The Christian Citizen

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July and were able to celebrate with family and/or close friends. I'm sure most who read this blog spent time on Sunday morning at church. If your church is like mine, you probably enjoyed some patriotic songs during the worship service. I've always been a bit hesitant about singing "God bless America" in church, not because I don't love my country. There's no other place I would rather live. My reasons depend more on the history of the church. For example, I can't imagine this taking place in the 1st Century church under the rule of the Roman Empire or during the Middle Ages, as Luther wouldn't have spent time in church singing for God to bless the German state or Calvin to bless the Swiss/French state. Their focus in church was on Christ and singing and exalting him, not a secular state however Christlike that state may be. No doubt our nation's values at times align very strongly with Judeo-Christian values and many of our founding fathers were Christians (although many were Deists as well). I just prefer to think about Christ at church, and the nation I dearly love while watching fireworks or a special on the history channel.

I did, however, really enjoy spending time thinking about the perspective Christians should have towards their government. I've come to the conclusion that Christians (I use that word to describe those who have believed in Christ and are seeking to follow Him with their lives), more than any other religious group or block in this country, should be appreciative of the freedoms we have as citizens of the United States. Here are my reasons;

1. Christians have a connection to individuals of other nations Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that there is one Body of Christ, and all who have believed in Christ are united together. As a result, God does not see many different churches, but One. The Spirit connects us to those who live in Africa or Asia, as we are one Body with them, indwelt by one Spirit who share one calling. Paul elsewhere uses the image of a family to describe the relationships we are to have with fellow believers. In light of this truth, we are united with brothers and sisters in Saudia Arabia or China who experience grave persecution because of their faith in Christ. We also have family members in Vietnam singing with whispers in apartments in fear that the secret police may find them and arrest them because they confess Jesus as Lord. The blood that unites us as family is not that which flows through our veins, but the blood that was shed for us at the cross as our Lord offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Across the world millions of Christians do not enjoy the freedom to worship Christ openly and without fear of repercussion as we do here in the United States. Should we not be thankful for our country and the freedoms it provides to us in view of the situation many of our brothers and sisters in Christ find themselves in on the other side of the globe?
2. Christians have a connection to individuals in the past. Our churches can never forget our spiritual heritage as a small band of Jewish fishermen, dedicated to the cause of a carpenter, were able to overthrow the Roman Empire. Christianity became the official religion of the Empire in less than three hundred years. In those first two centuries it was a religion persecuted as Nero charged the Christians with setting Rome on fire, or later when Christians were thrown to the lions or used as street lamps. The Church father Tertullian saw this persecution not as a wholly negative experience as he said, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." Our spiritual fathers in the Roman Empire, in France, in Moravia, in England were persecuted for their faith and were not given the freedom to worship the Lord openly without fear of death or persecution. Calvin said the church is the spiritual body of all believers of all time. In essence, the Holy Spirit unites us with those believers who have come before us, just as it does with those who currently live on different continents presently. We have a connection to our spiritual ancestors unlike any other belief system offers. Can an atheist fully appreciate the freedoms they possess here in the United States without any connection to those who have come before them?
3. Spiritual Freedom allows us to fully enjoy National Freedom. Those who have believed in Christ have been set free spiritually from the Law, the power of sin, and death. The book of Galatians was written to remind believers of those freedoms and to exhort them to greater faithfulness in light of such freedom. You've probably heard it said, "freedom isn't free." This past Sunday in church we also observed the Lord's Supper. I spent a great deal of time thinking about the high cost that Christ paid to set me free. He left the glories of heaven, came to this earth, lived a perfect life, died a death He didn't deserve, rose victoriously on the third day, and ascended to heaven to the right hand of the Father. All of this He did to set me free. His love and mercy leave me speechless and humbled. I don't think we can express our appreciation for such undeserved love. At the same time, this sacrifice for my freedom changes my perspective. All of a sudden having experienced spiritual freedom and new life in Christ, I can fully comprehend the depths and cost that freedom demands. I understand that great sacrifice and selflessness are required for freedom to be gained. I know this not because I have made that type of sacrifice, but only because I have reaped the benefits of One who did. Having reflected on the spiritual freedom that Christ purchased for me, it gives me a greater appreciation for the sacrifice and selflessness that our servicemen and women display in order to provide me with national freedom. They are examples of Jesus' statement, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."

Christians should love their country, not because its perfect or God's kingdom on earth, but because of the many freedoms we enjoy that others do not. We also should be ever grateful to those who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedoms, knowing their sacrifice has, in some small way modeled that of Christ's.