Chapter XXII

Land of our Fathers

PATRIOTISM is the love of one's country - the country of one's birth - because it is the land of his fathers.

Christian patriotism, then, is the love of the country of the Christian's birth, because it is the land of his Christian fathers.

The country of the Christian's birth is the heavenly country, because the Christian is born only "from above," The heavenly country, then, is the land of the Christian's fathers.

People are Christians only because they are Christ's people. "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."^{148 Galatians 3:29} And the country of our father Abraham was "an heavenly" country only.

Abraham was once a Gentile, was of the nations; but he was born again, was born from above. He was once an alien; but he was naturalized into the kingdom of God, and became a fellow-citizen with the saints.

In becoming naturalized into the kingdom of God, on being admitted into the heavenly citizenship, Abraham was required to get out of his country.^{149 Genesis 12:1}

This requirement he at once accepted, and he "then did absolutely and forever renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to every foreign prince, potentate, State, or sovereignty whatsoever." He obeyed and went out, "not knowing whither he went," only knowing that he went with God, which was enough for him; and so he became the "father of all them that believe."^{150 Romans 4:11}

When God called Abraham out of that country, He also called him into another country, a better, even a heavenly.

Ever after that day, Abraham looked to that country. That is Abraham's country. Wherever he was in this world, he was "in a strange country"; and in this strange country he dwelt "in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise";

For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God . . . And these all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, AN HEAVENLY; wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He hath prepared for them a city.¹⁵¹

Hebrews 11:9,10,13-16

We "are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."^{152 Galatians 3:26} "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."^{153 Galatians 3:29} As Abraham is the father of all them that believe, and as that heavenly country is Abraham's country, then that heavenly country is the Christian's country. As Christian patriotism is love of the Christian's country, the country of the Christian's fathers; and as that country alone is the Christian's country, so Christian patriotism is love of the country of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and CHRIST, - the heavenly country, the new earth, the country which God gave in faithful promise to our father.

Are you, now, a true Christian patriot? Is that truly your country? Do you love that country above all other countries that can ever be named or thought of?

Heaven is the Christian's country. That is the country of our Christian fathers - of Abraham, our father; of Jesus Christ, the last Adam, and so "the everlasting Father"; and of God, the universal Father, "our Father which art in heaven." Christian patriotism is love of that country.

Who would not be a Christian patriot?