Christian Nationalism

 This topic can become quite a lengthy one to discuss but this post will be shorter and more wave-top in nature. I was given the question recently, "Do you ever feel like scripture/christian communities are being manipulated to achieve political/economic goals?" Within this question was an attached article titled, "Opinion / What Christian Nationalism has done to my state and my faith is a sin". Now I do not have a subscription to the NY Times where that article was posted, so my response lacks a considerable amount of context from the perspective of the questioner, but my response will be to christian nationalism more broadly in the context of the question presented. 

First, saying you are a christian does not make you one. Many people involved in what is commonly labeled 'christian nationalism' are not in-fact christians but rather secularists who give lip-service to the faith. In Matthew we read that many who claim to be Christians will cry out to the Lord and he will say, 'depart from me you workers of lawlessness for I never knew you' Matthew 7:21-23 

So how is a Christian identified as such? By his fruits. A couple of verses earlier in Matthew we read that "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit... Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Matthew 7:18-20

Let's take this a step further.. what are these fruits? There are numerous places in scripture that we could point to, but I'll just specifically look at Galatians chapter 5 verses 22-25 : "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

So this fruit sets us as Christians apart from the rest of the world. We read this in Ephesians where the conduct of the 'New Man' is discussed, "You should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.. If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him.. put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:17-24

You are not a Christian just because you say you are. Christians look different from the rest of the World, you can identify them by their fruits, their actions. So my first point is that there needs to be an understanding that not everyone who is involved in the 'christian nationalism' movement is indeed a christian. You cannot take their word for it. 

Are these people mentioned above most likely using scripture for political or economic gain? I would say most likely yes. But in Vain they worship God, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men - Matthew 15:9

Do I pray for our Nation to not become, but return to a Christian Nation? Yes I do. 

Political and economic 'gains' are not mutually exclusive from true Christians either. The Christian faith is indeed one of world conquest. In Matthew 28 Jesus states that ALL authority has been given to him in heaven and on earth, and commands his disciples to "Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you." This making of disciples is not done through political coercion at the state level, but by faithful christians extending their radius of fruitfulness to reach every nation, reaching even to politicians, yes. 

Many serve the Republican Party first and foremost, many serve their affiliations and worldy identifiers/allegiances first and foremost - If any of those are served above God and served above the submission to all of Scripture, yes all of it, even that part that says wives submit to your husbands, or that part where Paul says women should not teach in the church, or that sticky verse that calls us to love our enemies as ourselves, then they serve a different master than Christ. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked - Galations 6:1. Lip-service may work with men, but it does not with the God of all creation. 

Definitions are extremely important, especially in this topic. The first one we've already identified is the definition of what a Christian is in the first place.  The old bumper sticker "God said it - I believe it - That settles it" is wrong. It was settled before you believed it, and you believing it has nothing to do with its truth. The correct order of that phrase is "God said it - That settles it - I believe it" 

All of that before even beginning to define "Christian Nationalism" - That would be the next term requiring a solid definition. 

So in final answer to the original question. Yes many people abuse the faith and scripture for their own personal or political gain - but we must be careful not not lump in those who say they are christians, with those who actually are christians. True christians do pray for the day that every nation would bow and confess Jesus as Lord - and that will look a lot like what people call "Christian Nationalism". - Just without the lanterns and pitchforks.