Dr. Voddie Baucham: Christian Nationalism and Romans 13 - Stand Firm Conference
Date: 2025-07-21
Source: Stand Firm Conference 2025, Melbourne
Delivered: July 5, 2025
Opening Challenge
Bold Declaration:
"All right I'm here to turn you all into radical Christian nationalists... the question that I was asked to answer or the topic that I was called to deal with is this issue of a Christian nation which is not our goal but some aspects of it are a consequence"
The COVID Revelation: Romans 13's Two Sides
The Problem with Selective Scripture:
"What it did was it exposed an incredible weakness in our public theology an incredible weakness in that intersection between what we believe as Christians and how it impacts the way that we interact with the world"
Verses 1-2: The Popular Side
"As long as you were a verse one and two person nobody called you a name and nobody came after you but if you were a verse three and four person all of a sudden you were a problem... put on your mask close down your church do what they tell you take the jab take the next jab take the next jab take the next jab do it because they say it romans 13 romans 13 romans 13"
Government's Selective Approval:
"It's funny how all of a sudden the government didn't mind our faith coming into the public square when we had Christians pointing at other Christians saying 'Obey put on the mask close down the church.' They were like 'Yeah that's the Christianity we like.'"
Verses 3-4: The Uncomfortable Truth
"Verse one and two comes to the Christian and says 'Do what God commands you to do.' Verse three and four goes to the ruler and says 'Do what God commands you to do' that was uncomfortable that was condemned even by many Christians in the US"
John MacArthur's Stand
The Open Letter:
"John MacArthur wrote an open letter to Gavin Newsome... MacArthur essentially said 'We must obey God rather than men.' God says that we should not forsake the assembly and you Mr magistrate have a duty before God and it is not to condemn Christians for doing what God commands"
The Uncomfortable Response:
"Christians got very uncomfortable with the idea that from the pulpit we would point to Caesar and say you have an obligation before God but that's the next two verses"
More Opposition from Christians:
"Pastor MacArthur will tell you that he experienced far more opposition from fellow Christians than he did from the city of Los Angeles cuz you're supposed to just press verse one and two not verse three and four"
Historical Context and Universal Application
Roman Context:
"Paul is not saying if you live in an environment where you have governance that acknowledges God... he's writing this in the midst of a culture that is under oppressive Roman rule and he says there are two sides of this obligation"
Universal Governmental Responsibility:
"Every person who governs everywhere in the world is accountable to God for how they govern and they are placed in their position by God and it is a terrible and frightening thing to ignore that and they do so to their peril"
Three Destructive Extremes
1. Political Nihilism:
"The belief that politics is unspiritual corrupt and insignificant that it doesn't matter we're we're Christians that that doesn't matter... it does matter"
2. Political Pelagianism:
"The belief that fallen man can govern rightly without the help and influence of the people of God... no they can't no they can't the text says they're ministers of God they don't know how to be ministers of God unless we tell them"
3. Political Syncretism:
"Mixing the worship of God with the worship of the state that is not what we're called to do we do not combine those things"
Sphere Sovereignty
Three Separate Jurisdictions:
"We have the sphere of the home and the sphere of the church and the sphere of the state the home wields the rod... the church the keys to the kingdom and the state the sword they are three separate jurisdictions and they're not to be usurped"
Government Overreach:
"The state contrary to modern belief does not run the home and does not run the church it must not cannot be allowed to do so it's not their jurisdiction period full stop and how will they know that unless we tell them unless we teach them"
Biblical Civil Disobedience
Peter and John's Example (Acts 4):
"Peter and John answered them 'Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God you must judge for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard... you cannot command what God forbids and you cannot forbid what God commands"
Gracious Resistance:
"By the way in the next chapter they get beaten for that and they gladly accept the consequences and they submitted to it amen but they reminded the governing authorities that they had overstepped and that what they were demanding was a bridge too far"
The "Christian Nationalism" Label
The Neo-Marxist Strategy:
"White Christian nationalism is a triple word score... white oppressor of non-whites christian oppressor of non-Christian nationalist oppressor oppressor of non-citizens... this has to do with neo-Marxism more than anything else"
The Definitional Game:
"People ask me are you a Christian nationalist like what do you mean by that... what do you mean by that they can't tell you like I might be give me your definition and they usually can't do that"
African Contradiction:
"Zambia is a Christian nation in in the preamble to their constitution they identify themselves as a Christian nation... nobody's upset about Christian nationalism in Zambia... you have black Christian nationalism where are the woke Ivy League students protesting against that they're not cuz they couldn't care less"
The Hypocrisy Exposed
Selective Biblical Application:
"It's not that they're against the Bible being brought to bear not at all as long as it's being brought to bear by those who are useful to them... when Row versus Wade... was overturned... Gavin Newsome in California decided that they were going to be a safe haven... and what did he put on these ads rule a Bible verse and nobody said 'Uh uh-uh you're white you're using the Christian scriptures'"
Government's Religious Overreach:
"The Bible just says in general punish evildoers leave the hearts of men to those who proclaim the gospel... when it comes to social justice and wealth redistribution that's dealing with the hearts of men not the government's job but they're happy to get into it hate crimes legislation that's the hearts of men that's far more spiritual than the scriptures called them to be"
The Truth About Christian Influence
Historical Reality:
"The freest and most prosperous people in the world the safest women in the world the most cherished women in the world the most protected women in the world the minorities in the world with the most rights and protections and freedoms all exist in nations that have been formed and influenced not just by Christianity but particularly by the Protestant Reformation"
The Challenge:
"You tell me what non-Christian country you want to go live in we talk about how horrible these Christian nations are to minority where would you rather be a minority... where would you rather be a woman... the answer is it doesn't exist"
Non-Christian Alternatives:
"Honor killings forced marriage rape and then being criminalized because you've been raped not being able to own property having to cover yourself up from head to toe every time you go out in public historically being burned on your husband's funeral p that's not Christianity"
The Proper Response
Rejecting Shame:
"The proper response is listen you keep calling me that name i don't know what that name is i might be I might not but here's what I do know... Romans 13:1 and2 I will press it hard and call believers to submit to government authorities romans 13:3 and4 i will press that hard too and remind you that you are a minister of God and you have a duty to uphold"
Final Exhortation:
"Don't be ashamed of the gospel and don't be ashamed of the fruit that the gospel has produced in those parts of the world where the gospel has flourished"
The Glorious Inheritance:
"How dare we how dare we inherit this glorious tradition and then spit on it in the midst of a world where nobody's come close not to doing better but just to doing as well and I say that without a hint of irony it's just the flatout truth"
Key Themes: Dual obligations of Romans 13, Government accountability to God, Sphere sovereignty, Biblical civil disobedience, Neo-Marxist labeling tactics, Christian civilization's fruit, Public theology courage