To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that protects against attacks by other nations and promotes the principles of Jesus to other nations...

This week we have been addressing the issue of defense and foreign policy. Specifically, I would like for us to ask and answer the questions “What policies would Jesus promote when it comes to the issue of national defense? How should the United States relate to the other nations in the world?

So far this week, we have discovered that as followers of Jesus, we are not to ignore evil; but we are not to respond to evil with evil. As followers of Jesus, we are to carefully consider our response to the harm and wrong that comes from the evil intentions of others by doing the noble and the right thing. In addition, as far as it is possible, as followers of Jesus, we are to strive to have harmonious relationships with others.

Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that there are times that no matter what we do, we are unable to experience harmonious relationships with others. As followers of Jesus, we are to do all that we can to live in harmony in community with everyone. And when that does not occur, we are to respond to evil, injustice and conflict by doing the noble and right thing. And we are to practice this lifestyle with all men.

We also discovered that, as followers of Jesus, we are never to take justice into our own hands. Instead, we are to leave room for God’s right and just response to selfishness, sin, and rebellion. In Romans 12:17-21, we discovered that when we respond to the harm and wrong that comes from the evil intentions of others by doing the noble and the right thing, even to the point of meeting the pressing and practical needs that they have, we become the vehicle that God can use to reveal His Son Jesus and bring rescue.

And because of that reality, Paul commanded the members of the church at Rome, and followers of Jesus throughout history, to not allow the harm and wrong that flows from the evil intents of others to conquer and defeat us. Instead, we are to conquer and overcome the harm and wrong of evil by responding in a way that does the noble and right thing.

We also reminded ourselves that government was designed by God to represent Him in a way that promotes good for people and punishes the evil of people. Government was put into place by God as an intermediary, or representative, of God to promote justice for those who do well and to punish evil by responding with righteousness and justice to wrongdoing and injustice. A purpose of government is to create structures that execute swift punishment for crime so as to be a deterrent to crime. And as part of God’s design and responsibility, governments are responsible to defend their nation from an attack by other nations.

However, while it is clear that governments are to responsible to defend their nations from an attack on their nation, what is less clear is when a government should become involved in a military action that does not involve a direct attack on their nation. So, when should a government engage in military action against another nation when a direct attack on their nation has not happened? In other words, when should a nation go to war?

There are four main viewpoints that have been advocated in an attempt to answer this question. The first view is the crusade or the Holy War, which believes that followers of Jesus should try to use military force to bring the gospel to other nations. However, when we read the message and teachings of Jesus, we discover that there is no evidence to substantiate this view. The second and third views are Christian pacifism and Christian non-resistance. However, as we already have discovered, the message and teachings of Jesus that are used to advocate these positions apply to personal insult, not personal self defense or national defense.

What the message and teachings throughout the Bible do advocate for when it comes to the issue of national defense and foreign policy is what is referred to as the “Just War” theory. The just war theory maintains a military action is a less than ideal necessity that is just when it meets four specific criteria. First, the military action must be necessary as a last resort after all other options have been pursued and exhausted. Second, the military action must be necessary to preserve justice through retribution, not retaliation. In other words, any military action will involve a proportional use of force with the goal to bring justice and punishment to the wrongdoing and injustice done to others, not to gain revenge.

Third, the military action must be necessary in order to protect innocent people. The Biblical case for this criterion is found in Psalm 82:4 which states “Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked”. And fourth, and most difficult to discern, is that the military action must be necessary in order to prevent the spread of evil, which we see in both Romans 13:1-4 and 1 Peter 2:13-15.

Now while all that applies to the use of military force, what about other aspects of foreign policy other than military force? What about the financial and relational aspects of foreign policy? I just want to spend our remaining time together providing some guiding principles that the letters that make up the Bible provide for us when it comes to these questions.

First, the foreign policy of a nation should serve to protect the sovereignty and independence of that nation and protect and defend the interests of its citizens in their relationship with other nations. As a result, the message and teachings of Jesus do not advocate for a one world government, but that governments try to live in peace and harmony with one another. As we discovered earlier in this series, as followers of Jesus, we are to support some form of a government that is chosen by the people who are being governed. This is the case because of the reality that human beings have an inward bent towards selfishness and rebellion that can result in the abuse of power if not kept in check. Thus, a one worldwide government would have far too much power and could lead to massive corruption and tyranny that would not be able to be held in check by the people who would be governed. 

Second, as we discovered in the second week in this series, the foreign policy of a nation should seek to promote freedom and respect for human rights in other nations. As followers of Jesus, we are to seek to influence government towards its divine design and towards the message and teachings of Jesus when it comes to how other nations treat those in their nation.

Third, the foreign policy of a nation should seek to do good for other nations as they are able to do so. As we have the opportunity, we are to demonstrate care and concern for other nations. A foreign policy that lines up with the message and teachings of Jesus asks the question “If I was in their situation, how would I feel loved?” and then responds in a way that expresses the love that we would want expressed to us to that nation. We are to take Jesus call to love our neighbor as ourselves to other nations, so as to influence that nation towards the teachings of Jesus.

Similarly, the foreign policy of a nation should seek to provide humanitarian aid where there are natural disasters. However, it is important to distinguish humanitarian aid from economic aid. There is a difference between meeting the pressing and practical needs of individuals in a nation as the result of a natural disaster and providing ongoing economic aid in order to help a country develop economically.

And because of that difference, the foreign policy of a nation should not provide economic development aid to poor nations. The reason for this position is due to the harsh reality that in a vast majority of cases, government economic aid that is given to poor nations is misused by that nation, especially if the government is not one that has been chosen by the people of that nation. In addition, ongoing economic aid creates a culture of dependency that enables a nation instead of empowering a nation.

Finally, the foreign policy of a nation should provide military aid according to just war principles. In other words, foreign aid should only be given to a nation for the purpose of helping that nation defend themselves and to promote freedom in that nation. Now that leads us to the question of the nation of Israel. In other words, what should the government’s position and policy be when it comes to the nation of Israel?

The short answer is that the foreign policy of a nation should support the nation of Israel to the extent that the nation of Israel continues to do the right thing, while recognizing that God has a special role for the Jewish people to play in God’s story. When the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans refers to Israel, it is not referring to the ground that the nation of Israel currently occupies. Instead, he is referring to ethnically Jewish people who will respond to God’s transformational activity through Jesus life, death, and resurrection, by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader.

You see, currently, we are living in what theologians call the church age. Jesus, life, death, and resurrection ushered in the church. And since the beginnings of the church, God has used the church to advance His kingdom mission across cultures and continents in order to rescue people from all nations and cultures. Near the end of God’s story, the full number of all non-Jewish people that will be rescued as a result of God’s grace will be reached.

At that time, God will turn his attention to the Jewish people and all Jewish people that respond to God’s activity by believing, trusting, and following Jesus as Lord and Leader will receive the forgiveness of sin and enter into the relationship with God that they were created for.  And because of that reality, we are to support the nation of Israel to the extent that they are doing what is right and just, with the recognition that God has a special role for the Jewish people to play in His story.

Now, with all that in mind, here is a summary statement when it comes to voting for Jesus on the issue of foreign policy. And that summary statement is to vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that protects against attacks by other nations and promotes the principles of Jesus to other nations. You see, Jesus is not an interventionist. Jesus is not a non-interventionist. And Jesus is not an isolationist. Instead Jesus is God. And to vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that protects against attacks by other nations and promotes the principles of Jesus to other nations.

To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that recognizes the threats against our nation and takes steps to protect our nation from attacks by other nations that would want to do us harm. To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that recognizes that, when all other efforts fail, there are times when military action is a necessity in order to help other nations protect themselves and provide justice against the wrongdoing and injustice done to them by other nations.

And to vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that seeks to do good for other nations when we have the opportunity to do so. To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that loves other nations in a way that reflects the love of Jesus to that nation.  To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that influences other nations towards human rights and freedoms in their nation as a result of those in all nations bearing the thumbprint of God. To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that provides humanitarian aid to other nations when tragedy strikes that nation. To vote for Jesus is to vote for a foreign policy that empowers, not enables other nations financially.