Opposition to Christian Nation

by Michael Horton

     "There is biblical opposition to a Christian nation - apart from the worldwide body of Christ.

     "In Old Testament Israel, the church was the state and vice versa. God was head of the state and the whole nation and its land were holy - that is, set apart to the Lord. Like Abraham, individual Israelites looked to the coming Savior and were justified - even as we are - by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. 

     "There was another covenant that people rather than God swore at Mount Sinai: 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do' (Exodus 19:8). If they broke it, then God would drive them out of the land (Deut. 28). This was like the covenant that Adam swore to keep. 

     "National covenant promises were based on Israel's faithfulness. Like Adam they transgressed the covenant (Hosea 6:7). In time, God sent his Son, the Messiah, to fulfill the law and to bear the sin of the world. Having done this, he rendered the national covenant with Israel obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). 

     "'A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession' originally belonged to the geopolitical nation of Israel (Exodus 19:6) and is then applied in the New Testament to the worldwide body of Christ (1 Peter 2:9). 

     "The new covenant covers not descendants but all who trust in Christ from every people (John 8:39-59; Romans 9:8; Galatians 3:10-29).   

     To summarize the author: That being the case, how much more offensive to God would it be to give the "chosen nation" label to Americans, most of whom are unrelated to Abraham? 

Tomorrow:  What about "a shining city upon a hill?"