When You Win, Does the Kingdom Win?

If you hate everything about late antiquity, just skip to the end after the bit about Saul. If not, please verify that the dates/events/people are correct.

Growing up, I had the idea that if there were "Christian" leaders everywhere, they would make "Christian" rules and, as a result, the Kingdom of God would advance. I probably didn't have a grasp on the concept on the Kingdom of God, but I for sure had a similar thought process:

People Like God => Those People Make Rules => God is happy and everyone is a Christian

Below this phrase in bold italics, I am about to say perhaps the one of the most anti-Biblical and completely idolatrous statements that I can come up with. This statement is also the general consensus of most people that claim Jesus.

God wants America to be a Christian nation with Christian laws and Christian morals.

It is absolutely mind-blowing to me that anyone could look at scripture (or history) and think this is true. The result of Christian leaders and Christian laws is a nation of people who are deeply in love with the God of the universe? Hardly.

First, let's examine the case of scripture. The first human king of God's people was Saul. The scriptures describe him as super tall and athletic, a great warrior and a morally great guy. What does God think about the Israelites wanting a king like the rest of the nations? He says that by wanting a king, they have rejected Him.

So, let me get this straight... Saul, the best warrior and man in the entire nation of Israel is made king and God is sad about that? What? Okay, so maybe it was just that one guy.

There were 3 kings of Israel. Saul went nuts, David was a lying-thieving-adulterous-murderer, and Solomon was, frankly, an arrogant man whore. Then, things went south (get it? a joke about the Israel-Judah split!) and the kingdom split in half. There were 19 kings of Israel (all of which were called evil in scripture) and 20 kings and one queen in Judah, of which 6 seemed to be pretty okay. (note: think what you mean when you call someone a 'Jezebel')

None of this seemed to work that great for Israel, since they were captured by the Babylonians and were basically slaves or subjects of one sort or the until... oh yeah, there was a diaspora, so never again was Israel the free nation Israel of the Bible. Even in the few centuries before Jesus, the Maccabees and various other priestly families tried to rule Israel and gain power in the kingdom of Alexander the Great, and then in the subsequent kingdoms of the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. The result? Revolt after revolt where Israel got stomped into the ground, culminating in the ultimate sacrilege: the desolation of the Temple by the Romans. To this day, the Temple Mount has two holy sites for Islam.

But let's not stop there! The year is 313 AD. Previously, Christians had no political power and were routinely persecuted, tortured, and killed. The result? Christianity explodes in central Asia, Asia Minor, and Northern Africa. That year, Constantine signed the Edict of Milan, and soon converted to Christianity. The result? The thousand year-old Roman Empire, the greatest the world has ever seen, collapses amid catastrophe, disorder, and invasion. Christianity at large stays alive, but is wrought with trouble and darkness until almost 1200 years later. (with the Reformation and Counter-Reformation)

What about Jesus of Nazareth, who we worship? Good thing Jesus took His rightful spot as King of Israel so we have justification for trying to build a Christian nation, right? Oh, yeah... He was a carpenter that, when tried by Pilate, did not make a power grab but instead acknowledged that He had been accused of calling Himself equal with God. In fact, Philippians 2 says this: "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point to death, even death on a cross." We worship that guy? The guy that is literally God but instead lived as a nobody?

As much as it pains me to say it, I can find absolutely zero justification in scripture for the theology of establishing a nation that makes people do "Christian" things in order to advance the Kingdom of God. Do you think you would have the guts to espouse that theology to the Church in China? What about he Church in Africa? They would laugh in your face.

Church, it is messed up to think that you or anyone else have/has the ability to pull America up by its moral bootstraps. Do you have the ability to pull yourself up by your own? America's hope is not regulating morality. The world's hope is not making laws that abide by scripture. Jesus' most harsh words were for those that took pride in their ability to keep the law.

Don't hear me saying that post-modern relativism is right. Don't hear me saying I condone sin in any way. Accepting sin shows a fundamental misunderstanding of who God is and what His character is like. I'm taking no specific political stand. But do hear me on this: our world has one hope, and it isn't you. Our world has one hope, and it is not the decisions made by politicians. If you're counting on such vacuous things as 'progress' and 'diversity' and such idolatrous things as your own righteousness to be the ways God advances His Kingdom, I just don't know what to say to you because you are totally detached from reality.

I'm not saying I have answers. My Spiritual gift is not teaching; it's probably more of the discernment/prophecy idea. I'm not saying not to vote or run for office. Do that; being passive is silly. Paul often used His Roman citizenship and knowledge of Hellenistic culture to his advantage, such as here, here, and here. But remember that man's kingdom is weak and transient, and the Kingdom of God is transcendent and eternal.

Shalom, and may your celebration of Easter leave you in awe of the glory of Jesus the Anointed One.