Christians & Nations & Their Relations

Christians are having a lively debate discussing what kind of relationship they should have with the state or with the nations in which they live. On one side you have those who claim that the only nation a Christian belongs to is their spiritual nation, the universal church. They minimize familial, social, and ethnic connections. To them, nationalism itself should be avoided because it leads to arrogance if not aggression against other nations. To them, a Christian’s identity is made up solely by their direct relationship to God, their participation in the great commission, and their affiliation with the church. They say that they have more in common with another Christian who lives on the other side of the world than their next door neighbor.

On the other side are those who call for Christians to enact laws in the land of their birth and enforce them strictly. They support political leaders who are willing to coerce nonbelievers into living according to Biblical morality. They minimize the relational connection that people can feel for others who don’t share the same culture. To them, nationalism is an aspect of nature that no one can completely avoid. To them, a Christian’s identity is heavily determined by the people group they were born into, where they live geographically, and in what era of time they live. They say that they have more in common with their unbelieving neighbor than with a Christian that lives on the other side of the world.

Let us first consult what the Bible says about nations, as it is always our first foundation. A good starting place to learn about nations is 1 Peter 2. Peter starts the very beginning of his letter calling believers in Jesus, “aliens, scattered”. His language denotes how we are in a very important sense separated and isolated from the world. He follows that up later in the letter describing the new entity God created out of those scattered aliens.

1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God.”

Observe that God took those who were scattered and created a new identity for them, unifying them. He uses the same language normally used to describe earthly people groups: race, nation, and people. Race emphasizes a group that shares the same familial ancestors. Nation refers to a larger group emphasizing those who live in the same geographical area. The word, people, then emphasizes the common language and culture of the people.

Peter takes these very earthly concepts and gives them a spiritual meaning. All Christians are adopted into God’s family through faith. We live together in God’s presence. You could also say that the local church is the physical location Christians share, even though churches are dispersed all over the world. Although, Christians speak many different languages, we share common culture through universal moral values, teach the same theological concepts, and participate in the same ordinances. Christians truly do make up their own nation which is distributed across all ethnic nations around the world. Similarly, the apostle Paul states in Philippians 3 that those who believe in Jesus are citizens of this heavenly nation.

Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

With this statement Paul shows that our most important identity is being a part of the church, heavenly citizens of a holy nation. Jesus explains in the gospels that our highest allegiance must be placed on Him even over our natural families.

At the same time, we shouldn’t forget Murray Rothbard’s keen observation of reality.

“They forget that everyone is necessarily born into a family, a language, and a culture. Every person is born into one or several overlapping communities, usually including an ethnic group, with specific values, cultures, religious beliefs, and traditions. He is generally born into a “country.” He is always born into a specific historical context of time and place, meaning neighborhood and land area.”

No one ceases to be a member of their family, city, or country simply by having faith in Christ. Although a person’s relationships to those things do change and his loyalties do shift the moment he first believes. The apostle Paul is a great example for how to stand with a foot planted in both nations. To start, go back and read the Philippians verse. Paul identifies his heavenly citizenship as most important. Earlier in the chapter he states that his most valuable identity is in Christ not in his ethnicity or personal accomplishments. Yet, he also identifies himself legally as a Roman citizen and uses his privileges as a Roman in Acts. Here are a few examples.

Acts 16:37-38: “But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us in public without trial, men who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out.” The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.”

Acts 22:25-29: “But when they stretched him out with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?” When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and told him, saying, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.” The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” And he said, “Yes.” The commander answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” And Paul said, “But I was actually born a citizen.” Therefore those who were about to examine him immediately let go of him; and the commander also was afraid when he found out that he was a Roman,”

It is clear from reading the passages above that Paul did not renounce his Roman citizenship or cease to identify himself as one when he became a Christian. Ethnically he was Jewish, and he maintained a deep affection for his Jewish nationality. See the passages below.

Romans 9:2-4: “that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises”

Romans 10:1-2 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.”

Romans 11:14: “if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.”

Romans 11:28-29″ “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

The Book of Revelation also describes people by their national identities. Chapter 7 describes the heavenly throne room of God. The crowd worshiping God is “a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” All of these people are Christians yet they retain their national distinctions. Chapter 21 demonstrates that nations will still exist in the eternal state

Revelation 21:24, 26 “The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. … and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it”

During the time frame the apostle John is writing about, everyone is a Christian. These are all citizens of heaven or in this passage the New Earth, yet their ethnic nationality hasn’t been eliminated. The last chapter of the Bible explains why.

Revelation 22:2: “On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Jesus doesn’t eradicate nations. He heals them. Taking all of this together, it should be clear that Christians possess a dual citizenship. Dual citizenship doesn’t mean dual loyalty. There is no tension between the two. A believer’s earthly identity must remain subordinate to his heavenly identity. In most cases, there is no conflict, in order to be a good earthly citizen you must be a good heavenly citizen.

However, when the demands of earth and heaven diverge, there is no question about what to do. Obey God and disobey men. Ignore men and listen carefully to God. Reject the teaching of the world. Study and teach the word of God. There are many clear examples of this throughout the Bible. When posed with such a dilemma, those who believe in God disobey the laws of their nation to obey God. When they do that, they are proclaiming that their heavenly citizenship rules over their ethnic citizenship, but it does not consume it.  One way that God heals nations and clarifies how to obey God in our earthly nations is by removing the enmity between them and giving them a common identity in Christ.  Paul talks about this unity of the nations in Galatians 3:28-29.

Galatians 3:28-29: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

The prophet Jeremiah teaches how these dual citizenships relate to one another. When Judah was exiled in Babylon, he gave them instructions from God. The principle found within these instructions can be applied in today’s context.

Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf;for in its welfare you will have welfare.”

Heavenly citizens should seek the benefit of the city or land they live in. In other words, Christians should be a blessing to their earthly nations. We do that by giving them examples of self-control and wisdom, following the moral law of God, living according to our conscience before God, and preaching the gospel. The greatest blessing is to share our heavenly citizenship with more and more of our fellow countrymen in the flesh. Christians can also be a blessing to their earthly nation by being involved in civil and political organizations. Can any Christian honestly disagree with 19th Century English pastor Charles Spurgeon?

“I often hear it said, “Do not bring religion into politics.” This is precisely where it ought to be brought and set there in the face of all men as on a candlestick! I would have the Cabinet and the Members of Parliament do the work of the nation as before the Lord and I would have the nation, either in making war or peace, consider the matter by the light of righteousness.” – Charles Spurgeon

If political leaders did their work in devotion to the Lord, there would undoubtedly be more peace and less war. Charles Spurgeon also states that Christian influence over government produces liberty.

“I think worldly men ought to be told that if religion does not save them, yet it has done much for them—that the influence of religion has won them their liberties.” – Charles Spurgeon

Spurgeon is correct. Christian political theology developed through church history to produce liberty. It is a necessary ingredient for liberty and it directly leads governance towards it.

The Christian concept of natural law is related and demands liberty as well. According to natural law, individuals must be free to follow their own conscience and personality to pursue a good life. It also explains the guardrails of acceptable thought and human action. It adds virtue to libertarianism. Natural rights theory was deduced by Christians thinking about how individual freedom should be protected, so that people can live according to natural law. This is why natural rights became the underpinning of Western legal systems until their fall in the 20th century.

In order for liberty to increase in nations today, they must rediscover the importance of natural law and natural rights. The best way to make this happen is for Christians to grow in number and influence within their respective earthly nations. Following that, those nations will more consistently agree with Christians on issues of morality, philosophy, justice, and governance. Francis Schaeffer called this “a Christian consensus.” When you have it, there is both liberty and order. Without it, societal order dwindles. Crime and moral degradation increase. To combat the disorder, the government abridges political liberty. The only way back to liberty is to rebuild societal order, and for that the church must rebuild a Christian consensus somehow. Christian libertarians more than anyone else understand what must be done to heal the nations. We also understand how the unintended consequences of policies which look attractive at the start can lead to tyranny. Biblical and libertarian principles are the most fertile ground from which liberty and order can grow.