Is Christian Nationalism from God?

In the Old Testament, God raised up the nation of Israel to prepare the world for the Kingdom of God.
Then God sent His only Son, the Eternal Word of God, to show the Jews and all the world the character and the love of God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Jn 3:16 NRSVue

In the Old Testament there are many prophecies telling of the coming of the Messiah from heaven to restore the nation of Israel as the headquarters of God’s global government. Jesus will return from heaven one day to do exactly that.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem shortly before His execution, the crowds welcomed him, expecting him to reveal himself as the heavenly ruler who would cast out the Roman occupiers and make Israel great again. It seemed to be a MAGA moment, but Jesus disappointed them.


When Jesus was trial before Pontius Pilate, he said to the Roman Governor:

Jesus answered, “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Jn 18:36 NRSV

Jesus did not come to restore the Jewish theocracy and rule the world. Jesus was not a Jewish nationalist and he never established any kind of Christian Nationalism.

After His execution on the cross, Jesus returned from death and spent 40 days with his disciples.

Before he returned to heaven, his disciples still expected God to restore a dominant nation of Israel.

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6 NRSVue

Jesus answered decisively:

He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:7–8 NRSVue

In other words, not yet.

Since then, there have been many attempts to set up earthly kingdoms and empires in the name of Jesus. These have often been very bad.

The Roman Catholic crusaders travelled through Constantinople on the way to drive the Muslims out of Israel. The Crusaders violently attacked the Eastern Orthodox Christians. The ugly face of Christian Nationalism.

The Spanish Inquisition ruthlessly persecuted the Jews. Christian Nationalism again.

The Spanish Inquisition followed the Conquistadors to Mexico and South America. Many indigenous people were murdered or enslaved. Christian Nationalism.

The colonists in North America had African slaves and committed genocide against indigenous people. They believed they were christianising North America. Christian Nationalism is so often savagely cruel.

American missionaries went to Hawaii in the middle of the 19th Century. They won many converts but they were not satisfied with that. They settled in Hawaii and successfully overthrew the benevolent Hawaiian monarchy. They replaced a free hospital with commercialised American health services. They punished Hawaiian children for speaking their native language. Christian Nationalism is not Christian.

Aboriginal children in Australia were treated even worse by many Christian missionaries. Christian Nationalism is not from God.

God Demands Just Labour Laws

 Poverty and need are relative. Some people say no one is poor in rich countries like Australia and Germany, but if you miss meals to pay the rent, you are poor compared to your neighbours.

If you cannot pay the rent, and you sleep in your car, you are not poor like Africans in the desert in Sudan but what about your children?

“You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy labourers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns.

You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt. Dt 24:14–15 NRSVue

If big companies hire workers on contracts, and those workers have no sick leave and are paid much less than company staff, that is unjust. If some workers are paid less for the same work, that is unjust.

If company staff can afford to pay their rent, but contract workers cannot afford to pay rent, although they do the same work as company staff, the employers must answer to God, but hopefully they are also accountable to a fair government.

An employer must pay migrants and foreign workers the same as his own countrymen. Likewise, migrants who employ people from their own country must pay them fairly according to the laws of the country they now live in.

Sadly employers often fail to deal justly. We need laws to punish them if they cheat their workers.

But what about corruption in trade unions? There is as much corruption in management as there is in unions.

Laws must be enforced against both sides. Corrupt unions can do serious damage, but many employers don’t pay their workers when it doesn't suit them. This is called wage theft. It should be punished the same way as any other theft.

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God? Mic 6:8 AMP

If you pay some workers less than others who do the same work, you are exploiting them and sinning against God.

Why do so many Christians focus on personal morality and personal spirituality but ignore social injustice? This is not a biblical world view.