#IMBALANCED CHRISTIANS?!?
I'm NOT sure if you're paying close attention, but the UNSTABLE FOUNDATIONS in "every believer" are being exposed right now -- more than ever before, and SADLY this is an indictment -- with serious implications that really bothers me, because there are so many Christians who are "in utter darkness"; based upon their own confession; and this just shouldn't be!
And, how do I come to this conclusion?
When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Psalm 11:3)
Recently, I've witnessed the wrangling of some well-meaning Christians online, talking about whether we should "pledge allegiance to the flag" anymore, and whether we should continue to "stand with our hands over our hearts" during America the Beautiful, because it's idolatrous and adulterous to do so..?!?; and it ultimately represents "allegiance to an earthly kingdom" over singular devotion to GOD?!?
THAT's "real deep" -- right?, but it's a major part of the overreaching imbalance of too many "sheep without a shepherd" -- with leadership capacity and potential, and I'm NOT just talking about "believers without Jesus", but CHURCH FOLKS with no spiritual accountability and proper oversight in their lives; and their "forsaking the assembly" for one lame reason or another!
This gross imbalance is spoken to by Jesus, when HE thoroughly rebukes the religious leaders of HIS day: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. "Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! (Matthew 23:23-24, NKJV)
It is absolutely true that our first allegiance is to the kingdom of God, and that's never in question -- if you're devotion is life altering and heartfelt. We are to seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness, so that everything will be added unto us. But, we are also to be good citizens (Rom. 13:1ff.) of the country of which we are earthly citizens. Idolatry and adultery are much more than a confession, they are an admission and condition of the heart that places allegiance to ANYTHING before God!
Jeremiah told Israel to pray for the good of the country in which they were exiles (Jer. 29:7). And, God's judgment of Israel was always about their adultery and the idolatry of their own hearts, because they tended to wander and to align their lives with the idols and images of the lands they were called to conquer; instead they would succumb to their sinful and corruptible influence, and begin to serve "other gods" because they had "unestablished hearts" and "wrong motives"!
Even the Apostle Paul happily used his rights as a Roman citizen, without seeing a conflict with his loyal service and ultimate allegiance to the kingdom of God (Acts 25:11). Now, had any of these been told to violate the law of the kingdom of God, they would have been required by God to refuse. Peter told the Sanhedrin, "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
What about the Pledge of Allegiance
As to the Pledge of Allegiance, there is nothing in the historic pledge that is at variance with the principles of Christianity. It is simply an affirmation of devotion to the laws of the government under which we live. This is entirely consistent with the instruction of Romans 13:1ff (cf. 1 Pet. 2:13), which enjoins obedience and respect for the "powers that be."
Of course one's allegiance to his nation is always subservient to his or her loyalty to Almighty God; and whenever the two come into conflict, obedience to the Lord ALWAYS takes precedence. (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29). The misapplication of Matthew 5:33-37 and James 5:12, is the reason there as so many claims of idolatry and worship of an "earthly kingdom" by some Christians.
The U.S. Flag, the U.S. Government and the Founding Documents of this country, simply acts in no different a way than a church's articles, bylaws and constitution that governs the way it operates, by providing a missional basis and visionary focus for what is believed and pursued in relationship to the ultimate purpose for its existence..
NOW, the people who govern or are placed in authority, very well may have drifted from the "original intent" of the Founders, but WE THE PEOPLE must be responsive and engaged in movements like the CONVENTION OF STATES; so that we can correct all the abuses and mismanagement, and reestablish the principles of freedom "under fire" by liberal progressive policies!
Love and devotion for your country, through military service, public service, patriotic displays, or even during the Olympic Games, is NOT "idolatrous worship"!?! If you put any of these things "before your Creator", your OBVIOUSLY greatly imbalanced and ignorant to do so!
IMPORTANT LINKS:
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/28904/
http://www.gotquestions.org/pledge-of-allegiance.html
https://redeeminggod.com/pledge-of-allegiance-idolatry/
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