Sunday Message: A "Christian" Nation

Something I will not reference led me to some thoughts on the current situation with the "caravans" of people heading through Mexico to the United States.  It leads me to a question that is being asked by some others- some well-meaning and some not.  That question is:  Does the United States, as a Christian Nation, have a duty to accept just any ol' body in their borders?

And the answer there lies in the concept of Christian Nation.  And why the United States is NOT one.

First let's ask, can a nation be a Christian?  Is an entire nation saved, or just individuals?  Will any nation go in its entirety to heaven?  Answer:  That would be absurd.  Nor do you get to heaven by your membership in a nation, ethnic group, or religious grouping.  I would like to think that is obvious... but, you have Catholics who think they merit heaven (after a pit stop in purgatory) just on their baptism into the church; you have Jews who think that "God's Chosen People" is a physical birthright despite the examples of Ishmael and Jacob; and others.  Fact is, remind yourself of Ephesians 2:8-9...

Eph 2:8  For by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; 
Eph 2:9  not of works, that not anyone should boast; 

...or Romans 10:9...

Rom 10:9  Because if you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 

... so that dispenses of that aspect.  But what if you say, "Well, a 'Christian Nation' doesn't mean that, it means it is founded on Christian values"?

Declaration of Independence:  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

The Constitution:  "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"...

Do you see that, while respecting the rights of people of faith, there is a definite NON-link between God and government?  Do you see that while the Declaration recognized a CREATOR, it did not recognize Christ as that Creator?

Some might challenge me, then how is it that God so richly blessed this nation?  To which I challenge you- are Christians to be known by their BLESSINGS, or by their FRUIT?  You know the answer there is fruit, and I turn you once again to the original Constitution:

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.

That was a political compromise by this "Christian" nation, assigning the value of a slave as 3/5ths that of anyone else- and a Native American no value at all.    The fruit of that compromise was kicking Civil War over slavery down the road 80 years.

So then, you say, what about 2 Chronicles 7?  Let's look at that famous passage:

2Ch 7:13  If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain, and if I command the locusts to consume the land, and if I send pestilence among My people, 

2Ch 7:14  and My people, on whom My name is called, shall be humbled, and shall pray, and shall seek My face, and shall turn back from their evil ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 

This is often brought up in requests for corporate prayer about our nation, by many respected pastors, and I am not here to knock praying for our nation.  BUT... this is NOT a general promise, this is directed to GOD'S people, called by HIS name- and that is Israel.  God only ever named two nations after Himself.  Israel in the OT, the Christian Church in the new.  And that itself brings us to a disturbing revelation.  Because of these verses, many people have prayed corporately for the United States- who is not subject to this promise.  How many have EVER prayed for the CHURCH based on this verse?  With the divisions between us, the false teachings both institutionalized and creeping in amongst the "faithful" churches, we NEED to direct this prayer call TO the one nation that is a Christian Nation, the Kingdom of God on Earth.

And to close back at the original question:  Many of us in that Kingdom of God are in the secular boundaries of the United States- a nation, while blessed by God, that rules over many faiths and non-faiths.  Ruling necessitates a Rule of Law.  The immigrants who legitimately want into this country need to OBEY that Rule of Law.  Oh, but wait- aren't we supposed to disobey that law if it goes against God's Word?  Yes we are.  The example given- and the ONLY example given- was when the government tried to prohibit the TEACHING of the Word of God.  NOT on how legitimately passed laws that are not against the teachings of Christ or the Ten Commandments should be enforced.  Thus, you may pray for these that want a better life, you may give to charities that help them.  And those that do come in, you should treat them as you treat anyone else in Christ.  BUT what you can't do is break legitimate laws to let them in or give them access to what legal citizens have on the excuse that it is a "Christian duty".  And what you shouldn't do is shame anyone else if they say, "No, you can't come in illegally", because it is their "Christian duty", or the United States' duty as a "Christian Nation."