Is "Christian Nationalism" Biblical?
“Christian Nationalism” is the modern ideology that seeks to fuse Christianity with national identity and politics, claiming that a nation (in particular the United States) should be explicitly governed according to Christian principles, laws, and symbols. Its advocates argue for privileging Christianity in the public square, often conflating the kingdom of God with the destiny of an earthly nation. In practice, it elevates civil government into a spiritual role it was never given, misuses Scripture to justify national pride, and obscures the distinction between Christ’s eternal kingdom and the temporal kingdoms of this world.
Many well-intentioned Christians think that we should attempt to make America into a Christian nation. Here are twenty Scriptural reasons why this is wrong:
1. Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world.
Christ Himself declared that His kingdom does not arise from earthly power, military strength, or national identity. To bind His eternal reign to an earthly nation is to misrepresent His kingship and reduce it to the same level as temporal kingdoms that will pass away. Christian Nationalism confuses loyalty to Christ’s spiritual rule with loyalty to political systems.
John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world.”
Daniel 2:44 – “The God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed.”
2. The church, not the state, is the pillar and buttress of the truth.
God entrusted the gospel to the church, not to earthly governments. When Christians expect the state to proclaim or preserve truth, they invert God’s design and compromise the sufficiency of the church. The state cannot bear the Word; it can only bear the sword.
1 Timothy 3:15 – “The church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”
Matthew 16:18 – “I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
3. God has only promised to bless His redeemed people, not nations.
Every spiritual blessing is found in Christ alone, not in political alliances or patriotic identity. Nations rise and fall, but the promises of God are “Yes and Amen” in Christ. To expect covenantal blessings for a country outside of union with Christ, is to misapply Scripture.
Ephesians 1:3 – “Every spiritual blessing… in Christ.”
2 Corinthians 1:20 – “All the promises of God find their Yes in him.”
4. The Great Commission is global, not national.
Jesus commanded His disciples to make disciples from every nation, not to baptize nations themselves. The mission is to call individuals to repentance and faith, not to establish Christian civil orders. Christian Nationalism reverses the command, prioritizing political dominion over gospel proclamation.
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
Mark 16:15 – “Proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”
5. The gospel unites people from every tribe and tongue, not one nation.
The redeemed community is multinational, transcending ethnic and national boundaries. Elevating one nation as “Christian” undermines the gospel’s power to reconcile Jew and Gentile, slave and free. Christian Nationalism risks dividing the body of Christ by confusing earthly citizenship with heavenly unity.
Revelation 7:9 – “A great multitude… from every nation, from all tribes.”
Galatians 3:28 – “There is neither Jew nor Greek… for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
6. We are strangers and exiles on the earth.
Believers are pilgrims seeking a better country, a heavenly one. To settle our hopes on earthly nations betrays that identity and makes us forget that we are only passing through. Christian Nationalism tempts Christians to treat earthly kingdoms as permanent, when Scripture calls us to look upward.
Hebrews 11:13 – “Strangers and exiles on the earth.”
Hebrews 13:14 – “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.”
7. The Christian's citizenship is in Heaven, not earthly nations.
Our primary identity is not tied to earthly passports but to our union with Christ. When nationalism overshadows heavenly citizenship, Christians misplace their loyalty. The true Christian hope is not America, Israel, or any earthly state, but the eternal kingdom of God.
Philippians 3:20 – “Our citizenship is in Heaven.”
Colossians 3:1–2 – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
8. Jesus condemned earthly hopes of restoring national Israel.
When His disciples hoped for the restoration of a political kingdom, Jesus redirected them to worldwide gospel witness through the Spirit. He denied the expectation that His mission was nationalistic or territorial. Any effort to create a “Christian nation” ignores Jesus’ correction of this very error.
Acts 1:6–8 – “It is not for you to know times… but you will be my witnesses.”
Luke 17:20–21 – “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed.”
9. No earthly nation can be holy; Christ only makes people holy.
Holiness cannot be legislated or conferred by citizenship. It comes through regeneration and sanctification by the Spirit. Christian Nationalism dangerously suggests that national laws can produce holiness, undermining the gospel.
1 Peter 1:15–16 – “Be holy, for I am holy.”
John 3:3 – “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
10. Salvation is personal, not national.
Scripture teaches that salvation comes by personal faith in Christ, not by belonging to a political entity. Nations cannot repent; only individuals can. To confuse these truths turns the gospel into civic religion.
Romans 10:9–10 – “If you confess with your mouth… you will be saved.”
Ezekiel 18:20 – “The soul who sins shall die.”
11. God judges nations that trust in their power.
Nations that boast in armies, wealth, or wisdom bring God’s judgment upon themselves. Christian Nationalism often glorifies military or cultural strength, echoing the very sins God condemns. True deliverance never comes through earthly might, but through the Lord.
Psalm 33:16–17 – “The king is not saved by his great army.”
Isaiah 31:1 – “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help… but do not look to the Holy One of Israel.”
12. Pride in nation is condemned as idolatry.
To boast in national greatness rather than in the Lord, is sinful pride. Scripture directs us to glory in knowing God, not in cultural or political identity. Christian Nationalism can feed the idol of patriotism, displacing glory from God to man.
Jeremiah 9:23–24 – “Let not the mighty man boast in his might… but let him who boasts boast in this.”
Isaiah 2:12 – “The Lord Almighty has a day against all that is proud and lofty.”
13. The state’s God-given role is civil order, not gospel ministry.
Romans 13 clearly teaches that the magistrate is appointed to punish evil and reward good in the civil realm. He does not wield the Word or administer the sacraments. Christian Nationalism blurs this line, granting the state authority Christ gave only to His church.
Romans 13:1–4 – “He does not bear the sword in vain.”
1 Peter 2:13–14 – “Governors… sent by him to punish those who do evil.”
14. Mixing church and state corrupts the gospel.
Whenever civil authority is combined with gospel authority, the message of salvation is distorted. Forced religion produces hypocrites, not true converts. Christian Nationalism endangers the purity of the gospel by adding political allegiance to faith in Christ.
Galatians 1:6–9 – “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary… let him be accursed.”
2 Corinthians 11:3 – “I am afraid… your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”
15. The temple veil torn down, means God is not tied to one land.
The tearing of the temple veil symbolized that access to God is now open through Christ alone. No nation, land, or capital city holds exclusive spiritual privilege anymore. Christian Nationalism ignores this reality by tying divine blessing to geography.
Matthew 27:51 – “The curtain of the temple was torn in two.”
John 4:21–23 – “The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”
16. Christ alone is the cornerstone—not constitutions or nations.
The foundation of God’s people is Christ, not political charters or cultural achievements. Building identity on anything else leads to collapse. Christian Nationalism tries to replace the Rock with shifting sand.
Ephesians 2:20 – “Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.”
Matthew 7:24–27 – The wise man builds on the rock.
17. The New Testament never commands Christians to take nations for Christ.
Nowhere in the New Testament is there a mandate to Christianize civil government. The consistent emphasis is on gospel proclamation, church planting, and discipleship. To add a political commission is to go beyond Christ’s command.
2 Timothy 4:2 – “Preach the Word… in season and out of season.”
Romans 10:14 – “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”
18. Love of the world is enmity with God.
Nationalism easily slips into loving worldly power, status, or heritage more than Christ. Scripture makes clear that friendship with the world is spiritual adultery. Christian Nationalism cultivates the very worldliness that God condemns.
1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”
James 4:4 – “Friendship with the world is enmity with God.”
19. The kingdom grows through the Word and Spirit, not civil laws.
Jesus likened the kingdom to a seed, growing by the sovereign work of God. No civil law can regenerate a sinner or expand Christ’s reign. Christian Nationalism replaces the Spirit’s power with external coercion.
Mark 4:26–27 – “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed… it sprouts and grows; he knows not how.”
1 Corinthians 2:4–5 – “Not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”
20. Idolatry of nation provokes God’s wrath.
When nations exalt themselves, they become false gods demanding worship. God has declared that He alone must be worshiped, and any rival is idolatry. Christian Nationalism risks turning patriotic zeal into a rival altar.
Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Isaiah 42:8 – “My glory I give to no other.”
⚖ Final Word
Christian Nationalism fails because it misplaces the hope of Christians, confuses church and state, and replaces gospel power with political power. The Bible never calls us to establish Christian nations—but to proclaim Christ crucified and risen, gathering a people for His eternal kingdom.
(The above article was AI generated.)