JC

Paula White, leader of the White House Faith Office, speaks about President Trump: "You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. You will be victorious in all you put your hand to because God is using you."

Beware of any Christian movement that demands the government be an instrument of God's wrath but never a source of God's charity, mercy, or compassion.

Christ is King not just of America, but over every nation and sphere. As Christians, we ought reject paleoconservative America First isolationism as too narrow for His universal Lordship. What America First post-liberal defeatists fail to grasp is the world is in fact interconnected through technology, commerce, and tourism; all sovereignly orchestrated by God’s common grace. I rejoice that the risen and reigning King Jesus already holds all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). His Great Commission is not a call to hunker down in “America First” isolation, but to disciple *all nations*, teaching them to observe everything He has commanded--including the general equity of God’s righteous law as the standard for civil justice and ordered liberty in His world. We don’t hope like the world hopes, instead Christian Hope is active, it means we expect the gospel to triumph progressively: nations bowing the knee to Christ and the vast majority of societies ordered under His Word before His return. Psalm 2, Isaiah 2, and 1 Cor 15:25 promise that His enemies will be made His footstool in history. Why settle for defensive retrenchment in one nation when the Lord of the nations calls us to preach the gospel and proclaim Christ to every nation and sphere? Contrary to popular belief, we are on the offense, not defense. Jesus said, “the gates of hell will not prevail against His church.” Gates are designed to defend and protect. It is the Christian that takes every thought captive in His world for His glory. Of course this doesn’t mean surrendering sovereignty to globalist bureaucracies, open borders, or supranational institutions that erode democratic accountability. National borders, self-government, and cultural cohesion remain vital as God’s law orders particular peoples and places. Yet in our deeply interconnected age of technology, commerce, and travel, rigid Fortress America nationalism risks ceding global initiative to adversaries and undercutting tools for gospel advance. The world *is* connected by God’s common grace. This is inevitable. We are instructed in Scripture to be responsible and lead in shaping those connections on terms that preserve liberty and advance Christ’s crown rights in His world. Following Francis Schaeffer’s helpful distinction, we can practice co-belligerence--joining with others on single issues against common enemies (such as secular globalism or Islamic threats to ordered freedom)--without becoming full allies who share our comprehensive biblical worldview. This allows principled conservative internationalism: alliances and partnerships with like-minded nations (think original NATO or bilateral deals among those open to biblical order, such as Israel), friend-shoring supply chains to trusted partners rather than blind offshoring or costly full decoupling, and proactive “armed diplomacy” to deter threats while spreading ordered freedom where feasible. Trade and commerce? Yes, with realism: reciprocity, fair rules, and protection for strategic sectors, so interdependence strengthens rather than weaponizes against us (re: North Korea). America First has tactical value against secular globalism that hollows out heartlands. But as a comprehensive ideology it is too provincial for the cosmic vision of Christ’s Kingdom. William Carey-style missions were fueled by postmillennial optimism, expecting the Spirit to convert nations everywhere. Reagan’s confident engagement--expanding liberty while keeping sovereignty paramount--aligns far better than narrow retrenchment that can become isolationist. Let’s build resilient Christian republics to the glory of God that cooperate freely (as co-belligerents where needed), compete righteously, and disciple the nations, not hunker down in one while others languish and build internationally under idolatry. Christ’s kingdom advances through the gospel and the application of His law universally. Let’s ride the wave of victory (Matt 28:19-20)! SDG