Musings on Faith #55
Christian Patriots
Jesus said, when standing before Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world . . . Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice (John 18:36a & 37b, KJV)." An atheist acquaintance of mine has suggested to me that being a Christian, I should not concern myself with the affairs of our Country, or worry over the threats to our Constitution and our liberties. He suggests that I should be happy and confident, and free of any earthly concerns.  Christ made Himself very clear when He said "My kingdom is not of this world". But in His ministry here on earth, He walked among sinners - even prostitutes and hated tax collectors working for the Roman Empire - and he stayed with, ate with, taught and healed them. As Christians, we too are not to be of this world in the sense that we are not to live according to the way of the world, but, like Christ, we are to teach, minister and witness to the lost concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, I find nothing in the Scriptures which demands that we withdraw from the world in the sense of leaving all earthly governmental processes to those who are not Believers. We are not to serve two masters, both God and money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Nevertheless, serving one Master, our Lord and our God, we should involve ourselves in our governmental processes, doing so in accordance with His
teachings and promoting His will and way for our lives as a people.

Ninety-five percent of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, which says, in part, "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights", were Christians. What would our government have looked like absent the involvement of these men of faith, seeking divine guidance? Would it have devolved into some form of despotism and tyranny? Very likely. A founding principle of both the Declaration and, later, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, was that God was at the head, that our rights devolved from Him, and not from man. This was, and is, the principle of ‘Natural Law’, without which America would not be the Nation she is today. Now I know that some Christians, such as the Mennonites, do separate themselves from all political activities, such as voting, and I have much respect for the honesty, hard work, faith and industriousness of the Mennonites. But I believe that God, through Christ, would have us to involve ourselves in the processes of government, and of the election of our leaders, doing so, always, with God as our Head, our Way, and our Guidepost. I like to refer to this as being Christian Patriots. I hope you will be a Christian Patriot, thus serving our God, foremost, while also being a patriotic citizen.
Yours in Christ, Tom Woodard
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