I wrote the following letter to the Editor of our local paper because our Country is losing its identity. Citizenship was once based upon people embracing the ideology that unified us as a nation. A nation divided cannot stand and we are seeing our nation crumble from the undermining of its foundation.

 

What did the President Obama mean when he said we are a nation of immigrants? Are we a nation of immigrants? Most of us in the USA have either come to this Country to live or we are descendants of someone who has come to this land to live. If this is the definition of a country of immigrants then every country in the World is a country of immigrants, we are all immigrants. A sweeping definition like this becomes meaningless when desiring to establish identity.

Only after 1776 did people immigrate to the USA. Our identity was forged early as recorded by our founding documents: Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. Underlying these documents was the acknowledgement of the God of the Bible and implementation of Judeo-Christian moral values. Most people immigrating to the USA, like my relatives, didn’t immigrate just to live here, but to become American citizens.

The uniqueness that was once America allowed people of all ethnicities to be able to embrace the American identity and become Americans, transforming their status as immigrant to citizen. It is a relatively recent phenomenon that large groups of people have come here to live and enjoy the benefits of living in our country, but with no desire to become American by our foundational standards. If this trend continues we indeed will become a nation of immigrants. Even our citizens are being encouraged to act like immigrants as people are being divided by ethnicity, religion, color, age, education, status, occupation, or wealth. People are forgetting what it means to be an American, to be unified by common principles that promote respect for life and liberty.

We weren’t, but now are becoming a nation of immigrants. Changing the path to citizenship changes the definition of American.

 

I see the same thing happening in the Church today. A parallel statement concerning the membership of the Church is: “We are an assembly of sinners, saved by grace”. Now this statement by itself, just like the statement concerning immigrants, is true in the sense that we all we once sinners, and we have been saved by grace, through faith. Problems arise when the immigrants never embrace the ideology that makes America, American. The benefits of citizenship are diminishing as the immigrant philosophy prevails. In the same way if the Church is filled with sinners who never become saints. What is the benefit to its members?

The stark difference in comparing citizenship in America and citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven is that a earthly nation will be destroyed by compromise, whereas citizenship in the kingdom of Heaven will never be compromised, perpetuating an everlasting kingdom. If the people who live in America never truly become American, then the America that offered the hope of life and liberty will cease to exist. In the same way a church full of people who have not been liberated from the bondage of sin, is not comprised of citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

My concern for the churches exceeds my concern for my nation. It is through our churches that men should be able to acquire the knowledge of the Gospel, the pathway to citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven, an eternal citizenship. But many of our assemblies have become assemblies filled with sinners who desire the benefits of citizenship, but have never followed the path to citizenship. The path to citizenship is clearly marked out in the Scripture. Jesus was very straightforward with Nicodemus saying, “You must be born again”.

We must repent of our sins, turn from our wicked ways, and follow Christ. Our next step in following Christ is baptism. Baptism was intended to be more than just a ritual. It was intended to be a testimony renouncing our citizenship to the world and announcing our allegiance to the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. More than just words spoken is the witness of the life that is now lived in righteousness, proving that God had indeed done a work in our lives.

Often in an effort to include more people a simplified version of the pathway to citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven is preached. This approach actually makes it harder for people to become Christians. Jesus was not kidding when He said: “13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait [is] the gate, and narrow [is] the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Mt 7:13-14 AV)

It is important that people aren’t misled into thinking that they are Christians when indeed they may not be citizens of Heaven. If the only difference between the people inside the church and the people outside the church is their belief that they are saved, then there obviously is something wrong. When Paul addressed his letters to the Churches, he addressed them to the saints, or holy ones. Sin was never excused, but addressed. Salvation is not just deliverance from the penalty of sin, but also from the bondage of sin. True Christians have been delivered from the bondage of sin and are living in that freedom.

Just by believing that there is a path to citizenship will not save us. But if we have faith in Christ and follow the path He has provided for us, we will be saved, resulting in our eternal citizenship in Kingdom of Heaven. If we are willing to give up our sins, then He is able to free us from them. If our people had faith in the Word of God then our churches would be largely comprised of saints instead of sinners. What a difference that would make impacting those who are seeking truth and hoping for a Savior.