No longer a Christian Nationalist: Why I am distancing myself from the movement
Over the last sixteen years, I have spent a lot of time in the Puritans. Early on in my pastoral ministry, I resolved to read at least ten pages of Puritan writings a day. While I have not always been consistent, I have made Puritan reading a significant priority. Though I have read other material, the bulk of my time has been given to their works, which have profoundly shaped my thinking on a host of issues. When I have questions, I instinctively turn—not to contemporary voices—but to the Puritans. They aren’t perfect, but they are safe.
I have noticed, however, that the ideology and practices of younger generations of Reformed believers have been largely shaped by the influence of popular contemporary figures, many of whom find their platform on social media. This hasn’t been good for the Church. Had our young men been steeped in the writings of their forefathers in general—particularly the Puritans—the Church today would be in a far healthier state.
Some were puzzled—even dismayed—by my recent comments on the “middle finger” ad. Had they been more familiar with the thinking and writing of the Puritans, there would have been no surprise at all.
About a year ago, I decided to wade into the Christian Nationalism controversy. Shaped as I have been by the Puritans and the Covenanters, I thought it might be helpful to say something on the subject. I titled the article, A case for (a kind of) Christian Nationalism. Yet, as the movement has developed, I have grown increasingly concerned about its direction. What I have witnessed has embarrassed me to the point that I no longer wish to be associated with it. If a movement is to be judged by its fruits, this one is largely rotten. While there are exceptions—some of whom I know personally—these appear to be the exception rather than the rule.
Here I would like to outline some of my concerns:
First, the gospel is not central.
Christian Nationalists (CNs) tend to be preoccupied with matters of law, politics, and culture. This comes through in their preaching, their online posts, and their conferences. They are fascinated with the promise of a Christian nation, but they do not seem to think in gospel terms. When I think “Christian nation,” I think conversions. I instinctively understand that no nation can be considered Christian unless its people are born again. CNs, however, do not speak so much about conversions as they do about the way in which they think a Christian nation ought to operate. They are preoccupied, rather, with understanding which laws a Christian nation ought to impose, what those laws entail, what political involvement ought to look like, what civil rulers ought to be doing, and which culture ought to be celebrated and promulgated. What many CNs fail to realize is that a Christian nation does not come about by means of political strategy, male bravado, or the intervention of a “Christian prince.” Rather, a Christian nation comes about as individuals are regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit through the faithful proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Second, little is said about Jesus.
I hear CNs talk about the law of Christ and the authority and rule of Christ, but little is said about Jesus Himself. I find this both odd and worrying. For the believer, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).” He is the One who makes heaven heaven. He is our Saviour, our Shield, our Joy, our Portion, our Righteousness, our Rock, our Beloved, and our Friend. He is not only the pearl of great price; He is our exceeding great reward. He is all in all. To the believer, Jesus is altogether lovely. It is He who makes our bed in sickness (Psalm 41:3), He who binds up our wounds (Ezekiel 34:16), He who gives us a song in the night seasons, He who casts our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), and He who lovingly intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25). He is that Prophet whose “mouth is sweet,” that King whose “yoke is easy,” and that Priest whose “lovingkindness is better than life.” We who know Him “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8).” Though we have not seen Him, we love Him, and like the deer panting after the water brooks, we cannot help but pant after Him. So what does it tell us when men are no longer enthralled with Him? Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. What does it tell us about the heart of these men when they have so little to say about Him?
Third, there is a growing suspicion of and hostility toward immigrants.
I understand that there may be legitimate concerns about immigration policies, but I cannot understand the attitude so prevalent in CN circles regarding the immigrants themselves. I spent a small part of my childhood in Djibouti, Africa. I regularly heard the Muslim call to prayer. I was surrounded by people whose culture was altogether different from my own. My parents, of course, had deliberately put us there to reach these people for Christ. And even at that young age, it was evident to me that my parents loved them. I understand now that they were constrained by the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14). So why is it different when these same people enter our country? Many of us have heard reports from missionaries who speak with joy of their labors for people whom they have come to dearly love. We do not balk at their joy. We understand it. So why is it different when these people come to us? What has changed? Are they not created in the image of God? Are they not sinners in need of the Saviour? Surely we must understand that if they are suddenly coming to us, it is God who has so ordered it. What an opportunity! When I visit downtown Toronto (for example) and see people of various ethnicities and cultures, my heart is warmed. I love them, and I cannot help but feel a sense of excitement at the opportunity God has given His Church. With the missionary movement waning, God has seen fit to send them to us.
Consider for a moment what might have been had this hostility and suspicion marked previous generations of believers. What then would have become of the missionary movement? If not for the constraining, generous love of Christ, there would have been no missionaries. How we ought to thank God that this attitude, so prominent among CNs, has not been allowed to prevail in generations past.
Fourth, the Christian Nationalist movement is increasingly characterized by rank anti-Semitism.
Most of the leaders in this movement insist that they aren’t anti-Semitic at all, but with the next breath, many of these same leaders will speak of the so-called “Jewish problem.” They would have us believe they love the Jews, yet they freely employ Nazi and neo-Nazi terminology and fail to rebuke their rabidly racist followers. The fact that such sentiment and ideology have taken root within CN and are allowed to fester and spread among those who claim its name is a grave indictment of the movement itself.
Fifth, Christian Nationalists often seem more focused on earthly concerns than on heavenly ones.
Their efforts seem to revolve almost entirely around earthly concerns. I can’t help but wonder, for example, where these men put their money. Are they investing in missions? Does any of it go toward the orphan and the widow? Much of their work appears to focus on building like-minded, self-sufficient communities, with many even relocating for this purpose. Theirs is a fortress mentality rather than a missionary one, prioritizing the preservation of their material and cultural heritage. It wouldn’t surprise me if much of their wealth remains within the same families from generation to generation. While I expect tithes are given to the church and funds are invested in the community, I fear that much of it is being spent on things destined to be left behind.
I have read with appreciation the stories of men like Hudson Taylor, W.C. Burns, George Müller, and David Brainerd. The CN movement will not produce such men. It strikes me that theirs is the Reformed version of the prosperity movement. There is a consistency to it, but it is a consistency that is in grave contradiction with the priorities of the Bible. There we are told that His kingdom is not of this world, and we are assured that only what is laid up in heaven will last.
I hope I am not misunderstood as suggesting that Christians cannot earn money, buy nice things, or pass on an inheritance to their children. Rather, I want to emphasize that our priorities ought to be heavenly rather than earthly. If emphasis is to be placed anywhere, it should be on laying up treasures in heaven.
Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:24-25). Paul wrote, "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh" (2 Corinthians 5:15-16).
From what I have observed, CNs tend to have their priorities upside down. Treasures are laid up on earth, barns are filled with plenty, and time and effort are poured into preserving this life. Moreover, men and women are often known precisely as they should not be: "after the flesh."
Concluding appeal to Christian Nationalists:
To those in the CN movement: I urge you to take this before the Lord in prayer. Ask Him to reveal whether you have left your first love. Ask Him to show you if your priorities line up with His. Consider the heart of Christ for sinners, and pray that His love might likewise constrain you.
"Thus is Jesus the life of every grace, the life of every promise, the life of every ordinance, the life of every blessing... Jesus is the substance, the glory, the sweetness, the fragrance, yea, the very life itself. Oh! dark and lonely, desolate and painful, indeed, were our present pilgrimage, but for Jesus. If in the world we have tribulation, in whom have we peace? - in Jesus! If in the creature we meet with fickleness and change, in whom find we the "Friend that loveth at all times? - in Jesus!"... When adversity comes as a wintry blast and lays low our comforts, when the cloud is upon our tabernacle, when health, and wealth, and distinction, and influence, and friends are gone, in whom do we find the covert from the wind, the faithful, tender "Brother born for adversity"? - in Jesus!... When sin struggles in the heart, and guilt burdens the conscience, and unbelief beclouds the mind, whose grace subdues our iniquities, whose blood gives us peace, and whose light dispels our darkness? - Jesus!" - Octavius Winslow
About the Antioch Declaration:
While writing this, I saw the release of the Antioch Declaration. I appreciate the effort behind it but found it disappointing for several reasons. First, I cannot sign a document I do not fully understand. Second, I cannot affirm historical statements unless I am confident of their accuracy. Lastly, without its specific context, the declaration risks becoming meaningless over time. I would have preferred affirmations and denials grounded in theology rather than history.
Recommended Reading:
- Looking Unto Jesus by Isaac Ambrose
- The Works of Ralph Erskine, vol. 1 and 2
- The Works of John Flavel, vol. 1
- The Works of Thomas Goodwin, vol. 4
- Christ All in All by Philip Henry
- The Glory of Christ by John Owen
- The Rock of our Salvation by William Plumer
- The Works of Richard Sibbes, vol. 2
- The Glory of the Redeemer in His Person and Work by Octavius Winslow
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