I was born and raised in South Carolina, and that state has a history of rebellion. South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union just before the Civil War back in 1860. The state legislature, which flew the confederate flag on the Capitol dome, voted to remove it in 2000 but continues to fly it (with a rebel yell!) on Capitol grounds.
This is why South Carolina has been chosen as one of the “candidate states” to once again secede from the Union in a plan by a group called Christian Exodus. This is what they advocate:
ChristianExodus.org is orchestrating the move of 50,000 or more Christians to one of three States for the express purpose of dissolving that State’s bond with the union. The three States under consideration are Alabama, Mississippi and South Carolina. The exact destination will be chosen by vote of our membership. Our move will commence when the federal government forces sodomite marriages on our local communities or once we reach the 50,000-member mark, whichever comes first.
I have to confess. Words can’t express how appealing a separate Christian state sounds to me. These days I fantasize about living atop a mountain in a gated community of Christ followers. We have our own stores, schools, government, etc. I no longer work a 9-5 day job, but I earn my keep by studying, researching and writing about the Bible and other fascinating topics. I evangelize electronically rather than physically. Imagine living a life surrounded by people dedicated to our Lord Jesus Christ!
When I shared this fantasy with my sister (a believer), she said, “Yeah, right. That’s heaven. You’re just going to have to wait.”
Waiting for heaven. It’s what all Christians do. We pray, “Come Lord Jesus.” No more tears, death, sorrow or pain. He is coming, but while we wait, we redeem the time by sharing the Gospel with unbelievers. What is our purpose in living in a fallen world but to tell the world that Christ will return? If Christians isolate themselves, who will warn the lost to repent of their sins?
This is one of the many conflicts with faith in Christ and politics. I rant on this blog about politics all the time, but I know that liberalism or conservatism won’t save anybody. My true mission is to share the Gospel, not to convince people to vote for George Bush.
Right before Jesus was arrested, He prayed to the Father, asking Him not to take us out of the world, but protect us while we’re in the world. When God made Israel a separate nation, He did so as a sign of things to come: Christ. Israelites were God’s chosen, and they were not to mix with the surrounding pagan nations. But when Christ came and called us to be separate from unbelievers, He was referring to spiritual matters, not physical ones.
Michael over at Christian Conservative addresses spiritual v. physical separation very well, and I agree. I’ll address the issue of government authority.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Romans 13:1-7)
In 1 Peter 2, the apostle Peter said, “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.”
It sounds to me like Christians are not to rebel against the United States government and form their own. Christian Exodus contends that “We must fulfill our responsibility to stand for God’s laws in the face of evil.” This is true, but not the way they’re doing it.
Is civil disobedience allowed? Yes. We are to speak out against immorality and ungodliness in a law-abiding manner. Remember the example of Daniel and his friends. While respecting human authority, they obeyed God’s law by not eating the king’s food, which would defile them. Daniel asked the king’s official to allow them to eat only vegetables and drink only water. After 10 days, they appeared healthier-looking than the men who ate the king’s food. God honored their obedience.
In a second account of civil disobedience, Daniel refused to engage in idolatry that King Nebuchadnezzar demanded. The king threatened to throw them into a burning furnace if they didn’t bow down to the image of gold.
Daniel said, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” For this the king ordered the furnace to burn 7 times hotter than usual.
We all know how the story ends. Daniel and his friends are thrown into the fire. They appeal to their God, and He and his friends are untouched by the flames, saved. And God is still saving His people. Christians are to be faithful and obedient to God, and we will be saved.
When faced with government-sanctioned abominations like child-killing and homosexual “marriage”, we are to appeal to our God in prayer and speak out against these things in a law-abiding manner and through civil laws of legislative bodies God has established for us (through our First Amendment freedom of speech, which includes blogs like mine). Definitely easier to write than it is to do.
Christians are commanded to pray for those in authority, even the evil rulers. Remember that the entire universe, including Satan and his demons, is subject to the omnipotent, omniscient will of the Creator.
I don’t know how the folks at Christian Exodus missed this.
(Hat tip: Conservative Christian)
