Church and nation: A guide to Christian political theology
This is a series of links to articles here that tackle various issues related to politics, government, and Christian nationalism.
These aren’t written from a political standpoint, but they discuss Biblical and spiritual principles that should govern how Christians participate in politics and think about topics like power, winning, and the place of nations in God’s plans. A few of them address Scriptures that are commonly misapplied to America.
The differences between politics and Christianity
Many Christians are obsessed with politics, which is strange and disheartening, since politics and Christianity are such starkly different realms.
The absolute, universal, inevitable corruption of power
The axiom “power corrupts” has been fulfilled throughout Scripture and history, even in God’s people. Why, then, do Christians still crave the world’s power, when we have an infinitely and eternally superior power working through us?
When God’s people wanted a strongman to fight for them
There was a time when God’s people wanted a strongman to fight for them, and for their country to be great like the other nations of the world. God was not pleased with their desire for power.
Why God no longer works through nation-states
One of the more stark differences we see from the Old Testament to the New is that God stopped advancing His people through the political power and force of earthly nations. Why do we still seek that, then?
Can a nation be saved? What Jesus sent us to ‘disciple’
Some Christians believe “make disciples of all the nations” means Christianizing countries. Let’s break down the Great Commission in Matthew to see what Jesus meant.
How Christ undoes Babel: The nations through the Bible
Yes, God created the nations. No, we shouldn’t just ignore our nationality. But in Christ, from all nations He created a new nation, one without borders, that finds its identity in Him, a unity that transcends earthly nations.
How Jesus reacted to an oppressive, godless regime
Imagine your most hated enemies slaughtering your countrymen. Would you want to fight? That happened in Jesus’ time, and His reaction was, you’re no better.
Holiness is more important to God than victory
The way some Christians talk, you’d think the highest priority for the church is defeating our political and cultural enemies. Winning. Let’s search the Scriptures to see what God’s priority is.
Winning in the Bible: God defines it differently than us
Some Christians use the word “winning” a lot, often in a political or cultural context. But in the Bible, victory often doesn't look like what we think it does.
Many Christians want power and winning; God wants losers
Many Christians long for the church to have the world’s power and strength. They want “winning.” But in 1 Corinthians 1, God tells us what kind of Christians He’s looking for: weak, lowly, and foolish.
How the Lord’s enemies are made His footstool
Many Scriptures say that the Lord’s enemies will be made His footstool. Christians often disagree about what that means. Let’s unpack the psalm where that phrase originates.
America cannot be ‘the nation whose God is the Lord’
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” is a Bible verse frequently applied to America, but you only need to look at the second half of Psalm 33:12 to see that it can’t be about that.
‘Heal our land’ doesn’t mean America, in this life
2 Chronicles 7:14, with its conditional promise for “My people who are called by My name” to “heal their land,” is often applied to Christians and America. But its context puts that into question, and raises another one: Do we even have a land?
Why do we want another David? He was a failure
Some Christians defend a certain politician by saying “King David was a sinner, too!” But David's sins had disastrous consequences not just for him, but for his nation. We shouldn't want another David, and we don't need another David.
Yes, Joe Biden’s presidency is the will of God
The Speaker of the House said that Joe Biden’s presidency is God’s will. That claim is shocking to a lot of Christians, but in light of multiple Biblical examples of God raising up wicked rulers, it shouldn’t be.
America, Moses, and the Red Sea: Hijacking the OT
House Speaker Mike Johnson said God wants him to be a “Moses” who will lead America through “a Red Sea moment.” Do we really want that, considering what happened after the Red Sea?
Why partiality may be the most pervasive sin among Christians
Whether it’s related to politics, celebrities or family, many Christians show partiality even though it’s widely condemned in the Bible. See how.
