Boys are natural boundary-testers. Put them in a barn or a backyard, and before long they’re climbing higher, leaping farther, daring one another to stretch the rules. But no matter how bold the challenge, one thing never changes: gravity always wins.
Nations are much the same. They test God’s boundaries, convince themselves they can define right and wrong, and push against His authority. But sooner or later, the Lord of heaven and earth reminds them: He governs the rafters and the floor. His law holds firm, whether they recognize it or not.
God Judges Nations, Not Just Individuals
Scripture makes this truth unavoidable:
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Nineveh: God spoke to Jonah, “Arise, go to Nineveh… for their evil has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). Their repentance stayed God’s judgment.
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Babylon: “Repay her according to her deeds… for she has been proud against the Lord” (Jeremiah 50:29–31).
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Egypt: God judged Pharaoh and “on all the gods of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12).
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Canaan: “The land vomited out its inhabitants” because of their abominations (Leviticus 18:24–28).
God does not treat nations as morally neutral. He blesses righteousness and punishes wickedness.
Blessing or Reproach
The Bible states the principle with clarity:
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“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).
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“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
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“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).
These are not poetic suggestions but promises and warnings. Nations that honor God flourish; nations that reject Him collapse.
The Great Commission and Nations
We often shrink the Great Commission to personal evangelism. But Jesus’ words are broader:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20 NKJV).
The Greek ethnē means peoples, cultures, nations. "Many people misunderstand the Great Commission as a command to make disciples of people from all nations. This is not what Matthew records in Koine Greek that Jesus commanded his disciples to do. Rather, he commanded them to disciple the nations as nations. i.e. to make Christian nations."1 (Nearly all literal translations get this right.)
The main issue with the above modern translation - "make disciples of" all nations - is it turns the Greek verb 'to disciple' into the English verb 'to make.'2. Is should read "Go therefore and disciple all the nations" (matheteusate panta ta ethne).
Isaiah foresaw nations streaming to the mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:2–3). John saw nations walking by the Lamb’s light (Revelation 21:24).
God’s vision is not only for scattered believers in secular nations. He intends for nations themselves to be discipled, taught, and ordered under Christ.
The Case for Christian Nationalism
If Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16), then every nation owes Him allegiance. Neutrality is not an option. Governments that enact laws contrary to Christ’s commands are in rebellion against their rightful King.
Christian nationalism, rightly understood, is not about merging church and state. It is about nations recognizing their accountability to God and ordering their public life—laws, customs, culture—under the authority of Christ.
Anything less is not neutrality. It is rebellion.
Is Christian Nationalism Dangerous?
Critics warn that Christian nationalism is dangerous, leading to oppression or forced religion. And yes—when men wield power in Christ’s name without His character, danger follows. History bears that out.
But here’s the real question: is it more dangerous for a nation to acknowledge Christ—or to pretend He does not reign?
Every law reflects someone’s morality. The choice is not between “imposing religion” and “neutral freedom.” The choice is between Christ’s wisdom and human pride. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rule, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2).
The true danger is not in nations honoring Christ. The danger is in nations rejecting Him.
What About Religious Freedom?
Another objection: doesn’t Christian nationalism erase religious freedom? Doesn’t discipling nations mean coercion?
The Great Commission itself answers: Christ calls us to disciple nations through preaching, baptism, and teaching—not by sword or compulsion. True Christian faith cannot be forced.
A Christian nation would protect freedom of conscience, persuasion, and worship. But religious freedom does not mean moral anarchy. Even today, secular nations impose morality through law on marriage, family, and life.
The real question is: whose morality will guide us—Christ’s, or man’s?
A nation ordered under Christ would not force belief but would acknowledge His Lordship in its laws and culture, seeking justice, protecting the vulnerable, and upholding righteousness. That is not the death of freedom—it is its safeguard.
The Inescapable Truth
Just as boys learn that gravity is not mocked, nations will one day learn that Christ’s authority cannot be ignored.
Every nation will bow. Some will bow in judgment, others in joy. The wise will begin bending the knee now, aligning their public life with the only King who rules in righteousness and truth.
Christian nationalism, rightly understood, is not a danger to be feared but a duty to be embraced. For Christ already reigns, and the nations are His inheritance (Psalm 2:8).
Soli Deo Gloria
1 - The Great Decommission, Stephen Perks p.10
2 - ibid p.8
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