Biblical Patriotism

Yesterday, here in the United States, we celebrated the 247th anniversary of our nation’s founding. My family and I attended a small town 4th of July parade, with firetrucks and veterans and parade floats of all kinds—the quintessential way to honor our nation’s birth.

Lately, I have been thinking much about the United States, particularly what has made it great. Leading up to Memorial Day, I wanted to enter into the commemoration of that event by gaining a better understanding of the sacrifice so many men and women have made and continue to make to secure our freedoms, so I watched Ken Burns’ masterful multi-episode documentary on the Second World War, simply entitled "The War." 

That documentary led me to Tom Brokaw’s 1998 book, The Greatest Generation, a book I highly recommend. It features stories of men and women, who came of age during the Great Depression and the War years.

Both Burns’ documentary and Brokaw’s book had a proud effect on me. I was struck by the way the nation came together at that time to fight a common foe. Things were not perfect—Americans of African, Japanese, and Mexican descent were treated unjustly, in many instances; but they all pitched in to fight injustice overseas before returning home to fight injustice here.

Then, I moved on to the works of one of my favorite writers, David McCullough. (He’s known for being an historian, but he’s really a writer first). His book Brave Companions highlights the lives of Americans, of various degrees of fame, who nonetheless made America a better place to live because of their particular contributions to the life of the nation.

The sum total of all these things—the documentary and two books—the sum total of how I felt about them, how I feel about them now, is two-fold: I feel a tremendous pride in my nation—in what our people have accomplished, in how America and Americans have changed the world for good, in our legacy and the rich heritage that is every American’s.

But I also feel a sort of depression, because as I look at America’s past and compare it to America’s recent past and present, it seems like a totally different place. The legislation we have enacted, the attitude of our people toward American institutions and the country itself—it all seems contrary to the nation of the past, the ideals we champion.

And then there is the matter of being a dispensationalist. I am one, and I hope you are, too. 

As a Christian, I have an extremely dim view of human nature, and as a dispensationalist I have an only slightly less dim view of the Church’s ability to transform society. Indeed, that is not our job. Rather, our job is to go into all the world and to make disciples of every nation.

But as a dispensationalist, I also recognize that the only ethnic people or country that stars in God’s story of redemption is Israel. Despite what some T.V. preachers may say, I see no shining role for the United States in Scripture. In spite of our grand history and historic friendship to the Jewish people, we are counted among the goyim—the nations—those who rage against the LORD and against His anointed (Psalm 2).

So, as Christian Americans, what should be our attitude toward our country? I’d like to suggest that the Scriptures teach 4 primary responses the believer should have as it concerns patriotism…

Thank God for Your Nation
As Christians, we believe in the sovereignty of God. He makes no mistakes and He orchestrates all things to conform to His will. In Ephesians 1:11, Paul reminds us that God is the One “who works all things after the counsel of His will.” It is no mistake that we live where we do, when we do.

No matter where we live, then, we can thank God that He caused us to be citizens of our particular nation; and we should thank Him for our nation.

This does not mean that we enjoy all of the aspects of the place where we live, especially as it concerns policies and practices the governments enact or support. But Romans 13 reminds us that the governments we have are given to us as a gift from God to restrain evil:

13 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

All of our governments are imperfect—some more than others. But we can thank God for giving them to us to restrain evil, and we can ask Him to help us to graciously submit ourselves to the authorities over us.

In Christian circles, it is easy (and is often the norm) to bemoan the problems we see in our nation. We would do well to spend as much time reminding each other of the blessings we have in our particular countries and thanking God for placing us there, in His sovereignty.

Seek the Welfare of Your Nation
When God sent Israel into the Babylonian Captivity, God had Jeremiah write to the exiles a letter of encouragement (Jer. 29:4-7)--

4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. 6 Take wives and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may bear sons and daughters—that you may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace.

This, of course, was given to Israel, not the Church. But the principle applies to believers today and is reiterated in 1 Timothy 2--

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

As believers, we are to seek the welfare of our nation by praying and giving thanks for our leaders— “for kings and all who are in authority”. Why should we pray for these people? 

First, so “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Persecution, not Western freedom, has been the norm for Christians throughout history. But all of them have had as their goal a quiet and peaceable life lived in godliness and reverence. This is strikingly similar to God’s description of what exilic life was to be for the Jewish people during the Captivity.

Second, it is because God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The example of believers, who seek the welfare of their nation will be a testimony to the unsaved world.
Christians ought to be the best citizens a nation has. This might mean that we:

• Serve as poll workers
• Volunteer to serve on committees and boards when the need arises
• Many churches adopt-a-highway or open their doors to serve as voting precincts and for blood donation centers

Pray for Our Nation & Its Leaders
Many of my Jewish friends pray for the nation’s leaders and our government each Shabbat. In the Talmud, Rabbi Chanina teaches: “Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive.”

As I just read from 1 Timothy 2, God commands believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to pray for our nation’s leaders.

In 1 Peter, too, we are commanded to honor our government and its leaders--

2:13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

What might we pray for our leaders?

• That they would come to faith in the Lord
• That they would govern wisely, so that we might live peaceable lives.
• That God’s interests would be their interests.

This might bring to mind King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who the Lord humbled greatly. In Daniel 4, we read Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony--

34 And at the end of the time [of insanity] I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever:

For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35 All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing;
He does according to His will in the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of the earth.
No one can restrain His hand
Or say to Him, “What have You done?”

36 At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

The Lord is able to save all people, even our political leaders. In The Preacher and the Presidents, Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy write about the ministry Billy Graham had to the nation’s presidents, from Harry Truman to George W. Bush. Some of these men, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, placed their trust in Christ, because of Billy Graham’s witness.

Look For A City
At the end of the day, though, we must remember that America is not our eternal home.
In Hebrews 11, God tells us that Abraham, to whom God gave the promised land, looked ultimately to the future--

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

This is our calling, too. Yes, we should thank God for our nation. Yes, we should seek our nation’s welfare. Yes, we should pray for our nation’s leaders. We should celebrate our nation’s victories and the complex, often beautiful, histories we have. 

Our hope, however, must never be in the survival and welfare of our nations. Our walk with the Lord must never be tied up with our national identity and patriotism. That is idolatry.
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Rather, we, like Abraham, should be waiting “for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” With that as our ultimate destination, patriotism, here on Earth, will fall into place and will help us to become better citizens and ambassadors for Him.