An Article from Pastor Paul Boutan
“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up him and asked, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant.’” JOSH 5:13-14 NIV
This may or may not come as a surprise to you but let me say that God is NOT a Republican. Neither is He a Democrat. It seems that we live in a time where both sides of the aisle are taking up swords. On January 6, 2021 the world watched in shock as what began as a protest to show support for President Trump, quickly escalated into a mob storming United States Capitol. In addition to images of Trump flags and MAGA hats news cameras captured images of rioters carrying signs that said “Jesus Saves” and “Jesus 2020.” The Twittersphere went wild with an image of a rioter carrying a so-called “Christian Flag” into the Senate Chamber. Sociologist have observed that a new brand of Christianity has emerged, that is very different from mainstream Christianity. This “NEW” Christianity is being dubbed “Christian Nationalism.”
Amidst all the hostility as Christians from both sides of the aisle are attacking each other as we fight for the values of our Nation, we may have lost sight of the fact that we are citizens of Heaven. The Apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:20 that “our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Additionally, we should also keep in mind the words of our Lord in His prayer for His disciples in John 17:15-16, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” So as citizens of Heaven we must always bear in mind that although we are “in” this world, we must not become “of” this world. We live in a fallen, corrupt world and the truth is that our King has not returned yet. While it’s tempting to draw swords and ask “Whose side are you on? Are you for us or for our enemy? Whose camp are you in?” I believe the answer that should be given by the citizen of Heaven is “Neither, I’m in the Lord’s camp.” Yes, as believers in Christ who are “in this world,” we have the responsibility to vote for candidates, bills and legislation that promote biblical values. But ultimately, as Christians we are citizens of heaven and therefore our identity is in Christ alone. Although we may be registered to vote with one political party or another, our allegiance is to the King of Kings who is not of this world.
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