The Christian is a good citizen. He knows the weaknesses of men for he openly recognized them in himself when he turned to Christ. He is not likely to fall for any political panacea promising the good life. He votes wisely but is realistic enough to understand that man’s best political efforts, though worthy of support, can never accomplish any thing more than a temporary and precarious solution. He joins with all men in seeking temporary relief from the ills that plague our nation, hemisphere, and world. But he knows that God’s kingdom alone brings peace, freedom from ills, and perfect judgment. He is neither the super patriot that says “ my country right or wrong,” nor the anarchist that demands “ my way or destruction.” His frank assessment of his own nature and capabilities has enabled him to see that the ultimate hope must come from someone beyond and above mankind—hope in Christ. The Christian is a good citizen. He is not inextricably bound to any given government or nation. He has become a good citizen of his coun try and the world. National boundaries and the distinctives of each form of government concern him less than the eternal and temporal needs of those living within each country. He has a heart for people, the noblest virtue of human government. He has become this because Christ has changed his life and goals and given him a message for all mankind. As Abraham of old, the Christian citizen is looking “ . . . for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” (He brews 11:10). Is this the profile of a Christian citizen? On paper, perhaps — in life, seldom.
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