In our cultural skirmishes, a common tactic is to use a pejorative label to attack or to discredit your enemy. One of those labels attached to believers in Christ is the name "Christian nationalist." It evokes scary images of the Inquisition or the Salem witch trials. If you wear that name badge, you are an object of scorn and derision. So, what is a Christian nationalist, anyway? If we love Jesus and we love our nation, does that make us a threat to democracy? Are nations inherently wrong or should we promote open borders? What does it mean that a nation would be labeled "Christian?" Is that a good thing or something to be feared? So much food for thought in our podcast!

Find out more at https://ron-johnson-discipleship-podca.pinecast.co

The Bible declares, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."( Proverbs 1:7) This means we have two choices as a nation. We can seek and follow the wisdom of God as we order our life together or we can reject God and His law and pursue the path of radical autonomy. If we will not be governed by Christ, we must necessarily be governed by someone or something else. Neutrality is a myth. Will it be Christ, or will it be chaos? Will it be the word of God or will we submit to a cadre of self-anointed secular experts? This is the choice we face in America today.

Find out more at https://ron-johnson-discipleship-podca.pinecast.co

The Scriptures clearly define the role and scope of government. All those in authority are God's servants. Their authority is not absolute but delegated. They are tasked with the power to punish wicked behavior (Romans 13:1-4). In other words, there is a legitimate form of government coercion and an illegitimate expression as well. As Doug Wilson warns, “Before fining someone, or flogging him, or putting him in jail, or exiling him, or executing him, which pretty much exhausts the options, we had better know that what we are doing is authorized by God." In other words, governments who are unsubmitted to the Word of God will necessarily reject all limiting principles. The result is oppression and injustice.

Find out more at https://ron-johnson-discipleship-podca.pinecast.co