…Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?(Joshua 5:13)
Joshua found out that the right question isn’t “who’s side is God on”, but “who is on God’s side”. Unfortunately, many forget this when they equate Americanism with Christianity. Now patriotism is not an evil pursuit, especially when it is matched with Christian morals. It is definitely biblical to be loyal to the government. Certainly our government manifests more goodness and has more right things about it than some others, and for this we should be thankful.
However, we must not confuse the morality and civility engendered by God’s common grace with Christlikeness and regeneration, and we must not confuse family values with the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We need to spread common grace but also declare special grace, and not exclude the latter as an excuse to do the former. Our role as Christians supercedes and defines our role as Americans.
You know what shows that people are not thinking things through clearly on this matter? They say, "you can't take the Ten Commandments out of (wherever), they are in the Supreme Court building", or something like that. The answer to that isn't that they will put the Ten Commandments back in, but they will take them out of the Supreme Court. They either belong in the public square or they don’t. To try and bully our way is to invite questions we cannot answer.
By the way, do you know what putting the Ten Commandments back in school these days would do; it would create more chaos, not less. When our unregenerate flesh reads, “thou shalt not”, it says, “bless God I shall” right back. The Law shows us our sin, and gives us occasion to commit more. If we are unregenerate, the Law, without grace, will do nothing but cause trouble.
We have heard it said that God is not a democrat and that God is not a republican. True, but let me tell you something else. God is not an American, either. We should vote our biblically informed conscience and voice our biblically based opinions, but we need to realize that reformation of the heart comes before reformation of the nation. "Patriotic Pietism" is the kind of logic that is digging our own grave.
10 comments:
Of course, my Canadian blogger friends and others around our globe who tune in are certainly welcome to comment on this as well...it is about the idea that we can justify a posture that says, "since it is that way already, it ought to stay that way"...my question would then be, "well, what happens with those things we don't like that are already there, do we just let them be?", "can't those very people we tell that to do the same posturing to us and our ideals?"
Lets resolve to determining things based on their merits not our method of the moment...
This is a good question. Am I really on God's side? And how can I know for sure that I am for Him, especially if other people have their own beliefs? I believe that a careful study of the scriptures points us in the right direction, but it's a good question to be able to answer, nevertheless.
"The Law shows us our sin, and gives us occasion to commit more. If we are unregenerate, the Law, "without grace", will do nothing but cause trouble."
Thats good JD, it is woderous when you hear things for the first time and you can just feel God in the comment. I remember the first time I heard you say that. I had those feelings about the Ten Commandants seemingly being ripped out of the countries soul, but when you talked about the absence of Grace I felt the truth. Does that make sence? I know the Word says to test ever spirit to see if it is of God, but I also think at times you can feel if it is of God. Yes?
Oh, JD, everything went really well in Miami this weekend! Tell you more about it when I see you next. Blessings Brother.
Your biblically informed consciencee bears witness to the truth, but it is still being informed and developed as is mine and all Christians so best to prove ALL things and hold fast to that which is good...a good feeling about a right biblical thing is good, indeed, but still must be tested...Thanks Paul, and I am delighted and can't wait for you to tell me all about it brother...
Hi JD,
I'm relatively new to reading your blog. It is a blessing. I'm fairly new to blogging too, but I recently wrote something on this same subject.
Part of it reads "If you think that Christ came to fight for "truth, justice and the American way" you are confusing Him with a fictional superhero..."
Here's the link if you are interested. Peace! Kim
http://preparation4eternity.blogspot.com/2007/03/p4e013-taking-sword-from-my-hand.html
Thanks, I will definitely check it out...God bless...
Overall good post, J.D. I completely agree that allegiance to one's country is entirely subservient to one's allegiance to the kingdom of God.
However, the problem I have--and you have rightly pointed out--is that far too many Christians in the West (especially America) have equated the kingdom of God with particular political systems. I see all around me well-meaning Christians pumping millions and millions of dollars into political action, lobbying for this legal change, or that legislative decision. The terrible truth is, however, that secular government eats all of this up gladly. Political change rarely brings long term solutions: when the next batch of rulers take over, the "laws" of morality which have been established will be overturned and replaced with others.
Personally, this is why I think exerting any significant amount of energy in lobbying for certain political ends is a waste of time and, if I might be so presumptuous, a negligence of one's duty to the kingdom of God. Take abortion, for example. Imagine what could be accomplished in the lives of hurting women and families if the passion with which "moral" America expends on arguing and lobbying for laws against abortion was diverted to actually trying to impact the lives of the people in question! However, as has become unfortunately typical of America Christianity, the active role and responsiblity of the Church has been abdicated to the government. We have, sadly and to our country's loss, handed over the good that we could do to the throes of the neurosis of power in which we have become entrenched.
So in short, we should save our votes: let us spend the time and thought that would go into voting to do something that will actually make a difference in the lives of people loved by God and more important than the struggle for power.
I agree e~d...I like much or actually most of what you said here, although I would draw some different conclusions...
when the next batch of rulers take over, the "laws" of morality which have been established will be overturned and replaced with others
This is why we must allow others to practice their own religious freedom, otherwise, if some Christians got what they wanted, we would have a Christian state, abut the, when the Muslims or whomever, took over next round, guess what...
However, as has become unfortunately typical of America Christianity, the active role and responsiblity of the Church has been abdicated to the government. We have, sadly and to our country's loss, handed over the good that we could do to the throes of the neurosis of power in which we have become entrenched.
You nailed it there, friend...
This is why we must allow others to practice their own religious freedom, otherwise, if some Christians got what they wanted, we would have a Christian state, abut the, when the Muslims or whomever, took over next round, guess what...
I couldn't agree more. Those who wish to see the 10 commandments posted in every classroom and courthouse; and want Christian prayer to be said in every elementary school...I realize they probably have really good intentions. But they probably also do not realize the consequences that would ensue if religion was institutionalized within the government. As you rightly pointed out, the same power that would establish these Christian ideals would be behind any other religious power that can create a new political hegemony.
While I do not particularly enjoy the thoroughgoing secularism of the West, the alternative is much more bleak: at least no one in America is being kidnapped or killed because of their religious/ethnic background, unlike our poor brothers and sisters in Iraq and innumerable other places in the world.
Bingo once again, e~d...people want to get all fired up but they aim at the wrong targets...didn't Jesus Himself give us an indication, no a clear mandate about politcal insurrection and all that? What of Romans 13, not to mention Peter and the entire Pauline corpus...
The disciples themselves continued to get it wrong in Acts 1 till Jesus straightend them out, and yet today we still have peolle wanting the political Jesus and not the Lord Jesus, they still want Jesus Bar-Abbas...not Jesus the Christ
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