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The Kingdom of God versus Christian Nationalism

Jesus’ first century followers lived in prophetic tension with the politics of state. The book of Acts describes how some of the early church’s opponents in Thessalonica turned the church’s faithfulness to God into a political accusation. “These people who have been disturbing the peace throughout the empire have also come here. …Every one of them does what is contrary to Caesar’s decrees by naming someone else as king: Jesus” (Acts 17:6-7, CEB).

Through almost six decades of ministry, I have observed the heresy of privatized faith corrupt Jesus’ gospel of the Kingdom of God. As I wrote in Renegade Gospel: “When we privatize our faith, we cease to be salt and light in the world. No longer part of a countercultural revolution, or an outpost of heaven demonstrating God’s plan for restoration and resurrection in the world. We reduce our faith to no more than Jesus came, died, and rose from the grave to get me into heaven. No! We don’t pray to get into heaven; we actively pray (and work) to get the kingdom of heaven into earth” (Renegade Gospel; pg.43-44).

A large number of Christians today have confused the gospel of the Kingdom with the politics of nation state and have embraced worldly political leaders as ultimate heralds of truth. The word of God reminds us to exercise restraint when it comes to idolizing worldly leaders: “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day, their plans come to nothing” (Ps. 146:3-4).

Who are you trusting?

Mike Slaughter, pastor emeritus and global church ambassador for Ginghamsburg Church, served for nearly four decades as the lead pastor and chief dreamer of Ginghamsburg and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike is also the founder and chief strategist of Passionate Churches, LLC, which specializes in developing pastors, church staff and church lay leaders through coaching, training, consulting and facilitation services. Mike’s call to “afflict the comfortable” challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. Mike’s latest book, from which this post is partially excerpted, is Revolutionary Kingdom: following the Rebel Jesus, available on Amazon and Cokesbury

Mike SlaughterThe Kingdom of God versus Christian Nationalism
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