Christian Patriotism?

By Dr. Kevin Garrett

If you are a Christian who is a citizen of the United States, you hold dual citizenship. Have you ever considered yourself as a dual citizen? You’re a citizen of the U.S., but you’re also a citizen of the Kingdom of God.

In these difficult times, we definitely follow Romans 13:1, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God,” therefore, we must ultimately answer to a higher authority as we reside here and in the hereafter.

As believers, we must live in light of eternity. We must also view this world through the lens of God’s Word. Regarding dual citizenship, we must always realize the difference between temporary and permanent residence. In light of the current discourse within our nation, the July 4th celebration was bitter-sweet for many people during the pandemic. Some found it hard to celebrate freedom in a climate of emotional lockdown. Thankfully, “we the people” is actually secondary to “we, God’s people.” There is hope.

How does allegiance to both nation and Kingdom look? In Luke 19, Jesus was entering Jerusalem. This was the Triumphal Entry. When he approached the city, he wept over it. He knew Jerusalem had rejected Him. He loved the people. He knew the city’s impending destruction. He loved God’s chosen people of Israel.

Jesus also knew, more than any of us realize, there was a greater citizenship. Although He loved Israel, his first and foremost allegiance was to God’s Kingdom. He chose to stay on mission for the Kingdom while a citizen of Israel. He chose to love both. His love for Israel never wavered in the midst of his love for God’s Kingdom. Earlier, in Luke 13:34, Jesus said, “How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under wings, and you were not willing!”

We are “we the people.” We are “we, God’s people.” We are, however, “we the people” during our temporary time on earth. We are God’s people for eternity. As such, we are called to be a godly influence on our beloved nation and our world. We are to be salt and light. We are not called to cower down and apologize for wanting good for our nation. What is good? God and His righteousness are good. His ways are always good. We should love everyone in our nation and desire God’s richest blessings for them. Instead of bashing our nation and those within it, instead of commenting harshly and angrily on social media and elsewhere, instead of declaring what Christians should stand against, we should love our nation and seek to infuse it with God.

We should love everyone and value the dignity of all people. All human life is sacred. We should promote that which displays love for all people. We know that God created all people in His image. We are to value the lives of every human being from conception to natural death. Additionally, freedom, and the responsibility that comes with it, are taught in healthy homes. We should value family. God established the family. God saw that it was good. We should do our best to promote the family. All children are valuable. Children should be safeguarded and viewed as blessings.

Romans 13:1f. says that God established governing authorities and we are to be subject to them, but we also understand that true freedom is maintained when a free church resides in a free state. We should value religious liberty. We believe that a free church in a free state is ideal, meaning that the state does not dictate how we worship and believers’ influence is not banned from informing and influencing the government. We should pray for our leaders. We should want God’s best for them. We should pray for them to make wise decisions. We should exercise our right to vote, influence decisions, and even seek office. Perhaps even more believers should answer the call to be influencers in our nation and even seek office.

We should value peace with all men. We, as believers, should not demonize, demoralize, or run down those with whom we disagree, but practice exemplary representation of the Savior we follow and do our part to promote peace. We should create, incubate, and maintain peace. It is our responsibility. Our battle is not with other people, but “against the spiritual forces of evil in all the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

We should honor authorities, respect authorities, and be active participants in the governmental processes of this nation. We should represent our godly beliefs in public and vote for the policies and people who most closely represent these beliefs. The human expression of authority “of the people, by the people, and for the people” lies within the people. We are the people, we are God’s people. We must love our dual citizenship, seeking God’s best from His Kingdom for our nation.

Dr. Kevin Garrett has served the Lord through ministry for over thirty years. He holds a BS in Education and an MA in Music. He also holds an MDiv, DMin from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, with specializations in church health and next generation ministries. He and his wife, Tina, joyfully serve as pastor of First Baptist Church of Atmore, AL. They have two sons, Geoffrey and Nelson, and one daughter-in-love, Brooke, all of whom are active and serving in their churches in north Alabama. They adore their grandchildren! Read more about David, by visiting his website.

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