Sacralism: Patriot or Pilgrim
Updated: Sep 1
Introduction
A Note to the Reader: Make no mistake: there is only one Lord and Savior, only one name under heaven that can save us—Jesus the Messiah, the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 6:15). The word Christ (Christos, G5547) means "anointed King and Priest," reminding us that all Christians are royal citizens of God's kingdom (1 Pet. 2:9). Unlike the shifting powers of contemporary politics, where leaders rise and fall and ideologies change with time, the reign of Christ stands firm forever. His rule never fades and rests on perfect justice and righteousness. Earthly governments may divide people by party or belief, but God's kingdom gathers believers from every tribe, language, and nation under one true King (cf. Matt. 28:18–20). Our hope and salvation does not come from human systems—it comes only from the unchanging truth and power of Jesus Christ.
This article critiques the negative form of sacralism—the fusion of Christianity with political power, national identity, or partisan ideology that confuses the kingdom of God with the kingdoms of this world. At the same time, it affirms the church's positive calling to transform culture through the gospel by making disciples, loving our neighbors, pursuing justice and mercy, and living as faithful ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Christians are called to transform society from the inside out through the gospel, not to establish God's kingdom through political coercion or state power. The church's greatest cultural influence has always come through repentance, evangelism, holy living, and sacrificial service rather than through the machinery of government. In other words, this article is not an argument against Christian cultural engagement; it is an argument against confusing the Great Commission with a political program. Its central thesis is that the church best transforms culture not by baptizing politics, but by making disciples who faithfully live under the lordship of Jesus Christ (see "Cost of Christian Discipleship").
In sacralism, the state assumes the role of religion, thereby creating a civil faith. Neither Jesus nor Paul taught that the church should exercise political control over the state or that the state should govern the church. Christian sacralism took on a new and enduring form in the fourth century with the emperor Constantine, more than three hundred years after the New Testament era. This Constantinian shift began a process by which Christianity became increasingly intertwined with imperial institutions, eventually contributing to forms of church-state union throughout the medieval period. It began with the Edict of Milan in AD 313, which legalized Christianity across the Roman Empire. Later, the emperor Theodosius solidified this union by making Christianity the official state religion in AD 380 and banning paganism and other faiths. The Latin phrase Cuius regio, eius religio—"Whoever controls the region decides its religion"—perfectly captures the essence of sacralism.
Definitions of Key Terms in Sacralism
Before continuing, we need to clarify a few key terms. There is nothing wrong with being a patriot, meaning "one who loves and supports their country." The word comes from the Greek adjective patrikos (G3967), which means "belonging to the fathers or ancestors." In other words, a patriot views their homeland as a "fatherland" (patria, G3965). The term patrikos appears only once in the New Testament, when Paul writes, "I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors" (Gal. 1:14). The word patria appears three times in the New Testament, translated in the New International Version as "line," "peoples," or "family" (Luke 2:4; Acts 3:25; Eph. 3:15).
Patriotism, then, reflects healthy civic duty—an attitude that helps communities flourish. We practice it in everyday actions, such as supporting local businesses or attending community events. However, when this positive loyalty turns into hostility toward others or a desire to control resources and power, patriotism crosses the line into nationalism.
A nationalist is someone who shows "loyalty and devotion to a nation, especially with a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promoting its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups." When a Christian nationalist fuses faith with nationalism, they create a corrupt worldview that is sacral—a syncretic mix of the sacred and the secular. Sacralism functions as a blended religion, much like voodoo or santería, with roots that distort both faith and morality, giving rise to what is often called "civil religion."
When Christian faith becomes subordinate to national identity, it ceases to reflect the New Testament vision of the kingdom of God. The authentic message of Jesus—grounded in truth, humility, and repentance—offends and exposes those who twist religion into a tool of power. For this reason, churches should carefully consider whether national flags belong in places of Christian worship. The gathered church is not an embassy of any earthly nation but an embassy of the kingdom of heaven, where believers from every tribe, language, people, and nation gather under the lordship of Christ (Rev. 7:9). The symbols displayed in worship inevitably communicate our primary allegiance. While Christians may rightly honor and pray for their countries, the church's worship should visibly proclaim that Jesus alone is King. Our allegiance belongs to God alone, and giving our devotion or loyalty to anything else becomes eidōlolatria (G1495), the Greek word for "idolatry" or "image worship." The apostle Paul asks, "What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God" (2 Cor. 6:16).
No Country for Old Christians
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul reminds us, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:20). Likewise, the apostle Peter urges, "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul" (1 Pet. 2:11). Early Christians carried this understanding of being pilgrims in a temporary world for centuries. The Letter to Diognetus (c. AD 200) captures this truth best, describing how believers live in the world yet do not belong to it:
Christians are not distinguished from other people by the country, language, or customs they observe. They neither inhabit cities of their own, employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men, nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according to the lot each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly paradoxical method of life. They dwell in their own countries but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all others; they beget children, but they do not destroy their fetuses [see "Pastoral Response: Abortion"]. They have a common table but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws and, at the same time, surpass the laws in their lives. They love all men and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death and restored to life (Diogn. 5).
The early church did not seek to transform the Roman Empire by capturing Caesar's throne. Rather, it transformed society through the ordinary means of the kingdom of God: proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, caring for the poor and the sick, rescuing abandoned infants, affirming the sanctity of human life, extending hospitality, cultivating learning, and living lives marked by holiness. The church changed the empire not through political domination or coercion, but by faithfully bearing witness to the lordship of Jesus Christ. In doing so, it transformed culture from the inside out.
Give to Caesar What Is Caesar's
Sacralists often rely on two main passages to defend their worldview, beginning with Jesus' powerful teaching that contrasts the authority of the Roman emperor (Latin: Caesar) with the authority of God:
"Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?" But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, "You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax." They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "So give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Matt. 22:17–21).
Many Americans misread Jesus' teaching by interpreting it through the lens of the Establishment Clause—the opening of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This approach commits a serious category error because the Bible and the Constitution come from entirely different historical and cultural contexts. Christians should never use political documents to interpret Scripture.
Jesus was not teaching first-century Jews to separate religion from politics. In context, Jesus refused both collaboration with Rome and revolutionary nationalism, redirecting the discussion to God's ultimate authority. Both groups tried to trap Jesus into taking a side, which would have branded him either an enemy of Rome or a traitor to his own people. Instead, Jesus refused their political framing and redirected their focus to God's higher authority. The Pharisees and Zealots alike pursued worldly agendas but neglected the kingdom of heaven (see "Kingdom of God & Heaven"). We must learn from their mistake and seek first the reign of God, not the kingdoms of this world.
So, what does "give back to Caesar" really mean if it is not about separating church and state? When we set aside contemporary Western assumptions and approach the text through the lens of ancient Mediterranean theology, we see that Jesus was contrasting two images—the emperor's image on the coin and the image of God in humanity. With this understanding, Jesus' message becomes clear: paying taxes to Rome had no spiritual consequence for the Jews. The coin belonged to Caesar because it bore his image, so returning it to him was simply an act of fairness. The soul, however, bears the image of God, and it belongs to him alone. No ruler or government can claim ownership over what belongs to God.
A familiar saying today—"You can take my body, but you will never have my soul"—captures Jesus' lesson far better than the contemporary Western idea of the Establishment Clause. The emperor could demand a coin, but that was all he could claim. God's rule and care extend over all humanity, and his blessings reach far beyond material wealth. Jesus taught that Caesar could have his money because God owns everything that truly matters. "Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives?" (Mark 8:36).
The coin itself carried deep meaning. It was a graven image forbidden to Jews because its pagan symbols implied the emperor's divinity, violating the second commandment (Exod. 20:4). The Greek word charagma (G5480), meaning "imprint" or "graven image," appears in Acts 17:29 and again in Revelation to describe the mark of the beast (Rev. 16:2; 19:20). By using such coins, the Jewish leaders revealed their hypocrisy and idolatry—a nationalism that placed Caesar above God. Their betrayal reached its height when they told the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar. . . . We have no king but Caesar" (John 19:12, 15). As Christians, we bear only God's image and confess no king but Jesus, who teaches us: "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you" (John 15:13–15).
No King but Christ
Sacralists often twist Paul's words about how Christians should relate to government. We should apply the Bible to life today, but we must first understand its original setting. When Paul wrote to believers in Rome—the center of the empire—he spoke to people who had no power to choose their leaders. A few, like Paul himself (Acts 22:25–27), were Roman citizens, but most Christians were not. We must remember that Paul wrote to subjects under imperial rule, not to citizens of a democratic nation, when we read this passage:
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor (Rom. 13:1–7).
Paul's instructions align with Jesus' command to "give back to Caesar" and with the covenant God made with all nations through Noah (cf. Gen. 9:4–6). Respecting the government means honoring its authority without giving it our full allegiance. Accusers charged Paul with "defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus" (Acts 17:7). When the Sanhedrin put Peter and John on trial, they said, "Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:19–20). The apostles obeyed God over human rulers, proving that civil disobedience is right when governments silence the church.
In contrast, the Christian bishops of the fourth century—exhausted after nearly three hundred years of Roman persecution under emperors Nero, Domitian, and Diocletian—welcomed Constantine's reforms with enthusiasm. To their credit, they developed the "two swords" political philosophy, which kept the church distinct from the empire, unlike the old pagan system in which the Senate deified its Caesars. Yet this period also saw the emergence of a sacralist worldview that encouraged Christian participation in military service (see "Peacemakers & Just War"). This development became one of several factors that helped shape the medieval context from which the Crusades (1095–1291) arose.
As Christians, we know that God "makes nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them" (Job 12:23). The prophet Amos also records God asking, "Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt, the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?" (Amos 9:7). In other words, God set the boundaries of every nation, not just Israel (Deut. 32:8). We have no right to fight over who is greater or more powerful. One day, every person from every nation will bow before God and "acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10–11). When God creates the new earth, all nations will disappear as the old world passes away (Rev. 21:1). Finally, this advice from Paul, consistent with his message in Romans 13, teaches us the proper way to view government: "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Tim. 2:1–2). Let us "Make the Commission Great Again" by obeying Jesus' command to make disciples of all peoples (Matt. 28:19). The church changes nations not by winning political supremacy but by winning hearts to Christ, one disciple at a time.
Bibliography
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