Why Christians Should Believe for a Christian Nation

Why Christians Should Believe for a Christian Nation 

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. - 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Here, the Lord exhorts us to pray for all of those in authority, but he goes further to indicate the Lord's will -- for us to live peaceful and quiet lives.  We don't have to go far in the world to see the impact of how ungodly rulers can disrupt the lives of Christians or the innocent.  Whenever we can stand up for those oppressed in other countries, while making a difference in our own, we should (Prov.31:8,9).  Real faith and prayers are attached to action -- doing something that demonstrates your trust and belief that what you are asking for should actually happen.  If something needs to change in order for you (or others) to live a more peaceful and quiet life, then ask the Lord what it is that you can do to affect change in this area.  The ultimate fulfillment of these kinds of prayers and social action is a transformation of culture, where the Gospel thrives and the nation lives in God's shalom.

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." - Matthew 5:13-15

We are called "salt" for a reason -- to help preserve culture, in order to keep it from rotting and going bad.  We also help to add flavor and make life on Earth more palatable.  We are also light -- called to stand up bravely and shine brightly.  But if we isolate away from certain spheres of influence (like Hollywood or Capitol Hill), then we are not helping to bring a Kingdom culture that preserves society from breaking down and falling into chaos.  Like Daniel, Esther, and Joseph, God has placed key individuals in our time throughout our cities, states, and countries in order to save people alive.  They carry a general grace and spiritual gift of administration that helps oversee large spheres of people and their physical and spiritual well-being, so they can survive long enough to merely hear about Jesus and His Good News and have the opportunity to accept Him.  He rains upon the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45) and brings food to every creature (Ps. 136:25).  If He cares about the physical needs of individuals, certainly He cares about the well-being of a nation.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” -2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

"Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." - Jeremiah 29:7

These verses demonstrate the vast influence and power that believers have over the health and wellbeing of the region where they live.  Our posture before heaven affects us and our community, even those who don't know Him personally.  It is our responsibility to steward a clean conscience for ourselves and the body of Christ and seek His favor and blessing over the land.

Her husband is respected at the city gates, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." - Prov. 31:23

The husband of the virtuous woman (mentioned in Proverbs 31) is described as someone who takes his place among those who make important decisions for his city and region.  He sits among them and makes his perspective known, so that just decisions are made, his city and region are safe, and that his community can thrive and prosper.  (I have a short Youtube Video on being a Proverbs 31 Man that discusses this at length).  But being a virtuous woman or man means that we take our light into realms of political and social influence.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance." - Ps. 33:12

"For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers." - Prov. 11:14

You have to envision the inverse of this first statement in order to understand how He is making a declarative statement regarding the spiritual nature of nations.  Imagine:  "cursed is the nation whose God is not the Lord" or "cursed is the nation who does not acknowledge or trust in the Lord" .  In other words, it is possible for a nation -- a people group as a whole, or those who stand as representative authorities -- to declare that Yahweh is their God, and for Him to chose them as his inheritance -- for them to be blessed.  This is obviously pictured in the people of Israel, as a covenant people with God (Deut. 7:6).  Obviously, this doesn't necessary determine the individual eternal destinies of each person, but it does mean that the people living under the scope of a covenant with God can be blessed.  So there is such a thing as a Christian nation; it's not a myth.

"Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people." - Prov. 14:34

"When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices; when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.  Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed." - Prov. 11:10,11

The Lord makes a similar point here -- that godliness will bring blessing and prosperity to a nation, or even a city/region.  But sin will bring shame and disgrace.  If God only cared about godliness in individuals, then why would He make this statement at all?  The point is that godliness in individuals (due to their faith in Christ) naturally results in a better community and society.  The overall health and well-being of the nation improves, simply because there are Christians who choose to live out their faith in practical ways in the spheres of culture and intentionally bless (instead of curse) their cities and nations.  Jesus' righteousness in them causes them to live fruitful lives that bless the world around them, making the nation great again.

"The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil." - Psalm 125:3

It is also God's will for righteousness to hold the helm of authority in the land, rather than for wicked rulers to oppress the populace.  He takes down rulers and puts others up (Dan. 2:21), so that His sovereign plan will be fulfilled, and so that righteous people are not forced to or are otherwise inadvertently partaking in decisions that are evil.  For instance, God doesn't want their tax dollars being spent to kill innocent unborn babies.  We stand upon this declaration as a promise for Him to exalt righteousness in the land and to remove wickedness from holding a scepter over it.

“Woe to you, Chorazin! ...Bethsaida! ... Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades. For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.” - Matt. 11:21-24

Here, Jesus makes a very clear point -- that these cities (indeed all the cities of the Earth) will be judged.  The whole city (and those living there and those who held the keys of responsibility) will be held accountable for the light that they were given, and what they did with that revelation.  I really don't know how this plays out in terms of dissecting the saints and the unredeemed.  But the point is very clear.  Groups of people will answer to the Lord for what they did with Jesus.  And I don't think that He will give a "pass" to those nations who merely wanted to leave the option open-ended and didn't throw their full faith and trust into Him.

"In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.” - Isaiah 19:24-25

So, Israel doesn't have an exclusive market on being "God's chosen people".  Here, the Lord prophecies that Egypt and Syria will also one day become godly nations.  Not just that, but nations that He calls His own people, just like Israel.  This is a prophecy that has not been fulfilled, so it is clearly a New Testament reality, not just something reserved for the Old Testament era.  These nations will effectively be known as Christian Nations -- part of Christ's inheritance (Psalm 2:8).  

When you look at the Hebrew name for the United States, it also reveals what the Jewish people believe about America.  It is called "Eretzot Ha-Brit"  - the lands of the covenant.

(ארצות הברית)

The founders of America declared their faith in God and came into covenant with Him.  This also isn't some kind of alternative pathway to heaven, so every American is automatically saved.  But it is a prophetic declaration regarding the structure, culture, laws, and order that the United States would always exist within:  "One Nation Under God."  "In God We Trust".  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator..."  They were affirming their faith as a nation in the One true Creator.  They knew, like Joseph knew and Daniel knew, that they could create a government and country with a general grace for all people to thrive and prosper because of a covenant of faith in God, building it upon the pattern of just civil laws that were given as a template for the society of ancient Israel.  Rather than letting fate take them, the founders likely prayed prayers like Jeremiah encouraged the captives to pray:  "Pray to the Lord for [the city in which you dwell], because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) 

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." - Matt. 25:31-33

Jesus also indicates that nations will stand before Him and be judged, just as cities are judged (Psalm 9:17; Psalm 110:6, Micah 5:15).  If it were only about individual, personal judgments, then everyone would stand before him as one big group of humanity -- all generations together.   But this is not the case.  Nations stand before Him.  Generations will also be judged  -- see Matthew 12:41.  He will determine whether they were a god-fearing nation "whose God is the LORD," or whether they were a corrupt, godless and faithless country that oppressed the Message His followers were bringing.

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19,20 

We are called to disciple nations.  We have a goal of reaching all people with the Gospel.  So, if this is our ultimate goal, then we would naturally desire a whole country to come to faith -- every single person.  We would desire His will:  that not one person would perish, but that they all would come to repentance.  (2 Peter 3:8-10).  What would you have if everyone in a family were born-again?  A Christian family (see Acts 16:35).  If a whole tribe in Africa accepted Christ, you would have a Christian tribe.  So, what would you have if every person in a city became a Christian? A Christian city.   This kind of mass salvation and cultural transformation has been recorded in the Bible and in history, even in modern times.  What would you have if everyone in a country became a Christian?  A Christian nation.  If you don't believe this is possible, then take a look at what God says about the Jewish people:  "All Israel shall be saved."  (Romans 11:26).  Clearly, this isn't God giving them some alternative path to salvation, but rather the whole people themselves will actually embrace their own Jewish Messiah!  And He is no respecter of persons (Rom. 2:10,11)

"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 11:15)