Which Part of "As In Heaven" Didn't You Get?
“Our Father—the one in the heavens—
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Hallowed be your Name!
Implemented be your Kingdom!
Executed be your Will!
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As in heaven, also on earth.” - Matthew 6:9-13
I have a serious problem with Christian Nationalism.
You do too, and it's a big one. Perhaps you just haven't recognized it yet?
By the time you reach the end of this article, I pray that you will.
As In Heaven, So On Earth (source)
~Which Part of "As In Heaven" Didn't You Get?~
by Duncan Cary Palmer
Week after week, as a regular part of worship in our church, we recite "The Lord's Prayer." This Sunday morning, my attention was particularly drawn to the phrase "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."
How is God's will done in heaven?
In what manner—differently from on earth—is his will done in heaven? What exactly is it that we are praying for?
Given a modicum of thought, I think it should be fairly evident; but I found a brief description which sums it up for me:
"... as it is done in heaven; meaning not so much by the inanimate creatures, the sun, and moon, and stars, as glorified saints and holy angels, who do it voluntarily and cheerfully; speedily, and without delay; constantly, and without any interruption; and perfectly and completely." (emphasis added) - Christianity.com
If it is true that God's will in heaven is executed voluntarily, and that we should seek the same here on earth, then my thesis is simple:
The only government worth a tinker's damn is a voluntary government.
Christian Nationalists, as I best understand the term, intend to co-opt existing national governments and transform them into "Christian" governments, and ultimately "Christian Nations." Depending on theological perspective, Christian Nationalists expect to do so in one of two primary forms; theocracy or theonomy.
Consider this simple, logical syllogism:
- National territories inevitably contain dissidents.
- Dissidents can only be governed by force.
- Consequently, national governments must inevitably be based on compulsion.
My question for professed Christian Nationalists is this:
Do you really subscribe to the prayer Jesus taught us?
Do you really want to see the Father's will executed on earth in the same way that it is executed in heaven?
While there may be subtle but significant differences between theocracy and theonomy, the sadly inescapable truth is that either approach requires tyrannical, authoritarian measures to implement and enforce.
Most Christians agree:
The only ultimately legitimate government is one with Jesus Christ as the head. But as we've just seen, there's only one way such a government can accomplish God's will "on earth as in heaven." It must be comprised of members having God's law embedded in their hearts, citizens who gladly and voluntarily submit to Jesus as LORD and King. And it is God, and God alone who can change the heart.
The only form of government that fits these criteria is God's ecclesia, a.k.a. the church, and that only works because the ecclesia is not a government that claims jurisdiction over an arbitrary territory. It is, rather, a gathering of people who all voluntarily cooperate in mutual submission to accomplish God's will on earth and advance his Kingdom.
Peter describes it thus:
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." - The Apostle Peter
Brothers, it's time to repent of your tyrannical designs.
Do not use the political tools and means of our fallen flesh. Eschew political power. Leave the imposition of force to God. Trust him—through the good news we profess and herald—to draw penitents out of the kingdom of satan and into the ecclesia. Rely on him—in the end, once the last straying sheep has entered the fold—to break the rebellious nations that may remain "with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."
There are other problems with Christian Nationalism that are beyond the scope of this article; particularly, the unwarranted and illogical conflation of the concepts of nation as territory and nation as an ethnic group. I hope to address this in a future article.
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Christian nationalism is a perverse blend of claiming to follow Christ while accepting one of the oldest temptations. Did not Adam and Eve first choose to create laws for themselves after eating the forbidden fruit? Did not Jesus face the temptation of political power in the desert and reject it? But no, many in the church seem to believe this human institution of the State can be sanctified and wielded in place of the church and its individual voluntary consent. "Behold. I stand at the door and knock," has been replaced with, "Open up or I am breaking in!"
Well put! And thank you for the scriptural allusions to the early chapters of Genesis and Matthew.
Here's another passage that you've brought to mind:
I continually struggle to understand why so many of my brethren don't seem to get "...it is not this way among you..."
Thanks for reading and commenting.🙏😀
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