Instead of worshiping at the altar of a false civil religion, Christians have a dual citizenship: a lesser, temporary citizenship on earth and a supreme, eternal citizenship in heaven. Love of country is a good thing, but the interests of our eternal King far outweigh any interests of our earthly land.

I live in the South, where “God and country” is a popular sentiment. Despite the fact that America was reputedly built on Judeo-Christian values, this seemingly honorable motto is problematic. It fails to promote an ideology that seeks God’s glory and multinational kingdom while encouraging American citizens to submit to his will.

Instead, it turns Jesus into a patriot.

It conflates religion and politics, yielding a false god made in America’s image.

Civil Religion

This dynamic is not new. Many of America’s forefathers built this country believing God’s hand of blessing was on them to bring good fortune to their endeavors. And for centuries, many have attributed America’s superpower status to God’s favor.

Unsurprisingly, this dynamic has created a potent civil religion in our country. Compassion and justice for the poor and oppressed (Isa. 1:17; Prov. 31:8–9; Matt. 14:14) is often subverted for the sake of partisan values. The importance of wisdom and moral character in leadership (Luke 22:24–27; Prov. 3:13–18; Phil. 2:3) is overlooked for the sake of a political party’s reign.

To a watching world, our public witness and cultural credibility is undermined to the degree we seek social dominance over biblical faithfulness.

America ≠ New Israel

So often the leader of this civil religion is Jesus, whose supreme interests seem to be “America first” and reinstating a golden age of traditional values. This Jesus is a mascot for a political team; he is not found in the Bible.

The Jesus of the Bible has one nation: his people (1 Pet. 2:9). He has one political interest: his kingdom (Matt. 6:10). We become citizens of this kingdom through faith in him (Rom. 5:1–2; Eph. 2:8–9). God’s number-one priority is his glory and the advancement of his kingdom (Matt. 28:18–20; John 6:38; 4:34). No earthly nation, including America, has a monopoly on God’s favor and blessing.

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