The President is Not the Commander-In-Chief

Yes, the president of the United States holds in his hands great power and authority.  There is no single human being more powerful than he in the governments of the world.  However, ultimately, it is not the president who is in charge of the world, or even the United States.  Rather, it is God.         

God is the ruler of the United States

The kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations.  Psalm 22:28
God is not just the ruler of heaven, but he is the ruler of all the nations on earth.  He is the one in charge of all political entities.  On the surface, it may look like that He is not doing a very good job of ruling—things seem chaotic.  However, the Lord’s rule is much like the president’s—if people chose to have an attitude against him, there is little that he would chose to do.  God is rarely in the business of controlling the world, or in sending in the troops to punish a rebel.  Rather, God’s choice is to wait and call people to His ways.God is not only the one in charge of the governments of the world, but he also watches who is ruling every nation in the world, including the United States.  There are some he particularly places in power in order to rule righteously, or to punish the wicked.  There are others he deposes because they have acted in opposition to the Lord, because they were arrogant or because they were excessively violent.  The Lord allows each nation to rule its own affairs, until he sees terrible injustice or oppression—and then he will act swiftly.

God’s purposes are not the president’s purposes

The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Psalm 38:10-11

Any president, any ruler in the world, sees things differently than God.  Rulers of a nation desires to have their nation succeed, to have their agenda passed and to have their nation be secure.  However, God does not look at the world through the perspective of one nation alone, but he sees all the peoples of the world.  The Lord wants to have his glory be known throughout all the earth—and the Lord can see today that there is much work that needs to be done in this.  God wishes to have all people on the earth live according to his will and his principles of devotion and care for all people—but few wish to live in accord with that.  The Lord desires his chosen people (those faithful to Him) to be secure—but he can see persecution and hatred against his people.

            A ruler’s goal of establishing peace in his nation may in fact be in accord with God’s notion—depending on who the president wishes to punish in order to obtain that peace.  Also depending on how much violence he is willing to use to obtain a peace.  God does not see one nation or one group of people as being unworthy of forgiveness, as long as they repent.  And it is the Lord’s agenda to see that all people have an opportunity to repent.  This plan is rarely in agreement with a president’s idea of security.

God’s plan is not the president’s plan

 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

The current president has certain plans for Iraq, certain plans for social security and certain plans to boost the economy.  He is sure that he can make the United States a strong country through economic and military might.  God’s plans for the U.S. are completely different, because he is looking at a different perspective.  The Lord knows that ultimately, strength and wealth come only from him, not from a military or economic power of the world.   God’s plans are for making the U.S. more righteous, and so to obtain strength and wealth from Him.  It is the Lord’s plan to see those who despise him repent, so he can offer inner peace to them.  It is God’s plan to personally judge those who oppress the poor who cry out to him.

Knowing this, how are we to respond?

a. Give Honor to the President

Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.  I Peter 2:13-17

The president does, in a way, sit in God’s seat, and so we are always to honor him and to submit to him, even if he is an evil man, and especially if he is not.  We are not to be disrespectful, but we are to follow the laws as we can and be good citizens, doing good to everyone.  No matter how bad we consider a president to be, as followers of Jesus we should not insult a president or spread rumors about a president. 

 

b. Depend on God to do justice

Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God.  Psalm 146:3-5

There are two focuses of justice and law.   One is to fulfill the earthly-focused purposes, and that is done through men’s laws—this is what the president focuses on.  The other is to fulfill God’s desire (divine justice) and that is done through God’s law.  If we really want to gain well-being, security and wealth in our lives, we need to focus on God accomplishing his own justice, and not through frail men.  Humans are weak and they will mess up in numerous ways to create justice.  God sees all and knows all truth and will make sure that justice is done to those who ask him to judge on earth (Luke 18:1-8).

            Even if a president is Christian and he prays a lot, that does not mean that he is necessarily righteous.  Praying to God by itself does not mean that one is focused on the law and justice of God—it just means that they want to have God do what they want.  The only kind of prayer God will answer is the prayer of faith.  This prayer is not just believing enough, but being faithful in God and desiring his desires and being willing to do whatever he says.  The only Christian who is worth focusing on is the one who fully obeys the law of Christ—to love his neighbor as himself, to be humble in his leadership, to be devoted to God before his country. 

            c. Change the President’s mind

The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.    Proverbs 21:1

The Lord can take even the most wicked king, and control decisions he makes—for good or for judgement.  Even as every ruler is weak in some ways, the Lord will assist them at times to make decisions that will ultimately be for God’s glory.  This is an amazing process and God is at work at it all the time.  And he also invites us to participate in this powerful political process.  He invites his faithful people—those who have God’s glory and the good of humanity at the front of their minds—to mediate for decisions that need to be made.  All changes of a ruler’s heart is ultimately determined by the Lord, but he welcomes the input of those who are faithful.

The final result

The Lord is at Your right hand; He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He will fill them with corpses, He will shatter the chief men over a broad country.  Psalm 110:5-6

Eventually, one president or another will rebel against the Lord.  They will stand against God’s people and persecute them.  They will look at the oppressed and laugh and cause them to die.  And when it happens, the United States will be judged by God.  This is not unique,  God will eventually judge every nation of the world.  He awaits the nations to show their selfish focus by oppressing the poor, either in their own nation or in others.  The U.S. has already oppressed the poor in the past, yet the patience of the Lord is the only thing that has kept Him from judging the U.S.  The Lord showed patience as the U.S. were oppressing the Native Americans and the African Americans.  That patience bore out, for the U.S. is treating those groups much better now. 

But the U.S. is continuing to oppress other nations around the world, and the Lord’s patience is only so long.   Let us pray for God’s glory.  Let us pray for the good of God’s people.  And let us pray for the gospel to be spread so all will have the opportunity to repent before the final day arrives.

The Christian and Government

What to recognize about human governments

v  The government is appointed by God

Every government only gains its authority from God—even evil governments.  Although governments may misuse or even abuse their authority, the authority itself comes from God.  Thus, we need to respect the authority of the government, no matter who is using it. (John 20:11)

v  The government represents God

The government is meant to do some of God’s work on earth—specifically, to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do good.  This does not mean that the government is God’s servant, necessarily.  Satan also punishes the evil at God’s bidding, but he is not an obedient servant of God.  But ideally, the government does God’s will. (Romans 13:1)

v  The government will be judged by God

Men do not have the right to judge governments.  Even as a government’s authority and work has been given to it by God, so it is God who evaluates and determines the fate of governments.  Often, God is patient and willing to wait for change.  But some governments will be destroyed by God immediately: specifically those treat the needy badly and those who do much unnecessary violence. (Psalm 82)

v  There is only one truly godly government

The only government that has been appointed, approved and having passed testing by God is the kingdom of God, led by Jesus.  No other government can call themselves approved by God.  Nor can any other government call itself truly “Christian.”  (John 18:36)

What not to do about human governments

v  Resist them when they do injustice against you

We do not rebel against authorities, but we are supposed to submit to them.  We don’t need to hate them or speak evil against them.  Instead, if a government does us wrong, we pray about it and ask God for justice. (Matthew 5:39)

v  Judge them for not following the laws or principles of God’s kingdom.

Although the governments represent God, they do not understand the principles of God, except in the most general notions.  And so it is not our job to judge them or condemn them for what they do not know.  We can inform them of what God says, but it is God’s right to judge them and to punish them if they were inadequate.  (I Corinthians 5:9-10)

v  Rebel against the authorities

We don’t need to do evil to the government.  If the government is to be fought against, then we can pray for God to judge them, according to his will.   (Romans 13:2)

v  Obey them when they tell you to disobey the principles of Jesus.

We must take care to always place God and God’s will in our lives above the government’s will and desire.  We submit to governments in all things except when they tell us to disregard the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. (Acts 4:19)

What to do with human governments

v  Give honor to whom honor is due

Government officials require that we speak politely to them, with the proper titles.  Whatever honor is expected, we should give it. (Romans 13:7)

v  Pay taxes when you are required to

All governments require us to pay taxes to them.  Even if you feel that the government isn’t representing you or doing what you think is right, you still have to pay the taxes that they demand of you. (Romans 13:7)

v  Pray for the leadership

We need to pray for government officials so that we will show respect for the officials, and also so God will direct the authorities to have wisdom to create a society of peace, so the church can do what God is directing them to do. (I Timothy 2:1-2)

v  Submit to authorities, even when you come to harm

We are to submit to authorities, even if they do evil, even if they irritate us, even if they harm us.  This is how we show that we are fully submitted to God and will do good, even if others do us evil. (I Peter 2:13-24)

v  Obey all laws, unless they tell you to disobey God

Since the governments have the authority of God and act for God, we need to obey them.  Even if you think the law is wrong or unjust, obey it.  The only time we disobey, is if they tell us to disobey God. (Colossians 3:22)

v  Do good to those who do harm to you

When government officials do harm to us, we are to respond with blessings and prayers for their benefit.  We do not curse them or abuse them, but instead do what we can to benefit them. (Romans 12:17-21)

v  Warn them away from God’s judgement by encouraging them to repent

If governmental officials do evil in God’s sight—especially if they are enacting unnecessary violence or harming the needy—they need to be warned that God will judge them unless they repent. (Ezekiel 33:9)

What Christians don’t have to do

v  Participate in the government

Many feel that it is one’s civic duty to vote in governmental elections, sign appropriate petitions or to participate in neighborhood meetings.  However, since we, as Christians, belong to the kingdom of God, we should focus our attention on participating with God’s people, not a secular government. (James 4:4)

v  Agree with any particular politics or politician

Some Christians feel that a certain politics is the only real Christian choice, or that a certain politician is the “godly candidate.”  However, we do not need to support any policy, politics or candidate.  Rather, we need to focus on policies and decisions within the church and among those who represent Jesus. (Ephesians 4:17-19)

v  Call the nation we live in “our country”

The nation of all those who follow Jesus is not the one they were born in or the one they live in—it is the kingdom of God.  And the kingdom of God has no king but God and no lord but Jesus and no realm on the earth.  The non-godly government we live in the midst of is not “our” country.  It is the country we live in .  Our nation is only the kingdom of God. (II Corinthians 6:14-18)

v  Protest injustices

The ungodly governments of this world will do unjust and evil things sometimes.  We do not need to protest them, although we might warn them what God will do in response.  Some might choose to protest, and receive what persecution comes with gladness.  But it is not necessary.  However, when some in the church who represent God does open evil, then we need to respond. (I Corinthians 5:9-11)

Honor government leaders, 

but focus on God’s will among God’s people

How To Be a Christian Patriot

As Christians, we declare Jesus to be Lord—which is saying that our citizenship is in the kingdom of God, and Jesus is our King.  However, we still acknowledge that we live in this country and we are tied up in the welfare of this country, for good or for ill.  And many Christians still want to acknowledge that they love their country and want to seek its best.  It may not be perfect, but it’s what we got, until the kingdom of God comes.  So how do we show this love?  How can we declare ourselves to be patriotic as a part of our nation, even though our citizenship is in heaven?  To be a patriot doesn't mean voting for a certain party, or holding certain political views, or even supporting the troops in a particular way.  Ultimately, to be a patriot is no different than loving our neighbor as ourselves.  We need to act for the benefit of those around us.  How can we love our neighbors who live in our nation?

1.      Pray for This Country

In the first century, it was the duty of all Christians and Jews to pray for the Emperor, and the Scriptures acknowledge this in I Timothy 2:2 and Jeremiah 29:7.  Even so, we should pray for the nation we live in and for there to be security and peace there.  If we see God give those around us peace, then we too may experience that peace.  We should also pray for the leaders in the country so God would guide them with wisdom and righteousness.

2.      Honor the Government

The Scripture clearly says that we should honor the government in which we live, including our leaders (I Peter 2:17; Romans 13:7).  This means that we offer due respect to our leaders—which means that we cannot be insulting them or gossiping about them.  Also it means that we pay our taxes as they require.  Paying taxes isn’t just our national duty, it’s our Christian one.

3.      Obey the Laws

To be a good Christian, as well as a good member of our country, we need to obey every law—even the inconvenient ones.  This can be complicated at times, and it may even require some work or sacrifice on our part, but it is what we do as people who honor God’s authority (Romans 13:1).  The only time we disobey the government is if they are asking us to disobey Jesus.  If our two authorities clearly come in conflict—and this happens only in rare cases—then we must choose Jesus as our Lord.

4.      Seek the Welfare of this Country

The Scripture says that wherever we live, we must do good to everyone, and assist the people wherever we are living  (Jeremiah 29:7; Galatians 6:10).  This means that we will work toward the well-being of this country as best we can, doing service among our neighbors and community.

5.      Assist the Needy in This Country

One of the best ways that we can seek the welfare for the whole nation in which we live, is to assist the needy.  God says and has shown that he will judge nations if they oppress the needy and poor (Ezekiel 16:49-50; Psalm 82).  But if we, in the nation where we live, help the needy, then God will not be so likely to judge our nation.  In fact, the Lord will bless us greatly if we help the needy and that blessing will overflow to our community!  (Proverbs 14:21; Psalm 41:1-3)

6.      Warn This Country away from Judgment

If you want to be an extra good patriot, then let the nation know when they are especially disobeying God, and are being threatened with his judgement.  As citizens of God’s kingdom, we do not have the right to command the nation what to do, just to give it the opportunity to change it’s ways, even as Jonah did with Nineveh  (Jonah 3; II Chronicles 19:10).  Thus if the country is increasing in its sin before God, and even making it difficult not to sin, then the good patriot will warn the nation of their plight.

This means we need to encourage the country to be just, to help the poor, to love each other and to seek peace.  If a country seeks war, ignores the poor, kills the innocent and has injustice in the courts then it will be judged by God.  A good patriot does all they can to keep their nation away from these evils. 

7.      Invite Citizens of this Nation to the Kingdom of God

The best way, though, to grant peace and health to your country is to welcome it’s citizens into God’s kingdom by acknowledging Jesus as Lord.  If we truly want the best for the people of the nation we live in, we will invite them to receive of God’s blessings, which are far greater than anything else we will gain in this world  (Psalm 33:12).  To obtain this kingdom of rest and peace and righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit, then we will need to teach them to be disciples of Jesus and to live the life of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20).  In this way, we will offer the greatest gift to our fellow countrymen (and women).

Look for Ways To Bless the Nation You Live In

The American Dream and the Good Life

Ultimately, all of the great American heroes were after one thing: The American Dream.  George Washington sought freedom.  Benjamin Franklin sought independence.  Thomas Jefferson sought security.  Alexander Hamilton sought financial freedom.  Abraham Lincoln sought unity.  Martin Luther King, Jr. sought equality.  They all had a vision that together we can call the American Dream.  The American dream was broad in its vision, and they all saw the United States as being a beacon for the whole world, an ideal for all the oppressed to hold to.

                However, over time, the American dream evolved.  It has been taken up by advertisers, real estate agents, television shows, and cigarette manufacturers.  Rather than being a quality of life, it has taken on the characteristics of a particular kind of life—a life of a certain economic level, a certain kind of work, a certain level of materialism. 

Freedom

The freedom of the enlightenment idealists was originally an opportunity for everyone to reach to their highest moral and spiritual self.  But our society has taken this freedom to be to partake in the lowest common denominator of pornography, greed, violence, covetousness and gluttony, while causing only a limited amount of harm to others.  Limiting the freedom to live to people in other countries, or limiting the ability to sustain one's life in order to give a few freedom to partake in more personal vice is the call of freedom for today.

 

Equality

The ideal of the American dream is that of equality, so that all are treated with fairness and justice, no matter what society or culture or race they are in.  Now equality is meant to limit one’s choices to hundreds of channels on television, but if someone wants to live an alternative lifestyle, they are punished by having their children taken away from them.  God forbid that anyone should choose to be poor or live a life of restriction for God!

Financial security

The financial security envisioned is that of living according to one’s own means, at whatever level that means.  But this has been transformed to greed, with even the poor wondering what they have done wrong to fail to obtain the riches promised them.  The wealthy, meanwhile, must keep a serving class of minimum-wage workers (or below minimum wage) in order to maintain their wealth.  The greed of the ruling culture is based on the poverty of the lower class.

Luxury

The comfort of the idealists was equally realized in Thomas Jefferson, the inventor and (writer of Walden), the creator of the simple life.  There was a variety of lifestyles which kept one at peace with one’s environment and society.  But our society has taken comfort to be that of material comfort, with a minimum of physical effort for that life.  This has turned into a culture of entitlement, where we don’t just hope for a materialist lifestyle, but expect it and think that we all deserve it.

Freedom of employment

To have work is to be able to be self-sustaining, to pay for one’s own life and family, whatever lifestyle that might be.  But now, in order to obtain the lifestyle of greed, we must go the avenue of seeking the patronage and goals of one whose purpose in life is to make money, which he promises to share some sparse percentage of with the one whom he employs.  We are trapped in a job ethic that we hate, but we cannot escape.

 

Democratic ideal

The democratic ideal that was originally held is rule by the people for the sake of the people.  But somehow this has been translated to a plutocratic republic—where the only “people” who rule are the wealthy, for the sake of the wealthy.  Then this ideal of government is imported to other nations when the “people” there don’t want this form of democracy, but a religious republic. 

Security

The Constitution says that the United States must “provide for the common defense”.  Yet this “defense” has become a military complex and society that shapes the rest of the country in support of it’s world-wide mission to promote American welfare.  The result of this is a constant fear to those who want to limit American influence to its own country, even if they have no violent intent.

Happiness

Ideally, Thomas Jefferson wrote, the American dream is the freedom to pursue happiness.  But the American dream today is not the pursuit of happiness, but the direct injection of it.  All we want for our children is that they be “happy”.  But happiness is found so much easier in an injection, mental health meds, alcohol, television or escapist novels.  The harder to obtain, but more content-producing happiness of service, charity, peacemaking and working for God isn’t sought first or even primarily.  They are small parts of our life that we gladly surrender when more direct happiness appears or is offered by our cable companies, drug dealers or health care specialists.

The Jesus Dream

The salvation we seek is limited to what our society can give us.  Our opportunities are limited to what we think we should have.  Our choices are limited by what everyone thinks is best for us.  Yet there is another option, we are not limited to what our society offers us.  Because Jesus offers us a different lifestyle.

Freedom in Jesus

Jesus offers us freedom from our own limitations.  He offers us freedom from our own limited morality.  He offers us freedom from a pointless existence of self-pleasuring, self-serving, self-pandering.  Jesus offers us the power of God and the lifestyle that He himself lived in order to make a powerful change for good in this country, in the world.  Jesus calls us to be more than human, to live according to the Spirit instead of the flesh.

Security in Jesus

Jesus offers us all the resources of God, without typical employment, without serving a society of greed.  Rather, we can trust in God’s provision, trust in unseen defenses, trust in God’s ways to make a road of security for us and our family in the midst of that which the world fears.

Peace in Jesus

Jesus offers us a peace that is borne by the Spirit, not by a false security of missiles, diplomacy and economic sanctions.  He offers us a peace that comes from within, a peace that we can transfer to others and help others live in.

Community in Jesus

Jesus offers us a people who is in the midst of creating a society based on the revolutionary ideals of Jesus, instead of the lowest common denominator.  Jesus offers us people to live with, to share with, to work with, to pray with, to rejoice with and to support and minister to.  Jesus offers us a full life, instead of the half-life of the American Dream.

Joy in Jesus

Jesus offers us joy—not just entertainment.  Yes, this is joy in persecution, happiness amidst suffering.  But this is the life of richness, the life of fullness, the life of God. 

Why is it the American Dream that the church seeks, when Jesus says the kingdom of God is found through the loss of the American Dream?

Why is the American Dream the primary option offered to our children, when it fails us in so many ways?

Why is the American Dream the only real option offered to the poor, as if that is the true salvation offered by Jesus?

Where are the saints who sacrificed themselves for the poor?

Where are the godly who knew that one could either have God’s kingdom or the world’s?

Ultimately, it is because our church has accepted the American Dream as the true salvation.

 Let’s not go the way of the standard church.  Let’s not be content with half-lives any more.

Seek the community of Jesus

How Seriously Should We Take Our Sin?

I Corinthians 6:9-11

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

Hebrews 10:26-31

For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Mark 9:43-49

If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life crippled, than, having your two hands, to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell, where THEIR WORM DOES NOT DIE, AND THE FIRE IS NOT QUENCHED. For everyone will be salted with fire.

Romans 6:3-14

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

James 5:19-20

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,  let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Hebrews 12:3-11

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.  All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Matthew 7:24-27

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall.

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

American Salvation

We don’t need Jesus as much as our ancient forbears did.

That’s not to say that we don’t need the forgiveness of our sins.  Absolutely, we desperately need that.  And we need a relationship with God.  It is a wonderful feeling to know that, if we ever need God, we can pray to him and He’s there for us.  It’s good to have that security blanket, if we ever need Him.  And, of course, we need Him everyday.  That’s why we need to pray daily.  Because we need Him.

                So why don’t we pray?

                Well, sure, we prayed for Aunt Marge just last week.  She was going into surgery.  But she’s okay, because the doctors fixed her right up.  And we prayed for Tim, from our church, because he was going to Africa to visit some people who needed help.  We prayed for his protection.  He got back okay.  Of course, we knew that air travel is the safest way to go.  And there weren’t any wars where he was going.  But we’re glad we prayed, just in case. 

                And, of course, we worship God.  Some of us do it just on Sundays, and some every day.  But we recognize that its our responsibility to worship Him because He gave us life and created the world and provided us with the basics of every living thing.  So we thank him for our food, although we know that it came from stores after being processed after being grown in farms.  But somewhere back there, God did something to get us the food, so we thank Him.  It’s only respectful.

                It’s not like we believe that God doesn’t work today.  We certainly recognize God’s power in our lives.  It’s not like God is just some clockworker who put in the rechargeable battery and let it go. So why do we often practically act like deists?  Why does it seem as if our lives wouldn’t really be any different if we were just trying to be “good people”? 

                 Isn’t Christianity supposed to be something more intense?  What are we missing?

                Honestly, what we are missing is salvation.

                “No, no,” you interrupt, “you don’t understand.  We HAVE salvation.  We have it in Jesus.  Jesus died on the cross.  We believe.  So we have forgiveness and a relationship with God.  We already have it.”

                The problem is that forgiveness is only one part of salvation.  It’s important, that’s true, but its not the whole ball of wax.  Jesus offered us a lot more than just forgiveness.  He offers us the kingdom of God.  That’s quite a package.  It’s just that so few people really know what it all entails.

When Jesus offered us the kingdom, he offered us a nation of justice.  He offered us a nation that acts on the principle of caring for everyone, without exception, so that everyone will be cared for.  Justice is in Jesus’ hands, and he offers it to us. All we have to do is

                But we already have justice, don’t we?  That’s what we are told.  We live in a great nation of equality, where no one receives special treatment because of who they are.  Everyone is treated the same, no matter what their sex or their race or their social class or their wealth.  Everyone receives the same justice, the same opportunities… or, at least, that’s how it is supposed to work.

                I guess perhaps we don’t all have justice.  I guess there is still people of color who don’t receive equal treatment.  There are still women and even men who are refused jobs because of their sex.  There are immigrants and the homeless who aren’t treated with fairness.  There are still the mentally ill who are not given a fair shake.  So maybe we still need Jesus’ offer of justice after all.

When Jesus offered the kingdom of God, he was offering the outcast and lowly the opportunity to be rulers over the world.  He proclaimed good news to the poor, freedom to the prisoners and a new start to sinners.  Anyone could have the opportunity to lead in Jesus’ kingdom—they didn’t have to be rich or popular or part of a ruling class or a certain educational level.  Anyone could be powerful or have authority through the Holy Spirit, and rule with Jesus.

                But in our society, we already have that, don’t we.  After all, any kid in America could be whatever they want to be.  If a kid wants to be part of the police or an astronaut or even President of the whole country all they have to do is work hard and nothing will stop them from achieving their goal, right?

                But, actually, I wanted to be an astronaut until I found out that very few people could be in the few slots available for the position.  And I wasn’t good enough at science anyway.  Maybe, they said, I could be a social worker.  And as far as president?  When was the last time a homeless person became president?  Or a woman?   When was the last time an uneducated person become president?  No, the presidency is for a very few.  I guess we need Jesus’ salvation for the outcast after all.

               

                When Jesus offered us the kingdom of God, he offered us God’s knowledge and wisdom in all things.  He offered us the opportunity to know God’s righteousness and to know the hidden things of God.  We can have the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our lives and give us wisdom in every circumstance.

                But maybe we don’t need that knowledge anymore.  After all, we have great colleges and universities where we can learn anything of importance.  We have the internet to pick up any other kind of fact that we need.  And we have counselors and psychologists to offer us wisdom and counsel in our lives. Heck, we have search engines that will tell us whatever we know. 

                On the other hand, I never really learned that much in college.  I mean it was helpful, but it really only pointed the way.  And the ethics courses were pretty sketchy.  And though I can get a lot of facts in our society, I can’t tell the difference between Truth and the various forms of untruth that are floating around out there.  It’s so hard to tell the difference.  And I’ve got a friend, who is at least as sane as me, and the counselor keeps telling her that she’s got multiple personality disorder.  How many of those counselors and psychiatrists really understand us, who we really are, as individuals?  Perhaps we need Jesus’ salvation for wisdom after all.

When Jesus offered us the kingdom of God, he said that God would provide everything we need.  He said that we wouldn’t need to worry about food and clothing—God has got us covered (so to speak).  He said that he would heal our diseases and care for our wounds.  All of our basic needs would be provided for.

                But we don’t need God for that anymore.  I’m sure that the ancients needed God for their daily bread and health, but, frankly, us Americans are doing pretty well.  After all, I’ve never missed a meal in my life.  And I’ve eaten pretty well, if I can judge by my waistline.  We’ve got clean water and hot water and running water and sanitary water—that’s something!  And we have a better health system than ever seen in history.  More people are healed in a city hospital in one day than Jesus did in a year of ministry.

                Of course, people are mostly healed.  There is very little joy in healing, like with Jesus.  People sometimes seem sicker after their “healing” than before.  And I eat well and live well, it is true.  But why do I feel so guilty?  Why is there no satisfaction, not even any contentment, with my prosperity?  And why are there so many in the U.S. that don’t experience that prosperity?  Why are there children who are hungry, families who are homeless and strong men crippled by work?  Perhaps we need Jesus’ salvation of prosperity after all.

When Jesus offered us the kingdom of God, he promised us a society of God.  He said that we would have a society which would be our family, and we would have tight-knit bonds.  If any person was in need, the others would help them out.  Everyone would be supported and helped.

                But our society seems fine.  It offers a lot of variety, a lot of opportunity.  There are support groups everywhere, for every kind of issue.  There are churches and clubs and societies.  And if anyone is really in need, they could ask for it.  Or get welfare.

                On the other hand, our society seems full of violence.  And full of hatreds.  And there isn’t much forgiveness.  And I don’t know if I remember the name of anyone in my support group.  And I think I lied.  There’s no one who will really help us in need.  And welfare is humiliating.

When Jesus offered us the kingdom of God, he promised us a secure future.  We would be resurrected from the dead, and we would have eternal life.  We would be completely defended by God and there would be no more sorrows.  All the future would be ours, if only we would trust in Him.

                But our future seems fine.  We have the possibility of a comfortable retirement.  We have insurance to cover the worst of disasters—fire, flood, death, disease.  And we are secure in the hands of the U.S. military and the local police.  They keep things pretty secure.

                But, actually, we are pretty nervous.  We depended on Social Security, and we aren’t confident in it anymore.  We depended on insurance, and they said they wouldn’t pay for our disaster.  We had to take them to court to get the money we were promised.  And I would feel secure with the military and police, if only I could trust them.  If only I wasn’t afraid of what they would do.  As well as all the criminals and terrorists they miss.  I suppose that we still need Jesus salvation for the future.

When Jesus offered the kingdom of God, he was speaking about God’s rule.  God would be our Lord and Master and King.  No one would take us from his hand.  No one would rule over us, only God through Jesus.

                But, frankly, we don’t really want to be ruled by anyone.  I am the master of my own destiny, and I don’t really want anyone telling me what to do.  I have my own principles to live by.  I have my own ambitions.  It is enough for me to make my own decisions.  It is enough that I am in charge of my own life and I am independent of all rule.  Even God’s.   I think I understand now why we are practical deists.  Because we are content with what we already have.  We have made our own decisions and we have obtained the salvation the world offers, and why do we need any thing else?

 

                Except… that I made a mess of my life already.  I am depressed, sometimes forsaken, often sick.  My life is miserable, and I can’t blame anyone but myself.  I don’t know if I want to be independent.  I’m just not strong enough, not wise enough, not secure enough, not happy enough.  Maybe—just maybe—I really need Jesus to take over my life.

There is a salvation that America offers us.  It is often called the American dream.  We could fit into our society and live out this dream.  We could be consumers, and have whatever material things we want.  We could gain a high position socially.  We could live in a society of mutual respect and opportunity.  We could have security for our family and our children’s children.

                That’s the promise.  There’s only two problems with this promise.

                First of all, it’s a lie.  America cannot deliver it to us.  It never has, and it never will.  The government and society is inadequate for what the American dream promises.

                Also, Jesus’ offer is much better.  The kingdom of God is a more complete version of the salvation America offers. 

                Some of our greatest heroes, we have been told, offered us salvation.  George Washington.  Thomas Jefferson.  Abraham Lincoln.  Franklin Roosevelt.  Martin Luther King, Jr.  They offered us equality.  They offered us prosperity.  They offered us a glorious destiny.  It was an empty promise.  It was an offer without any substance.

            Only Jesus’ promise is the real thing.  The real salvation.

Is The United States a Christian Nation?

“The Majority of people in the United States are Christian”

In a recent national poll, as many as 78% of the people in the United States consider themselves Christian in some way.  Some kind of Christian viewpoint certainly dominates the U.S. culture.  In broad outlines, most people in the U.S. believe in one God who created the universe and that Jesus died for our sins.  Almost everyone has good things to say about Jesus in the U.S., even those who do not claim to be Christians.  People desire to be forgiven for their sins and they think that Jesus is ready to help them.

However, most people in the U.S. do not understand what Jesus demands to follow him, let alone follow it. To be a “Christian” may be a good thing, but it is mostly a social title today, having nothing to do with Jesus’ death or teaching.  Even the majority of people who go to churches have a false understanding about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.  Most people will agree that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father except through me”  (John 14:6).   But they do not agree with or even understand the following:

-  If anyone is to enter the kingdom of God, they must obey the teaching of Jesus.  (Matthew 7:21-27)

-  If anyone is to follow Jesus, they must deny themselves and take up their cross. (Mark 8:35)

-  If anyone wants to gain their life, they must lose it. (Mark 8:36)

-  Whoever wants Jesus to accept them before the Father, they must accept Jesus before men. (Mark 8:38)

-  No one can follow Jesus unless they renounce their possessions. (Luke 14:33)

-  Those who will gain the kingdom of God must be poor, mourning and persecuted.  (Luke 6:20-24)

-  Whoever will be raised from the dead must humble themselves. (Luke 14:11)

- The follower of Jesus must put Jesus above family (Matthew 10:37)

- The follower of Jesus serves God, not money (Matthew 6:24)

These are the demands of faith, and the people of the United States, especially the “Christians”, are usually looking for ways to avoid this faith of Jesus, not embrace it.  The majority of the United States are far more committed to family or money rather than Jesus. (Poll shows people in the United States place religion on lower priority)

“The Laws of the United States are based on the Bible”

Some say that the foundation of the law of the United States is based on a British system of law, which is based on the Bible, especially the Ten Commandments.  The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are based on “Christian” principles.  Thus many people think that the laws of the U.S. are fundamentally Christian.

However, the laws of the United States have been drawn up and applied without reference to the teachings of Jesus, which is the basis of  the laws of  the kingdom of God. Seven of the Ten Commandments are not enforced by the laws of the United States.  The makers of the laws of the U.S. are not concerned with the Bible, but with making the society well-running on their own principles, not on the principles of God.

Here are a few examples of where the law of God and of the United States are in opposition:

-  The law of God insists that idolatry is unacceptable. (Exodus 20:4; II Corinthians 6:16-17)

The law of the United States says that everyone has a right to worship whoever they want.

-  The law of God insists that those who take God’s name in vain will be punished. (Exodus 20:7; Matthew 12:31)

The law of the United States insists on freedom of speech, without punishment.

-  The law of God forbids covetousness and greed. (Exodus 20:17; Ephesians 5:3)

The law of the United States encourages corporations that thrive on greed.

-  The law of God says to teach one’s children about loving God. (Deuteronomy 6:7; Ephesians 6:4)

The law of the United States forbids the public teaching about God.

-  The law of God teaches to love everyone, even if they harmed you. (Matthew 5:43-44)

The law of the United States insist that the police and the military must harm others, and even encourage them to kill, if the threat seems bad enough.

The laws of the United States are, in many ways, opposed to Scripture, not in agreement with it. 

“The United States is a Christian Nation”

The early colonists of the United States were all Christians, many persecuted for their faith. North America has been the site of many major revivals, which caused many towns to turn completely to the Lord. The majority of the leaders of the United States have been Christian, and have written statements that could be called devotional.  So many say that the United States is a Christian nation, or that it should be.

However, the United States cannot today be called a Christian nation—nor can any nation on the earth. There is already a Christian nation, called the kingdom of God and Jesus is the king.  There can be no other nation with any other system of government with anyone else as leader that could call itself “of Jesus” or “Christian”.  The kingdom of God already has its people all throughout the world.  And though the kingdom does not now have a land that it can call its own, it is very much a living, vibrant nation.

On top of this, the United States is opposed to the kingdom of God in many areas.  Following are many areas that the United States and the kingdom of God are diametrically opposed:

-  The kingdom of God is a distinctly religious kingdom, devoted exclusively to God.

The United States separates any religious practice or belief from the government. 

-  The kingdom of God is a nation in which every member and citizen is devoted exclusively to God through Jesus Christ.  (Romans 10:9)

The United States insists that every citizen can worship whatever God they want, or none at all, and hold to any teacher they want.  To insist otherwise, it claims, is unethical.

-  The kingdom of God is a country ruled by an appointed benevolent dictator: Jesus Christ (Romans 1:4)

The United States firmly believes that only a republic where the leader is voted in by the people is a proper government.

-  The kingdom of God has all of its laws and ethics come from God himself, and all policies are allowed to be determined by local bodies, as long as they do not judge apart from God’s law.   (James 2:8-10)

The United States judges according to the laws passed by their legislative body, with no regard to God’s will.

-  The kingdom of God is empowered by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

The United States is empowered by economic and military strength—namely, the flesh.

-  The kingdom of God has values such as faith, love, endurance through persecution, following the teaching of Jesus that are requirements to remain in it.  (Acts 14:22)

The United States does not promote love, generosity to the poor, devotion to God, faith in Jesus, humility, sound teaching or other values that would cause one to enter the kingdom of heaven.

-  The kingdom of God insists that one’s security comes from God alone, who sends angels to fight for it. (Matthew 26:52-53)

The United States firmly insists on having the strongest, most superior armed force in the world to promote its own security and its ideals.

-  The kingdom of God insists that greed must not be found among God’s people. (Ephesians 5:3)

The United States promotes greed, self-gratification and spending beyond one’s need as the backbone of its economy.

-  The kingdom of God teaches that to hate or destroy one’s enemy is to be unlike God and unworthy to be in God’s kingdom.  The kingdom of God claims that God’s way is to do good to one’s enemy and pray for that one. (Luke 6:27-36)

The United States promotes the destruction of their enemies, killing even innocents in the pursuit of their goals of revenge, security and economic stability.

-  The kingdom of God grants salvation to those who have faith, obedience and love in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 5:5-6)

The United States grants its salvation to those who qualify and have filled out the proper paperwork—whether rich or needy, deserving or swindlers.

The United States, like all other nations, is not any kind of a Christian nation.  It is a secular state, based on the principles of the world.  It is completely opposed to God’s ways of running his nation.