Patriotism and Jesus Christ

American Patriotism and Loyalty to Jesus Christ

"You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. -Jesus Christ (Mat 5:38-48 NASB)

  Who can blame American-Christians for some confusion as to how to place our subjection to governments of this world within the full picture of God's faithful government called for in the Gospel and presented in the New Testament.  I would like to commit to writing a prayerful and full-orbed Bible Study on "How Submission to Jesus Includes Being Subjected to the Satan-Promoted-Authorities of this Passing Age."  I hope such a study would answer any suspected contradictions between selected passages such as Romans 13:1-7 or 1Peter 2:13-17 over against the Gospel and the NT political world-view. But before getting to that may I mention  here one deficiency that may be clouding our view.   
  We Americans, after all, have grown up with in a culture which has taught us to place a white hat or a black hat on governments judged by our own human standard (maybe even borrowing this or that from somewhere in the Bible).  And then we have been taught to support the execution of our collective wrath, applying the name of God presumptuously to our actions and judgments. Note, ours is a culture which celebrates armed rebellion and (white hat) war as an essential virtue. Evidence is seen in July 4th celebration of the American Revolution. Whereas the Jewish people of Jesus' time, to whom he was sent by God, celebrated God's ability to deliver apart from armed rebellion (passover/exodus) and their cultural identity had been stamped by God with the heavy impression of the Exile -explicitly teaching patient endurance of pagan government even at great cultural expense and personal harm. What an extraordinary difference! This completely contrary difference between the cultural consciousness of the world into which Jesus and the New Testament came, compared with the cultural consciousness into which you  and I were born. They understood pagan government, under which they were subject and suffered, as a temporary tribulation resulting from God's ancient judgement on this evil age. They had this concept of God explicitly commanding them, to pray for peace, to tend their own business, and to WAIT on God who would soon enough not simply point out evil according to the true standard, but with condemnation and personal violence, judge the governors for their own evil behavior. Israel, having been taught by the prophets of God, had, and should have had, the concept.  

  This understanding of subjection and patient waiting on God to execute wrath was absolutely necessary for a people who would like to do the will of God. Not unlike them, Christians today who happen to live in America also ought to be trained. Worship and our mission belong to God.
  Because of a judgement,the sword (blood and strangling force) temporarily belong to states whose allegiance and equipping are from Satan though they are ultimately used by God for his overall purpose. Grace and truth have been realized in front of us by our prophet, Jesus Christ. We should be trained by him rather than by the "fathers" of America.

patriot from patrios "of one's fathers," patris "fatherland," from pater (genitive patros) "father"

Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to His disciples, saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them. "They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger. "But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. "They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. "But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. "Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. "Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. "But the greatest among you shall be your servant. (Mat 23:1-11 NASB)

Three steps toward perfect Justice.

Am I ready for the Justice of God?

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. "He will not cry out or raise His voice, Nor make His voice heard in the street. "A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. "He will not be disheartened or crushed Until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law."
(Isa 42:1-4 NASB)

• Step 1 in perfect justice: let he who would be human, identify with the guilty.

...and they were being baptized by [John the
Baptist] in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. 

(Mat 3:6 NASB)

Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all [justice]." Then he *permitted Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Mat 3:13-17 NASB)

• Step 2: let God define the law of the just human.

"You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. "If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. "Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. 

(Mat 5:38-48 NASB) 

• Step 3 Allow  God to be the one who weighs the human in the scales of perfect justice.

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 

(Mat 7:1-2 NASB)

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. "BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom 12:14-21 NASB)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Gal 5:25 NASB)

"For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. (Mat 16:27 NASB)

A thought on celebrating the day.

Baby Jesus isn’t a baby anymore and he will soon return to judge the world in righteousness. The Religio-cultural holiday calendar is an attempt of the world to domesticate time but God in Christ has judged the world system and its authority and found it wanting. Its pretensions are in vain. The world system perpetuates the lie that creation’s  crown jewel  –mankind can not only exist but  even enjoy creation in the position of ruler and steward…enjoying it without first and foremost enjoying communion with the Creator.  Every Christian, however, is bequeathed an instrument by which he or she can strip away from the soul all clouding elements but the one essential –communion with the God. The cross is the instrument by which the world judges God and God judges the world and the follower of God judges the remaining worldliness in his own heart.

The Cycles of the world’s calendar do very little to control time. The world system can do little to make time or any other created thing its ally in the final effort against the word of God. God has judged the world and its calendar-making-authority. The cycles will not overcome the linear advance toward the great and terrible day of the LORD. Really the only day coming that is of substance on God’s timetable is the day and hour of Jesus Christ, when he will  come with the holy angels in fiery judgment burning away the chaff so that all will know our fidelity to God was the one thing. With this truth in view, every gathering of believers in the fellowship of their communal meal is a proclamation of his death until he comes again. Why “his death”? His death is a declaration of judgment. You see our systems of religious and civil power presumed to put Jesus under their judgment. In their act of judging Jesus as unworthy of life, God was judging them. They have been made small in remaining usefulness. In remembering the Lord’s death we remember that the world and its authority, even its calendar-making-authority have already been judged.  So, follower of Jesus, continue a little longer in the world but know in your heart you are not of it.  happy sunday and merry christmas.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. (Matthew 16:24-27 NASB)

 But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31 NASB)

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? You observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.(Galatians 4:9-11 NASB)

'He will speak out against the Most High and wear down the saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make alterations in times and in law; and they will be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. 'But the court will sit for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever. 'Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him.' (Daniel 7:25-27 NASB)

 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

(1 Corinthians 11:26 NASB)