I’m going to shove a stick into a very large hornet’s nest…and hang around to see what comes out of it, which might be quite painful. I will start by asking one simple question: Why is the Christian Church so irrelevant and impotent today in meeting the needs of society and standing firm against the evil which is rampant in the land?

A few months ago (Dec. 06, 2022), I posted an article about the common practice of Christians trying to have it both ways–praying to and praising God for salvation, deliverance, and guidance, then immediately swearing allegiance and fealty to the American flag…or perhaps proclaiming their allegiance to the flag, then throwing God the leftover scraps. Are these people really that deluded? Do they truly not understand what they are doing? I bring this up because, since that time, I have attended two events in different local churches which had a large American flag prominently displayed. In both cases, I left the event halfway through because of the rage building up in my soul over the contradiction of record.

The Church of Jesus Christ is universal in its message. Everyone, without exception, is in need of redemption and regeneration which draws people together in a spirit of love and sacrificial giving so that everyone can benefit and mature. Everyone is welcome and there are none who are so evil that they cannot change for the better. It is not exclusive to any particular group or person, but extends its “olive branch” everywhere. At all times, even the worst of men, the most-hardened criminals, high or low, can drink of its life-giving “water”.

At the same time, it insists that there is only one source of that water. It flows from the Throne of God on which is seated the only King who epitomizes and models that love and sacrifice–Jesus the Christ. As the Apostle Peter put it when he was fired up, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, NIV) A person cannot save himself. He cannot make himself good. Without the rejuvenating and regenerating power of the Holy Spirit acting on him, he is helpless to change his condition. This is orthodox Christianity and has been preached this way for 2000 years, +/-. At the very base level of the religion, the message stands solid and firm.

Yet, for 2000 years, +/-, people have been trying to water it down and corrupt it, attempting to create new “saviors” to address the issues of the day, to compensate for the shortcomings of sinful people, to restore mankind to his original home, the Garden of Eden, in which everything was right and good, and no one lacked for anything which was desired. In seeking a return to this “utopia”, many methods have been tried, found wanting, and discarded along the way, all of them predicated on the idea that force, violent or not, was an acceptable means of achieving that goal. There is no difference in this attitude today. The greatest of these utopian beliefs is that the universal State, the highest achievement of sinful man, can bring all these things about. All that is necessary is that everyone submit to and accept the tenets of that philosophy, namely, the State is All and there can be no other.

Herein lies the problem. Either the rule of Jesus Christ is supreme and sovereign or there is another which supersedes that. It is not possible to have two equal, but distinct and competing, law-givers at the same time. Either one or the other will reign supreme in the minds and hearts of men. Either one will be given the loyalty, fealty, and allegiance demanded or the other will. There is simply no other option. Jesus brought this out explicitly when He said that, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24, NKJV)

How then can a church which proclaims to be a minister of the Gospel of the Truth which preaches and teaches universal, uncontaminated love for every person also hold to a belief that one certain, specific political nation is better than and must be defended against all other political nations and peoples? Let us face this issue squarely. The display of a flag which symbolizes a particular political entity MUST necessarily also express solidarity with and support for that entity. It does not matter which polity is endorsed–America, Russia, China, Ukraine, CHAZ, Don’t Tread on Me, etc. The fact is that everyone of these creates a division between those who profess belief in a certain “truth” and those who do not hold to the same belief. Even so-called “Christian” flags are suspect. Protestant flags are different than Catholic. Assemblies of God have different emblems than Reformed and this is no more true than in the Eucharist, the Communion service, where each proclaims to adhere to the truth. We are better than they because we do not serve real wine but use grape juice instead, because, ahem, partaking of alcoholic drink is a sin and we cannot have that. Or vice versa.

What a shame! Even worse are those who advocate for salvation in Jesus Christ alone but turn immediately to the State when there is a need, real or imagined. Are you a single woman with dependent kids who needs food? Here, we will help you get on food stamps. Praise the Lord for SNAP! Beyond that, there is always the issue of one Christian believer going to war against another Christian, both of whom swear allegiance to their own respective and peculiar political ideology and nation. Hence, we have the possibility of an American fighting a Russian, both of whom claim to be Christian, yet because of their political preferences are attempting to kill each other in the mistaken belief that the other is “the enemy”. The pre-eminent display of this contradiction is seen in the War between the States, the so-called Civil War in American history, 1861-1865, in which both sides fought with each other while calling on the same God for victory against the other.

When will we learn that political differences and Christianity do not mix? When will we understand that taking up our cross (an emblem of belief which, in reality, is no different than a flag, also an emblem of belief) means that we must forsake all other contradictory, competing claims on our loyalty and allegiance? When will we know what it means to truly trust God in everything and reject the offers made to us by man?

“Choose you this day whom you will serve.” — Joshua

“If the Lord (Yahweh) is god, follow him, but if Baal, follow him.” — Elijah

“You cannot serve God and mammon.” — Jesus Christ