Help: America Is Caught In A Feedback Loop

Another day, another mass shooting in America.

Once more, a white man with an assault rifle opens fire on innocent people.

Most people say there’s nothing we can do. Others insist that only our thoughts and prayers matter now.

Many Christians believe that the Second Amendment overrules the Sermon on the Mount. So, the next time a killer with a semi-automatic rifle enters a church he’ll be blown to smithereens by all the Jesus-loving Christians who keep a sidearm cocked and loaded in the shoulder holster under their Sunday best.

Halleluiah!

Just think, if the earliest Christians in the first century had only adopted this brilliant preemptive strategy, killers like Saul of Tarsus would have been slaughtered where they stood.

Not only would that have prevented the death our dear brother Stephen, it would also have prevented us from having to carry around such a thick New Testament text, since half of it would never have been written.

But, maybe there’s another way?

I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out for a minute.

There are about 175 million Christians here in the United States. So, if even half of us decided to love our neighbors and bless those who curse us and do good to those who hate us, maybe we could use this preemptive strategy to love people?

I know, it sounds kinda crazy to follow that Jesus guy. He was SO “first century”, ya know?

But, I once heard someone say that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

Since almost no one has tried putting these Jesus ideas into practice lately, what do we have to lose?

-kg

BIBLE-BELIEVING CHRISTIANS?

The more I talk to Christians the more I start to notice how often certain phrases reveal a belief system that’s just under the surface.

For example, the other day I shared something on Facebook about an infamously anti-Christian celebrity who had posted a video on their wall which suggested they might possibly have turned to Christ. 

Some people were genuinely excited that this man may have found faith in Christ. 

Most, however, were angry that I had shared the video at all. 

Still others doubted the legitimacy of the man’s conversion because he was not a "Bible-believing Christian” and that got me thinking about another famous person who wasn’t “Bible-believing” but most certainly was a Jesus-follower.

Gandhi, who would never have called himself a “Christian” and most certainly not a “Bible-believer,” was a Jesus-follower. By that I mean, for the last several years of his life he read the Sermon on the Mount every day and tried to put it into practice.

What would you call someone who did that? Possibly not a “Bible-believing Christian” but at the very least, a “Jesus-follower” would be an accurate description.

Now, I'm not saying that Gandhi was a Christian, or even that he placed any faith in Jesus beyond the the teachings he read in the Sermon on the Mount. 

But, the funny thing is, I hardly know any “Bible-believing Christians” who read the Sermon on the Mount every day and then try to live it out in their daily lives.

Do you?

I think we should be more alarmed at the fact that there are apparently many more “Bible-believing Christians” in the world who don’t read the words of Jesus daily or try to put His teachings into practice.

Isn’t this exactly what Jesus was talking about when he rebuked the Pharisees saying:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.“ [John 5:39-40]

It’s not in the Bible that we find life. We only find life in Christ. He is the One we need to go to and follow if we want eternal life.

Maybe we need to move beyond the idea of "Bible-believing Christianity" towards a "Jesus-following Christianity"?

Because believing in something is worthless if you're not actually putting it into practice in your daily life. 

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." [James 1:22]

We need more Jesus-followers and less Bible-believers.

Who's with me?

-kg

The Unrelenting Wave Is Rising

Today I invite you to become a member of a subversive group of social media renegades whose mission is to spread the audacious joy of Christ's heart and to change the tone and tenor of the internet to reflect His new Kingdom reality, one post at a time.

Our strategy will be to relentlessly post quotes, articles, videos and memes that unapologetically declare that Christ's message of love, peace and forgiveness is remaking the world - one person at a time, from the inside out - whether we like it or not.

We will not stop to argue with the naysayers. We will respond only with more love, more joy, more forgiveness and more endless declarations of the Gospel of Peace that inevitably transforms everyone it touches.

As our numbers increase [and they will increase] the algorithms of Facebook will have to be rewritten to accommodate our unstoppable tsunami wave of agape.

I'm not going to ask who is with me. I'm just going to move forward and step into this movement that is already in motion.

This little kingdom will also fall and all will bow down to the Lamb who was slain to the Glory of God.

Join me now, or wait and be swept up into the rip tide later. It makes no difference.

His Kingdom is here. It is advancing. We will overcome.

Selah.

CHURCH OF THE HEART PODCAST: Giving It All Away

In this episode: Keith Giles of the Mission House Church in Santa Ana, California talks about being a part of a fellowship that has as its goal giving everything that the group takes in to help the poor in the community. Dan and Keith also discuss politics, millennials, Keith’s books and a few other things.

CLICK LINK HERE TO LISTEN>

Understanding Your Identity In Christ

Jesus started His ministry by saying this: 

"I have come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and it will not disappear until this is accomplished." [Matt. 5:17]

At the end of His ministry He said this:

"Father...I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do." [John 17:4]

"It is accomplished!" [John 19:28]

Now that Jesus has accomplished the Law and the Prophets as He came to do, we are told that the Law is: "fading, vanishing" and "obsolete" according to the Apostles. [2 Cor. 3:7-11; Gal. 4:24-31; Heb. 8:13]

This means we are no longer under the Law of Moses, because:

* It was a covenant made with the Jewish Nation 

* The covenant with that nation ended officially in AD 70, along with the priesthood, temple and daily sacrifice
* It was fulfilled and accomplished by Christ and now it will disappear, exactly as Jesus promised [see Matt. 5:17]

So, we who are in Christ are now only under the Law of Christ [Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 9:21] which has an easy yoke and a light burden because:

* Christ indwells and empowers us to love one another as He loved us [John 15:4]

* Jesus is transforming us daily into people who are like Him [2 Cor. 3:18]

* The Grace given to us by Christ has given us everything we need to live a godly life [2 Peter 1:3; Titus 2:11-12]

This also means that we, who are in Christ, are now God's Chosen People because:

* Jesus is "the Chosen One of God" [Matt. 12:18; Luke 9:35; John 1:34]

* If we are in Christ then we are also "Chosen in Him" [Eph. 1:11; Col. 3:12]

* God's "Chosen people" have always been those who belong to Him in Spirit and in Truth [Rom. 9:6; Gal. 3:29]

So, please keep these things in mind:
*Jesus fulfilled the Law

*You are not under the Law

*You are under the Law of Christ 

*You are called to love others as Jesus has loved you

*Christ's Law brings freedom and an easy yoke

*You are one of the "Chosen People of God"

*Anyone who is "in Christ" is Chosen of God

Now, go and live like every one of these is true - because it is true.

-kg

FOR FURTHER STUDY

*Answering Questions About The Old and New Covenant

*Just One Covenant

*Israel Is The Bride and We Are Israel

*Everything We Need [To Live A Godly Life]

*Subversive Radio Podcast: God's Chosen People?

SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE [Unconference Testimony]

One beautiful story that needs to be told about the Unconference actually happened after the event itself was all over.

On Sunday evening a handful of us met for dinner at a local Shoney’s restaurant for one last opportunity to squeeze another drop of fellowship with one another.

But that wasn’t the only reason we met there. We actually had another agenda that night: We were there to bless someone’s socks off.

Richard Jacobson had suggested that we all do our best to be an example of Christ to our server by putting our money where our mouth is.

His point – and it’s a good one – is that Christians often take over a table (or several of them) at a restaurant, and they stay for three hours and they are often rude and they talk about Jesus, but then they leave a really bad tip. If you know anyone who works in a restaurant they’ll confirm this. It’s widely known that Christians are typically the worst customers to serve.  

What a horrible witness, right?

So, our goal was to reverse all of that on Sunday night.

Before we arrived, Richard had taken the liberty to call the manager of the Shoney’s and clue him into our plan. The manager assigned Melanie to serve us. [That’s her in the red shirt in the picture above and her manager is next to her].

Earlier this same day, a church group had come in and ordered about $70 worth of food. After only about 15 minutes of waiting - and just as their food was ready to serve - they decided to leave; meaning the restaurant had to throw out the food and Melanie lost a nice tip.

Our group didn’t hide the fact that we were Christians, which at first made Melanie nervous. But, as we learned later, she was surprised at how well-behaved we were.

After we had eaten and talked as much as we could with one another, it was time to go. Several of the women in our group cleaned off the tables, stacked the plates and saved Melanie the trouble.

As Henry Hon and Richard Jacobson were paying their bill, Melanie met them at the register. They asked her about Jesus. She said she wasn’t sure if Jesus was real or not. So, Henry told her she could just ask Him to show her.

By the time it everyone paid their checks, Melanie ended up with more than $200 in tips. A few people had even given us cash to boost the tip, even though they couldn’t come to the dinner.

As you might expect, Melanie was blown away and started to cry. Richard gave her a hug and told her that Jesus really did love her.

So, tonight, please say a prayer for Melanie. Ask the Lord Jesus to reveal Himself to her in a powerful and unmistakable way. She’s a young mom who’s trying her best to provide a good life for her family.

And the next time you are out to eat with a group of Christian friends, do your best to bless those who serve you and ask them if they know the Lord, or at the very minimum please do your best to make sure they don’t doubt that those who love Jesus also love them, too.

Let’s change the world. Let’s be the love of Christ to people around us.

That’s what we’re here for.

Peace,

kg

5 MINUTE VIDEO: Why We Can't Turn Off The Dark

Take about 5 minutes and listen as Keith explains a few critical ideas from Colossians 3:1-11, like:

*Why we can't turn off the dark

*Why God isn't our co-pilot

*Why we shouldn't focus on what we don't do

*What happens to dead things when they encounter Christ?

*Why we need to learn how to practice living in the light

*And more!

Click the image above to watch, or click here to watch YouTube version here>

God Is Like Jesus

Christians often want to protect the deity of Christ. They insist that being a Christian entails being Trinitarian and that of course always means affirming that "Jesus is God".

But what does not come across as often as that is the idea that God is like Jesus.

In other words, many Christians still hold fast to the idea that the Father of Jesus, who we see in the Old Testament scriptures, is a wrathful, impatient, angry and quite often bloodthirsty God, in contrast to  Jesus, the Son, who is a decidedly softer and more gentle personality.

On one side, this isn't surprising. There are noticeable differences in God's character between those Old and New Covenant scriptures. So, we have to reconcile those apparent contradictions somehow, and what better way than by appealing to the language of the Trinity where there are 3 distinct "persons" who make up the one substance we call the One True God.

Now, I'm not against the doctrine of the Trinity. I personally affirm the doctrine. But I think my fellow Trinitarians are off-base when they attribute two different personalities to the Father and the Son. Especially when the New Testament scriptures give us no wiggle room in that capacity.

Simply put: The New Testament scriptures only affirm - over and over again - that Jesus IS what the Father looks like, and that means: The Father looks like Jesus.

Here's are a few examples from Jesus Himself:

"I and the Father are one" - John 10:30

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." - Jesus [John 14:9]

"Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me" - John 14:11

And here are a few scriptures from the Apostles about how Jesus and the Father are alike in heart and character:

"The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." [Hebrews 1:3]

"[Jesus] Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing..." [Phil. 2:6-7]

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." [John 1:1]

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” [Colossians 1:15-20]

“‘For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” [Colossians 2:9-10]

So...what's happening here? How is it that we've gotten the [wrong] idea about the Father? Why do we wrestle with the idea that the Father is who Jesus reveals Him to be?

Maybe because we're still reading those Old Testament scriptures through our old filters.

Paul refers to this in 2 Cor. 3:14:

"But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.”

In other words: we have a veil that covers our eyes and clouds our understanding whenever we take those Old Testament reports of the Father at face value. Those are inaccurate pictures of what our Abba is really like.

This is EXACTLY what John intends for us to understand when he writes in the very first chapter of the Gospel of John:

"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." [v.18]

Take that in for a moment. 

Notice: "No one has ever seen God."

That means no one - not even those Old Testament Prophets - ever really saw God clearly. 

This, according to the Gospel of John, is one of the main reasons why Jesus "the one and only Son" came to us: To show us who the Father really is.

Consider this: If everyone already had a clear picture of what the Father was like, then why would Jesus need to come and reveal Him to us? 

And wouldn't it make sense that the picture Jesus showed us was/is radically different from the foggy, murky picture we had of God before He showed us the truth?

So, if you want to know what God the Father is like, what He is REALLY like: Just look at Jesus.

If you want to know what the Father's attitude about you is, listen to Jesus tell the parable of the prodigal and the Father who welcomed and forgave with open arms.

If you want to know what the Father's character is really like, watch Jesus forgive those who beat him and tortured and killed him. 

If you want to know what the Father does when we miss His best for us, watch as Jesus weeps over Jerusalem because they refused to know the things that are meant for peace.

In Jesus we see a Father who would rather die than live without us. We see a Father who loves us with an everlasting love. We see a Father who washes our feet, even when we betray Him.

In Jesus, we see a Father who has compassion on the outcast and the broken, and the blind, and the poor, and the prostitute, and even on those who don't worship the right way or those who have bad theology or who enrich themselves at the expense of others. In Jesus we see a Father who loves everyone who bears His image - which is every single one of us. 

The Father says: "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."

The Father says: "I will never leave you or forsake you."

Jesus says we should call the Father our "Abba" or our "Daddy" when we talk to Him.

In fact, we're told to pray directly to the Father - not to or through Jesus - but directly to our "Abba" Father. That means the Father is approachable. He sits and waits to hear our voice. He has called us His children. 

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" [1 John 3:1]

So, more and more I'm personally trying to remember that the Father is who Jesus says He is. The Father is not the wrathful, angry, violent, bloodthirsty God we read about in the Old Testament. How do I know? Because those people did not ever see God clearly. Only Jesus reveals the Father to us, and Jesus did not reveal to us an angry, wrathful, petty, violent God. He revealed an "Abba" to us who looks just like Jesus in heart and character.

Yes, Jesus is like God, but God the Father is like Jesus. And that, my friends, is very good news.

-kg

Only Leadership Can Save Us?

I subscribe to George Barna’s research reports. A few of the recent surveys have dealt with the growing political divide between Christians in America.

Honestly, I could probably write a blog each day just trying to process all the different results of these surveys [which is why so far I have not commented on them very often here on my blog]. It’s just too overwhelming to respond to each and every little detail.

But in this case I had to make an exception.

The most recent report examines the widening ideology gap between Christians in America. In the summary at the bottom of the report, George Barna himself weighs in and declares that there is simple fix to the political gaps between American Christians, saying:

 “Unfortunately, the survey shows that we have more than a minor gap dividing the various factions in our country. We have a canyon of epic proportions that seems to be widening each year…That gap has emerged due to an absence of strong, visionary leadership…and the gap is only going to be eliminated by the presence of strong, visionary leadership.”

This is where I had to stop and shake my head. 

Really? People disagree on political issues because of a lack of “strong, visionary leadership”?

Perhaps if your goal is total indoctrination of the populace you might look at differences of opinions as failures of top-down authority structures to adequately police the thoughts of their minions.

Is that what Barna believes the clergy is designed to accomplish? Are our leaders failing to maintain control of everyone’s uniformity of thought?

If you see Christianity as primarily about having the right information about God, then I suppose I can understand a reaction like this. To Barna, too many people have a disagreement about which information is correct about God. This is a problem caused by a failure of information brokers [pastors] to pass along the information to those under their authority [those in the pew].

In this paradigm, the problem can only be solved by better leaders who are more successful at indoctrinating their flock so that everyone agrees with one another [or, more accurately, with Barna].

He does go on to say: 

“That leadership does not have to come from the White House; in fact, it may be more compelling if it comes from local and state leaders. But the inescapable reality is that unless strong leaders consistently promote a common vision and introduce ways of incorporating that vision into every activity and measurement being undertaken, the hyper-partisanship that has fragmented our national unity and discourse will continue to expand.”

Whoa. It’s worse than I thought.

Barna apparently wasn’t really even thinking about Christian leaders when he spoke of a failure of leadership to align the Church in America. He was looking to political leaders to do the job.

Seriously?

So, Jesus has passed the keys of the Kingdom to Mayors, Governors, Senators, Congressmen and Presidents?

Christians in America should look to politicians for guidance about spiritual issues? Churches should elect political gurus to learn more about how Jesus would want them to respond to issues like same-sex marriage, transgender rights, abortion, or even whether or not capitalism is preferable to socialism?

I doubt that.

Besides, doesn’t this seem like a “Chicken or the Egg” scenario to you? I mean, if American Christians are already confused and divided about all these issues – because of bad leadership – then how will they know if they are electing good leaders?

I do agree with Mr. Barna about one thing: American Christians are certainly divided over politics. His own research confirms this.

Where we disagree is this: I don’t think the solution is to get everyone to agree.

That’s right. Agreement is not necessary for unity. Not in the Body of Christ, anyway.

When the Christians in Corinth were divided over which Apostle they preferred, Paul reminded them to focus on Jesus. [See 1 Cor. 1]

When the Roman Christians were divided over whether it was sinful to eat meat sacrificed to idols, Paul told them to make up their own individual minds and get back to seeking Christ together and encouraging one another as the family of God. [See Rom. 14]

As Paul reminded the Galatians: “…we are all one in Christ Jesus.” [Gal. 3:28]

That means we are only one when we are focused on Christ. If we make Jesus the central focus, we have unity.

But if we make politics, or theology, or doctrine, or anything else the focus, we have division.

I also agree with Barna on one other thing: Our only hope is devotion to our leader.

He and I just seem to disagree about who that Leader happens to be.

-kg

**

My book “Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb” is available now at Amazon on Kindle and Paperback.

Order here

DO I SUPPORT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION?

Over the weekend a friend on Facebook questioned me about this issue of illegal immigration and the refugee crisis.

My original post was a link to an article that highlighted the inevitable clash between churches that offer amnesty or sanctuary to those fearing deportation, and the Immigration Enforcement Agencies that are tasked with finding, arresting and deporting these people.

His question was this:

"I am curious to hear your defense of someone illegally entering a foreign nation, and following that up with repeatedly violating multiple other laws of that nation while simultaneously illegally receiving a variety of monetary benefits...Surely you aren't going to argue that the mere "existence" of immigration laws represents an "unjust law" that - as a believer - can be morally ignored? I'm just trying to establish a 'baseline' for your argument, here. Where does 'just enforcement' begin, in your view? Or is there no such thing?"

It's a fair question and one that that I myself have wrestled with over the years as someone who has tried to reconcile my faith with everything else in my life. 

In the past, I might have tried to do exactly what he asked me to do: Justify the legality of immigration laws in our country, or seek to directly balance the words of Jesus with American immigration policy.

But that's not what I do anymore. I have a different perspective now. 

Here's how I answered my friend:

"Do I need to justify prostitution to care for a prostitute? Is it 'anti-criminal justice' to serve in prison ministry? Am I pro-drug use if I serve someone who is addicted to drugs?

"No. We show mercy and grace and the love of Jesus to everyone."
See, we don't need to limit our ministry to those who are "righteous" and "law-abiding". In fact, to do so would be completely pointless. 

If someone is already "good" then who needs Jesus?

And Jesus was quick to point out that it was only those who were sick who need a physician, and it's only those who admit they are blind that receive healing for their blindness.

The greatest blindness, of course, is not recognizing our own blind spots. If we fail to see ourselves in the outcast, and the poor, and the broken, then we also fail to see Jesus in them as well.

"Whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done it unto me," Jesus reminds us. 

So, we really only love Jesus as much as we love the people around us who are poor, and weak, and hungry, and thirsty, and naked and in prison.

What's more, we are reminded in the New Testament that we ourselves are equally in need of Jesus and His mercy and grace and healing as anyone - and everyone - else we see:

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?....And that is what some of you were." [1 Cor. 6:9-11]

We forget that we are no better than anyone else. We are all sinners saved by the same grace. We are all people who are dearly loved of God and in need of His endless mercy.

Refugees and illegal immigrants are people, just like you and me. They love their families. They want to live in peace. They are running from war and oppression and poverty and looking to find a new life here - just the way we would if it was our family - our children - who were starving and dying and in need of safety.

Regardless of what the laws might say, we are answerable to a higher authority. Jesus, our glorious eternal King, commands us to treat everyone - especially the weakest among us - as if they were Him. 

It's not our job to work out who is most deserving of His mercy. That's way above our pay grade. Our job is to love everyone we see and to recognize that our King commands us to be extravagant with our love. 

So, do I support illegal immigration? No, I don't. But I do support loving everyone around me. If those people happen to be illegal immigrants, or refugees, or Muslims, or anything else, my job is to love them as much as I love Jesus.

If you're following Jesus, it's your job too.

Peace,
-kg

**
My new book, "Jesus Untangled:Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb" is available now on Amazon. 

ORDER HERE
 

LISTEN: Real Talk Radio Interview with Keith Giles "For God and Country?"

Listen to this wonderful live call-in show interview I did with the awesome guys at Real Talk Radio over the weekend about my book "Jesus Untangled:Crucifying Our Politics To Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb".

If you haven't ordered the book yet, it's available now at Amazon on paperback and ebook.

ORDER HERE

Thanks for listening!

Peace,

-kg

5 MINUTE VIDEO: Is Jesus The Only Way To Heaven?

What did Jesus mean when he said, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father but by me"?

Does that mean Jesus is the only way to Heaven? What if that's not what Jesus is talking about at all?

A better question might be: "Is the Gospel that Jesus preached all about saying a prayer so you can go to Heaven when you die?"

Take 5 minutes and listen as Keith explains why Jesus's statement: "no one comes to the Father except by me" isn't about going to Heaven when you die, but something totally more amazing than that.

What does it mean to "come to the Father"?

In what way is Jesus "The Way, the Truth and the Life"?

What is the overall context of Jesus' conversation in the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John?

What is the Gospel really all about, anyway?

You'll know the answers to these questions in about 5 minutes.

IS IT A SIN TO LOVE YOUR COUNTRY?

Is it a sin to love your country?

Maybe that's the wrong question to ask. Jesus never said the exact words, "Thou shall not love thy country", but He did say things like:

"If anyone loves mother or father, or son or daughter more than me, he is not worthy of me." - Matt. 10:37-39

So, is it a sin to love your parents? Or your children?

No, but if you love your parents - or anything else - more than you love Jesus, then you might have your priorities out of line and just perhaps, you might not actually be following the words of Jesus.

The New Testament does have a lot to say about our relationship with our country, however. More so than most Christians believe.

For example, Jesus tells us clearly to "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's." Most Christians are aware of that one.

But Jesus also tells us that we cannot serve two masters, which in context was about trusting in money more than we trust in God, but the principle remains. We really cannot serve two masters.

We're also told that Jesus is our King. That means that our primary allegiance is to Him, and not to our President, or our National authority.

Yes, we're commanded to pray for our leaders [something most Christians only do if the leader happens to be representing their own political party], and we are told to submit to every authority over us, and to pay our taxes and to live quiet lives among the people. But we should keep in mind that those things were written during a time in history when the authority over them was Nero, one of the most cruel, vicious and evil men who ever lived.

If Jesus is our King, and if we are citizens of His Holy Nation [see 1 Peter 2], then our allegiance is to Christ and His Kingdom, not to the nation we were born into.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we are Ambassadors of Christ. Peter reminds us that we are strangers and aliens in this land. The author of Hebrews reminds us that we are looking for a better country that is from above. John reminds us that the enemies of Jesus are the Kings of the Earth and the Nations of men - not just the "evil" ones, all of them - that all stand opposed to Christ's Kingdom.

So, where do we stand? Are we truly strangers and aliens? Are we actually living as Ambassadors of Christ's Kingdom? Are we looking for a better country that is from above? Are we standing with Jesus, or are we standing with the Kings and Nations of the Earth which oppose Christ's rule and reign?

Is it a sin to love your country? Maybe.

If I were you, I wouldn't take the chance.

One of the repeated warnings given to the early church was about something called "entanglement".

"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer." - 2 Tim. 2:4

What are "civilian affairs" in this analogy? Anything that isn't pleasing to our commanding officer. How much of what takes place in the political arena would you honestly say is "pleasing" to Jesus: Slandering? Lying? Corruption? Pandering to special interest groups and lobbyists?

There's not much in the world of politics that anyone could say is "pleasing" to Jesus. In fact, I would go as far as to say that none of it is pleasing to Him. Why? Because no one in politics is seeking to please Jesus. Do any of them even give lip service to Christ? Is Jesus ever mentioned? Are they working to promote the values that He spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount?

No, they are not. And why would they? Christ's Kingdom only works when Jesus is the King. As long as men and women are attempting to rule and wield power over others, Jesus is not Lord.

The Apostle Peter also speaks about entanglement:

"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." - 2 Peter 2:20

If we have been set free from the "corruption of the world", then we are warned not to return again to that entanglement but to keep our hearts set on Jesus and maintain our allegiance to His Kingdom.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us," - Hebrews 12:1

Entanglement with the world is something we should be very careful to avoid. It's not only politics that we should be wary of, but politics and nationalism certainly qualify as examples of how the world works and we would be wise to avoid them as citizens of Christ's Kingdom.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them." - 1 John 2:15

Is it a sin to love your country?

Maybe.

Especially if your love for your country leads you to believe that your nation is more special, more loved by God than other countries.

Remember, God is no respecter of persons. He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. No nation is favored over another.

In the Body of Christ, we are reminded that there is no longer any recognition of nationality, or race, or age, or sex. We are all one in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. [See Gal. 3:28]

He makes us one. He unites us. National pride divides people. Patriotism distorts our oneness.

We would do well to abandon those things and to embrace our identity as the children of God who have been called out of every nation to be formed into a new, Holy Nation, where our King stands with arms open wide to welcome people of all tribes, and tongues, and nationalities.

Is it a sin to love your country?

What do you think?

-kg