Highlight: Where Do You Stand on Christian Nationalism?

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This is a highlight of our premier show Apologia Radio. You can tune in live on Thursdays here on YouTube or go to apologiastudios.com for previous episodes. In this highlight Jeff answers the question about Christian Nationalism and his thoughts on the label. Be sure to like, share, and comment on this video. You can get more at http://apologiastudios.com : You can partner with us by signing up for All Access. When you do you make everything we do possible and you also get exclusive content like Collision, The Aftershow, Ask Me Anything w/ Jeff Durbin and The Academy, etc. You can also sign up for a free account to receive access to Bahnsen U. We are re-mastering all the audio and video from the Greg L. Bahnsen PH.D catalogue of resources. This is a seminary education at the highest level for free. #ApologiaStudios Follow us on social media here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApologiaStudios/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apologiastudios/?hl=en Check out our online store here: https://shop.apologiastudios.com/

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00:00
this show pro -Christian nationalism or against it? The best way I can answer that is that we're pro -Great
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Commission, and if you believe the Great Commission is not merely wishful thinking, but it's actually where the world is going, that all the nations are going under the feet of Jesus and that everybody is required to obey
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Jesus, that's essentially disciplinary nations teaching them to obey Jesus. If you believe that, then what does that nation look like?
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If generally speaking, you have a nation where Reformation has happened, or Revival has happened, or Awakening has happened, outpouring the
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Spirit of God, and from top to bottom, generally it's all profession of Lordship of Christ.
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We're just gonna say, what does that nation look like in terms of when they start actually legislating? Because what is legislation?
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It's the imposition of morality. All right, let's make sure that we get away from the whole modern evangelical, wishy -washy squishy, like,
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I'm a pastor, I don't get involved in politics. Well, then you're failing. Sorry. Politics engages in legislation, which is the imposition of morality, and if legislation is the imposition of morality, because it is, what is legislation?
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It's saying you ought to do this, and you ought not to do that. That's an ought. We're saying you must do this, you must not do that.
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It's morality, and if legislation is about morality, then the question must be asked, does King Jesus have something to say about morality?
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And really this question comes down to, do you really believe that Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords today? Is it something in the future
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He's gonna attain, or is Jesus ruling and reigning on that Davidic throne now as King, as Paul says in 1
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Corinthians 15? Is He, Revelation 1 -5, the ruler of the kings of the earth today? Reminder, just a reminder, humble reminder, that that was said by the
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Apostle John during the reign of Nero, that He's the ruler of the kings of the earth today. I mean, if you really believe,
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Psalm chapter 2, that we are, that the nations are Christ, God's gonna give them all to Jesus, the inheritance is the earth, the ends of the earth, if you believe that all the kings of the earth are supposed to obey
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Jesus and kiss the sun, then what does the nation look like that does that? Like, how do they legislate?
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Like, if the legislators are actually God's deacon, if that's their God's servant, and they're supposed to actually serve the true
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God, then what does it look like when they do? That's all this means. So when someone says, are you a Christian nationalist?
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I'm like, I don't even know what that means. If you're asking me, do I believe the nations are coming to Jesus and they're all gonna obey Jesus? I'm gonna say, well, that's just the
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Great Commission. Like, why is that confusing to you? Why are you surprised that Christians believe that the nations are all gonna come to Jesus and obey
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Him? That's just the Great Commission. And I don't believe the Great Commission is wishful thinking. I think the Great Commission is absolutely happening and will come to a climax and summation.
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You read the verse at the beginning of the show, I mean, Romans 1, and then Paul bookends it in Romans 16.
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And what's the command of the Eternal God? According to his gospel, the preaching of Jesus Christ and the making, the disclosing of this hidden mystery that was kept hidden for ages long ago.
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And what is that? To bring about the obedience of faith. Well, where? Everywhere. Everywhere where Jesus has authority.
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And that extends geographical boundaries, institutional boundaries. It transcends offices of authority that men and women hold everywhere.
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Well, because the question is asked, and this can be brought out with numerous texts from the
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New Testament, but also the Old Testament. A question is asked somewhere in the podcast, and I don't know if I have it queued up, but like, where in the
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New Testament is this taught? Everywhere? Let's start with the Great Commission itself.
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How about Paul's explanation, his systematic explanation of the gospel like you brought out? He bookends
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Romans 1 and 16 with the obedience of faith among all the nations for the sake of his name.
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Which is an iteration, I mean really a repeating of Genesis 49. 49 tenths.
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What the descendant of Judah is going to accomplish in the world. Shiloh is coming, and to him shall be the obedience of the nations.
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That's the goal of the gospel of the kingdom. The nations are coming to obey God. So all we're asking is this question.
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What does it look like when a nation obeys Jesus Christ? Do they obey him faithfully? Are they required to obey him faithfully in every area?
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Individually? Family? Church? State? I would argue yes. And if you say, do you really believe that?
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I would say, what does all authority in heaven and on earth mean to you, and what does it mean for Jesus to be king over kings today?
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Are they actually supposed to obey the king over them? And if they are to obey the king over them, then what does it look like to obey the king over him?
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The difference is what you just articulated, Josh, and that is we believe we ought to stand firm in the public sphere.
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We ought to call our governmental leaders to repentance. We ought to tell them, kiss the sun lest you perish in the way.
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Now what happens when they repent, though? That's kind of the question. There you go, brothers. So the challenge, the very gracious nudge to my brother here is, great, okay, so we are supposed to tell the civil authorities that they are to obey the sun, or they'll perish.
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Kiss the sun or they'll perish. My challenge is this. I'm troubled that if you don't gain some consistency in this area, you may get to the point of gospel proclamation where the legislature says to you, we yield.
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We'll do it. We'll obey the sun. Now what? That's what we need to be thinking about.
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You've got to start answering those questions, because if you say, look, they're required to kiss the sun or they're gonna perish, what happens when you get to the legislature that says, great, we'll kiss them.
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We'll obey them. Now what, pastor? Is it a prospect in your system that that endeavor will ever be successful?
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That's the key issue, is is this all wishful thinking? Is this just spinning wheels and mud, or do we believe it actually is something that Christ is gonna accomplish?
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How many verses do you need from the Old and New Testament that say that he is accomplishing it and will accomplish it?
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How about 1st Corinthians 15? How about every enemy under the feet of Jesus before he comes to destroy death?
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All enemies under the feet of Jesus before death is destroyed. I'll go with that one, that he's presently putting all enemies under his feet and he's on his throne now, that he's ruling now and he must reign until all enemies are under his feet.
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Are ungodly governments enemies of Jesus Christ? Is rape an enemy of Jesus Christ?
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Is every other injustice an enemy of Jesus Christ? Well then it's going under his feet, and it's the church that actually is a part of that process as the helpmeet or the bride of Christ that brings it about as the means through the proclamation of his gospel and his word to the culture in the public square.