The Torah lists 613 laws covering various facets of Jewish life including worship, hygiene, food and family – 365 of which are prohibitions, 248 are positive instructions. Of the Mosaic law, the Ten Commandments are certainly the most famed.

To these 613, the Pharisees layered another 1500+ rules and regulations, elevating them to the level of scripture.

The Pharisees, of course, were frequently the object of Jesus Christ’s displeasure. He condemned their greed, hypocrisy and pride.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.”

Matthew 23:23

“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 5:20

It is not uncommon to see Christian Nationalists characterized as the modern-day counterparts to the Pharisees. Why? These bodies actually have much in common – largely centered around their mutual fixation on the law to mandate obedience to their noble morality. Let’s take a closer look:

Moral Superiority & Legalism

The Pharisees maintained an obsessive adherence to Mosaic law, adding innumerable oral embellishments that demanded rigid submission to the letter of the law rather than its spirit – all driven by a posture of moral superiority and self-righteousness.

Similarly, Christian Nationalists advocate for legislation that reflects their religious values, removing free will and mandating consequences for those who maintain dissenting viewpoints.

Hypocrisy

As noted above, Jesus vehemently condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, appearing outwardly righteous but neglecting mercy, compassion and injustice.

Christian Nationalists, in a comparable manner, often fail to embrace core Christian values. This is vividly evident in their efforts to suppress free will, their sometimes blatant lack of humility, their aversion to extending welcome to the stranger and more. Most tragically, Christian Nationalists seek to remove the CHOICE of faith for those who remain unenlightened. Instead, they manufacture a hostility that stifles any receptivity of nonbelievers to God’s word. This directly contradicts the Lord’s Great Commission to “make disciples of all.”

Obsession with Power & Influence

The Pharisees were as much political animals as religious dogmatists. The “law” – and their desire to exercise control over it – was their mechanism for preserving influence over Jewish society.

Likewise, Christian Nationalists endeavor to administer laws and governance that ensure alignment with and obedience to their religious ideology. Control at the expense of choice.

Exclusivity & National Identity

The Pharisees sought to maintain Jewish identity and purity, protecting Israel from sinners and the unclean, including the Gentiles.

Christian Nationalists perceive an indissoluble connection between their national identity and Christianity, advocating for legal systems that align with their religious convictions. They believe theirs to be God’s chosen nation – rather than yielding to the truth that it is the CHURCH that is God’s chosen – not a country. The CHURCH is comprised of individuals who have made the CHOICE of faith. Christian Nationalism is less about being “Christian” than it is “nationalism.”

Fear of Change

Clinging to their traditional interpretations and practices which sanctioned their supremacy, the Pharisees resisted the teachings of Jesus – and the transformation they brought.

Similarly, Christian Nationalists fear societal changes that threaten their religious values, advocating for legislation that preserves what they consider to be Christian values. In their efforts to mandate behavior through the law, Christian Nationalists…

…Diminish Christ’s Crucifixion

Christ died on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. Jesus was the only perfect man to walk this earth. He was sent by the Father, knowing that mankind would make poor choices. The result is, and always has been, sin. But it is, and always has been, a CHOICE. Christ died for our bad choices. If choice is removed – as the Christian Nationalists would have it – Christ’s sacrifice is diminished.

Conclusion

As I concluded in a prior post on the misguided faith of Christian Nationalists:

“It is not my intention to characterize Christian nationalists as nonbelievers. Most are, in fact, good people who simply fear where their country – and their world – is headed. Their response to that fear is to try to remove its cause root and stem. But God told us such times were to come. His plan cannot be altered by removing God-given free will – the free will to make good choices and bad.”

Christian Nationalism undermines Christ’s teaching that we are to be inclusive, humble and loving. We cannot be justified by the law. In Galatians 5:4, the Apostle Paul teaches:

“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

Rather, we are to trust in God’s grace, available to us through faith. Such faith manifests not in forcing our neighbors to behave as we believe they should, but to recognize the free will the Lord has granted all – and to love them abundantly so that we inspire obedience through humility and witness.

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Gal 5:14