Citizenship and Marriage

What does it mean as a Christian to be a citizen of a nation? We can’t separate our Christian faith from our earthly citizenship. We can plant our “God bless America” bumper stickers, we can call out the evils of liberal policies, and we can support politicians that speak our political and ethical language. There is good in all these things.

But don’t forget that God defines faithfulness sometimes in a different way than we would. In this country we speak bravely about the loss of ethics in marriage, but then we spit upon God’s marriage with his Bride, the Church. If you want to support marriage, there is no better way than to begin praising the marriage of Christ to the Church. Begin by loving her above your earthly loyalties (Gal. 6:16).

Worship is an appropriate way to begin stepping back from the mess we have witnessed in this past week. Yes, God is in control, but his control is connected with his loyalty to his bride. He will not leave her nor forsake her and you do so only at your own peril.

Do you wish to be a good citizen of this nation? Begin by loving the new nation of priests called the Church (I Peter 2:9). The more faithful you are to her calling and guidance the more faithful you are to this nation God has planted you. What this nation needs is not some nebulous return for prayer in school; this nation needs an old fashioned return to biblical authority. We may be independent in terms of not submitting to the rule of another nation, but as Christians we should be profoundly dependent on God and his Bride. New days are ahead, yes; hopefully days where God’s people will re-engage in love for the Church and ask God to undo the darkness of this land and fill it with his glory.