The breakdown of morality in our nation has triggered a variety of reactions from almost everyone, but it is the reaction of the Church that is most concerning. These reactions include compromise by some, where entire congregations and denominations adopt the moral standing of the world on issues rather than holding to the morals given by God, as reflected in the Bible. There are others who seem to withdraw from everything, or even try to ignore what is going on. But there is a large segment that have adopted a Christian nationalism of sorts, who make it their mission to save the nation in the name of Christianity. They have aligned themselves with a particular political party based on common moral and/or political views. As a result, the opposing political party becomes the opposition, even the enemy, as they wage what they claim to be a spiritual war against them. The problem is that not all Christians align with the same political party. Therefore, there are Christian brothers and sisters on opposing sides warring against each other. This is not unlike the original civil war in our country But this is what happens when the Church forgets who they are and what their mission is supposed to be. It is inevitable that due to our moral stance on issues, that we may favor the views of one party or another, but is the battle for the Kingdom of God meant to be fought using secular political agendas?
The Problem With Christian Nationalism
America was founded on the basis of religious freedom. It was the reason many came here in the first place. Today it is mostly for economic freedom and opportunity that people seek refuge here, but often, too, they want to get free from oppressive governments who want to regulate religion and suppress any opposition, or simply who fail to create economic opportunity and individual security for the masses. From the beginning, freedom of religion was built into the founding doctrines of this nation, and the government was prevented from imposing any type of religion onto the people. What happens, however, when the government, itself, becomes the religion, as is true of so many today? In the secular world, we are seeing an ever-increasing movement to make the government the supreme authority which determines good and evil, what is moral and immoral, right and wrong in relation to the state itself. This occurs when large numbers of people forget, or abandon, their Creator, or deny Him altogether. Since humanity is prone to worship power, when God is removed, the only thing that is left is government, or even humanity itself.
But in Christian nationalism, God hasn’t been removed from the equation. On the contrary, He is woven into the fabric of our national identity. From the beginning it was written in by our constitution that we are “endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.” American Christians have always taken pride in our nation because it is a place of freedom and opportunity. But too many American Christians, today, have lost their focus.
Much of this is a result of modern day Evangelicalism, which has put the emphasis on personal faith and salvation as a pathway to eternal life. And although Jesus did call people to a relationship with the Father through himself, and did promise us everlasting life beyond this one, his message was in the context of the Kingdom of God. Jesus came to announce the arrival of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). And, most of his parables were directly or indirectly focused on teaching about that Kingdom. When Jesus was standing before Pilate before he was sentenced to be crucified, he was asked about His Kingdom (John 18:33-37). He was even accused of being the King of the Jews during a time when Rome occupied their nation. The presence of a different King would be cause for the execution of that King. So, Pilate confronts him directly, and asks Him if He, indeed, is the King of the Jews. “Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world'” (John 18:36). Contemporary followers of Jesus have forgotten this critical truth, and instead fight for their rights in this world, because they have lost sight of the Kingdom of God, or have remained ignorant of it. Jesus came, not to start a new religion, but to start a new Kingdom. Peter calls us a Holy Nation (1 Peter 2:9). He is not referring to the USA, or any other earthly nation, but to a called out group of followers of the Messiah, the King. My assertion is that we have gotten lost in the personal nature of our faith and forgotten its Kingdom context, and even replaced it with our own nation. If Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world, and we are part of that Kingdom, then why do we fight so hard to save the kingdoms of this world? If Jesus is returning to set up His Kingdom on earth, then why are we trying to save this current nation? Did Jesus call his people to save nations? Did Jesus try to save Rome? No, He let Rome do what earthly kingdoms do while he strategically started a whole new Nation in its midst that would grow and grow until it would one day encompass the entire world (See Daniel 2:44-45). But Christian nationalists see it as their role to re-Christianize our nation. In essence, they have almost equated the nation with the Kingdom of God.
The reality is, that the Kingdom of God, or the Nation of God, exists on every continent of the earth, not just North America. His Kingdom is the ever growing population of the followers of the coming Messiah, who came, once, 2000 years ago, and promised He would return again to claim what is His (Matthew 24:30-31). But the story doesn’t end there, as it so often does in evangelicalism. Jesus, the Messiah, returns with His people and sets up a Kingdom that will rule the nations (c.f. Psalm 2). So, we can see why those in political power would be threatened by Jesus and the loyalty that His followers have toward Him. We see this, particularly, in despotic nations like North Korea and China, where allegiance to Christ is outlawed and punished severely. The Kingdom of God, in essence, is a political entity, and it threatens the kingdoms of this world because it’s citizens are loyal to a different King. So, we cannot be loyal to the kingdoms of this world AND to the Kingdom of God. There will come a time when we will have to choose, and that time is now.
Have We Forgotten Who We Are?
It has become apparent that the Church has strayed very far away from its roots. This has been going on for some time. Some would call this progress, an adapting to the changing times. I am not suggesting that we return to some antiquated, or old fashioned, style of worship. It is not only our worship style that is of concern. Today the church has become just another religious institution, whose right to exist is either defended or attacked. But Jesus didn’t come to set up a new religion, much less to institutionalize it. The Greeks and the Romans did a great job of that. Instead, Jesus came to announce the arrival of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). It wasn’t something new, but was long expected by the Jews. However, God was doing something very new compared to the Jewish form of worship, which involved their entire way of life and their entire nation, which had been established by God himself. It was so different from what they expected that they missed it altogether as a nation. But not everyone missed it. Those who didn’t, recognized the presence of this new Nation that would exist among all the nations until its Ruler would arrive in person. This new Nation was to be a sign of things to come upon the whole earth.
Jesus said that His Kingdom would start small and then grow to encompass the whole earth. He taught this in the parables that he shared. Jesus likened the Kingdom to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds in the garden, which would grow into a tree big enough for the birds of the sky to nest in its branches (Luke 13:19). In another instance, He compared it to a woman who hid a small amount of yeast in three measures of flour, which grew and spread throughout every part of the dough (Matthew 13:33). Jesus planted the seeds (or yeast) of the Kingdom of God in twelve men who followed him loyally for three years. From there, it spread throughout the land of Israel, and then onto the Roman empire, and beyond, and into the modern era. This occurred not because people sided with the correct political party, but because they worked in spite of the political agendas of this world, and in spite of the political atmosphere of their day. They didn’t seek to establish their rights, but to establish the Kingdom in the hearts of all who would listen. The Kingdom of God does not grow by taking geographical territory. This has already tried and failed. Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed, nor will they say, “Look, here it is,” or “there it is!” For, behold, the Kingdom of God is in your midst” Luke 17:20-21.
The Kingdom stands in stark contrast to the kingdoms of the world, because it is built on true love, on the true character of God himself, the very thing craved by every human heart. Jesus demonstrated what it meant to love in giving His life in service to others, then as an atoning sacrifice, to rescue each of us from the perils of evil that have taken over the hearts of humanity. Where there is oppression, the Kingdom offers freedom. Where there is great poverty, the Kingdom offers provision and abundance. Where there is war and pestilence, the Kingdom offers peace and healing. Where there is fear, the Kingdom offers security. Where there is sorrow, the Kingdom offers joy.
I fear that in the United States we have confused the plentiful resources, the relatively peaceful lifestyle and freedom from political oppression experienced by most citizens with the arrival of the Kingdom of God. We are willing to defend our nation to the death, but know little of what it means to defend the Kingdom of God, much less be a part of its expansion. As followers of Jesus we must, once again, see ourselves as a Holy Nation created by God, that exists as a new nation, spread throughout the entire world. We are not here to advance democracy, but rather, a kingdom, which is not ruled by the people, but by a king. Our King is ruling from His throne in heaven right now, but will soon be returning to rule on His throne (Ezekiel 43:7). Jesus did not come to establish a democracy or a republic, but a Kingdom ruled by Him. The kingdoms of this world will rise and fall, but the Kingdom of God will remain forever!
Have We Forgotten Our Mission?
Our mission, therefore, is to make God known to a world that not only has forgotten Him, but which has chosen to completely ignore, and even deny Him. The way we do this is to live as part of the Kingdom of God now, to follow the law of love that was laid out by our King himself. We are to introduce our King to anyone who will listen, and invite them to citizenship. We are not to seek out our own peace and security, but rather seek to bring the peace and security of God’s Kingdom to whosoever will receive it. It is inherent in humanity to realize that war, disease, poverty, and the like are not natural. Jesus, our King, came to demonstrate that all these ills are resolved in the Kingdom of God, by coming to Him and following Him and His ways. He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the multitudes and calmed the angry storms. He quoted the prophet Isaiah, who put it this way in chapter 61,
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
This was Jesus’ mission, and he was announcing it for all to hear.
The plunge toward social justice recognizes the ills of society and seeks to correct them in their own ways, ignoring the solutions that God has put forth, namely, a return to His ways as citizens of His Kingdom. Some even claim to have a morality higher than God. But, as history shows, unless we do it God’s way, all their bragging will be to no avail, and all their efforts will fail. God, however, waits patiently for us to realize that our ways apart from Him are like a vapor that disappears as quickly as it comes. Since Creation, God has sought to dwell in the midst of his greatest creation, humanity. He did so for a short while, but then humanity chose to go its own way. The Bible shows that God has worked throughout all of human history unfolding a plan that will restore what was lost, remaking a world where He will once again dwell in its midst (Revelation 21). The Kingdom of God is the beginning of just that. When we proclaim loyalty to its King, King Jesus, we enter into His mission. Paul calls us “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20), “ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20) and soldiers (2 Timothy 2:3-4), Peter calls us “a holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). These are all terms applied to a nation, because that is what we are. We are citizens of God’s holy nation that has come to earth and will eventually rule the entire earth. Nothing humanity does can stop it from coming. But the invitation remains open to whosoever will accept membership. And that membership invitation comes through the people, the ambassadors, to the King himself.
Conclusion
We don’t win the battle by taking over nations politically. Paul said, “we are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). We obey the commandment of Jesus to “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). When the people of God focus once again on this, His Kingdom becomes like a city on a hill, drawing the hearts of the people of any nation its light. Entire nations have been changed by the Good News of God’s Kingdom, and yet others have completely rejected it. But whatever the case, our mission and identity remain as God’s chosen people, His Holy Nation, which He is preparing for the day of the return of its King, when He will claim them for His own and set up His Kingdom which shall never end (Daniel 2:45).
Categories: Kingdom of God, Messiah, World Issues
Beyond Traditon 
Leave a comment