Tag: Christian Nationalism

Christianity is Supernatural

August 23, 2026 / Chris / 0 Comments

Supernatural isn’t a bad word as it relates to Christianity. There are certainly ways that it can be misapplied and go off the rails; however, the Christian faith rests on the resurrection of the dead, the power of the Holy Spirit, and divine grace imparted to sinful humans. We see humanity trying to make the supernatural natural by reducing God’s work to something we can produce, suppress, explain, manipulate, or engineer.

Supernatural Versus Sensational

The Christian faith rests on the reality of a God who acts supernaturally. He creates from nothing (ex nihilo). He parts seas, sends plagues, delivers nations, and redeems sinners. How absurd for us to think that we can outperform Him with the cheap parlor tricks of sensationalism. While God makes the deaf to hear and dead to live again, we suppose that a musical experience or emotional high in a service will impress the audience, if not God. Like Moses striking the rock, we would do well to learn that God’s way is the way of truth and power. Water did flow, but there were consequences when Moses took God’s work into his own hands. We should trust in the promises of God rather than adopt the approach of P.T. Barnum. Sensationalism cannot create the supernatural.

Supernatural Versus Stoic

We often conflate charismatic practices with the supernatural. In so doing, we think that pushing off in the other direction toward stoicism is a more faithful paradigm. Accordingly, we can philosophically and mentally downplay or even relegate the supernatural aspects of the Christian faith. At times we can merge stoic philosophy with Biblical truth, but doing so leaves out the necessary element of Christ. Paul did say he had learned the secret of contentment, which sounds stoic in nature (Philippians 4:11-12). But that secret rests in supernatural strength in Christ (Philippians 4:13). Emotional control does no more to produce faith than emotional excess. Stoicism cannot suppress or supplant the supernatural.

Supernatural Versus Intellectualism

Salvation, grace, and faith are not abstract, philosophical concepts to which we need to intellectually assent. Theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy are prized possessions; however, God is not a cosmic comptroller whose main aim is to ensure compliance. His revelation of Himself isn’t some kind of divine tax code for which we can all “achieve” conformity if we know enough. No, God is an eternal, Triune being whose steadfast love was poured out through the veins of the Son and then three days later His resurrection secured our own. Like Abraham and Sarah taking things into their own hands in disbelief, we suppose that we can do a better job of managing Christianity rationally. Isaac is a testimony of God’s power, but Ishmael reminds us of the cost when we try to accomplish God’s promises by our own reason. Intellectualism cannot explain away the supernatural or think of a better way than God’s.

Supernatural Versus Mystical

The supernatural nature of our faith does not rest in rituals or artifacts, but in the promises of God. It isn’t our carefully curated words that activate the grace. It is the very words of God that carry with them the weight of glory and deliver what they proclaim. It’s true that we don’t need a mediator to stand between us and God because Christ fulfilled that, but it’s also true that we don’t individually summon grace by our personal practices. Like the prophets of Baal, all our efforts to conjure up the miraculous are just idle idolatry. The one true God has spoken to us in His Son (Hebrews 1:1-2). Mysticism cannot manipulate the supernatural.

Supernatural Versus Pragmatic

The truth of God cannot be reduced to a slogan or byline; however, it might sell some t-shirts. T-shirt sales might be enough to increase the missions budget. But that might dip into the podcast line item. The biting sarcasm should be an indictment on all our proclivities to reach for what works versus what is promised. The seeker sensitive, marketing wing of evangelicalism doesn’t have a corner on this market.

We need look no further than our own desire to get things done in our own strength but still in the name of God to see our own emphasis on pragmatism. We reason that if we campaign hard enough, platform enough culture disrupting influencers, and get the right people in the right positions, that we can usher into the kingdom of God on Earth. What we forget is that the right person is already in the right position; God is on His throne. What should send chills down our spine is that with sheer reason, strategy, and human grit we can actually move the ball forward in the name of God, just not in His power. Pragmatism can deliver metrics but cannot replace supernatural fruitfulness.

Supernatural Through Means

God spoke and creation came into existence. In fact, we see in John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:15-20, and Hebrews 1:1-4 and 8-12 that it is Christ who spoke these words of creation. He spoke and the winds and waves obeyed. He has spoken to us definitively through His word and tangibly in Jesus Christ. Irenaeus recognized this in the second century when he pointed to the power of the incarnation in Against Heresies (IV.6.6): “through the Word Himself who had been made visible and palpable, was the Father shown forth.”

He who walked on the water and turned water into wine has said that all who are thirsty should come to Him and drink. He who fed the five thousand with bread has given us His body and blood under bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins in the words of institution. He who was baptized by John the Baptist has commanded us to go to all nations and Baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus used the ordinary without hesitation. His promises that connect His grace to what is poured over us, consumed by us, or proclaimed to us should be trusted as the means through which He accomplishes His ends.

The promises of God will always be fulfilled, and His word abides forever. When God said that Baptism forgives sins (Acts 2:38), that the Supper is for the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28), and that preaching is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:15-17), you can rest assured that God is at work through the water, bread, wine, or sermons. God is supernaturally working through means.

At times we try to upstage, outmaneuver or outsmart God. Usually, it’s below the surface and we ironically think we’re fulfilling His plan. What He asks from us is faith that not only trusts Him for justification, but also trusts His ways are best to accomplish His plans. Dolly Parton once quipped, “it costs a lot to look this cheap.” We as individuals and the church collective would be wise to consider the true cost of cheap substitutes for the supernatural.

As another musician, Rich Mullins, observed in one of his lesser known songs (Holy Pretenders), “We’re just holy pretenders trying to fill God’s shoes, but we haven’t got the right size feet.” God works through His word. He forgives sins through Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Belief comes through hearing the good news of the gospel proclaimed. We can try to perform, suppress, rationalize, manipulate or engineer God’s work, but our hubris blinds us from seeing His sole sufficiency and our own inadequacy to accomplish His will our way. He is Lord over our beliefs, practices, world, and reality. We often say that He works in mysterious ways, but often that means He works His way, supernaturally.

What Christian Nationalism and Christian Liberalism Have in Common

March 26, 2026 / Chris

Christian nationalism and Christian liberalism have several things in common. I’m unable to fully address the nuances and slight variations of versions across the spectrum in each of these categories, but suffice it to say that there are underlying commonalities aiming at impact in opposite directions. Both sides likely have objections ready; however, I’d like to offer a few heart checks that highlight how each miss the central mark of Christianity in similar ways.

Defining Terms

Reaching an agreed upon definition of these terms may be impossible, but I must at least establish the basis of each for my ensuing critique. For the purpose of this article, Christian nationalism is understood as a movement that believes and works toward state embodiment and enforcement of Christian moral vision. Christian liberalism is understood as the reframing of Christian ethics and belief to align with modern philosophical and cultural sensibilities instead of historic orthodoxy. These working definitions will serve as the basis of the engagement that follows.

Behavior Modification

In the final analysis, both Christian nationalism and Christian liberalism are aiming at steering the Christian ethic in a practical, particular direction. One points toward an ethic of traditional, conservative values while the other to relativistic, progressive philosophies. Repeatedly in scripture, we see that God is not concerned only with what we do, but also the heart with which we do it. Amos 5:21-24 highlights God’s deep displeasure when God’s people do exactly what He commanded with no regard for His righteousness, Isaiah 66:1-5 reminds us that the Lord esteems the contrite and humble in obedience flowing from delight in Him, and Psalm 51:16-19 is a Davidic testimony of broken and contrite hearts preceding right sacrifices. Our faith should unashamedly impact our personal and societal ethics, but we must not rush past orthodoxy on our way to orthopraxy. The holistic nature of our belief and the reverent posture of our hearts should overflow into behaviors that align with God’s word and mission. Our being drives our doing, not vice versa.

Naturalism in the Name of Christ

Christian nationalism works to accomplish its aims through political maneuvering. Christian liberalism seeks to advance its cause through political maneuvering. What each bypasses is the supernatural power of the gospel through Jesus Christ to resurrect the dead and bring salvation and sanctification to helpless sinners. What of the power of the Holy Spirit to convict, the promises of God to work through word and sacrament, and the good news of Christ to bring us to new life and sustain our faith? Must we rely on the levers of political power to change society into the image of Christ? Will we place our trust in the swinging pendulum of politics or in the eternal, steadfast power of our Heavenly Father? We must be careful of what we accomplish apart from Christ in His name. Through sheer determination, we can move the ball forward on our cultural aims apart from Christ. That should give us sacred pause. Political involvement and the pursuit of justice are not discouraged, but they must never supplant the church’s mission with mere cultural influence.

Christ as Adjective

When “Christian” functions merely as a modifier of a political vision, Christ is subtly reduced from Lord to instrument. Sure, “Christian” is used to differentiate between forms of societal practices like marriage, but what is in view here is the idolatrous nature of making Christ a mere descriptor of our true pursuit of philosophical and political paradigms. Whether Christ is viewed as the manner through which culture can attain a certain conservative threshold or through which progressivism can make inroads to the intellectual and practical aspects of faith, both are making Christ a means to an end. Christ is the alpha and the omega (Revelation 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13). He is the beginning, the means, and the end. He is no mere adjective (Colossians 1:17-20).

Law and Gospel Conflation

Both Christian nationalism and Christian liberalism conflate the law and the gospel by collapsing those categories into measurable human metrics instead of biblical frameworks of governance and faith. The law exposes our sins. The gospel cures our sins. Both movements tend to treat our ability to follow the law as the cure. If the gospel is the same thing as the law, then why didn’t Christ simply come down onto a second Mount Sinai with more tablets and graver consequences? Instead, Christ came not to deliver a second Sinai but to ascend Mount Calvary as the perfect embodiment of all Sinai demanded. Yet He was slain because we sinners could not live up to the law’s demands. This allows us to look with joyful expectation toward Mount Zion on account of Christ’s mediation of the new covenant (Hebrews 12:18-24).

Clarity on the Lesser of Two Evils

Does one of these two lean more toward a robust Biblical understanding of life, conception, marriage, identity, and a host of other contemporary issues? Absolutely and unequivocally, Christian nationalism tends to align with a biblical ethic on those issues much more consistently. Nonetheless, there are underlying weaknesses and dangers. My critique of both movements is a call to repentance of neglecting the gospel, relegating Christ, and making things happen in our own strength.

Christ is the eternal Logos through whom we receive grace and truth (John 1:1-17). He is the exact image of the glory and splendor of God and He upholds the universe by the word of His power (Colossians 1:15-19). It is the Son of God that unlocks our understanding of the law and the prophets (Luke 24:25-32 and 44-49). Christ and Him crucified is the clarity Paul offers in His proclamation to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:18-25 and 2:1-5). The teachings, parables, and miracles of Jesus were recorded that we might believe and have life in His name (John 20:30-31). The church accomplishes its mission most faithfully when it makes Christ the focal point in word and sacrament. When such a biblical and Christ-centered emphasis is in place, the effects supernaturally ripple into society with the right heart and focus. The church doesn’t change the world by grasping for power but by operating in the power that God gives when following His word, His way personally, corporately, and societally.

I unashamedly stand on a conservative foundation, but that doesn’t mean that my conservatism should take precedence over Christianity. When you reduce Christianity to behavioral outcomes, a matter of human willpower, or a modifier attached to a political objective, then what you have left is not Christianity at all. We can dress the culture like a Christian and slap a name tag on the outer garments, but only faith in Christ transforms individuals from the inside out who fulfill their vocations and impact society through the ordinary means of our extraordinary God.

Not My Kingdom

July 26, 2025 / Chris

Jesus told Peter to put his sword away, and a short time later said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” Jesus taught that childlike faith was a prerequisite for the kingdom of heaven. What is the kingdom of God, and what is it not? What does it mean to build the kingdom? Are we called to build it or bear witness to it? We too often answer these weighty questions with more zeal than wisdom.

Approximately twenty years ago, I listened to a radio show where the hosts and the guest were discussing the kingdom of God. The host observed that the kingdom of God is upside down from this world. The elderly saint guest chimed in with gentle wisdom, saying, “The kingdom of God is right side up; this world is upside down.” It may seem like a semantic difference, but it is profound. God’s kingdom is not of this world, its logic, its power, or its ways. So, how do Christians view and navigate this world while being citizens of another?

Sojourners and Pilgrims

Throughout the Old Testament, the people of God found themselves as exiles. In the New Testament, we see frequent descriptions of God’s people as sojourners and pilgrims who have no lasting city here. Is this an abrogation of our call to discipleship, evangelization, or simply being salt and light? Absolutely not!

Between faith’s definition and its roll call lies the reminder that God’s people have always been exiles.

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:13-16

Salt and Light in Babylon

When commanded to be salt and light in a world of decay and darkness, does that override our status as pilgrims? Jesus’ declaration of our identity follows His blessing of those who are persecuted and reviled in this world, accompanied by the reminder that our reward is great in Heaven (Matthew 5:11-16). Can sojourners also be ambassadors? Peter reminds us of our identity as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for his own possession, even as he urges us as sojourners and exiles to live honorably to the glory of God.

How Then Shall We Live?

This is the question we rush to answer while missing a foundational question: how then do we have life? We see this most clearly in the sermon. The pastor often sprints to the practical application aspect of the message to deliver “marching orders” as quickly as the congregation expects them. Our actions flow from our being, yet we try to build the kingdom using the strength of our own hands instead of the power that comes from God. In our rush to “do,” we often default to strategies of worldly success.

Two Faulty Approaches

Building the kingdom of God currently has two prominent yet opposing approaches with the same faulty foundation. The first is building the network and net worth of the church in the name of the kingdom. The second is positioning the church to wield political and cultural power for societal change. One makes the church a corporation, and the other makes it a campaign. Both miss the mark and treat the kingdom like something to be managed or conquered instead of received in childlike dependence. Unfortunately, we’ve seen recent examples.

In the past year, two prominent Southern Baptist pastors have come under scrutiny for their business practices in bringing churches outside the denomination into the denomination, including their assets. Whether you agree or disagree with the criticism, the recurring appeal in each case from the pastors and their supporters was that this was for the “kingdom.” Is building the kingdom synonymous with expanding a megachurch’s satellite campuses and urban footprint? It’s a matter of meaning and motivation, not merely methodology. Is kingdom success defined by institutional reach and branding or by faithfulness to God’s will, word, and ways?

There has been a resurgence of discussion centered on Christian nationalism and theonomy in recent years. We won’t settle the debate here, but suffice it to say that the church still has a role to play in the public square. However, is the kingdom truly built by pastors with flamethrowers (literally!) while doing videos on virtue laced with vitriol? Is kingdom building the same as accruing political power or cultural capital?

Recently, I sat in the pew and observed the pastor and vicar of my church bring communion to our eldest member. She can no longer go up to the front, but heaven came down and met her with forgiveness and peace through the body and blood of Christ. In that moment, it occurred to me that what I had just witnessed had more to do with kingdom growth than launching a church plant 30 miles away in a city that also has hundreds of churches or ripping the culture a new one on a vlog. What do evangelical corporatism and Christian nationalism have in common? They make us soldiers instead of sojourners, politicians instead of pilgrims, and confuse earthly power in the name of God with the power of God.

I imagine Jesus would look at our church brand expansion and political power plans and echo what he said to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.” The right-side-up kingdom is where bread and wine deliver forgiveness, exiles testify to God’s glory and grace through the humility of their obedience, and, most importantly, sinners and saints alike are redeemed through Christ’s death and resurrection.

The right-side-up kingdom doesn’t need branding campaigns, multi-site demographic studies, or political savvy. It transforms lives through the potent simplicity of word, water, bread, and wine. Let us look to the future then as “ambassador exiles” not armed with worldly wit, but empowered by the wisdom of God. The kingdom comes not through force or fame, but through foolishness: the foolishness of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18-31).

Christ as Cultural Adjective

January 26, 2025 / Chris

Christianity finds itself perpetually distracted by the the latest undercurrents of cultural dialogue. Christian nationalism and Christian masculinity are two of the most recent. We fail to realize that when we make “Christian” an adjective, we make Christ merely a modifier. Are these issues worth consideration? Absolutely. Are they worthy of the level of attention and importance we give them? Only Christ is worthy of that.

Christian Nationalism

Christian nationalism has been a topic of contentious debate in recent months and years. Are we pilgrims and sojourners in a foreign land or cultural conquerors? Eschatological and soteriological considerations factor into our perspective on answering that question; regardless of our view of end times, the gospel should never be a secondary or tertiary priority.

The discussion of Christian nationalism is the second coming in many ways. However, it’s the second coming of the moral majority movement, not of Christ. Our proclivity is to pine for the effects of new wine but to forget the true power that bursts the old wineskins. We prefer to put the unshrunk patch of cultural impact onto our ecclesiastical garment but seem dumbfounded at the ensuing tear.

Prioritizing the gospel is not an abandonment to be salt and light in a world of decay and darkness. It focuses on spiritual cancer instead of cultural rashes. Why would the church exchange the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ for a wet matchstick? Beware of putting your hope in the moral and cultural pendulum swinging because it can and likely will swing back in the other direction. Christ is steadfast.

Christian Masculinity

Christian masculinity is almost laughable as a standalone issue. It is relevant, and extremes are on either side of the cultural thought process. Are “Christian” men cantankerously devout with a scroll in one hand and a stone in the other? Should they be workaholics with a newspaper in one hand and a Bible pendant in the other? Which era should define manhood? The 50’s or the 1950’s? Or perhaps the postmodern perspective is the ticket. Should the very concept of gender be stripped from our cultural and philosophical underpinnings? G.K. Chesterton would describe this as being so open-minded that our brains fall out.

In the movie Star Trek First Contact, Zefram Cochrane said, “Don’t try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgment.” I suggest a slight modification to fit the current cultural church moment: Don’t try to be a Christian man, just be a Christian. Am I arguing against Biblical manhood and womanhood? No. I’m calling us to put the emphasis where it belongs.

Both of these topics are important, but they are nowhere near the level of importance we’ve allowed them in the Christian conversation. The current sociological struggles in these areas are symptoms of missing the bigger picture, and the more we treat the symptoms, the longer it will take to “find” the cure.

We in the Christian community far too readily allow the core of our faith to become an adjective as we rush toward the verbs at breakneck speed. So, lest I be guilty of what I’ve identified here myself, allow me to point you to Christ crucified for the forgiveness of your sins. Look to His sinless life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection as the object of your faith, and live in light of that death-to-life transformation. Look to Jesus, who will return to set everything right, riding a white horse. I assure you He is more transformative than any of our cultural hobbyhorses. His is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, no mere adjective.