A Better Country

In light of the waves of patriotism that frequently flood through not just our society but Christian churches as well, I felt it would be useful to examine this matter through the lens of Scripture. Christians should be loyal to the country that is truly their home. After recounting the faith of godly individuals from the Old Testament, the writer of Hebrews tells us in Chapter 11, verses 13-16 that "these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." As Christians, do we make it obvious that we seek a heavenly country? If not, I think reevaluation of our Christian walk would be advisable, lest we return to that country from which the Lord called us out to be His children.

Peter tells us, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9). First of all, every human being who has ever lived has descended from one man. Further, all the believers worldwide comprise the holy nation. The Lord, after all, commanded us in the Great Commission to teach all nations—not just the one we were born into. On the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:5 reports—"And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven." Even though these people were from different countries, they had in common their faith in God Almighty—which is far more important than any national loyalty.

We are supposed to be strangers and pilgrims in this world, not feeling love for our current place of residence. Our patriotism should be as citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Sadly, this attitude seems to be lacking in many American Christians. Some time ago, I received a catalog in the mail, offering conservative Christian products. A lot of the items were appealing, but there is some commentary that encapsulates this issue of Christian patriotism. Supposedly, one of the aspects of courageous boyhood is loyalty and patriotism. The catalog explains: "Behind the courage of a truly faithful boy is gratitude for his family, his nation, and for the tender mercies of God in his life, motivating him to demonstrate an unflinching loyalty. Therefore, he has the heart of a son and the spirit of a patriot." This spirit is reinforced by the sale of authentic-looking military uniforms for boys, complete with realistic replicas of hand grenades and other instruments of death. I do not understand what exactly the United States has done to earn such devotion from Christians, but I know from personal experience that this view is quite common among professing Christians in America.

I thought that a good way to illustrate the dangers of nationalism was to examine the Pledge of Allegiance. For any of you not familiar with it, the pledge involves a person facing an American flag, putting his hand over his heart, and reciting that he "pledge[s] allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." First of all, Jesus makes it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that His followers should not swear oaths of any sort (Matthew 5:33-37). Even worse, what is this loyalty oath being sworn to? The U.S. flag—an inanimate object, made with hands. To me, this sounds perilously close to worship of a graven image. Far above any nation, the Lord is just. As for any country being "under God," consider how Satan tempted Jesus: "And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it." (Luke 4:5-6). All earthly countries are part of the ungodly world system and thus are in Satan’s hand. This pledge of allegiance is commonly recited every day by children in government schools across the United States. They are being indoctrinated at an early age that their primary loyalty should be to their nation, not God.

I think a lot of Christians get hung up on the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation, thus making it worthy of our loyalty. I was raised to feel the same way. I have done a lot of studying of American history, both in college and personally, and I have to say this concept is far from the truth, despite what I used to believe. I do not think it would be wrong to say that some Biblical principles were important factors in early America, but such principles were primarily from the Old Testament. However, this falls short of New Testament Christianity. Many of the nation’s founders, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, were deists. Basically, deists believe in God as a great Clockmaker who wound up the universe in the beginning and now simply sits back and watches it run. This deity is a far cry from the God of the Bible who craves a personal relationship with us. Why else did He send His Son to die for us? A quote attributed to Franklin: "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." I suppose having His Son dwell among us and suffer crucifixion for the remission of our sins was not good enough to make God’s love obvious. These are not individuals who deserve a Christian’s admiration.

Romans 13:1-2 instructs us, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." What does this say about the "Christian" founders of America who battled the British government for independence? In the U.S.’s early years of nationhood, the country did not exactly show Christ’s love for all men by stealing the land of the natives and basically destroying their whole way of life. The list can go on for the entirety of this nation’s history. The early Anabaptists well understood the concept that an earthly nation could not operate following Christian principles. Their belief in the separation of church and state was one of the main reasons for the virulent persecution they suffered at the hands of both Protestant Reformers and Catholics, who could not conceive of an alternative to the state church system.

The Bible instructs us to obey the government authorities, but only to a point. "Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29). If our nation ever calls on us as Christians to do something that we know contradicts the Word of God, we are obligated to peacefully disobey. In a prophecy of the coming Messiah, Isaiah 9:6 tells us the source of authority for the government of the citizens of heaven—"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

The Word of God tells us, for example, to leave peaceably with all men (Romans 12:18). Despite this, many Christians, through use of nationalism (with all its love of fellow countrymen and hatred of the opposing nation), can be whipped into a murderous fervor when the government requires their services as cannon fodder in war. This is exactly what Adolf Hitler did in Germany in the years before the Second World War, filling the ranks of his army with professing Christians. Even in this nation, the government has tried to convince the citizens that attacking terrorist countries was for a "good cause," namely making the U.S. a safer place. So, Christians enlist in the military, going to foreign countries to kill people in the name of their country. Meanwhile, those on the home front offer prayers for the troops that God may be with them in their campaign of destruction.

The Bible’s teachings on loving your enemies are clear, and yet Christians can fall prey to excessive patriotism that makes it easier for them to justify in their hearts the killing of other human beings. Paul exhorts us in Ephesians 5:11, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." If a Christian is so patriotic that he is willing to die or even kill for his country, this patriotism is a work of darkness that deserves strong reproof. Hatred or distrust between citizens of different nations does not make much sense for Christians in light of Galatians 3:28—"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." If we are all one, it is clearly wrong for a Christian to be killing other Christians on the battlefield. On the flip side, if the enemies are not Christian, blowing them up does not exactly make a good witness of the Gospel. In fact, by killing them, the Christian has ended their opportunity to receive the Lord and be saved.

There is a poem with a Latin title: "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." It means, "It is sweet and becoming to die for one’s country." No earthly authority should command this sort of fealty from followers of Jesus Christ. In contrast, the Lord tells us in John 15:13—"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." So, as Christians, should "friends" refer to the governmental authority or people who just happen to be living in the same geographic area, or should "friends" refer to the holy nation of the believers across the globe?

As a way of making sure that its citizens are ready to leap into war at their leaders’ command, the act of dying for one’s country is glorified, and people that do so take on the status of martyrs. National holidays are observed to honor these individuals who died for their country. It fosters the lie that these sacrifices for the nation’s sake are what preserve liberty for us all. A few years ago, I was driving through town on the weekend of Veterans Day. I passed a building with an electronic sign that said, "Enjoy your freedom? Thank a veteran." The edifice displaying this sentiment was a Christian church. Our freedom does NOT come from men, but from Christ. Jesus says in John 8 that "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," and also, "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Many people in this country who claim to be followers of Christ have seemingly forgotten this core Biblical principle.

I believe Christians must stand guard that an issue such as love of country does not compete with our devotion to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We must remember that, all that we do must be to the glory of God. "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30). If we, as Christians, are devoted to any activity that detracts from or interferes with this love, it could very well be our personal false idol. "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12).

The Life of David as a Picture of the Church

One of the beautiful things about the Word of God is that it reveals new things every time you read it. Take, for example, the books of 1st and 2nd Samuel. I have read these books in their entirety more than once in the past. It is easy to breeze through them, since they are, on the surface, simply historical accounts. However, during my most recent reading through the books of Samuel, a totally new idea struck me: the periods in the life of David were like an illustration of different periods of the history of the church. The more I thought about the idea, the more connections I realized.

 We can begin with the familiar story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The whole host of Israel feared to stand before the giant, but the shepherd boy approached him with neither sword nor shield. From the point of view of the Philistines, David must have looked crazy. However, “then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou has defied.” (v. 45.) His faith that the Lord would deliver him emboldened David to fight against the enemies of God. He knew well “…that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’s…” (v. 47.) Through his faith and God’s grace, the son of Jesse prevailed.

 Now let us turn our minds to the early church. In the first centuries after Christ’s resurrection, the known world was ruled by the Roman Empire. In this period, Rome was an almost constant adversary to the Christians. Paganism, with all the associated abominations, filled the Empire. To the first Christians, it must have seemed that the hand of Satan was everywhere. Despite all this, did the Christians hide in their tents like Saul and his army? Of course not! They boldly engaged the devil’s strongholds, and the only sword in their hands was the Word of God. Paul mentions believers in the emperor’s household (Philippians 4:22), and the generations after the apostles were just as courageous in fighting the good fight of faith.

 The account of the martyrdom of Polycarp in the mid-2nd century has always been an inspiration to me, and it also serves as a good example of the early church’s fearless struggle. Polycarp had been personally instructed by the Apostle John, and he had been appointed overseer of the church in Smyrna. When he was in his 80s, he was dragged before a Roman proconsul to answer for the crime of being a Christian. Surrounded by an arena of Romans looking for blood, the Roman official tried to compel Polycarp to deny Christ. Polycarp responded by offering to explain the Gospel to the proconsul. The agitated official threatened the old man with wild animals and with fire; Polycarp was unfazed. This undaunted witness of Jesus Christ went to the stake warning that a greater fire awaits the unbelievers. Even in death, the adversary had no power over him.

 Moving back to David’s experiences, King Saul became jealous of the young man’s victories. Fearing for his throne, Saul sought to kill David, and David consequently fled from Saul. Even though he was on the run, David attracted a following. In 1 Samuel 24, David and his men were hiding in a cave in Engedi from the forces of Saul. Unwittingly, Saul entered the same cave; his life was completely within David’s power. However, the most David was willing to do was cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe, and afterward even this act made him sorrowful.  “And he said unto his men, the LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD” (v. 6).  This is the man who had been seeking to kill David any chance he received.  However, the humble son of Jesse must have recalled that the Lord does not save with sword or spear.  After the hunted revealed that he had mercy on the hunter, Saul admitted, “…Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good whereas I have rewarded thee evil (v. 17). 

 Alas, Saul still had not learned his lesson. In Chapter 26, the king was once again combing the wilderness for David. And once again, God gave David an opportunity to smite Saul, and David refused to do it. In the first verse of Chapter 27, David started to think that Saul would eventually kill him. Still, there is no sign that David regretted his actions. Instead of retaliating, he opted instead to flee to the land of the Philistines.

 These passages are rich with parallels to the persecuted church. Following the commands of Jesus, His faithful church has always loved her enemies. Over the centuries, the face of the enemy has changed. The Roman Empire persecuted the early church; the Catholic Church persecuted kingdom movements like the Waldensians throughout the Middle Ages; both the Catholics and the Protestant Reformers persecuted the Anabaptists in the 16th century; and so forth through history. In all these cases, the persecuted Christians, like David, followed Romans 12:19: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” Despite what the devil threw at them, they would not return evil for evil. Their goal was to advance the Kingdom of God, even to their persecutors, if that was God’s will. At most, the hunted Christians would flee to another area as Jesus directed (Matthew 10:23), also echoing David. Their love made them powerful witnesses of the Gospel, and they won souls to Christ even amidst their sufferings.

 At the close of 1st Samuel, the Lord rendered His judgment on Saul, who died in battle with the Philistines. As we move into 2nd Samuel, we begin to see the ascent of David into earthly power. After he became ruler of Judah and then all of Israel, the humble servant who had always walked with God started to change. This did not happen all at once, but gradually. In 2 Samuel 9, David showed mercy to Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, demonstrating that he had no ill will towards the house of Saul. In the next chapter, however, David’s response was very different when his ambassadors were humiliated by the king of the children of Ammon. Now, David did not wait for the Lord’s vengeance, and he used the armies of Israel to smite the children of Ammon and their Syrian helpers. David became such a man of war that the Lord did not allow him to build the temple (1 Chronicles 22:8).

 Once David started to drift from wholly following the Lord, worse and worse sins were committed. The king stayed behind in Jerusalem while he sent his army out to battle (2 Samuel 11:1). In the midst of shirking his leadership responsibilities, he lusted after another man’s wife and committed adultery with her. This was the man who the Bible describes as a man after God’s own heart. Yet, his rise to worldly power began a downward spiral of transgressions that culminated in the murder of a righteous man.

 I am sad to say that this phase in David’s life also mirrors a period in church history. In the early 4th century, Roman Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity after centuries of widespread persecution. In just a short time, the institutional church became intertwined with the state. Just like David, the attainment of worldly power brought corruption. There was a total departure by the institutional church from the early church’s position against joining the military or holding political office. This same institutional church fell further and further from the Gospel to the point of a pope in the Middle Ages promising total remission of sins to anyone who died fighting in the Crusades. However, like the words of the prophet Nathan that stood against David’s sin, there was always a remnant of the faithful church preserved by God.

 The descent of professing Christianity into apostasy can be directly traced to the power and influence granted to it by Constantine. As earthly power increased, the church’s reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit inevitably declined. When Nathan rebuked David for his sin with Bath-sheba, he revealed David’s greatest transgression: “…by this deed thou hast given great occasion for the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme…” (2 Samuel 12:14.) When professing Christians allow involvement in this world’s kingdoms to pull them away from wholly following Christ, even the world sees the contradiction. I once saw a bumper sticker that saddened me because of its truthfulness. It consisted of a quote attributed to Gandhi: “I like your Christ. I don’t like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” This is not a problem that stayed behind in the Middle Ages. The enemies of Christ are being given occasion to blaspheme.

 David was punished with the death of his son with Bath-sheba as well as continual strife with his family. The king repented of his sins, yet he faltered again in his later years. “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (2 Chronicles 21:1.) David was even warned against this action by one of his men, but he insisted. Instead of depending on the Lord for protection from his enemies, the son of Jesse now trusted in his own military forces. He had placed his faith in the wrong place, and he realized it after the census. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118:8.) All of Israel was forced to pay the price for David’s pride.

 Historically, as churches expand in numbers and increase in affluence, they become more and more reliant on these things instead of relying only on Christ. In the Dark Ages, the fruit of this trend was massive, ornate cathedrals built by the professing church as the poor starved in the streets. In the modern age, the cathedrals have largely been replaced in America with a new invention: the mega-church. Church organizations will spend millions of dollars on state-of-the-art facilities featuring amenities such as gyms, swimming pools, internet cafes, and even tanning booths! The goal is to attract people to the congregation because it is so much fun. Large membership rolls, some greater than ten thousand, are viewed as signs of ministries blessed by God. Yet, around the world the poor are still starving in the streets, many never having heard the Gospel.

 What did Jesus say about crowds flooding into the church? “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14.) The faithful church of Jesus Christ never has been and never will be large in number or rich in material goods. The way of the cross is foolishness to the lost, “but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18.) Watering down the cross will assuredly allow a congregation to fill the seats, but those seats probably will not be filled with disciples of Christ.

 David always turned back to following the Lord after he transgressed. Likewise, when an institutional church departs from following Christ, a remnant will come out from it and turn back to Christ’s example—even if it results in persecution. This is the only way for the church to be after God’s own heart. After the census, God offered David, through the prophet Gad, a choice of three chastisements. It will be well for us always to remember David’s response. “…I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.” (2 Samuel 24:14.)

Hello

Hello, my name is John. I am a follower of Jesus Christ of the Anabaptist faith. For those unfamiliar with the term "Anabaptist," our movement originated during the Reformation as an alternative to the Catholic and Protestant churches that were tied to the state. My intention for this blog is to post Biblical articles I have written for the encouragement and edification of fellow believers, Lord willing. If I write anything that is not in accordance with the Scriptures, I wish to be corrected. To God be the glory.