PATRIOTISM is not only love of the country of one's birth, but also love of the country of one's naturalization.
Christian patriotism, therefore, is not only love of the country of one's Christian birth, but also of one's Christian naturalization.
Naturalization is that procedure through which persons born in another country-aliens, foreigners-become citizens of a certain country of their choice.
Is there, then, anything in Christian experience that corresponds to naturalization? Is there such a thing as Christian naturalization? Read Ephesians 2:11: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Christ, being ALIENS from the commonwealth of Israel, and STRANGERS from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world."
Aliens become citizens of a government by naturalization. And when in the act of being naturalized they take the oath of allegiance to the new government, the new sovereign, here are the specifications-copied from a gentleman's certificate of naturalization. You and I were aliens. We have become naturalized into the commonwealth of Israel, the kingdom of God. And now what is involved? Read:-
"This is to certify, etc., that J-B-'on being admitted to citizenship by this court, took the oath to support the Constitution of the United States of America, and that he then did absolutely and forever renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the emperor of Germany,' etc., etc."
If he had been a British subject, it would have read, "and particularly to the queen of Great Britain and empress of India."
How much did he have to renounce?-"All allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate State, or sovereignty whatsoever." And what in particular?-"And particularly to the emperor of Germany."
And how fully? and for how long?-"Absolutely and forever renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity." Thus he is to turn his back "absolutely" upon all his former "allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty WHATSOEVER." That is in general. And in particular, to the one to whom he was particularly subject. That is, in earthly governments, the way aliens are naturalized.
Now how is it with us, who "were aliens"?-"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but
FELLOW-CITIZENS with the saints [not fellow-citizens with sinners but "with the saints," Deuteronomy 33:2; Jude 14] and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone." Ephesians 2:19, 20. Thank the Lord!
That certificate of naturalization declares that, whatsoever the man may be, he, "on being admitted to citizenship, ...did absolutely and forever renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the" sovereignty to which he had formerly been particularly subject.
In becoming a citizen of the commonwealth of Israel, a fellow-citizen with the saints, did you "absolutely and forever renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the" one to which you were formerly subject, as every alien must do to become a citizen of an earthly government?
If not, then do you count citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel, fellow-citizenship with the saints, of as much value as any alien must count citizenship in an earthly government? Do you count fellow-citizenship with the saints of as much value as an alien counts fellow-citizenship with sinners?
In truth and in fact, is citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel, is fellow-citizenship with the saints, of as much value as is citizenship in an earthly government, as is fellow-citizenship with sinners?
If citizenship in heaven, if citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel, if fellow-citizenship with the saints, if to be of the household of God, is indeed as valuable as is citizenship in an earthly government, then in order to be truly a citizen of the commonwealth of Israel, just as certainly as to be a citizen of an earthly government, it is required that every such one shall "absolutely and forever renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty whatsoever, and particularly to the" one to whom, when an alien, he is subject, which is "the prince of this world."
And if this is not done, what then? If all allegiance to every prince, potentate, state or sovereignty whatsoever, other than that of the commonwealth of Israel, other than that of heaven, other than that of the saints, other than that of the household of God, is not absolutely and forever renounced and abjured, then there is certainly attempted a divided allegiance.
But will a divided allegiance answer? Will a divided allegiance be accepted? Will any earthly government accept a divided allegiance? If any alien asking to become a citizen of an earthly government should refuse to make that renunciation, full and complete as it is; if he should ask to have the renunciation divided, that he might retain and show some fidelity, only a little, to some foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereign; would he be accepted? Everybody knows that he would not, for even a moment. How, then, can it be supposed that such reserved, such divided, allegiance could be accepted in any one asking to be a citizen of the commonwealth of Israel?
It is not enough, however, to inquire whether a divided allegiance will be accepted. The true question is, Can there really be any such thing as a divided allegiance? And the true answer is, No; for it is written, "No man can serve two masters."
It is therefore certain that no alien, seeking to be a citizen of the commonwealth of Israel, can ever expect to carry with him there any shadow of allegiance to anything in this world or of this world. It is written: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 1 John 2:15. Princes, potentates, States, and sovereignties are only of this world. To retain allegiance or fidelity to any of these, is to retain allegiance and fidelity to the things that are only of this world, and, so, to the world itself.
Christian citizenship is citizenship in heaven; for "our citizenship is in heaven." Philippians 3:20. Another translation reads, "For our country [the State to which we belong, of which we by faith are citizens] is in the heavens."-Alford. Another, an interlinear, word for word, translation gives it, "For of us the commonwealth in the heavens exists."
Christian citizenship is citizenship in the commonwealth of Israel; for we are no more "aliens from the commonwealth of Israel," "no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Ephesians 2:12, 13, 18, 19.
Christian patriotism is love of the country of one's citizenship. And true citizenship is the absolute and everlasting renunciation and abjuration of all allegiance and fidelity to every other prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty whatsoever.
Is yours a true Christian citizenship? Are you a Christian patriot?
Addenda
Paul's use of Roman citizenship, in which he was born, does not in any sense conflict with the principles of this chapter. For it is to be observed that after he became a Christian, Paul never made any use whatever of that citizenship, nor even mentioned it, except when a prisoner in the hands of the Roman power.
So certainly is this so that he allowed himself to be three times beaten with Roman rods, once to be stoned and dragged out of the city of Lystra, and left for dead, beside many other indignities that could not lawfully be put upon a Roman citizen; and yet nowhere in it all did he so much as mention his Roman citizenship.
But when he was in the hands of the Roman officers and authorities, and they would beat him, as at Jerusalem (Acts 22:25), he said, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" Or when, held by Caesar's power at Caesar's judgment-seat, it was proposed to subject him to the judgment of the Jews, and this to please the Jews who were clamoring for his life, he said: "I stand at Caesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged; ...no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar." Acts 25:8-11. Or when he and Silas had been unlawfully beaten and put into prison and in the stocks, and the magistrates sent word to let them go, he returned answer to them, "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out." Acts 16:35-37.
Seeing, then, that he never made use nor any mention at all of his Roman citizenship except when he was a prisoner, and then only to insist that the authorities should proceed according to the law which bound them, and to the strict observance of which it was perfectly proper that he should hold them, it is evident that what little reference he did make to that citizenship does not conflict with the principle inculcated in his writings, as well as throughout the whole Bible, that the Christian's citizenship is heavenly and not earthly.
Nor does the conduct of either Daniel in Babylon or Joseph in Egypt conflict with the principles here developed from the Scriptures.
Daniel was a captive, and therefore in the condition of a slave, in Babylon. And, though placed in high position and given great responsibility, he was not in any sense a citizen of the kingdom or commonwealth of Babylon, or of Medo-Persia. His patriotism was not in any sense love of the country of Babylon, or of Medo-Persia, but only of Jerusalem, the city of God, and the Lord's holy mountain. Witness his deep anxiety to know when the time would expire and the desolations of Jerusalem be accomplished. Witness his wonderful prayer that God would cause His face to shine upon His sanctuary, and bring His people once more to their beloved Zion. Daniel 9. And witness "his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem," and his prayers there "three times a day." Daniel 6:10. Witness his loyalty to the law and government of God, against those of Babylon and Medo-Persia. He was a servant of the kings of Babylon and of Medo-Persia: a highly-honored servant, it is true, yet always only a servant; and even when he was in his most exalted position, he was still referred to as "that Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah." He served the kings where he was a captive, as he and all his people were commanded by the Lord to do (Jeremiah 29); but through it all he was of those who mournfully chanted:-
"By the rivers of Babylon,It was in principle the same with Joseph. Originally, in Egypt, Joseph was a bought-and-sold slave. And though from prison exalted to the place next to the throne, he was ever only a servant of the king of Egypt, and was never a citizen of Egypt. His patriotism was not love of the country of Egypt, but of the country promised to his fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Witness the impressive fact that he would not allow so much as that even his bones should be buried in Egypt; and his dying and solemn admonition, accepted on oath by his brethren, which was faithfully observed and fulfilled a hundred and forty-four years afterward: "I die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which He sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence." Genesis 50:24, 25; Exodus 13:19; Joshua 24:32.
There we sat down, yea, we wept,
When we remembered Zion.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof
We hanged up our harps.
For there they that led us captive required of us songs,
And they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
How shall we sing the Lord's song
In a strange land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget her cunning.
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth,
If I remember thee not;
If I prefer not Jerusalem
Above my chief joy."
Psalm 137:1-6, R. V.