March 3rd is an important day to go vote with a biblical worldview.
Factoid: People go vote according to their right or wrong worldview.
Should a Christian be patriotic?
I guess it depends on the real meaning of the word “patriotic.”
With so many words, there are different nuances of meaning, and different people use one word in different ways.
At its simplest meaning, being patriotic simply means “loving one’s country.”
Sure, let's do that as long as that love for country does not supersede one’s love for God. Let's kept this in proper perspective -- there is nothing wrong with a real Christian being patriotic. However, another definition of “patriotic” implies that the individual should place the interests of the nation above his or her personal and group interests.
Now carried to this extreme, patriotism can become a form of idolatry with some people, particularly if one’s love for his country is greater than their love for God and God’s plan of redeeming people from “every tribe, tongue and nation.” As far as a Christian’s responsibility towards government, the Apostle Paul speaks of this in Romans 13:1-7 in the Bible.
Secular Liberal Progressives keep trying to put us believers down out there. It's who they are and what they do.
How do they keep doing that today? They attempt to stigmatize us to scare voters away from us Christians (and who stand with us), calling us Christian nationalists.
Listen, this is just another one of their stupid attacks against Christian conservatives. It is again wrong for them to call us “Christian nationalists” as if it is somehow evil for us to go vote biblically according to what we know to be biblically true. Somebody needs to call them out for being two-faced.
They always bring the fullness of their pleasure seeking, baby-(sacrificing)-killing and euthanizing false beliefs to the voting booths. Man, wouldn’t you say that Liberals, “Progressives” aka Democrats are such hypocrites? They want us to stay home on our blessed assurance and not vote as they go do that.
That "Christian nationalism" label they keep pinning us with is for the purpose of labeling. It’s used to marginalize Christians who go vote according to their sound biblical faith.
They fear what us believers all united can do to positively impact society as salt and light for Jesus Christ. Yes, they really don't want any of us voted into office anywhere.. who might take a courageous stand for our good Judeo-Christian policies that are moral and that protect other citizens. They never want us promote what's wholesome and moral according to the God of the Bible.
You can often hear it in the Legacy Fake News media. In recent days, some voices in our culture keep trying to hush us up. They keep tried to quiet or discredit faithful Christians by attaching the label “Christian nationalist.” That phrase is often spoken as though it should alarm the public, as if it automatically signals something extreme or dangerous. Yet many believers hear that charge not because they seek power, but simply because they vote and speak according to what they sincerely believe Scripture teaches about life, justice, marriage, and morality.
It is not wrong for Christians to bring their biblical convictions into the voting booth. Every citizen votes from a moral framework shaped by deeply held beliefs. The freedom that allows a secular voter to act on conscience equally protects the believer who desires to honor God in public life. Scripture reminds us that allegiance to God guides the conscience of His people. “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). At the same time, that obedience is never coercive or domineering, for “you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13).
Christians historically have affirmed both the lordship of Christ and the legitimacy of civil government without confusing the two realms. Paul taught respect for governing authorities as ministers of order (Romans 13:1–7), while Jesus clearly said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). To vote according to biblical conviction is not an attempt to impose a theocracy. It is participation in a pluralistic society with integrity, just as others participate from their own philosophical or ideological commitments.
Much of the tension comes from the ambiguity of the phrase itself. Some use “Christian nationalism” to describe a genuinely unhealthy fusion of church and state that seeks to coerce faith or dominate society. That would indeed contradict Scripture, which never calls believers to rule by force or compel belief. Others, however, apply the term broadly to any Christian who allows faith to inform civic engagement. In that looser usage, the label becomes less a careful description and more a rhetorical device that marginalizes Christians who speak from biblical conviction, as though faith-based reasoning were inherently suspect while secular ideologies are assumed to be neutral. Yet no worldview is neutral. All moral reasoning rests on foundational beliefs about truth, human dignity, and the nature of good and evil.
Christians are called to influence society not by domination but by faithful presence. Jesus said His followers are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13–16). Salt preserves and light illuminates. Both work quietly yet powerfully. The Christian calling is persuasion through truth, service through love, and witness through holy living. As John Stott wisely observed, “The influence of Christians in society should be like that of salt, invisible yet effective.” Such influence does not erase the distinction between church and state. Rather, it ensures that believers do not withdraw from the public square out of fear or confusion.
A gracious and steady response, then, is this. Christians are not seeking to replace the Constitution with the Bible. They are seeking to live honestly, allowing Scripture to shape how they think about justice, human dignity, and the common good. In a free republic, every citizen brings a worldview to the public square. Christians simply acknowledge openly that theirs is formed by the Word of God and by a desire to love their neighbors as themselves. “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you” (Jeremiah 29:7). That verse captures the heart of responsible civic engagement. It is not about control. It is about the good of the people.
What, then, does the phrase “Christian nationalism” even mean? The confusion persists because the term is used in very different ways. Patriotism is commonly defined as love for one’s country, while nationalism can refer to loyalty and devotion to a nation’s interests and culture. By those simple definitions, a Christian nationalist would merely be a Christian who loves his country. Yet in modern debates, the term is often loaded with darker connotations that go far beyond love of country.
Various writers have offered differing descriptions. Jared Sexton associates Christian nationalism with social harms and political controversies. Sociologists Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry describe it as an ideology that fuses American civic life with a particular Christian identity, while also linking it to nativism, patriarchy, and authoritarian control. Michelle Goldberg has argued that some leaders seek dominion rather than fairness. Matthew McCullough offers a more measured definition, describing it as an understanding of American identity in which the nation plays a central role in God’s historical purposes.
These differing definitions show how fluid and contested the phrase really is. Notably, those accused of being “Christian nationalists” rarely embrace the label themselves. This suggests that the term often functions as a caricature, a convenient way to portray believers as anti-democratic or intolerant simply because they advocate policies consistent with their faith. One writer observed that the phrase is frequently used to tar Christians motivated by their convictions to support policies critics dislike. In such cases, the label becomes a polemical tool rather than a precise description.
The Bible, of course, never uses the term “Christian nationalism.” What it does teach is decisive. Any ideology built on racial superiority, coercive rule, or militaristic domination would directly contradict the gospel. Scripture proclaims the unity of all people in Christ and condemns partiality and oppression. “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). There is nothing remotely Christian about white supremacy or the belief that God grants blanket approval for authoritarian control.
Instead, believers are called to personal consecration and mutual love. “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). In practical terms, this includes advocating for laws and policies consistent with righteousness, for “righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). Yet the believer’s ultimate mission remains spiritual, not political. Our citizenship is first in heaven, even while we responsibly serve on earth (John 18:36; Philippians 3:20).
Submission, not domination, is the primary biblical posture toward government. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). That submission is compatible with respectful advocacy and moral persuasion. It does not mean silence, nor does it justify coercion. Perspectives that promise earthly dominion or conflate the advance of God’s kingdom with political conquest go beyond what Scripture teaches and understandably invite criticism.
A Christian may love his nation without idolizing it. Gratitude for one’s country, culture, language, history, and achievements is a good and proper affection. It becomes sinful only when love of country displaces love of God or fosters hostility toward others. Augustine warned long ago that disordered loves lead to disordered societies. Patriotism rightly ordered under Christ can serve the common good, while nationalism that exalts a nation above moral truth becomes idolatrous.
Therefore, it is not wrong for Christians to care deeply about the moral direction of their society. What would be wrong is to seek control, oppression, or domination in the name of Christ. Our calling is humbler and holier. We are to shine as lights in a dark world, doing good works that cause others to glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:14–16). As C. S. Lewis wrote, “Christians are not meant to be isolated from the world, but to be a leaven that transforms it.”
Critics sometimes use the phrase “Christian nationalism” whenever they see any connection between faith and public conviction. From that vantage point, even advocating for the unborn, supporting Israel, or affirming biblical teaching on sexuality is portrayed as suspect. Yet such positions arise not from a desire to dominate, but from a desire to live consistently with what believers understand God’s Word to teach about human dignity and moral order.
In the end, many people identify as Christians, and many also cherish their nation. With proper context, there is nothing inherently contradictory about those identities coexisting. Modern rhetoric often stretches the term “Christian nationalism” far beyond this simple overlap, implying motives and attitudes that do not belong to a biblical worldview. True Christian conviction seeks neither coercion nor cultural conquest. It seeks faithfulness to Christ, love for neighbor, and the quiet but steady influence of truth lived out with grace.
The mockers are not merely sinners because they like to sin, but sinners go sin cuz they are sinners (with an old nature inside). They were born wrong the first time with that lame nature, and that's why they need to be born again.
Need some verses to go check out in context?
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Acts 5:29 – “We must obey God rather than men.”
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Galatians 5:13 – Freedom is given not for self-indulgence but to serve one another in love.
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Romans 13:1–7 – God ordains governing authorities, calling believers to respectful submission.
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John 18:36 – Jesus declares His kingdom is not of this world.
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Matthew 5:13–16 – Believers are called to be salt and light in society.
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Jeremiah 29:7 – Seek the welfare of the city where God has placed you.
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Proverbs 14:34 – “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
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Romans 12:1 – Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
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John 15:12 – Love one another as Christ has loved us.
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Philippians 3:20 – Our ultimate citizenship is in heaven.
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1 Peter 2:13–17 – Honor governing authorities while fearing God.
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Micah 6:8 – Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
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Augustine of Hippo: “An unjust law is no law at all.”
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John Stott: “The influence of Christians in society should be like that of salt, invisible yet effective.”
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Abraham Kuyper: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ… does not cry, ‘Mine!’
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Charles Spurgeon: “When the gospel enters the heart, it transforms every sphere of life.”
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Francis Schaeffer: “The Christian is to resist the spirit of the world, but he is not to resist the world itself. He is to love it and serve it.
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Martin Luther: “A Christian is perfectly free lord of all, subject to none; a Christian is perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”
Are you patriotic or not so much? Let these Christians' words sink in. Together, these words affirm that real Christians may think, speak and act as salt and light. We Boomers and others may engage society with the Word, with conviction and humility, honoring Christ above all while seeking the genuine good of our neighbors.
Mr. Clive S. Lewis: “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
A Christian can indeed love his country deeply (praying for the citizens and leaders) and still love God supremely. Sure. Scripture never rebukes proper affection for one’s homeland, yet it repeatedly warns against letting any earthly loyalty eclipse ultimate allegiance to Christ. Patriotism, rightly understood, is gratitude for the providence of God in placing us within a nation; wrongly understood, it becomes a rival throne in the heart.
The Bible gives us a balanced framework. Romans 13:1–7 teaches that governing authorities are ordained by God, and therefore believers honor them, obey laws, and pay taxes as acts of obedience to the Lord Himself. Jesus affirmed this civic responsibility when He said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). A Christian, then, should be a model citizen: respectful, law-abiding, prayerful, and engaged in seeking the good of society (Jeremiah 29:7). In a constitutional republic, this includes voting wisely, speaking truth graciously, and influencing public life in ways that reflect biblical righteousness and neighbor-love.
Yet Scripture draws a bright, non-negotiable line. Our first and final allegiance belongs to God alone. When human authority conflicts with divine command, the apostles’ words govern every generation: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Patriotism that demands ultimate loyalty becomes idolatry, for Christ has purchased a people “from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). The cross unites believers into a kingdom that transcends every flag and border. Our citizenship is, at its core, heavenly (Philippians 3:20).
Wise Christians therefore practice what we might call “ordered patriotism.” We love our country as a gift of common grace, but we refuse to worship it as an object of ultimate devotion. We serve the nation best when we submit first to Christ, for righteousness exalts a nation (Proverbs 14:34), while moral compromise erodes it from within. History repeatedly shows that when the church loses its prophetic voice in order to preserve national favor, both church and nation suffer spiritual decline.
Research from Barna has frequently noted that many self-identified Christians struggle to maintain a consistently biblical worldview in public life. This tension reveals how easily cultural identity can overshadow gospel identity. But the solution is not withdrawal; it is faithful engagement shaped by Scripture, humility, and prayer (1 Timothy 2:1–4). The believer kneels before God before he stands for his country.
Great Christian leaders have long affirmed this tension with clarity. As Billy Graham observed, “My home is in heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” Likewise, John Stott spoke of Christians as citizens of two realms, responsible in both, yet governed ultimately by Christ’s lordship. These insights echo the hymn line many saints have quietly sung in trials and triumphs: “This world is not my home.” That lyric captures the biblical pulse of Christian patriotism—engaged on earth, anchored in heaven.
Consider a simple illustration. A devoted ambassador may love the nation where he resides and labor diligently for its welfare, yet he never forgets the homeland he truly represents. His conduct is shaped not merely by local expectations but by the authority of the king who sent him. So it is with the believer. We bless our nation, pray for its leaders, and pursue justice and peace within it, yet our conscience remains captive to the Word of God.
Therefore, should a Christian be patriotic? Yes, within biblical boundaries. Love your country with gratitude. Serve it with integrity. Influence it with truth. Pray for its leaders with sincerity. But reserve your highest love, deepest trust, and final obedience for God alone. When patriotism bows before Christ, it becomes a noble virtue; when it competes with Christ, it becomes a subtle idol. The wise believer keeps the order clear: God first, country second, gospel above all.
