I trust we know what a Christian is. But what is a nationalist? By definition, a nationalist is someone loyal to and who loves and appreciates their nation. There is nothing wrong with loving God and loving your country.

The problem is when the Bible says we should live one way, but the culture says we should go in the opposite direction. Someone who proclaims to be a Christian and says they will not go along with what the culture or society says is right, then the term Christian nationalist becomes evil, so much so that I have seen some be accused of being racist because they would not conform to what the culture dictated.

When an Idol Becomes an Obsession
It is now common for anyone who connects their faith to their worldview to be labeled as a Christian nationalist, which would be fine, except this label is designed to be derogatory. Anyone who proclaims our nation has Christian roots and has a Christian heritage is classified as a Christian nationalist, and again, that label is designed to be derogatory.

Scripture says Christians are called to be lights in a dark world and perform good works that glorify their heavenly Father (Matthew 5:14-16). However, the concept of Christian Nationalism is NOT the same as Kingdom Now theology, Replacement Theology, or any of the NAR teachings. Christian Nationalism has nothing to do with the Seven Mountain mandates.

James Spencer
Recently, the Christian Post held a multi-panel event on the topic of Christian Nationalism. One of those panel participants was James Spencer, the president of the D.L. Moody Center. He said, "There is no other nation in the world that has been established on the premise that your individual rights are endowed to you by the Creator God," he said. "Now all of a sudden, if you start talking about natural rights theory, if you start talking about these things that are fundamental to the United States of America, then you are labeled as a Christian nationalist."

What he is saying is that you're not allowed to believe that your rights are endowed to you by God. You're not allowed to love God and your country. People should realize that the reason we have three branches of government is based on Isaiah 33:22. Spencer added, "I want to make sure that the Church is still worshiping the triune God, that we are still pointing to and glorifying the triune God, and that we are not surrendering ourselves to a religion of American politics."

Spencer said his primary concern "is just to make sure that while we're engaging in politics, we're doing so as an act of discipleship, as opposed to allowing the politics to drive our discipleship." He recently wrote a book entitled Serpents and Doves: Christians, Politics, and the Art of Bearing Witness.

The book Serpents and Doves does not argue that Christians should not participate in the politics of the United States. Instead, it calls Christians to put the politics of the day in proper perspective by recognizing the political nature of worship, discipleship, and the proclamation that Jesus is Lord.

The Left has Created a Religion of Their Own
In our culture, the left has created a religion of their own based on doctrines such as abortion and climate change. They have created these things, and if you don't go with it, you disagree with it, then you're considered and painted as an extremist. This past February, an MSNBC panel slapped the label "Christian nationalist" in a derogatory way on anyone who believes rights don't come from Congress, they don't come from the Supreme Court, but they come from God.

Believing that all that we have comes from God goes against our society's norms and the general acceptance of our culture, which makes such beliefs anti-cultural.

Christian researcher George Barna has completed surveys that show only 6% of Americans have a Biblical worldview, so the majority of our nation does not have a belief system that aligns one hundred percent with God's Word. Obviously, there is going to be a disconnect when topics that affect our beliefs, values, and purpose are either discussed or voted upon.

Scripture confirms that our elected officials need our prayers; however, in the culture we live in, it seems if a Christian speaks positively towards a conservation candidate, meaning someone who will not align with unbiblical positions, that person is now a Christian nationalist. Why is that designed to be a derogatory label? Because the goal is to put fear in you so that you do not engage in any way. The left wants to do whatever they wish to do, and anyone who speaks up is attacked. One way of attacking is to call them a Christian nationalist, which in itself should NOT be a derogatory title, but it has been perverted by our culture to be seen as a negative label.

Sam Brownback
Former U.S. Ambassador Sam Brownback has publicly spoken about that scenario and highlighted how that path leads to growing threats to religious freedom. Brownback has also said that some Christians are beginning to face financial persecution as major U.S. banks, such as JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, have allegedly started "de-banking" religious organizations such as the National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF).

Earlier this year, 15 Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to Bank of America alleging the company "is responsible for some of the worst-known instances of debanking" while at the same time cooperating with the federal government to provide private information to paint some conservative customers as "potential domestic terrorists."

From Christian Nationalist to Domestic Terrorists
From a Christian nationalist to domestic terrorists, all because you love God and your country!
Brownback said he is personally aware of a woman who heads a crisis pregnancy center and was recently denied D&O (Directors and Officers) insurance because the insurance company told her they did not approve of what she was doing. De-insurance, de-platforming, and de-banking are all an effort to suffocate anyone who does not go along with unbiblical policies or platforms.

Joseph Kennedy
A former football coach, Joseph Kennedy, was fired for praying on the field. He is an 18-year Marine veteran and the former assistant coach for the varsity football team at Bremerton High School in Washington State. He was fired in 2015 for kneeling in prayer at the 50-yard line after games. He sued, and in 2022, his case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which means that the First Amendment protected his prayers. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Kennedy and upheld the constitutional right of public-school employees to engage in brief, personal private prayer.

Our religious speech is doubly protected. The Constitution has two clauses governing religious expression: the Establishment Clause, which prevents the government from telling you what you should believe and how you should believe it, and the Free Exercise Clause, which guarantees your right to express your religious beliefs.

The Equality Act
The Family Research Council has warned about the Equality Act and its potential dangers posed to people of faith. The act wants to use federal law concerning sexual orientation and gender identity. It contrasts directly with those who wish to uphold personal Biblical standards. The Equity Act would require Christians (and possibly other faiths) to say things they do not believe are true, to agree with things they don't believe, and to promote and endorse things that go against their beliefs and conscience.

What is a Christian nationalist? Is that a derogatory thing? Why does our culture paint someone who has the love of God and the love of country as an enemy of the state? How are we to raise our children, and how are families to worship God?

Joseph Kennedy, the former football coach, believes the answer to all of this is simple and starts with men spiritually leading their own families. "It starts on your knees in prayer," he said, adding that "men need to feed their families and stand up and be men." I think Coach Kennedy is right. Christian Nationalism does begin in the home, and it is not an evil title.

Maranatha Lord Jesus​