the generally accepted usage, but one that I will endeavor to remember to always use that signifies my deep felt conviction that there is nothing historically, theologically, or biblically Christ-honoring about 'Christian' Nationalism. As such, I choose to use the air quotes as a reminder of the danger of allowing people (especially non-believers) to believe that Christians in general support this aberrant heretical position.
Before offering hope in the subsequent verses, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the conclusion that ON OUR OWN nobody is good enough for God. All, both Jew and Gentile alike, are "under the power of sin" therefore tainted and corrupted by it, unable to keep the whole Law of God.
Why the emphasis on the negative? Stark reality is needed to overcome human pride and pave the way for people to seek God in repentance and by faith.
