Christian Citizenship (Biblical Reasons Why I Want to Be a Christian in a Multi-Faith Nation) Part 29

 

This post is part 29 of a series on Christian citizenship, and why I believe mixing Christian identity with American identity is bad for both. I hope to give you little bite-sized thoughts, which represent themes you'll find throughout the Bible and historic Christian teachings.

Today's reason why I want to live as a Christian in a multi-faith nation:

In 1520, a few years into the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther wrote a paper called On the Freedom of a Christian. His basic proposition was, 

"A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.

A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all."

Luther's premise is that our souls are set free only by the Gospel of Christ, which gives us saving faith. No rule imposed by any person can effect salvation the way the Gospel can. We still follow rules, but they can't save us. Spiritually, we are free from the constraints that human rules, even religious rules, can put on us. 

Therefore, spiritually speaking, we are subject to none but Christ.

On the other hand, the faith created by the Gospel gives us the desire to serve others as Christ first served us. 

Therefore, we are servants, subject to all. 

We are beholden to no one for our salvation, but we are committed to serving all people, following the example of Jesus. 

What does this have to do with living in a multi-faith nation? 

The freedoms which Luther described, which come from the Gospel, are grasped by faith alone--not by force. True faith can't be imposed on you by your family, your government, or your schools. It can only come from within. 

Christians are certainly free to choose parochial schools for their children, if that makes sense for their family. But trying to set up an environment where Christian schools have an advantage over public schools, or trying to force public schools to include Christian content in their curriculum, will not produce more faith. It will only show that we have abandoned our calling as dutiful servants of all. A servant does not compel their master to do what the servant thinks right.  

For more background information read this statement from the ELCA's presiding bishop, or learn about Christians Against Christian Nationalism.