I imagine people would get a strange look on their faces if they asked you your nation of origin and you said, “Oh, I’m not from here.”  And to be honest, it’s a difficult reality to accept when for as many years as we’ve been on this earth, we consider ourselves citizens of this country.  In this day and age, who is and who isn’t a citizen is up for debate.  The SCOTUS (Supreme Court of the United States) has just this past week made a legal decision on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and the issue of birthright citizenship allowing millions of people to declare the United States of America as the place where their citizenship is held. Many Americans have had to reconsider what patriotism means in a land where their citizenship was being questioned.

         But have you ever stopped to consider if that is a question that might be asked about a person’s ability to live within the kingdom of God?  Or does our citizenship in God’s Kingdom depend on relationship?  Central to our identity is our relationship to Christ.  Scripture reminds us, “12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12-13).  In the case of Christian patriotism, because of our new birth in Christ Jesus, we have a particular and specific birthright citizenship.  It’s not one of human designation, but one of Spiritual designation and destination.  To that end our patriotism of faith is largely determined by the home to which we belong.  And yes, we live on earth in human form, but we are spiritual and God’s kingdom is our place of citizenship.  “26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, ff.”  We are therefore citizens of God’s Kingdom.  And it is to God and God’s Kingdom through Christ that our patriotic fervor is due.

• What does it mean for you to hold your citizenship in the Kingdom of God over and above your citizenship to this land called the USA?
• How does accepting that reality change your view of what it means to be patriotic as a Christian?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Gracious God, lead me and guide me to be faithful to my citizenship in Your Kingdom. Empower me to learn and practice what patriotism to Your Kingdom is really about.

         The entire issue of patriotism rises to a peak level during this time of year in our country.  That’s especially true this year since the nation we call home is celebrating 250 years of existence.  And those who consider themselves patriots will engage in all of the ceremonial rites and rituals associated with July 4 well into the rest of the year.  And no doubt, there will be many Americans who consider themselves Christians and many patriots who consider themselves American who will have celebrated this anniversary.  But the glaring truth will go mostly unnoticed.  Not every Christian is a patriot to the United States of America and not every American is a patriot to the place they call their home.  This is especially true for Christians — who like Peter — acknowledge that their primary place of birth is not the United States.  Rather, they consider they have been born anew into the Kingdom of God, and that while they are on this earth, they experience a dual citizenship.  However, they willingly acknowledge that their pledge of allegiance is to maintain their loyalty, faithfulness, and commitment to keep the laws of God’s Kingdom over and above the laws of the United States.

         There are other Christians who pledge no such allegiance to the Kingdom of God, but have given their allegiance to what has been called “Christian Nationalism” — an apostasy of the Christian faith that aligns itself not with the Kingdom of God, but with the human law of exclusion, racism, sexism, and patriotism to their idea of God’s kingdom over and above God’s idea of God’s kingdom.

         The art of Christian patriotism is defined by God’s intention to include people of every nation, language, tribe, and race, rather than holding one race or nation above all others as supreme as Christian Nationalism attempts to do.  And they (Christian Nationalists) — in Satanic like fashion — attempt to transform the word of God to justify their actions of evil rather than using the word of God to become transformed persons, born anew into the Kingdom of God and His Christ.  The art of Christian patriotism is defined by following Christ’s command to “love one another”, and not just those who make up only one specific racial, ethnic, or culturally segregated group.  It’s why Peter admonishes those newly formed Christians not to use their freedom in Christ as an opportunity to hide the evil we say we despise.  Christian patriotism openly practices the laws of love expressing our patriotism to the Kingdom of God above all others.

• What does living as a patriot to the Kingdom of God mean to you?
• How do you go about the business daily of showing your patriotism to God and his Kingdom?

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving Christ, allow your Spirit to work within me as an expression of my patriotism to You and Your Kingdom that others may experience true Christian patriotism through love and give honor, praise, and glory to God.

         We’re probably familiar with these words of Paul, mostly from the call as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ to be transformational and non-conformists.  This is an especially difficult task when so much of our lives has been dedicated to conforming in almost every area of our lives.  We’re expected to conform morally, ethically, socially, culturally, racially, and politically.  Even religious conformity is expected — even when you designate your non-conformity by labeling yourselves as  “Non-denominational” — its own type of conformity.  But the crux of Paul’s text has as less to do with non-conformity than it does with our transformation and why we should be non-conformist.  And we often glide by his statement “ … in view of God’s mercy, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.”ˆ

         It’s in “in view of God’s mercy” — this status as those who have received mercy — that we come before God and the world making ourselves sacrifices of praise.  It’s our actions taken to testify to the world about the mercies we’ve received.  It’s our actions taken to tell each other about what God has done for us that saved us from the destitute situations in which we’ve sometimes found ourselves.  It’s our actions taken to live in faithful communion with God, Christ, and each other acknowledging as the Psalmist sang

         1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side

                  — let Israel now say —

         2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side,

                  when our enemies attacked us,

         3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,

                  when their anger was kindled against us;

It is because God was on our side that God has shown us all such great mercy that we sing and share the praises of our God.  It is because of God’s great love for us — that our death would have been precious in his sight — that we covenant with God and Christ to make ourselves living sacrifices of praise to our God who has saved us, adopted us, and called us to be the Ambassadors of God’s grace through Jesus Christ.  A sacrifice of praise is not a sacrifice in the actual sense of the word, but a gift of honor and praise to our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of life eternal.  God be praised forever.

Todays Prayer

Today’s Prayer —
Loving and merciful God, continue to work within me, transforming me to be a living sacrifice of praise to You for Your mercy shown to me when you looked beyond my faults and saw my need.