As we roll into another Memorial Day, we must remember to keep the things we hold dear in their place, lest they become the things we hold dearest.
Our families.
Our friends.
Our traditions.
Our things.
Even (and perhaps especially) our country. (See: The America Idol: How “Christians” Worship and Enable the Anti-Christ State.)
If they are to inspire true joy, peace and God-glorifying life, they must be subjected to Him in practice. In every hour of every day and in every realm or area of life.
In the moment that they are not subjected to Him, they become destructive. They become idols. As understandably beautiful, precious and cherished as any of these things can and should be in a proper, Christ-centered context, when we allow any of them to assume top tier status in our lives, they become our god(s) in practice.
Enemies of Christ know this all too well and are all too happy to exploit our loving, adoring idolatry of anything, including America itself. (See: The America Idol (Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Almighty State.)
Dr. Joel McDurmon of The American Vision said it well earlier today when he posted,
“. . . As we encounter Memorial Day, it is certainly appropriate to remember those who fought and died protecting our land, people, and liberty. Their sacrifice is genuine and never to be forgotten any more than that of any genuine hero. But what too often happens among conservative Christians is a blanket endorsement of all things military wrapped in the flag. Without necessary distinctions, this can become idolatry as easily as it can be a genuine memorial of the righteous. It can become flag worship, nation worship, power worship, hatred and pride. Without the distinctions provided in biblical law, it is always a short step from patriotism to nationalism.
We are called to be ardent patriots, but not uncritical nationalists. We are called to apply biblical law to every area of life. We can easily fail to do this if we are enraptured by power and “winning.” Worse yet, when we are so enraptured, we make ourselves easy prey for voracious politicians and powerful men who leverage the power of such emotions to herd people into their agendas. And what is so sad about this is that 1) such people would otherwise pride themselves in their tradition of strong, American individualism, and 2) such people think they are being good conservative Christians in their adamant stand. The truth is that too often they have been herded into collectivism by emotions and have departed from the Bible in the process.”
This warning is an important one, and so much of what we see unfolding around us with each passing Drudge Report refresh serves as a bold, clear confirmation that our America idolatry – our worship and empowering of the “almighty” American State – is being used to bring us from freedom into bondage at every level. (See also: So the American State has to destroy our freedom in order to protect it? Oh yeah, that makes sense.) As the culture suicidally craters around us, it’s loudest testimony seems to be: “This is where all man-centered pride inevitably leads”.
It’s not as though God has been silent as to why this is happening.
It’s not as though He has not given us all that we need to understand and address the smoldering mountain of consequences that now comprise the “great American experiment”.
The answer is as clear as it is hated by those defined by man-centered (and America-centered) pride: Broken surrender, repentance and submission to Christ as King in practice in every area of life.
That – or, better said, He – is our only way.
He is our only hope.
So on this Memorial Day will we remember the essential, life-giving, life-defining Truth that the Pilgrims who founded this land held so dear and strived so mightily to apply in every area of life, culture and civilization? (See: How to truly love (and really save) America.)
Or will we continue to willfully “forget” and reject the worldview of those first founders while comically pretending that we can still somehow, some way have the fruits of that Christ as King worldview? (See: Manning the life boats as America shifts into iceberg-ramming mode.)
Choose this day whom (or Whom) you will remember…and serve accordingly…
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I appreciate this article. When I say these kind of things on FB, people get nasty or 'unfriend' me in droves. It's almost sacrosanct among believers to say there's a point at which we have crossed the line and are worshipping our nation and it's Constitution. Wrap any cause in the flag and bibbidy-bobbity-boo, it's Biblical and demands our loyalty and support. Falwell's Moral Majority started the ball rolling and the 'movement' has done nothing but pick up speed with each Supreme Court battle and Presidential election. I pray your message will penetrate the hearts of Bible believing Christians.
Yes, the flag has become an idol, and so has the worship of the "American Brand" what is funny and Ironic is how God fearing "conservatives" are the ones who wrapped up into this the most. But this should come as no surprise considering their constant support for anything that involves our military, power and pride. Pride before the fall. As Christians we are a royal priesthood, a royal nation. eventually, we will wake up and realize that it is our destiny to renounce our earthly citizenship, and embrace of citizenship of Heaven. We owe no "allegiance" to a corrupt nation and government that resembles nothing of Christ.