Thinking Through Christian Nationalism: Points to Percolate On

February 4, 2026 at 10:10 pm (1 Peter, Church and State, Civil Issues)

posted by R. Fowler White

Civic life for Christians, particularly in a highly partisan political environment, was in ancient times and is now a high stakes drama. Seeking to live peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified lives under earthly government means living as God’s servants, free from sin’s bondage but never free to do wrong (1 Pet 2:16).

The New Testament shows us that Christ and His Apostles taught that there is no authority higher than His in heaven or on earth. His authority transcends all others. Consequently, the loyalties of Christ’s disciples transcend, and may challenge and influence, the loyalties of non-Christians (see Acts 19 for a case in point). When people embrace the Christian gospel and its moral vision, there is political and even cultural change, not least in civic life. Christ and His Apostles certainly knew that human government is always administered by sinners. They knew what it was like to live under earthly rulers who were non-Christians, God-fearers, or anti-Christians but God-fearers. They even knew what it was like to live under atheistic tyrants and barbarians. Nevertheless, against that backdrop, Christ declared His own universal authority and issued His Great Commission to the Apostles and, through them, to His church.  By establishing His church, Christ also established His holy nation. Of the church, the Apostle Peter declared, “you are … a holy nation … so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). United to Christ by faith, then, God has already constituted Christ’s church as His holy nation, and it is to that nation that Christ has given His Commission.

Well aware of their larger cultural context, Christ and His Apostles instructed the church that it is God Himself who raises up and brings down earthly magistrates, from higher to lower, for His glory and for the public good. Peter commands the church to take their place under human government to commend to others the ultimate authority of Christ and, with that, their accountability to Him. In no way did this command affirm that human authorities get to rule absolutely or lawlessly. Quite the contrary. Human rulers are not God, despite the claims of ancient or modern emperors; nor are they outside of His control. As sinful creatures, they are capable of contradicting God. If rulers command citizens to sin, they are to be resisted (cf. Acts 5:29) or replaced by rulers who do not command citizens to sin. The Christian’s voluntary subjection to earthly rulers, then, is to abide by magistrates’ commands when, but only when they are lawful and not in conflict with God’s laws. Such law-keeping is prescribed to shut up those who falsely accused Christians of unpatriotic insubordination or worse (1 Pet 2:15).

To live such a life, the Apostle Peter laid out four basic obligations for Christians in 1 Pet 2:17. First, Christ’s holy nation is to fear God, living in reverent and affectionate awe of their Father and avoiding actions that would grieve or dishonor Him. Second, Christ’s church is to love their member siblings. Since it is only with fellow Christians that we may engage in ministries of worship, discipleship, and evangelism, it follows that Christians will have a special, higher degree of devotion to one another. Third, Christ’s church is to honor all people. Let others be disrespectful. Christ’s disciples will respect their fellow citizens, because they too are created in God’s image. Even those with whom Christians disagree are to be treated with civility. As the Prophet Jeremiah told the exiles from Israel (Jer 29:7), believers are to pray for the prosperity of the communities in which they congregate, making every effort to be law-abiding citizens to silence faultfinders and mudslingers. Fourth, Christ’s holy nation is to honor governing authorities mentioned above, from higher to lower. Christ’s disciples are to be civil to magistrates and to pray for them, because the well-being of both magistrates and Christians in this world is ordinarily connected. Christians are to understand that though obedience to God transcends obedience to earthly rulers, they have no license to dishonor those rulers. To the contrary, it is a Christian’s obligation to respect God’s ordinance of civil government. Summarizing Peter’s commands, Christ’s disciples, by their conduct as good citizens and as God’s holy nation within the nations, are to commend to their rulers and their fellow citizens the ultimate authority of Christ and their accountability to Him.

Insofar as Christian Nationalism is still developing and articulating their views, they are arguing for their understanding of American history and government and presenting the U.S. with a template for its official national identity and culture. Because the means of achieving Christian Nationalism’s ends are still being debated as part of an ongoing conversation about the proper template for the U.S. (or any other nation), their offer is likely to be best received guardedly. If possible, interaction ought not to be shut down prematurely because there is no settled consensus on a number of key questions. Let me rehearse a smattering of those questions.

For one thing, there is no settled consensus yet among Christian Nationalists on how the term “Christian” is to be defined. Granted the need for a transcendental anchor for belief and behavior, the anchor for a Christian nation needs to be identified. The historic Protestant churches have proclaimed their Anchor to be the living and true God as He has made Himself and His will known in Holy Scripture (excluding the Apocrypha), and, at that, as Scripture has been interpreted by the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds and the confessions and catechisms of the Reformed churches. Will those creeds, confessions, and catechisms be too much or too little to function as the consensus that identifies the Anchor who defines a “Christian” nation? If not, what will do so?

Second, there is as yet no settled consensus among Christians on whether Scripture provides, or is even intended to provide, the basis for a template of official national identity and culture. So, as with any other proposal like this, questions have to be asked and answered. How will a Christian Nationalist agenda relate to the agenda that Christ set for His own holy nation, the church, in His Great Commission? What does God require of a nation that declares itself to be a Christian nation? Will it be understood that God has entered into covenant with a self-identified Christian nation, and that that nation has entered into covenant with God? Shifting gears a bit, is it the case in this world that any public square that is outside of a theocracy is unavoidably pluralistic, both religiously and morally? If so, how will a Christian nation, however Christian Nationalists define it, handle pluralism within its boundaries? Will a Christian nation adopt laws that give privileges to Christians and deny them to non-Christians? Why or why not? More narrowly, how will Christian Nationalists treat Christians who do not endorse Christian Nationalism? Will they be second-class citizens? That is, if Christian Nationalism is fully implemented, will all Americans have full religious liberty? If not, why not? Will the new powers conferred on a Christian Nationalist government ever be lawfully turned against Christians who do not hold to Christian Nationalism? Moving to one more point, in recent years, Christian Nationalists and other Christians have seen Christians increasingly marginalized socially and politically and persecuted by any means necessary, including force. Some in the Christian Nationalist orbit are beginning to argue that American Christians need to prepare to take up arms in order to preserve America’s identity as a Christian Nation. How will Christian Nationalism respond to this issue?

As I said, there is, as yet, no settled consensus among Christians, be they Christian Nationalists or not, on what the preferred cultural template for the U.S. (or other non-covenantal nations) should be. The conversation about Christian Nationalism should and will continue, and we will all need to stay tuned.

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Christian Nationalism: A Summary in Examples and Traits

August 9, 2025 at 11:38 am (Church and State, Civil Issues)

posted by R. Fowler White

Though usage of the term Christian nationalism is relatively new in American public discourse, it is an ideology and movement that is both on the rise and not yet definitively or fully formed. Given that Christian nationalism is a still-developing phenomenon, it may be useful to survey the phenomenon as it has appeared in history in various times and degrees, both outside and inside the U.S. Several examples are cited below.

1. Ireland: From the late 19th century until the late 20th century when its government was made legally secular, the Roman Catholic Church was a defining and constitutional part of Irish national identity.

2. Korea: As leaders of Korea’s independence movement against Japanese occupation (1910–1945), Christians established a connection between Korean national identity and Christianity that in measure still exists today in South Korea.

3. South Vietnam: In the 1950s and early 1960s, South Vietnam’s president gave the Roman Catholic Church a privileged position while using force to control Buddhists and limit their freedom. The president’s position was a contributing factor to his eventual downfall.

4. Hungary: In 2010 the Hungarian Prime Minister’s party won two-thirds of the National Assembly seats. In 2011 that assembly passed a new constitution that included recognition of Christianity’s role in preserving its nationhood and a need for “spiritual and intellectual renewal.” During the Syrian refugee crisis, the Hungarian government opposed the resettlement of asylum seekers in Europe, based in part on religion. In December 2020 the National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment that restricted adoptions to heterosexual couples and mandated that children be raised with “values based on our Christian culture.”

5. The U.S. has a long history of Christian Nationalism phenomena in various expressions. For instance: 

a) In 1791 the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution prohibited Congress from “making any law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” By that amendment, Congress was prohibited from establishing a national church, such as the Church of England or the Church of Denmark. Interestingly, however, when the First Amendment was ratified, it did not forbid states from designating a denomination as their official church. In fact, nine of the thirteen states had formal ties with a Christian denomination. Two examples: Connecticut named the Congregational Church as its official church, a relationship that was not changed until the 1830s. Delaware had a constitutional provision requiring a Christian profession to hold public office.

b) In the 1930s through the 1950s, Christian Nationalism became prominent in a push by anti-New Deal business interests that wanted to link American capitalism to Christianity. In 1956, during the Cold War, Congress adopted the words “In God We Trust” as the national motto and added the words “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. (The identity of “God” in these phrases was not defined, at least not beyond “Nature’s God” and the “Creator” mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.)

c) From the 1960s to the present: The rise of televangelism in the U.S., especially among Pentecostal-Charismatics, saw a new era of Christian Nationalism phenomena.

i) In 1979 Jerry Falwell founded The Moral Majority to oppose certain cultural trends, especially the women’s movement, the gay rights movement, and legalized abortion. It also lobbied for prayer in public schools, increased defense spending, a strong anti-communist foreign policy, and continued U.S. support for the State of Israel. The Moral Majority led a new generation of Christian fundamentalists and the so-called Christian Right to go beyond opposing selected cultural trends into engaging the political arena. The organization, having quickly grown to several million members, was credited with playing an important role in Ronald Reagan’s election in 1980. This election bonded Evangelicalism and American exceptionalism together, helping to cement the close relationship between Evangelicals and the Republican Party. 

ii) In 1989 The Christian Coalition was founded by Pentecostal televangelist Pat Robertson. Directed by Ralph Reed, it effectively replaced The Moral Majority as it promoted political action by Christians. The development of The Christian Coalition was followed in 1996 by the founding of The Center for Reclaiming America for Christ (CRAC) by D. James Kennedy, a founding board member of The Moral Majority. The purpose of CRAC was to encourage Christians to become involved in politics, guided by Kennedy’s belief that Christians needed to focus not only on the Great Commission through the church, but on the Cultural Mandate in the public square. The Center’s focus was on issues such as abortion, pornography, homosexuality, evolution, and religious liberty. Though CRAC closed after Kennedy’s death in 2007, it was relaunched in 2010 with permission from but no affiliation with D. James Kennedy Ministries (formerly known as Coral Ridge Ministries).

iii) In the first quarter of the 21st century, Christian Nationalism in the U.S. has reached new levels. Since the 2016 presidential election, it has been closely associated in public discussion with Donald Trump. After the 2020 presidential election, many in Christian Nationalism came to Washington, DC to take part in “Jericho Marches” in December 2020 and in the January 6, 2021 events at U.S. Capitol. There, they engaged in prayer, praise, speaking in tongues, and blowing rams’ horns following Israel’s example of marching around Jericho in Joshua 6. The prominent place that Pentecostals and Charismatics have in Christian Nationalism is again to be noted.

iv) Since 2020, Christian Nationalism has increasingly been the target of criticism, and the Christian Nationalism (-ist) label itself has been adopted by its thought leaders and supporters. According to reputable national surveys, in 2024, three in ten Americans identified as Christian Nationalism adherents (10%) or sympathizers (20%). Meanwhile, 53% of Republicans identified as either Christian Nationalism adherents (20%) or sympathizers (33%), compared with about two in ten or fewer Independents (6% adherents and 16% sympathizers) and Democrats (5% adherents and 11% sympathizers).

In light of the preceding historical survey of what has been generally labeled as Christian Nationalism in the U.S. and beyond, it might be helpful to summarize the prevailing traits of the Christian Nationalism phenomenon as it continues to take shape in a more definitive form.

1. Christian Nationalism affirms the U.S. is a Christian nation and also that the government should adopt a specifically Christian cultural template as the official culture of the U.S. In general, this means that, in contrast to secularism, Christian Nationalism affirms that human societies require an anchor that transcends all things in them to hold them together. Therefore, the U.S. should affirm that the required transcendent anchor is the God of the Christian faith, with the Christian faith ordinarily being defined in keeping with historic Protestantism.

2. Christian Nationalism affirms that Christianity should have a privileged position in the public square. It does not reject the First Amendment, and it argues that “the wall of separation between church and state” did not come about until the 1947 SCOTUS case Everson v. Board of Education. That case defined the First Amendment in terms of a “wall of separation between church and state” that applied to every level of government, not just to the national (federal) level. The Amendment was thus interpreted as effectively separating church and all levels of government.

3. Christian Nationalism affirms that the U.S. has been and must remain a Christian nation. This position is not merely Christian Nationalism’s interpretation of the U.S. past, but is also its prescription for the U.S. future. Given its predominantly Anglo-Protestant past, Christian Nationalism urges that the U.S. must preserve that heritage to keep its identity and its freedom.

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What’s an Exile to Do? Live a Holy Civic Life

February 8, 2021 at 2:10 pm (1 Peter, Church and State, Civil Issues)

Posted by R. Fowler White

“It is the duty of people to pray for those in authority, to honor them, to pay them taxes or other revenue, to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority for the sake of conscience. Neither unbelief nor difference in religion makes void the just and legal authority of officeholders nor frees the people—church authorities included—from their due obedience to them” (WCF 23.4).

In a partisan political environment, the preceding statement might appear as if somebody’s trying to pick a fight. Then again, others will recognize it as, essentially, the teaching of the Apostles Peter and Paul. In 1 Pet 2:13-17, specifically, we find Peter’s exhortation focused on the church’s civic life following on his general call in 2:11-12 for them to live lives of moral excellence in Gentile society. In fact, civic life is one of three spheres (state, family, and church) about which Peter will give God’s direction to Christians in 1 Pet 2:13–3:12. The big idea in 2:13-17 is this: live your civic life for the Lord’s sake. Notice how the Apostle breaks this down.

First, he says, be subject to human government—take your place under it, subject yourselves to it—for the Lord’s sake, that is, to commend the Lord Christ to others (2:13-14). Plainly, the starting point of Christian civic life is deference to the interests of our God, the ultimate Sovereign who puts earthly magistrates in place, both higher (here, the emperor as supreme) and lower (here, governors as sent by him), for His glory and for the public good. This is not to say that these authorities get to rule absolutely or lawlessly. Quite the contrary. No human authority is God or is outside of His control. Moreover, as sinful creatures, human rulers will sometimes contradict God. If these rulers command citizens to sin, let them be resisted or replaced by rulers who do not command sin. Christ and His Apostles certainly knew what it was like to live under magistrates who were neither Christians nor God-fearers. Their fellow citizens worshiped the Roman emperor as God and other gods too. If not that, then, they were counted as atheists. Knowing this larger cultural context, Peter’s message is forthright: church, take your place under human government to commend to others the ultimate lordship of Christ and, with that, their accountability to Him.

According to the Apostle, the Christians’ subjection to human government serves another purpose: to silence mudslingers and faultfinders (2:15). We’re to remember that God puts rulers in place not just to punish lawbreakers, but also to praise law-keepers. In that light, even though we don’t regard magistrates as God, we should abide by their lawful commands because, in general, the effect of our law-keeping will be to shut up those who falsely accuse us of unpatriotic insubordination or worse. Maybe Peter alludes here to the Roman tradition in which government honored citizens for good works that benefited their cities. More likely, Peter thinks back on Israel’s exiles. Through the Prophet Jeremiah, God clarified for them how they were to live away from their homeland. He said, seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its prosperity you will find your prosperity (Jeremiah 29:7, NASB20). Even so, we should pray on behalf of the communities in which our churches congregate and make every effort to be law-abiding citizens to silence the faultfinders and mudslingers.

In 2:16-17 Peter steps back to paint a broader picture of a holy civic life. Living holy lives as citizens means living as God’s servants, free from sin’s bondage to serve God, never free to do wrong (2:16). Once again, our civic life is about deferring to the interests of our God. The Apostle mentions four obligations. First, honor all people (2:17a). Even those with whom we have disagreements, we’re to treat others with civility. Let others be disrespectful: we’ll respect our fellow citizens, because they, as we, are created in God’s image. Second, love your Christian siblings (2:17b). With them we have a communion that we just don’t have with our fellow citizens. Only with Christian siblings do we do ministries of worship, discipleship, evangelism, and mercy for God’s glory. Appropriately, then, we’re to have a special, higher degree of devotion to our fellow Christian exiles. Third, fear God (2:17c). Again, Peter stresses that we’re to live in reverent awe to please our Father and to avoid grieving or dishonoring Him (1:17). Fourth, honor governing authorities. Peter distills his lesson in this paragraph once more. We’ll not be disrespectful but civil to magistrates and pray for them, because our wellbeing in this world is ordinarily tied up in theirs. By doing these things, we’re not saying that government is God. Rather, we’re saying that God has freed us to serve Him, and in His service there is no license to dishonor earthly authorities. To the contrary, God has made it our obligation to respect His ordinance of civil government.

From their own experiences (Acts 4:5-22; 5:17-42; 24:1–26:32; Rev 1:9), Peter and the other Apostles knew well that life for Christian exiles in a highly partisan political environment is a high stakes drama. In that light, Peter requires us to give our fellow citizens no warrant to accuse us of being lawbreakers or worse. Rather, as good—holy!—citizens, we’ll take our place under earthly magistrates, commending to them and our fellow citizens the ultimate lordship of Christ and their accountability to Him.

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What’re Exiles to Do? Be a Refuge for Fellow Exiles

January 13, 2021 at 12:00 pm (1 Peter, Church, Church and State, Culture, Perseverance)

Posted by R. Fowler White

Even as exiles in this world, we Christians desire to lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way (1 Tim 2:2). There’s no doubt that we American Christians have had it better than our persecuted siblings in other times and places, even in the NT era. Like other “traditional Americans,” many of us see the prospect of that peaceful and quiet life exemplified in the promise of the American Experiment, designed as it was to secure the unalienable rights with which we and our fellow citizens are endowed by our Creator. Too frequently, however, it seems that skilled polemicists have manipulated our trust, convincing us that they share our belief in the promise of America when, in fact, they redefine it for personal, political, or commercial gain. Acting as mere power brokers, these pugilists apply a double standard to snub those they deem deplorable, to decry those they consider lawless, and otherwise to hinder certain of their fellow citizens’ prospects for a peaceful and quiet life. As new Orwellian measures of population control take hold, no one seems to know how to dispel the anger and fear among those convinced that their unalienable rights are now less secure and their prospects for a peaceful and quiet life are now more remote. In such an environment, what becomes of that peaceful and quiet life that the Apostle would have us lead? What  does God require of “traditional American” Christians who are members and officers of His church? The Apostle Peter offers at least part of the answer in 1 Pet 3:8-12.

As he did during those NT days under the fickle thumb of imperial Rome, Peter commands that we be a refuge for fellow Christian exiles, a holy haven exhibiting five virtues (3:8). The first and fifth of these traits—be like-minded and humble-minded—actually share a verbal component in the original text, and so it’s best to take them together. Truth shared is the basis of love shared, so like-mindedness in confession is indispensable to being Christ’s refuge. As the fellowship of the Spirit of truth, it is like-mindedness in truth that binds us together in love, and its complement is humble-mindedness. Rejecting self-interested competition, we’re to commit to the common good, sacrificing individual interests for the interests of the whole. Two other traits, the second and fourth mentioned by Peter, will also mark Christ’s holy haven: be sympathetic and tender-hearted. To understand this synonymous pair, Paul’s words offer the best commentary: rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15). If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together (1 Cor 12:26). Holding all five virtues together is the third virtue listed by Peter: be brotherly, that is, love your family members in the household of faith. As he does in 1:22 and 2:17, Peter again commands us to heed carefully the Second Great Commandment. We’re to promote the good of our siblings by building such community with them that together we offer sacrifices pleasing to God (1:21–2:10). What’s Peter aiming for here in these five virtues? A refuge for fellow exiles who will support each other as they pursue godly and dignified lives in a hostile world.

Even as we’re to be a holy haven for our fellow Christian exiles, we must also know how to deal with critics. Anticipating his fuller teaching on persecution from non-Christians in 1 Pet 3:13–4:19, Peter tells us initially how to defend ourselves against insults and verbal abuse. Perhaps unexpectedly, he says, show your critics favor, not disfavor (3:9a). But why this tactic? Because in the blessed life to which God has called us, we’re not to live a life of retaliation, but of repentance; not of payback, but of conversion. Since we’re now at odds with non-Christians, we cannot avoid insult and evil, pain and suffering, so as to see only good days. Rather, despite insult and evil, despite pain and suffering, we can live godly and dignified lives in communion with God. In fellowship with Him, we watch how we talk and how we walk (1 Pet 3:10-11). As Jesus taught us: Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6:28). As Paul stated: See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone (1 Thess 5:15; cf. Rom 12:17; 1 Cor 4:12). So, when we’re insulted, we’re not to insult in return. When we suffer, we’re not to retaliate with threats. We’re to live our lives before our Lord who not only requires us to live a godly and dignified life but who also inspects the way we live our lives (3:12). Meanwhile, we live our lives knowing that the ears of the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls are open to hear our prayers that we might break the cycle of verbal abuse and other evils that only spirals downward.

What, then, are Christian exiles to do if we’re convinced that our unalienable rights are less secure and our prospects for a peaceful and quiet life are more remote? Whatever else Scripture may teach us, following Peter’s directions, God requires us to be a refuge where with fellow Christians we pursue godly and dignified lives before Him who alone judges justly.

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John Did Not Go Quietly Into Exile (Rev 1:9-11)

September 12, 2020 at 12:46 pm (Church, Church and State, Revelation)

Posted by R. Fowler White

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands … we proclaim also to you (1 John 1:1-3). All that and more is why the Apostle John wrote as he did in Revelation 1. He wrote out of his own up-close-and-personal experience of the resurrected and ascended Jesus, out of his own transformed life, and out of his participation in the early church’s phenomenal growth. In truth, he also wrote as he did because he saw in his day, as we see in ours, Christians being shoved to the margins of societal life or sent off into cultural exile. John, however, did not go quietly, and neither should we. In Revelation he speaks to us still, having written to inspire our courage by spotlighting not only the condition of Christ’s churches but also the position of Christ Himself. Consider first the condition of Christ’s churches in this world, according to Rev 1:9-11. In sum, says John, the churches are in tribulation (conflict), as he was. Transformed, however, as we are by the resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus, John underlines crucial facts of the life that he, as our brother and partner, shares with us who are in the congregations of Christ’s church (Rev 1:9).

We share in the tribulation that is ours in Christ. Like it or not, the church of Christ Jesus is at odds and in conflict with the world. The world, at its origin and at its worst, criminalizes the church, persecutes the church. Why? Because, among other things, when we’re faithful, we don’t make the same choices that our society does, in belief or behavior. When we’re faithful, we’re different; we’re foreigners with no intention of assimilating, because we’re not, first, citizens of this world. We’re exiles in this world, at odds with it. We also share in the kingdom that is ours in Christ. We believers are not only subjects in the kingdom of King Jesus. He has freed us from our sins by His blood and has–already–made us His kingdom of priests together under Him. Our victorious reign in history is not only in the future. No, the kingdom is ours now in King Jesus. We also share in the patient endurance that is ours in Christ. The church of Christ perseveres in faith with good works despite conflict from the world. When we’re faithful, we do not compromise our witness in the face of trials; we resist the forces of evil, seen or unseen. When we’re faithful, we defeat sin in our lives, and we defy death and Satan.

Through the faith that we Christians share in the resurrected and ascended Jesus, we share a common identity, a transformed identity given to us by God. We’re siblings and partners in the conflict, kingdom, perseverance that are ours in King Jesus. Oh, yes, from time to time, the world allows us to lead peaceful and quiet lives (1 Tim 2:2). But our citizenship in Christ’s kingdom does not shield us from suffering at the world’s hands. In its gut, the world scoffs at our identity. Taking the form of any branch of any government from any party, the world will seek, overtly or covertly, to interfere with the practice of the Christian faith or even to run Christ’s church. Yet this remains true: the resurrected and ascended Jesus has transformed us into siblings and partners in tribulation, kingdom, and perseverance.

Though we share a transformed identity with the Apostle John, he also underlines how he differs from us. King Jesus, John tells us, had transformed him into a prophet with a special commission to write a book to us his siblings and partners. John rehearsed the particulars of his transformation for us (Rev 1:10-11).

He had been exiled to Patmos for his testimony and ministry. He had been deemed an enemy of the state. Government officials had exiled him to Patmos, a small island in the Aegean Sea where Rome relocated those deemed a danger to its political and religious order. Barred from leaving the island, possibly sentenced to hard labor in the quarries on Patmos, this was John’s part in the tribulation, kingdom, and endurance that are ours in King Jesus. Despite his exile, however, John was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, on the true Emperor’s day–Sunday–the day of the resurrection and ascension of Christ. There in the state of worship and revelation, he received a special commission from King Jesus to write a book–that is, a scroll–to the seven churches of Asia Minor. That commission made John different from others in the church.

Will we be careful to heed John’s word and example? You see, despite his exile, poverty, and affliction, John had continued to worship and serve Christ Jesus and to bear witness to the gospel of salvation. John did not go quietly into exile. Those of us who share in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in King Jesus will not do so either.[1]

[1] Richard D. Phillips, Revelation, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2017), 61.

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A Jeremiad

June 16, 2020 at 10:04 am (Apologetics, Church and State, Civil Issues, Culture, Eschatology)

The America I knew and loved growing up is almost completely gone. The name, at least, remains. Some call it progress. I call it destruction. The people in charge are those who yell and scream, not those who debate with reason and analysis. The political world consists of those who have become so practiced in screaming that I wonder they have any vocal cords left. All political orthodoxy is assumed, not proven, not debated. It is shouted. The power of the shout, and the accompanying shatter of glass, is the only power that means anything today.

This same hatred has poured forth into the Christian world, the theological world, even the “academic” world. Freedom of opinion is not allowed any more. Only certain voices can be heard, because they shout the loudest.

For what then can we weep? Must we not weep for the wrath of God that is coming even through these glass-shattering shouts? Must we not weep for the silenced voices (which are not the voices the world thinks are silenced)? Must we not weep that we will shortly be joining our martyr brothers and sisters in other parts of the world as of a piece with the persecuted church? Must we not weep for the veil Satan has drawn over so many people’s eyes so they cannot see the spiritual warfare?

What hope have we? We have the hope God gives us. God gives us hope that silenced voices are only silent on earth. They are not silent to God. Abel’s blood cried out to God from the ground, though his voice on earth was silent. We have the hope of resurrection. Like Abel, Jesus’ blood also cried out, but in a far higher key, to God for our forgiveness. It thunders in heaven. And because of that thundering, God raised Him from the dead. We have the hope that God’s shout of wrath is not the only loud voice He has, though even there, that voice is far louder than the world’s voice. His voice of many waters thunders forth judgment on the enemies of God, but also grace for God’s people.

It is right to weep for the loss of peace and tranquility for the Christian, though not right to cling to the idol of comfort. It is right to weep for the lost, who seem to be growing more and more blind. It is right to weep for the saved, who must now find a backbone where little was required before.

On the other hand, it is right to rejoice in trials of various kinds, counting them pure joy. The church will be a lot smaller five or ten years from now. All the fair-weather friends of Christianity will be gone. The fear of man will have scared them spineless (not that they ever had a spine!). The only people left will constitute a much more pure church. And a much more pure church can have a much more positive effect on the world. All of this is happening to purify the church. Remember that world history exists for the sake of church history, not the other way around. God is heading up all things in Christ the Head. His providence is still at work, even when around us all we seem to see is evil. Evil will not have the last word. God will.

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A Change in Strategy

April 4, 2019 at 2:43 pm (Church and State, Culture, Evangelism, Faith)

Satan has changed his strategy with regard to his warfare against the church in the West. For the period of the 1960’s up through most of this current decade, his strategy has been to entertain Christians into an oblivion of forgetfulness and numbness. It has worked to a spectacular degree until recently. The signs are that the church in the West is not quite so much in decline as secularists and many Christians believe. This means that Satan must change his strategy. The carrot is no longer working. The stick must replace it.

It has already begun with some opening salvos, the baker in Colorado and similar stories. If the Equality Act passes, however, the stick will begin in earnest. Of course, Satan doesn’t ever seem to learn from the past. Neither the carrot nor the stick can override God’s purposes in the world. The best he can hope for is to hinder the church. Will Christians stand firm? You see, the most insidious thing about the transition from carrot to stick is that the carrot leaves many Christians soft and unwilling to stand up for what they believe. Then when the stick comes, they cave in, rotten from within. Now is the time for Christians to pray that the Lord will restore our marrow, our backbone, our moral fiber.

How will the Lord God do this? The same way He has always done: through the regular means of grace. It is God’s grace that turns invertebrates into vertebrates. It is a steady diet of the Word of God, the Lord’s Supper, remembrance of and meditation on the meaning of baptism, prayer, and fellowship with other like-minded Christian vertebrates that will instill strength into us so that we will stand in the face of hatred masquerading as tolerance.

The only remaining question is this: are we willing to pay the price? The price will be necessary. Churches need to plan on losing their luxurious tax-exempt status. Pastors need to plan on doing jail time, for they will not typically be able to afford the fees. Will we see these things as opportunities to witness to the world about how Christians suffer for the cause of Christ, or will we do nothing but bellyache about it all?

As Western Christians finally realize that persecution is coming their way, maybe the most salutary effect it will have on us is that we will be far more conscious of our brothers and sisters around the globe who are suffering far more. Their lives are in danger, and they are being taken, especially right now in Nigeria. The worship of God is being hampered in China. All too often, Christian reaction to these things has been almost complete indifference, followed by a quick return to our mind-numbing entertainments. That possibility is coming to an end.

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Loving Our Country

July 4, 2018 at 9:10 am (2 Kingdom, Church and State, Civil Issues, Culture, History, Uncategorized)
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Each Wednesday morning I send out to our congregation a revival prayer letter. A small group of our members use this every Thursday morning, and others privately, to pray for revival in our church, and in our community.

This morning’s Wednesday’s-4-Revival prayer letter addresses the topic of our nation and the church. While there is not any profound insights in this letter, it does (I hope) offer a biblically ordered and coordinated way of praying for our churches and communities, to the end that both the Kingdom of Christ is advanced, and our nation is blessed.

Given our focus today, I thought I might share it a bit more widely.
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Wednesdays for Revival #64
July 4, 2018
Reed DePace

Loving Our Country

A Weekly Prayer Devotional Seeking God to Pour Out His Spirit in Revival on Us.*


Historically Amazing

 

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photo: jeff hamilton, unsplash

As a fan of history (double undergrad degree in American History and geo-political science), I appreciate how blessed America has been in her short time on earth. She is rightly to be considered among the top ten world-spanning empires in history. This is not just in terms of her power. Yes, in comparison to other nations in her own time, America is the most powerful militarily, economically, and even to some extent, socially. Even today, in the midst of signs of her decline, and the rise of enemies (both old and new), America is the single largest exporter of cultural influence, the ‘currency’ which is a key component of an empire.

Yes, she has her problems. There is (once again) a terribly large and growing gap between her richest and her poorest. As well, real expressions of injustice continue to plague her. Yet, even in these areas of negative assessment, America stands head and shoulders above the rest of the world. America’s poor are at least equal to, and in most cases, more materially blessed than a majority of the poor in the rest of the world. There are even many countries where their middle classes enjoy less material comforts than America’s poor enjoy.

When it comes to justice, yes, any injustice is a stench in God’s nostrils. Yet there is far less injustice in America than in just about any other country in the world. And even where there is injustice, the American system provides a better chance of rectifying and restoring justice than do the vast majority of the rest of the nations that currently fill the earth. What’s more, the level of personal freedom in America, the degree to which the individual can go where they want, when they want, to do what they want, without being questioned, is still among the greatest ever seen.

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photo: frank mckenna, unsplash

Compared to the rest of the Top Ten Empires, America has seen greater prosperity, greater freedom, and greater justice, for a greater percentage of her citizens than all the other world-dominating empires, and by a large margin. If God could tell the Israelites going into captivity under the tyrannical Babylonian Empire that would rape, pillage, and destroy their beloved homeland to:

… work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” Jer 29:7

How much more do we citizens of the Kingdom of God have greater reason to praise God and seek his blessing on the nation of our earthly citizenship?

Dangerously Ill

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photo: andrew ruiz, unsplash

In spite of her great blessings, it is true that America is in some ways dangerously ill. Given the state of our social discourse, it is almost impossible for me to give examples. For each example I give, some will think they’re hearing me agreeing with them on their list of “America’s Worst Problems.” Still others will take offense, thinking I’ve dissed their list of what they think is wrong with America. The truth of the matter is I just have an opinion, more or less  informed than yours, depending on the topic at hand. But that we can’t even begin to civilly discuss such things possibly demonstrates just how ill America is.

Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided against itself is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.” Mt 12:25

History shows that any nation in which democracy is the driving political principle is in danger of self-destruction when the majority will not allow for any social (i.e., public) disagreement with their opinions. That is, a democracy is always in danger of dissolving into a mobocracy, the rule of the mob (e.g., think: the French Revolution). While America was founded as a modified expression of democracy (i.e., the will of the majority filtered through and diluted by representative government), our government has more and more moved toward unfiltered, pure democracy. Worse, in our social discourse, our public discussion, and debate of our differences, the mob already rules. Just stand up and offer an opinion that the majority disagrees with. Overnight social hatred will form into an opposition in which its kindest and gentlest will utterly silence you. Worse, and increasingly more commonly than we care to admit, social opposition from the majority-mob threatens to remove your enjoyment of any dream for material comfort in this world, let alone the American Dream.

No nation in this world can achieve a state of perfection in which even a majority of her citizens experience the best of life all the time. In other words, Utopia is a fantasy that may sell books, but it is never going to be a blueprint for a viable nation. That America has come closer than most in achieving the utopian pipe dream is also a danger. It leads us into a dangerous pride in which we think we just need to try a little harder to get our point across to our opponent. We end up just arguing more angrily and then dividing further. And truly raw, no restraints mob rule creeps closer and closer to taking over our dreams for a better America.

Glorious Hope

So, is there any hope for America? Even though she will follow all the other secular empires and succumb to the King of Kings, is there any hope that America might find more grace and mercy from God? Yes. For within her midst is  a source of salt and light that God promises to use to bless her:

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world– like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. Mt 5:13-15

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photo: james bloedel, unsplash

In every nation and in every generation the Church (those who through Spirit-born living faith are united to Christ) is the hope of real blessing to that nation. Today this hope in the Church in America is still real. No, I’m not ignoring that America is increasingly treating real Christlike Christianity as the one enemy to be completely eradicated from her land. God is still sovereign though. And Jesus is still the victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords who sits on the throne over all nations. This means that the Church in America can still be the blessing our nation is so desperately looking for in all the wrong places.

So, what do we do? We follow Jeremiah’s advice to the Jews who went into captivity in Babylon. We pray for God to bless America with the only blessing that will make any real lasting difference. We pray, in other words, for God to send a revival across our land. We work for the peace and prosperity of America. This is not the earthly peace and the material prosperity that will disappear when Jesus destroys the nations that follow the great enemy empire described in Revelation 18. Instead we work for the advancement of the gospel. We give ourselves to our own worship and discipleship under the Spirit’s enabling. And then we go back to our communities and tell them that Jesus has something better, and more satisfying, than even the American Dream.

Let your conversation be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you will have the right response for everyone. Col 4:6

Prayer Advice

Dear Lord, forgive our nation for her many rebellions against you. Forgive your people in America where they have cared more for their lives in this world than your glories. Heal your church. Restore hope in America that Jesus is the only answer needed. Restore to us the years the locusts have eaten. Pour out Your Spirit in revival on us. To Your glory, together with Your Father and Your Spirit, we ask, Amen.

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* This weekly prayer devotional focuses our attention on some aspect of our need for the Holy Spirit to bring revival to our church. Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you (Ps 85:6)?  For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams (Isa 44:3-4).  Pick a 15 to 30-minute time-block in your schedule over the next week and use this devotional to focus your prayers. As you can, consider fasting from a meal and using that time to pray for revival in our church.

Reed DePace

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