FOR GOD AND COUNTRY

Introduction

In the last few days following the tragedy Tuesday, September 11, 2001, who among us is not drained emotionally and physically. If there are other ways to be drained, we are also exhausted in those ways. The range of distress includes sadness, anger, hatred, frustration, anxiety, fear and other such feelings. These feelings are so intense that they also exhaust us physically.

Our lives as citizens of the USA will no doubt forever be changed. Lives of other peoples in the world will also be changed. We, or at least I, have an inner conflict that is hard to resolve. As Christians we are taught to love, forgive and be understanding. We are taught not to harbor animosity. In light of what has happened, I admit I find these values difficult to keep. I find comfort and some relief when I consider there is punishment for crimes such as have been committed. Punishment is not the same as personal vengeance, and assuredly it does not prevent love and forgiveness. As parents, my wife and I punished my children, We loved them (still do) and we always forgive them, but there were times while they were growing up that they needed to be punished.

Between nations and between the nations and their people, punishment is not as simple as a spanking or depriving one of some privilege as we might have punished our children. Sometimes this punishment includes much harsher punishment, including physical death. This letter is typical of many sent and received.

I feel angry about all that has happened in New York and in Washington DC. Then the tears came for all the people that lost their lives. For all the Mothers, Dads, Daughters, Husbands and Sons that would not be coming home that night to their loved ones. Then the hate built up again for those who inflicted this on America. We are a strong nation under God. I reached for my Bible and begin to open it not knowing where or what to read and I came to Psalms chapter 37 and I read the whole chapter. Is it an answer? Did God show this to me? I know not to inflict pain on others. I pity those who were behind this terrible act. Now, we must pray for their souls. Will God bring His wrath down on them?

Psalms 37 is about the Lord's protection from evil and concludes with these two verses:

39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble. 40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him.

I can read this Psalm for my own personal edification and strength, but I do not believe it is healing for a nation. God does have his chosen people and I believe that I am among them, but His people are not now a nation with a homeland on earth. This Psalm could well have been applied to Israel, who at that time were God's people and the nation of Israel was then as now located on this earth. Physical Israel is no longer God's nation, so the application now is limited to individuals and we do gain strength from the thoughts there.

As a nation we claim to be a nation under God and in our claims we are thus God's nation. This is obviously not the same as being God's chosen nation. Make no mistake, however, God rules all nations through our Lord Jesus. His wrath was poured out throughout biblical history and I believe, according to this precedent, is poured out, when necessary, even now, although it has been a long time since the inspired accounts have been concluded. This is not to say that countries and nations do not have responsibilities and that they should sit by doing nothing while waiting on God.

I serve one Master in 2 kingdoms or nations

First, I am in God's kingdom. The teaching is plain, I must seek this kingdom first. I must obey God, rather than men - Acts 5:29. I also must be part of some earthly kingdom or state. The teaching is likewise plain. I am to obey rather than suffer sword of wrath, Romans 13:3-7:

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

Instructions are likewise plain in I Peter 2, I am to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. Verses 13-17 say:

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

The question then becomes one of separation. Not the separation as expressed in the common call politically of "separation of church and state." but one in which I offer my mental submission and physical response to the Kingdom of God and to my country. As a Christian, I cannot act through vengeance, hatred or any such sin. Likewise, as a Christian I cannot avenge myself. I cannot and should not wage war for my right to serve God. We are always to serve God, even if it means death. The sword of His kingdom is the word of God and that is the Christian's weapon. As a citizen of some country, my role may be different. Nations do fight and I do live on the earth somewhere. It then becomes a question of whether I can mentally submit to the things of God and to the requirements of the state while keeping the reason for the actions separate? I believe I can. It also becomes a question of whether I can be part of the USA's government as a bearer of the sword of punishment and maintain my mental separation as a child of God. I believe I can do that also. Maybe some cannot do this. To them I must repeat, the kingdom of God comes first.

I believe Peter's statement above brings this out when he says "every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." As Christians we cannot act religiously without authority, but as Christians we are also to obey the state in all matters that do not conflict. Paul brings this out when he makes the distinction between the Christian and those of the world in I Corinthians 5, verses 9-11:

9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person.

Jesus made the distinction when he said, "If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36) Just to note on the "now" of Jesus' statement. His kingdom now is made up of people on earth, it was never from or had origins from the earth. He, as king reigns over the hearts and minds of his subjects. This is just the point - that we must put our citizenship in His kingdom first. This is where the separation must be made. Some either cannot or will not make this separation. To them again I say, God must come first. He comes first in my heart, soul and mind also, but I see a distinction in my motivation. Jesus is quite plain, "Love the Lord, your God with all your heart (emotion), soul (life) and mind (intellect)."

What do nations do?

They wage war. Jesus said so. If His kingdom were of this world, His servants would fight. Killing in war is not murder which is punishable by a state and forbidden by God. The commandment says, "Do not kill." Yet, God had Israel invade Canaan and destroy the inhabitants. This did not violate God's command to not kill.

David made the distinction in his dealing with Abner and condemnation of Joel for killing him. We find in I Kings 2:5-6:

5 "Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 6 "Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

Nations bear the sword of punishment, which I believe includes the death penalty. You can look up sword and determine that for yourself. Punishment is not the same as personal vengeance.

They collect taxes which I am to pay. Jesus said, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Remember Romans 13:7 "render to all their due, taxes to whom . . ."

Nations engage in spy activities. Israel did it before going into Canaan, before attacking Jericho and at other times.

Nations, by their laws, allow individuals freedom to commit sin. Only one earth bound nation had a Theocratic form of government. That was Israel. In the church we also practice Theocracy. Paul made this clear as noted above. Nations and Kingdoms of this world more often than not have worldly standards. They are of this world. As a citizen of the USA, I can divorce my wife for any reason then go out in a depressed state and get drunk - as long as I don't violate other laws. I can fornicate. I can lie as long as it doesn't defame, provoke riot or is not under oath. As a Christian, however, I can do none of these things. The law of allowance does not mean I have to do those things and does not imply that I condone those things. I cannot come out of this world.

Nations can require, by their laws, things I cannot do. I cannot worship God as a Muslim. I cannot bow to an idol or lower God to some human level. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego of Daniel 3 well show the proper response to such requirements. I cannot view homosexual behavior as not being sinful. I cannot keep quite about it being a sin. I cannot support, condone or sit quietly by concerning abortion. I must put God's kingdom first in all these things.

What can I do as a citizen of a Nation?

I can do all things commanded, allowed or which are part of patriotism as long as there is no conflict of my responsibilities in God's kingdom.

I believe I can punish evil doers as long as I can separate my personal vengeance from the action.

I believe I can be a soldier, just as was Cornelius. Paul alluded to our soldier responsibilities as Christians. I must ask, why would Paul have used the illustration if the action in and of itself is sinful. He told Timothy in his 2nd letter, chapter 2, verses 3 and 4.

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

I cannot and could not be a spy. The requirements of the job are sinful.

Many times people use spy behavior such as fornication, lying and deception to suggest that I cannot likewise kill in war. It is a matter of what is right and wrong. If I, as a Christian, in service to my country kill another Christian who is in service to his country, I have only taken his physical life. We are both are in our Nations' service and have acted thus in serving God. We must be able to separate the vengeance from the action. If we cannot do so, then we shouldn't do it. But I just don't see the conflict if the separation can be made. I believe John's statement, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (I John 2:15), includes a love of this physical life.

If we have truly won the victory over sin, why do we view physical death of saints as so tragic? Paul said faith is the victory. Where is our faith? If my faith is right, I will be willing to serve and will not fear death. My brother who is my national enemy will be serving with the same faith. No love is lost, no vengeance is taken and no commandment is violated.

In the present tragedy, I want to support my nation in efforts to wipe out terrorism, not through vengeance, but because it is not in the best interest of my country. If it doesn't require violating God's laws, I will serve gladly. I am working to remove hatred, animosity, vengeance and other sinful attitudes so that I can gladly serve and support my country's actions.