Sermon Video: Even Abraham was saved by grace through faith, Romans 4:1-12

Having established the theological position that salvation can only come by grace through faith in Jesus, the Apostle Paul now turns to the ultimate example of this truth in action: the Patriarch Abraham.  If even Abraham was justified by faith, surely the rest of us would be fools to trust in ourselves.  By quoting Genesis 15:6 Paul demonstrates his point, heaven doesn't have a superhero exception to the rules, even the best among us needs grace.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #10: Matthew 6:33

 

Matthew 6:33     New International Version

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

When Peter Jackson adapted one of my favorite books, the LOTR, he and his screenwriters kept a line from Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring uttered by Frodo Baggins when he chooses to accept the burden of seeking the ring's destruction in the fires of Mt. Doom: “I will take the Ring", he said, "though I do not know the way.”  Frodo was willing to attempt the quest, but he admitted up front that he would need guidance if he had any chance of getting there.  The movie version adds a comical note when Frodo leads the Fellowship out of Rivendell asking at the very first fork in the road, "Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"

What has this to do with 'Christian' Nationalism?  Everything.  As Christians, we already know our destination AND unlike Frodo we know the way to get there.  When God established the New Covenant, appointing the Church to be its steward and sending his Spirit to empower it, he also explained in more than sufficient detail how the journey from Dark to Light, Death to Life, Wickedness to Holiness, Fallen Humanity to Christ-likeness, had to be conducted.  God's kingdom has to come first, and it has to be pursued with righteousness.

'Christian' Nationalism has this wrong on both fronts.  It offers the siren's call of earthly power, of 'winning' here and now, instead of the far more impactful, and difficult, commitment to the Kingdom of God.  In fantasy terms, 'Christian' Nationalism is distracted by a side quest, not the true hero's journey, they've embraced Boromir's suggestion to go to Minas Tirith instead of Mordor.  In addition, 'Christian' Nationalism subsumes methods beneath goals, embracing such lies of the Devil as, "might makes right", "the ends justify the means", and "fight fire with fire."  In nerd terms, they think they can master the Ring and use it for good.  Tolkien new better than such nonsense, and so should we.

In the end, the focus of Christians, and the Church MUST be first and foremost the Kingdom of God, the kingdoms of this earth will come and go, but God's kingdom is forever.  The means of advancing and supporting that Kingdom MUST be righteous, or they will fail.  Any other goal, and any other method is a fool's errand.  

For a recent essay on this twisting of both goals and methods see: Christian Political Ethics Are Upside Down We’re adamant about politics and flexible about virtue. - by David French in The Dispatch

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #9: Matthew 5:43-44

 

Matthew 5:43-44     New International Version

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."

Sermon Video: The Gospel is incompatible with boasting - Romans 3:27-31

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.

Pride?  We don't have room for it.

Listen to the Word of God: 62 Scripture passages that refute 'Christian' Nationalism - #8: Matthew 5:13

 

Matthew 5:13     New International Version

“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.