Christian Patriotism

This 4th of July marks the 250th anniversary of our nation.

While many Christians celebrate this holiday with family and friends, many are left questioning if one can celebrate patriotism to country while remaining faithful to Jesus.

My aim in this article is to provide a brief and biblical overview for how our church can participate in this conversation.

A 4 Pillar Framework:

From the beginning, God has been clear that His plan for redeeming man has always been to bring salvation to the nations through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 was that “in you all the families on the earth shall be blessed.” The NT, in Galatians 3:8 teaches that this promise was a preaching of the Gospel! Jesus Christ is the fulfillment OT covenants, and through Him God is taking His grand plan of redemption to every nation on earth.

Who then will be in Heaven? When thinking about what Heaven will look like, Christians should be quick to think of the picture given to us in Revelation 7:9. John writes,

“9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

When we all get to heaven, we will get to worship with the universal body of Christ, composed of men, women, and children from every nation, tribe, and language! Therefore, when we consider national patriotism this side of Heaven, we must first embrace the Biblical Gospel, that is designed for all nations.

I don’t have to convince you that the United States looks different than most countries around the globe.

And let’s be honest, the USA at large contains more rights, liberties, and freedoms for individuals, families, businesses, and groups than possibly any other place on earth. We are blessed!

A biblical perspective reminds us that all these blessings are provisions from the Lord. Just consider with me a few teachings from the Bible:

• God created the earth and everything in it. Nothing that exists does so without having      come from Him (Gen. 1:1-31; Col. 1:16).

• All our life-sustaining provisions come from God. We may work and toil this side of Heaven, but our provisions are ultimately gifts from God (Matt. 6:28-30).

• God establishes governments and governing officials for the flourishing of humanity (Rom. 13:1-7).

• God desires governing officials to receive salvation and grant religious liberty to all people (1 Tim. 2:1-8).

• God advances the Gospel and blesses His people through both environments of prosperity and adversity (Ecc. 7:14).

While God has not distributed prosperity equally to all nations, He has allowed this nation to experience prosperity abundantly. We benefit from more rights, liberties, and freedoms than any other place on earth!

While the blessings in this country are many, that greatest blessing we experience is the freedom to worship our God. Many Christians around the world currently experience persecution, estrangement, and difficulties due to their faith. Churches in many countries are forced to meet in secret in order to escape evil judgment from their governments. Yet, during the past 250 years in our nation God has allowed men, women, and children to worship Him, live out their convictions publicly, and share the Gospel faithfully without organized persecution. God has certainly bestowed blessings upon this nation. To question this reality, is to misunderstand God Himself.

If we experience divine blessings, and all these blessings come from the graceful hand of the Lord, then it is only right to give God thanksgiving for His works!

In recent years, I have seen many Christians pressured into expressing shame for being an American. But not once does God teach us to feel shame for receiving His blessings! Now we must be careful here to not act or speak pridefully. Again, we are recipients of these blessings, not creators of them. However, Christians should adopt a heart posture of thanksgiving for all God-given provision in their life.

Thus, we worship not what has been given, but from WHO it has been given. It is only appropriate that the Church offers praise & worship to God for the blessings bestowed upon our nation.

“But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:16)

Our longing has never been for this world. While this nation may be great today, there will be a day when it exists no longer. Every nation on earth is temporary. Yet the Kingdom of God lasts forever. As much as I hate to say it, I do not believe the American Flag will make it to Heaven.

Let us be encouraged by the words of God in 1 Peter 1:3-5,

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

This is life is temporary. Our inheritance in Christ is eternal.

I love being an American! But more than I love being an American, I love being a Christian. I’ve been purchased by the blood of the lamb, and will live in His Kingdom for all eternity.

But in the meantime, I will give thanksgiving to God for allowing me the blessing to grow up in the USA. This weekend I am looking forward to smoking BBQ, shooting guns, and blowing stuff up. As I smell Sulphur in the air, and watch the sky light up with explosions, I will give thanks to God for His provision of this great nation. A provision that points us all to a greater and ultimate provision in His Son, Jesus Christ. As I celebrate 250 years of blessing in this nation, I long for eternity to experience the blessings of the lamb with souls from every tongue, tribe and nation!

Oh come, Lord Jesus quickly!

Happy 4th of July!

- Pastor Tyler 

Undoubtedly, you have heard the news. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University. My phone immediately began ringing with text messages, phone calls, and news notifications.

In recent years, Mr. Kirk has become all but a household name among conservatives and evangelicals alike in the United States. Outspoken for the freedom of speech and debating from a Christ-Centered worldview, Kirk rose among his peers earning a reputation of faithfulness in the public square. He stood for the unborn, he defended human liberties for all, and continually shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the masses. While I never knew him personally, I admire his resilience to stand upon his beliefs in the public square.

“But how could such a thing like this happen?” I was asked by my wife upon returning home Wednesday night. The answer I told her, is terrifyingly simple. “Evil runs rampant in this world,” I replied. Certainly, the public assassination of Kirk is nothing less than pure evil. As Christ-followers, we uphold the dignity and sanctity of human life for every man, woman, and child because we were all created in the image and likeness of our creator. This public assassination is intolerable and should cause us all to mourn the state of the present human condition.

Yet how are Christians to respond to a tragedy such as this?
Is Christ still King? And are we able to still find hope when Christians are killed?

The answer to the above is “absolutely yes!”

I have outlined my response to these questions via 5 ways Christians can pray in light of the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

1. Pray for the Kirk family.

Mr. Kirk leaves behind a widowed wife and two wonderful young children who will grow up without their father. Pray that the Lord surrounds this family with faithful brothers and sisters in Christ that will sacrificially love on them. Pray that they experience God’s lovingkindness through His people unlike they ever have before. Pray that God uses others to strengthen them in their faith, empowering them all the more to find joy in their creator and by doing so to model for the watching world the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray specifically Philippians 4:7 over them: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [1]

2. Pray for Justice to be done.  

Psalm 89:14 reads:

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.” [2]

Justice is wrapped up in the character of God. Pray that the perpetrator(s) behind this act is brought to justice in this life. Pray that he is quickly apprehended by authorities and delivered a just penalty for his actions. After all, God has installed governments for this very purpose.[3]
 
Furthermore, the Bible teaches that on the Day of the Lord’s return, He will serve justice upon every evil action ever performed. At the return of Christ, no evildoer will escape their divine and due judgment before their creator. Christian, find comfort in knowing that when you pray for God’s Justice upon this earth, in time, true justice will be served.

3. Pray for peace in our country.   

1 Timothy 2 instructs us to pray for “all men” so that we may lead “a peaceful and quiet life.”[4] Our God is a God of Peace. However, I need not convince you that worldview divides are growing in this country. Pray for peace through the aftermath of this event. Then when you are done praying for peace, pray for peace again.

We are in a volatile time. Pray that God may even use you to point others to peace.

4. Pray for the Gospel to spread.   

The chief aim of God’s people is to worship Him and put His Glorious Gospel on display to all nations.

We must not grow weary during times of trouble. On the contrary, we must grow faithful! God does His best work when we depend upon Him most. And the Bible is full of countless stories of God using tragedy to spread the good news of the Gospel. Pray that the Church would be faithful all the more to the task of verbally proclaiming the Gospel. Pray that God would use this time to open the hearts of those who oppose Him (remember, once also were you) to hear the Gospel, and receive it through repentance and faith.[5]

5. Pray for the Confidence of the Church. 

Christ is King.
He reigns yesterday, today, and forever.
The end is written.
Jesus wins.

There is a 0% chance that Jesus will not one day return and redeem all things. All evil will be judged and cast out for eternity. Those who have salvation in Jesus by His Grace and through their faith will be saved from this sinful world and spend their eternity in His Glorious Presence where violence will never again creep its head.

The very last words recorded in the Bible proclaim:

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. [6]

Pray that Christians all over the world live with this confidence. How should we respond when tragedy strikes? With all faith and confidence in Christ our King.  

Oh Come, Lord Jesus!