Many Christians deeply intertwine their faith with their national identity.

For instance, a lot of Americans consider the United States a Christian nation – or at least they want it to be. American believers often talk about “turning the nation back to God,” or bemoan the fact that God will not “bless America” unless it turns back to him. American Christians often quote II Chronicles 7:14 and apply it to the United States.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Staring through this nationalistic lens leads to a warped theology of the Kingdom of God.  God’s nation isn’t the United States, or Germany, or any other earthly realm. God’s nation is his church.

When God first began to reveal himself to humankind, he did work through the nation of Israel. In the Old Testament, you find many references tying the Hebrew national identity to God’s work and presence in the world. It started in Gen. 12 when God called Abram and promised to make him into “a great nation.”

“The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’”

Throughout the Old Testament, we see God blessing the nation of Israel when it faithfully follows him, and cursing it when it turns away from him. Modern Christians tend to read these verses and insert their country. They assume that God will bless America, or Great Britain, or Ethiopia, if that political entity and the people living within it, follow him. Oftentimes, this translates to passing and political action in an effort to establish a certain outward morality among the population.

But this idea misses the fact that Jesus established the Kingdom of God through his death and resurrection, not by conquest or political means. Jesus didn’t seize control of Jerusalem, or found a new country, or designate a specific state to serve as his kingdom. He established the church to represent and further his kingdom on earth.

If you follow Jesus Christ, your nation is the church – not one of the worlds earthly “kingdoms.” Those all belong to Satan. He offered them to Jesus. Jesus rejected the offer.  (Matt. 4:8-10).

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus opened the door to citizenship in a new kingdom, one made up of many people from many nations. He brought them all together to be one spiritual people – his church. I Peter 2:9-10 describe this new nation.

“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

A holy nation.

God ultimately fulfilled his promise to Abram in the church. The church is Abraham’s “great nation.”

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galations 3:28-29)”

So when we read about God blessing or cursing nations in the Old Testament, we need to apply those lessons to the church, not the political entity – or nation – we happen to live in.

Going back to II Chronicles 7 – “If my people which are called by my name…”  Today, my people doesn’t refer to America, or any other national entity. God’s people are those gathered together from many tribes, speaking many tongues, representing many earthly nations, who have embraced Jesus as their lord and savior.

Find your identity there – not wrapped up in a flag.

Photo by Nicholas Raymond