Ambassadors of a Foreign Kingdom
For our citizenship is in heaven; from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our humble body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:20-21 KJ2000)
The term “Christian patriot” is a misnomer. Can one be a true Christian and a patriot at the same time? Remember, the primary definition for patriot is “a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.” (Dictionary.com) Should Christians be devoted to the nation where they live in the physical, or should they instead be devoted to their spiritual nation? Paul tells his disciples that their citizenship resides in heaven, not Greece, Rome, or Phillipi. The Bible does not teach us to renounce our physical citizenship for Paul did appeal to Caesar on one instance, thus using his worldly citizenship. Nevertheless, Scripture clearly teaches us to eschew becoming involved in worldly government so long as Satan is the ruler of this world. I believe the reason for this is that governing in Satan’s kingdom necessarily involves compromise and those who would follow Christ cannot compromise with evil.
One clear example should suffice to prove this from my six year stint as a State Representative. I believe state-funded public education which denies Christ to be one of the most evil things that today’s governments do. I voted “NO” on the education budget bill each of the six years I served in office. The majority of citizens here support public education but, having been a teacher and having home schooled my own children and believing in Christ’s admonition to train up a child in the way he should go, I could not with a clear conscience vote for funding public education. The Democrats finally figured out a way they could beat me in a political race. They recruited a public school teacher to run against me my fourth term. They planned to make this the defining issue of the 1998 campaign. They probably would have beaten me because my upper middle class, heavily Republican district, was very proud of its public schools. They just didn’t know I was not running for a fourth term!
As a legislator I did not budge on issues I perceived to have moral significance. Consequently, I was never chosen to be part of a conference committee on a bill or anything else of legislative significance. I remember that I could not even get all of the Republicans to support by proposed bill to prohibit homosexuals from adopting children or acting as foster parents. Then there was the time that certain legislators were bribed with high paying government jobs to support the governor’s pro-abortion agenda although they were known to be “pro-life” politicians. And these memories do not even touch my own short coming which kept me from doing a really good job as a legislator. For example, I remember writing letters in support of some free trade group that in retrospect I believe could have harmed American jobs. I simply did not take enough time to understand the agenda of this organization. Then there were the lobbyists who took me and the other politicians out to dinner. Of course I did not think I was being bribed, but the reality is, I was! I repented then and that’s one of the reasons I did not run for a fourth term. I realized that being in the legislature corrupted my person and my witness. But, I can say this also…God protected me from destruction!
Therefore, I say this. See yourself as an ambassador of a foreign kingdom, a kingdom of righteousness, not a kingdom of sin and seduction. Be a minister according to the commission God has given you. Make known the riches of the glory of Christ among the nations, among the worldly kingdoms. Preach and warn every man, teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect and complete in Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:25-29)
