I grew up in a community that celebrated faith and freedom. Patriotic programs were frequent events. Each was marked with historical references to the Biblical values that underpin the United States of America. Freedom was theologically connected to Biblical liberty, bought for us with the blood of Jesus Christ, to set us free from the bondage to sin and death. Patriotism, duty, and freedom to worship were co-mingled in a soul-stirring religious context of loyalty to God and country. My eyes grew misty at the sight of the flag. I grew a lump in my throat at the sound of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
As the tide of public opinion, lifestyle, and government has shifted against the church over the past 50 years, I have developed an ever-increasing angst about celebration of my country. We have less and less to celebrate.
High school history, civics, and government textbooks once called students to citizenship. Our nation has departed from being a nation of citizens to becoming a country of consumers. Freedom is no longer about speech and thought, it has become a freedom to consume. Personal worth is no longer measured by the content of one’s character, but by power, possession, and popularity.
These concerns and questions have driven me back to the Word of God. Scripture teaches that history is moving, not in circles, but in direction—linearity. The Bible teaches that time is proceeding to some great culmination—the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom of God is both already, and not yet.
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.’” (John 18:38)
As a twenty-first century American Christian, I possess a spirit of entitlement. I somehow think that I am entitled to live in a Christian country. Jesus reminds me that I await another country that is yet to come. Salvation by faith in His sinless life, sacrificial death, atoning sacrifice, resurrection from the dead, and ascension to the Father is the basis for hope of that to come.
The church has always been at its best when the tide of government, national opinion, and political pressure was against it. In the first three centuries of the church, the Body of Christ expanded rapidly. Christianity was illegal. Christians died as martyrs for their faith. The early church father, Tertullian, proclaimed, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”
Faced with the blood-thirsty Roman Emperors scape-goating the church with rumor and suspicion, killing Christians for sport, and depriving believers of economic power and influence, the church grew. Peter insisted that Christians made the best citizens, especially in a hostile environment.
“Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” (I Peter 2:13-17)
Does the Bible teach that we are somehow to roll over and take it? Just submit to the encroaching pressures of the culture?
No. Rather, Scripture suggests that good Christians are exemplary citizens. Paul proclaimed a message of Christian citizenship to the Roman Christians, prior to his execution at the order of the Roman emperor. His witness leaves us with a testimony of strength through submission, even to godless authorities and governments.
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.” (Romans 13:1-7)
So, we engage warfare, not as the world wars, but as the Church of Jesus Christ wars. We fight with prayer, witnessing, love, acts of mercy, and civil disobedience when necessary. We fight evil, oppression, sin, injustice, and exploitation of the weak and powerless. We press the battle with faith, knowing that Jesus will be victor and we shall reign with Him forever.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (II Corinthians 10:2-4)
We are citizens, not simply of our country of residence, but of a country that is yet to come.
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.” (Hebrews 12:28)
In the words of our Lord Jesus: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven… And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven… And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
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