There has been talk lately of America becoming increasingly “post-Christian,” and about the need to return to our Christian heritage. While there is some truth here, it is important to avoid the historical revisionism that sees the United States founded as a Christian nation. I agree with columnist and former Moral Majority figure Cal Thomas, who says “No country can be truly ‘Christian’ - only people can.” As quoted above, it is obvious that this is in line with Jesus’ thinking.

Perhaps the translation “nations” is a bit misleading. The word is better rendered, “ethnicities,” or “peoples.” Faith in Jesus Christ transcends all human boundaries: cultural, racial, social, and national. It is a matter of individuals receiving Christ, believing in his name and becoming children of God, as John puts it in his gospel. Yet those who do, do not do so merely as individuals: they are gathered collectively in the church. We have local manifestations of the church, in great variety of emphases, style and character. And Jesus is described many times in the bible as the head, over the whole Church - but not over any nation. The Church is his body - which is what he now uses to do his work on earth, enabled and encouraged by his Spirit - as he is no longer bodily present. He never said he would work through any particular country or nation or ethnicity or people, but through them all as they individually receive him and become identified with the Church. This is the first step of making disciples, baptizing them: initially in their faith identifying them with the Church, as part of his body. And the second part of disciple-making is just as important: teaching them. I also agree with J. I. Packer who noted on the occasion of his 80th birthday that the task of 21st century evangelicals is to “re-catechize the church.” That is our heritage, as Americans: to work toward maintaining the influence of Christian ideas and biblical principles on our culture, society and nation. That will only happen through well-discipled people.

At HBF we have continually emphasized biblical teaching. We are now exploring ways to balance this with baptizing - encouraging people to receive Christ and facilitating identification with the church, the body of Christ. This means much more than putting them in water and making them members of HBF. It means welcoming them as followers of Jesus, who has promised to be with us in this endeavor, until the very end of the age.