I’ve been enjoying Wayne Grudem’s Politics – According to the Bible because I’m a generally unengaged and inactive political citizen in need of much reform. He discusses patriotism and how Christians should act in light of celebrating their nation–something I’ve wrestled with. Can I celebrate America while wanting to make disciples of all nations?
I love America. I think it’s one of the greatest nations on the planet. We enjoy many freedoms, our enterprising nature has done boatloads of good for the world, we created the iPhone and we have the amazing convenience of Amazon Prime–and that’s just off the top of my head.
So, America is pretty great. But should we bleed red, white and blue? Should we enjoy firework displays and suffer through God Bless the USA for the 100th time with smiles plastered to our faces? Should I simply go on without a celebration or should I get a bald eagle wrapped in Old Glory tattooed across my back?
Thanks to the Bible and Grudem’s persuasion, patriotism gets a big thumbs up from me.
Here are a few cases (mostly paraphrased from Grudem and interjected with my own thoughts and rationale) for rejoicing in the nation God has given us.
God created nations.
Nations weren’t a creation of man, but of God.
In Acts 17:26, the Bible says,
And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place
God created nations and their borders and boundaries and he knows when certain nations will merge or divide or cease to exist altogether.
On top of that, God has ordained that all nations will be blessed in Genesis 22:18, “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
This is first promised to Abraham, but ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, the nation uniter and redeemer. God created nations, and one day all people from all nations will worship him (but more on that shortly).
Patriotism displays gratitude.
I’m incredibly grateful for all that we have as Americans. Patriotism, in general, enables us to thank God for the country he has sovereignly placed us in.
But what about when countries do unjust things? What about countries who have committed genocide and other atrocities? Grudem has a suggestion–instead of being anti-patriotic, we should highlight the good our country has done and yet not neglect mentioning the wrong.
Rather than sharing in gratitude for the benefits provided by the country and pride in the good things it has done, those opposed to patriotism will repeatedly emphasize any negative aspect of the country’s actions, no matter how ancient or how minor compared with the whole of its history.
So, a simple formula for those living in countries with a history of wrongdoing (or even current issues where you may think your country is missing the boat) is, “I love my nation and I’m proud of [fill in the blank], but I am deeply saddened / grieved / disappointed by the evils we’ve allowed / encouraged / sanctioned through [fill in the blank].”
I understand that could be considered a gross oversimplification with respect to the complexities of nations and their good and evil divide, but it’s a start.
A separation of power in the form of nations is a good thing.
Grudem says of nations:
[T]hey divide and disperse government power throughout the earth. In this way they prevent the rule of any one worldwide dictator, which would be more horrible than any single evil government, both because it would affect everyone on earth and because there would be no other nation that could challenge it.
As the adage goes, “Power corrupts. Absolutely power corrupts absolutely.” World power being split among nations is in the best interest of humanity, functioning as a world system of checks and balances.
I’m a fan of democracy because I knows the sinfulness of the human heart–when one leader is fully in charge, only God knows the evils possible. Spreading power among elected officials enables citizens to check corrupt government officers. Shared governance is the best option in a fallen world.
Nations hold individuals accountable.
Power being split among nations is good because it (hopefully) reduces corrupt officials and potential world-dominating dictatorships, but it also holds citizens more accountable.
When power is centralized and hierarchical, (in other words, if there were no local or state governments in the case of America, or only one world government with little local influence or leadership) we tend to rebel because of a lack of voice, feeling misunderstood, and limited personal accountability.
Democratic nations, specifically, enable communities to emphasize and enforce what they value, and humans are much more likely to be accountable to communities they feel connected and bound, rather than far away government that citizens feel disconnected from.
Nations, because of their localization, adapt to cultures and values, enabling different cultures to emphasize what is most important and give citizens a stake in their governance. And humans acting in a godly ways (even if they aren’t followers of Jesus), is far better than humans acting in fully ungodly ways.
Good, just nations should be celebrated.
We should encourage countries that govern in a way that brings God glory, enables human flourishing, and provides citizens the freedom to enjoy what God has given us.
America, in the midst of its shortcomings, is one of those countries. While things are changing (some would say for better, others for worse), the US stands as one of the greatest examples of a successful shared government in the history of the world. It’s the longest standing democracy, we’re looked to (again, for better or worse) as the World Police, and we value justice. Those are things worth celebrating.
Nations will never melt away.
Revelation 7:9–10 says,
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
People from every nation that has ever been and will ever be will one day worship before the throne of God in the New Jerusalem.
Nations were created by God and will forever remain through its citizens who worship the God of the universe. The diversity of the nations and the people God created who worship him brings him more glory than a single nation worshipping him, because it puts on display his value as a God who deserves to be worshipped by people from every tribe, people and langauge. He transcends all cultures, borders, and ethnicities as an ultimately praise-worthy God.
Wrapping Up
In general, as Grudem notes, patriotism is good because it displays:
gratitude for the benefits it gives,
shared pride in its achievements,
a sense of security,
a sense of obligation to serve and protect it (and hopefully to change any evil leadership),
and a sense of obligation to follow and transmit shared values and ideals that represent the best of the country’s history
So, whether you’re celebrating the 4th of July or the whooping it up in a different country that you call home on your independence day, rest easy in knowing that patriotism is a sign of gratitude to the God who created and reigns over all nations.
Jordan, I find this interesting. I think it’s worth exploring what is meant by the word “nation” in scripture, and does it really apply to what we define as a nation in our world today? That is, centuries of manmade borders, arbitrary boundaries, deliberate displacement of people and the division of ethnic groups by imperialism. What if, our notion of countries and what constitutes them (lines and divisions created by Christians and non-Christians alike) is a symptom of our fallen world? Must we say that it is ordained by Him? Did God really create a world in which there is an us and a them, for our vision to stretch as far as our borders do and then be deflected inwards? What is Christlike, what is holy, about examining this type or allegiance, or to even have it? Our country was built on slave labor and gross injustices. Other countries are currently being built on slave labor and gross injustices. This is the reality of grasping for power on Earth, which is what the creation of nations is, and it is a reality that can’t be undone by a shallow determination of where America currently stand on the variable scale of good to evil. It is dangerous to say that just nations should be celebrated. A sadly common symptom of Christianity is that we already elevate ourselves above everyone else. Oh, we are Americans, too? Our justness as a nation is also cause for celebration and further elevation of us as a body! This seems like such dangerous waters to tread. Patriotism misses the boat — how is this an issue that we take up as Christians? I don’t understand why the author you mentioned would devote an entire book discussing whether or not we should be proud of our man-made lines and what happens within them, when 50 or 100 years from now these processes will inevitably change. There is only one thing that stays constant in all of this, and it surely is not the existence of nations and borders — in fact, there is arguably nothing more ephemeral and transient.
Are you loving this book? The Bible truly speaks so much about so many issues. And I appreciate how Grudem thinks.
Interesting stuff. I often struggle with how to feel during patriotic times, like the 4th of July. I appreciate many things about our country, but I get annoyed by arrogant patriotism I sometimes see and feelings of superiority. Also, it might be worth looking into the distinction between nations and nation states and how those apply in biblical interpretation.
Nadine,
Thanks for taking the time to bring up lots of important questions. I’ll do my best to respond articulately, in as much brevity as possible, while still being exhaustive in my response–hopefully! Again, I’m grateful for your input and I’m glad you took the time to respond. If anything comes off short or cold, that is 100% not my intent, but I’m just trying to keep from writing a second blog post in response to your questions and comments. Upon finishing my response, I’ve exceed my initial word count and have totally blown it in being brief.
To start, I think it’s safe to say that nation, in the context of Scripture, is at the very least slightly different, and could be argued significantly different than how we use the word nation today. The Greek word used in Revelation 7:9 is éthnos (from eth?, “forming a custom, culture”) – properly, people joined by practicing similar customs or common culture; nation(s), usually referring to unbelieving Gentiles (non-Jews) (via BibleHub). Based on the definition of people joined by similar customs or common culture, and especially in the Gentile sense, I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to apply it to nations today.
As for the arbitrary boundaries, it’s true that boundaries, to some degree, are ever changing. However, even in those areas, people still identify with a certain nation or national culture in many cases, so even if the border changes someone is a Slovenian living in Croatia rather than becoming a Croatian just because the border changed. Every area is a bit different on that, and because the American borders are fairly consistent, it’s not as much as an issue here as it is in the Middle East or in other areas of border strife and struggle, so I apologize for not addressing that right off the bat.
As Acts 17:26 says, God has decided the borders and boundaries. Since God is sovereign, he knew the nations, knew their borders, knew when nations would cease to exist, etc. I’d agree that borders are a part of a fallen world, since there won’t be borders in the New Heaven. But, just because we have them doesn’t mean they are inherently sinful, just sin affected. Just because some countries use borders to accelerate century- and millennium-long conflict doesn’t mean the border is the issue–I’d say people’s hearts are the issue.
As an analogy, I’d argue different denominations of churches create boundaries in a similar way, and some “Christians” use those denominational borders to make war on brothers and sisters. That’s obviously not good. In general, however, I think denominations in some ways facilitates unity, because it enables us to live out our convictions in different Christian communities based on our interpretation of scripture. In the same way, national borders allow us to live in countries that emphasize our culture and values–not always, but many times.
I’d say God has created a world of us and them ever since the fall. That wasn’t the original intention, but again a result of the fall. Jews and Gentiles. Israel and Canaan. Christians and non-Christians. But, God has redeemed us and them by Jesus.
Our world is filled with dichotomies. Our choice is how to respond to those dichotomies. Just because we’re different doesn’t mean we have to be at war. God is glorified when people of all different races, cultures, and values worship him. This diversity magnifies the goodness of God and his worthiness of being praised.
When we come to Christ, we forsake ourselves to follow him. We are given a new identity, but we don’t cease to be ourselves. I’m still a man, 25 years old, from the same parents, born in America. That doesn’t change. And again, since the Tower of Babel–another istance of God creating and us and them because of our pride–God has made us all different. Our sin created and us and them, but God spread us across the world. Different languages, ethnicities, and backgrounds–and what is beautiful about the gospel is that God unites us in those differences. I praise the Lord for Chinese believers, and Jewish believers, and African believers. I don’t want them to stop being what they are–but of course it is secondary to who they are in Christ.
Paul says he becomes a Jew to the Jews and a Gentile to the Gentiles (1 Corinthians 9:20). Our ethnicities fade away in relation to our unity in Christ (Galatians 3:28), but Paul is still an ethnic Jew at the end of the day, and he forsakes his background in terms of it bringing him righteousness (Phillipians 3:8), but he doesn’t forsake his Roman citizenship when it helps to advance the gospel (Acts 16:37).
I can’t deny humans have built many things on injustice and slave labor. That is sinful and should be called so. But absolving nations wouldn’t stop humankinds hunger for power. That’s again a heart issue, and I would still argue we’re better off with nations than without–and we’ll see that in the end times when there is one “Beast” who rules over all the nations unjustly, opposed to God in every way. In the meantime, nations are a reality of a sinful world, but they aren’t inherently sinful. Eliminating nations simply can’t stop sinful people from doing sinful things, but I would say having nations helps promote justice as nations work together. They won’t always work together, but when they do, I think that is beneficial, and I don’t think blending borders ultimately would fix the fight for power.
I disagree that celebrating nations that are just is dangerous. God loves justice and we should too. If my nation is just, I should encourage even more justice. By saying, “I love that America cares about justice,” I’m affirming a godly value. If we don’t celebrate justice, encourage justice, and enforce justice, won’t injustice, by default, go forward? Can we celebrate one thing without demeaning another? I think so, and that’s what patriotism is about. When I celebrate being an American, I don’t demean being Canadian. When I celebrate my wife’s birthday, I don’t look down on others I don’t celebrate who were born on the same day. I simply have a special connection that is worth celebrating and giving thanks for.
Surely Christians at times elevate ourselves above others. We shouldn’t. That is sinful. We aren’t better, but indeed it would be impossible to argue we aren’t better off, in the eternal sense, by being Christians. I don’t want to view myself as better than anyone–but I’m sinful and proud, so there’s no doubt I do at times, much more often than I’d care to admit. I can celebrate being an American Christian just as much as someone can being a Ghanaian Christian–it’s an overflow of gratitude for God sovereignly placing us wherever we are. One day we will all be New Jerusalem Christians, but my background will still be as an American Christian, and that won’t disappear because national heritage will still be part of our story of coming to know the Lord and spending eternity with him.
I didn’t make it clear, but Patriotism is a tiny, tiny subsection of a very large book on politics. I’d guess it’s 3 – 5 pages (I don’t have the book handy right now) out of a 600 page book. So, it’s just a small concern I was grateful that was addressed.
National borders are ephemeral, but nations as a whole are not. I’ll always be an American, not before being a Christian, but I think patriotism, ultimately, is an expression of gratitude. If I use it as a wedge to separate myself from others, that’s wrong, but if I use it as a platform to rejoice in the Lord, spread the gospel and make much of Jesus, I think it’s completely in play. In some countries my brothers and sisters could never have a blog like mine where they dialogue like this or share about Jesus. In America, I can. For that, I thank the Lord.
I’m a fan. Thanks for the recommendation, friend. He’s a great thinker that’s helped me think through lots of issues.
Christa,
Thanks for chiming in. Arrogant patriotism is undoubtedly bad. People abuse good gifts all the time. I think celebrating our nation appropriately, in a God-glorifying way is the best response to improper use, instead of abstaining from gratitude in the form of patriotism.
Well done, Jordan. I appreciated the blog.
It’s interesting as I reflect on my own conflict: I love America, its founding story and, by-and-large, its Founders. I love its ideals. But I grieve over its historical shortcomings, and especially over its modern moral state. I can’t help but believe that great judgment is coming, even as I work and pray for spiritual awakening.
So I guess I more or less follow Grudem’s formula of pride and affection for that which is good, while not glossing over that which is not. An “eyes wide open” loyalty to one’s nation, subordinate to one’s loyalty toward God and his kingdom, seems to me the right balance.