Faith & State
I'll keep it simple for U.S. citizens.
‘Governments are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.’ Romans 13:4
I have wrongly been called a Christian Nationalist by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
I am not a Christian Nationalist. Nothing is further from the truth.
The true Christian Nationalists are religious leftists like Bishop Budde who want the President of the United States to look like a pastor of a Christian church.
The Gospel of Mercy and Grace Is for the Church
I agree with Bishop Budde’s Christian philosophy of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. I applaud her desire to forgive lawbreakers, give mercy to the underserving, and exalt grace as the message of Christ’s Kingdom.
However, those principles represent the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, not the United States.
Sadly, Bishop Budde was speaking to President Trump, and she seemed confused about the difference between faith in the Kingdom and obedience to the State.
Mercy is for pastors and people in churches, not the President and politicians in the state.
God Calls Government ‘The Sword of Justice’
Romans 13:4-7
New International Version
For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. Governments are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Even the U.S. Congress Is Confused
I respect Congressman Josh Brecheen. He ran for U.S. Congress in 2022, the same year I ran against Frank Lucas, Oklahoma’s thirty-year incumbent in District 3.
Josh Breecheen is rightfully upset with Bishop Budde’s speech.
Congressman Brecheen seems not to fully comprehend the underlying problem with Bishop Budde’s speech.
Church and state must always be separate.
Leftists, like Bishop Budde, are America’s true Christian Nationalists.
Let me repeat what I just said:
"Christian Nationalism is the fruit of religious liberalism.”
Religious leftists don’t understand that the Bible separates church and state, or with more precise language, God’s grace is for the church and God’s justice is in the state.
Biblical Proof of Church and State Separation
Most people don’t read the Bible.
If they did, they would know that God destroyed the Temple of YHWH built by Solomon (in 586 BC), a Temple which contained the Ark of the Covenant and was indwelt by the Spirit of God. God destroyed that Temple in 586 BC because the nation of Israel “broke their covenant with God” which bound Israel to be “the Light of the World” to the nations at large.
Israel failed in their agreement with YHWH, and God divorced Himself from Israel.
People say, ‘I believe the Bible is God’s Word!’ but you can’t believe what you don’t read.
After the nation of Israel broke their covenant with God by worshiping idols of foreign nations, God divorced Israel as the nation and determined to inaugurate a New Agreement with the world through His Son.
Jesus the Messiah came to do what national Israel failed to do.
The LORD destroyed YHWH’s Temple in Jerusalem in July 586 BC, and promised through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel that He (the LORD) would inaugurate a NEW COVENANT with the entire world through the Messiah.
YHWH would come to be “THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD” and accomplish what national Israel failed to fulfill.
The Nation and the Kingdom
The Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), especially in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel foreshadow the New Covenant with YESHUA (Jesus) for the world.
Ezra and Nehemiah are politicians in NATIONAL ISRAEL. Even the Jews put Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s writings in The Writings and not The Prophets.
The Nation of Israel after the Exile of Babylon (586 BC to 539 BC) is not the Church.
The Church (believers in YHWH) after the Exile of Babylon are not the Nation.
Isaiah the prophet (b. 761 B.C. - d. 686 B.C.) foretells the beauty of Christ’s Kingdom (the church), with open borders and gates, inclusion of foreigners, and exalts the good and certain promises of God to all who trust YWHW.
Ezra and Nehemiah, however, strive to build a NEW NATION (Israel) after the Jewish captives are released from Babylonian Captivity by Cyrus, King of Persia, in 539 BC. Israel after the Exile is NOT A PICTURE OF THE CHURCH.
Isaiah’s message (The Gospel) is different from Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s message (The Nation).
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