Today a dear friend who knows me from here in the ULCM informed me on Facebook that, and I quote, "The tone and thrust of your internet persona has significantly darkened from that of the internet persona I first encountered. I believe...that's a correct observation, I draw a different conclusion about the degree and source of that darkness than the one you offer, and this saddens/worries me." ... What he failed to realize is that this is a minister's site and not a place where my political and social values come into play as well.
There are many aspects to our lives that deal with family, friends, spiritual and yes even political. I guess it is easy when a person does not see those other aspects of our lives to get the wrong impression. Yes I am very spiritual and I am a warrior for God, however, I am also a patriot and fight for the rights of our nation. The Bible is very clear that governments are established by God. Romans 13 tells us that all authority comes from God and that we must be in subjection to it. Verse 2 states,
“Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God.” Paul explains that governments are a blessing, they keep the peace. Paul told Titus (3:1) to…“…remind them (the believers at Crete) to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed.”
If you desire to live for Christ then you will do your best to live in subjection to His ordained authority. Paul not only encouraged believers to obey governments, but also to pray for them.
I Timothy 2:1-2 states, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quite life in all godliness and dignity.”
Paul encourages us to live by the laws of the land and further to pray for our leaders. This is especially interesting since Paul was writing during the reign of emperor Nero, who was famous for persecuting Christians. However, patriotism often indicates more than mere obedience and prayer. For many, patriotism implies a deep commitment and love for their country; a “love it or leave it” attitude. Many Christians have associated loyalty to their nation (or nationality) with loyalty to God. “Christianity and Patriotism are synonymous terms,” said evangelist Billy Sunday, “and hell and traitors are synonymous.” Thus, one of America's most effective evangelists fell into the trap of confusing the Christian faith with the religion of American patriotism.
Paul does not encourage this type of patriotism in his writings. In I Peter 2:11, while urging civil obedience, he refers to believers as “aliens and strangers” in an ungodly world. He understood that the Christian's citizenship is in heaven, not among the countries of the earth. We serve (and are loyal to) the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. No other allegiance is as important as our commitment to God. I, too, am proud of the United States and I fight for just causes that affect our LIBERTY AND FREEDOM. However, I also remember being extremely proud of my high school. As I cheered for our football team, I honestly felt that there was not a school in the entire world that was better than mine. When I entered college, I realized that all high schools are basically very similar. None are worthy of being elevated to a “supreme school” status. Perhaps this is the way it will be when we enter Heaven. We may feel blessed for living in America, but I doubt that we will feel any patriotic allegiance when we realize that our true commitment has belonged to God all the time.
