Isolationism: A Historic and Christian Take
Written by David T. Crum |
Thursday, April 25, 2024
The Scriptures are clear that governments act per the will of God (Romans 13:1, Colossians 1:16). The U.S. prides itself on democracy, independence, and freedom for all. America is not perfect; it fought its own battle with slavery and civil rights. However, the founding ideals and principles have maintained prominence in American culture and have become the standard for many people worldwide. It is not a coincidence that people seek to migrate to America from all over the globe.
Foreign policy positions have always divided Americans. Division exists even within the Democratic and Republican parties.
Isolationism is the belief that a country should avoid involvement in other nations’ military, economic, and political policies.
Studying the early history of the United States, it is safe to say that “isolationism” was the preferred foreign policy of the Founding Fathers. Times were different, and the colonists strongly opposed monarchies and empires. The Founders shared the belief that the government should focus on freedom and independence from Europe and European affairs. The colonists wanted to be completely independent and free.
The Founders opposed imperialism, but some past presidents, such as Thomas Jefferson, wanted to expand America’s land. The Louisiana Purchase was a significant achievement for Jefferson, as he acquired much of present-day America from the French.
President James Polk secured several western U.S. states from Mexico as a result of the victory in the Mexican-American War. A short time later, the U.S. Civil War broke out in which Abraham Lincoln refused to allow secession, seeking to preserve the Union. A common theme slowly appeared: American expansion and a showcase of military might.
A few decades later, President William McKinley gained control of Hawaii and multiple Caribbean Islands. The latter resulted from the victory over Spain in the Spanish-American War.
Despite isolationism’s popularity, the U.S. expanded its global influence through annexation and military power. It is vital to note the island acquisitions, as most territories became a key asset and played an integral role during World War II.
With all the foreign policy changes, we must ask: could the U.S. maintain its isolationist reputation?
The first significant test came during World War I, when U.S. forces agreed to enter the conflict, inarguably pushing the Allied powers to victory. American forces eventually left Europe, confirming its isolationist reputation.
With the destruction in Europe and Asia during World War II, the U.S. officially entered the war after the attack at Pearl Harbor. During WWII, foreign policy procedures changed within the U.S., a notable shift that still exists today. After sending U.S. troops to Europe in two world wars and losing thousands of American lives in battle, politicians knew isolationism was a thing of the past. Winston Churchill foresaw that the U.S. joining WWII would make it the leading world power, surpassing Great Britain, and his assessment was correct.
While isolationism always represented early Americans—from maintaining the Union during the Lincoln administration to positioning itself in island territories and entering both world wars, Americans were no longer isolationists.
This is clear today. The U.S. maintains foreign military bases worldwide and supplies billions of dollars in aid to countries around the globe.
The post world-war years have been dictated by wars opposing communism (Korean War, Vietnam) and terrorism. Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Ronald Reagan are some American leaders who pushed democracy and defended it at all costs. No longer was the goal to protect American democracy; the U.S. had changed to begin pushing its political belief (democracy) to keep the world safe from tyranny.
Perhaps Reagan’s peace-through-strength policies best embodied modern-day America. The lesson is that America would not sit idly by and allow tyranny and autocracy to bring America into another world war. The mindset maintains that Americans must forcefully address such opposition before it spirals out of control. Leaders from both political parties typically accept the political position. Regardless of differences in military capacity and level of engagement in modern conflicts, presidents have consistently wielded global influence.
While the U.S. may be seen as the “world’s police,” the reader needs to know history to grasp the change in foreign policy and engagement in global affairs.
From a Christian worldview, is the new foreign policy position biblical?
First, the Scriptures are clear that governments act per the will of God (Romans 13:1, Colossians 1:16).
The U.S. prides itself on democracy, independence, and freedom for all. America is not perfect; it fought its own battle with slavery and civil rights. However, the founding ideals and principles have maintained prominence in American culture and have become the standard for many people worldwide. It is not a coincidence that people seek to migrate to America from all over the globe.
Whether it be individualism or religious liberty, America’s founding and current posture embody freedom. Here, a political divide might arise in how large and involved the government should be with its citizens. Nevertheless, the nation’s distinct reputation sets it apart from other global powers.
Christians can freely worship in the United States. In other parts of the globe, authorities can imprison and even kill individuals for being Christians and practicing their faith.
While the nation (U.S.) has seemingly abandoned several Christian ideals, democracy is at the heart of foreign policy decisions. Those who stand with democratic tenets are the strongest allies of the U.S., while nations who embrace tyranny typically oppose the U.S. and view the nation as a threat.
Does living in a democratic government promote religious freedom and liberty? This question lies at the core of the Christian worldview. Socialism and communism are and have historically been an enemy of Christians and religious liberty.
Likewise, a theistic government cannot work, as we cannot force souls to embrace one specific religion. This is especially true within the Christian worldview, as conversion must be personal and sincere, focused on Jesus Christ. Several Middle Eastern countries are theistic and remain some of the most hostile nations in the world to Christians.
A democratic government still allows one to become a believer and disciple of Jesus Christ.
Sadly, people in the U.S. and other democratic nations often mock Christian ideals and beliefs. But the mere right to practice the belief system and voice one’s support is distinct. The freedom of religion and freedom of speech gives Christians hope they can proclaim Jesus Christ to all ears.
Make no mistake: the U.S. is home to the majority of the largest Protestant denominations in the world and has constantly made a global impact on souls worldwide. From natural disasters to wars and famines, Christians are always ready to serve and make a difference for the kingdom. And this we can credit to American liberty and democracy.
David Crumholds a Ph.D. in Historical Theology. He serves as an Assistant Professor of History and Dissertation Chair. His research interests include the history of warfare and Christianity. He and his family are members of Christ the King Church, in Easton, Maine.
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Illumination—I Do Not Think it Means What You Think it Means
Praise be to God for his Spirit’s supernatural work of illumination in our hearts. Without it, we would not be able to accept the things of the Spirit of God, we would not recognize them as the truthful, authoritative revelation of God that they are, and we would not willingly submit ourselves to them.
I am convinced that a charismatic theology of the Holy Spirit has infected most of evangelicalism in ways we don’t often recognize. Carl F. H. Henry was right when he observed, “The modern openness to charismatic emphases is directly traceable to the neglect by mainstream Christian denominations of an adequate doctrine of the Holy Spirit.”1
This influence can be seen in a number of ways, but one that I’d like to focus on here is with our understanding and use of the term illumination. Often we hear prayers like, “Lord, please illumine your Word so that we can understand what it says,” or other similar language. Intentional or not, many believers seem to expect that the Spirit is going to help us understand what Scripture means or that he is going to “speak” to us specific ways that the Word applies to our personal situations.
Neither of these are what the biblical doctrine of illumination means.
Biblical Teaching on Illumination
The term illumination does not appear in Scripture; rather, it describes a collection of concepts involving the Spirit’s work in relation to his Word in the believer’s life.
1 Corinthians 1:18–2:16
One of the key texts is 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:16. In this passage, Paul describes the fact that “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor 1:18). Though the concept of illumination or enlightening don’t really appear in this passage, it does clearly teach that a key difference between believers and unbelievers is the fact that unbelievers simply do not recognize the truthfulness, beauty, and authority of God’s Word (specifically the gospel), while a believer is one who has come to recognize Scripture as such, not because of any human persuasion, but simply through “the Spirit and of power” (2:4).
2 Corinthians 4:1–6
Second Corinthians 4 makes a similar assertion, this time using explicit language of “enlightening.” The gospel is “veiled to those who are perishing” (2 Cor 4:3), Paul argues. Believers accept and submit to the gospel only because God has enlightened their hearts:
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Cor 4:6
This is illumination—a work of God’s Spirit upon a believer whereby he recognizes the beauty and glory of the gospel and therefore willingly submits himself to it.
It is important here to recognize that this concept of enlightening happens at the moment of conversion and is always true of Christians. Once our hearts are enlightened, we will always recognize and accept the Word of God as true and authoritative for us. An enlightened believer does not doubt or reject God’s Word.
1 Corinthians 2:10–16
Another text frequently cited in discussions of Spirit illumination is 1 Corinthians 2:10–16.
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
Two points are important to recognize in this text: First, the “us” and “we” in verses 10–13 are the apostles and other authors of Scripture. Charles Hodge notes, “The whole connection shows that the apostle is speaking of revelation and inspiration; and therefore we must mean we apostles, (or Paul himself), and not we Christians.”2 These men certainly received direct revelation from the Spirit of God to the degree that whatever they wrote can be considered “inspired” by God (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 20–21). But we must remember that such inspiration was unique. The Spirit uniquely revealed the truths of Scripture to these men, and these truths are now inscripturated in the 66 canonical books of Scripture. The Spirit does not “reveal” truth to us in the same manner. These verses describe inspiration, not illumination.
This is important to remember in any discussion of illumination: the primary way the Spirit brings God’s Word to us is not illumination, rather, God’s Spirit has already brought God’s Word to us perfectly and sufficiently through inspiration.
However, second, verses 14–16 do touch on what we may describe as Spirit illumination.
14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
The key phrase is “does not accept the things of the Spirit of God.” When the natural man reads Scripture, he does not accept it as God’s authoritative revelation. Rather, he sees it as foolishness. He does not understand its spiritual significance.
On the other hand, the spiritual person recognizes the Word of God for what it is and therefore submits himself to it. These verses do not speak of intellectual understanding but spiritual understanding. If we want to use the term illumination to describe what’s going on in these verses, it refers to the Spirit’s work to cause believers to recognize the significance and authority of the written Word of God. Furthermore, this act of the Spirit is not something that necessarily happens in separate points of time as we read the Word; rather, it is something that comes as a result of the new birth—the Spirit gives us new life and enlightens our hearts to recognize the significance of his Word.
In other words, 1 Corinthians 2 refers to two acts of the Spirit: inspiration, whereby the authors of Scripture wrote the very words of God, and illumination, whereby believers are enabled to recognize the spiritual significance of the Word of God.
Ephesians 1:17–22
A text that more specifically refers to what we may call illumination is Ephesians 1:17–22. Here Paul specifically uses the phrase “having the eyes of your heart enlightened” (v. 18). And what is the result of such illumination? Like with 1 Corinthians 2, the result of this enlightening is that the believer recognizes the value and authority of the truth of God’s revelation. No new revelation is imparted; rather, illumination causes believers to accept God’s Word for what it is—the sufficient, authoritative revelation of God.
Philippians 3:15, Colossians 1:9
In Philippians 3:15, Paul tells believers, “if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.” Here, too, “reveal” refers not to new knowledge but to a kind of spiritual maturity that rightly submits to and appropriates God’s written revelation. Likewise, in Colossians 1:9, Paul prays that believers “may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
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Beholding the Glory in the Ordinary Jesus
I once heard a pastor relate the story of a conversation he had with a fellow passenger on a lengthy transcontinental flight. The pastor struck up a friendly dialogue with the man sitting next him. “What do you do for a living?” the man asked. The pastor shared that he had been in the ministry for many years, spoke of some of the specific blessings and challenges he had experienced, and then asked the man what his profession was. “I’m an actor,” the man replied. Knowing that acting can be a difficult and brutal industry to break into, the pastor inquired, “Have you had any success in that field?” The man answered, “Yes, I’ve had a pretty good experience so far.”
Afterward, when this fellow passenger got up from his seat, a lady nearby leaned over to the pastor and said, “What an opportunity, for you to get to sit next to him!” The pastor, not understanding the woman’s excitement, asked, “Why? Who is he?” The woman looked at him in disbelief and then simply said, “That is Tom Cruise.”
A Remarkably Unremarkable Man
Imagine sharing personal space with one of the most famous Hollywood stars in history, and not even being aware of the significance of the encounter! Yet, the people of Jesus’s day had an infinitely more momentous opportunity to rub shoulders with Immanuel himself. The town’s people watched Jesus grow up in Nazareth, and the Jewish leaders sat and visited with the young boy Jesus about religious questions in the temple. All the while, however, many of those with whom Jesus interacted had no idea that they were in the presence of the Messiah himself!
Among those who knew Jesus—or at least knew of Jesus—before Jesus began his public ministry, was a man named John. John was actually a member of Jesus’s own extended family. You see, a few months before Jesus’s own miraculous birth there was another remarkable birth. The baby—born to faithful Zachariah and Elizabeth—has come to be known as John the Baptist. -
How to Overcome a Defeatist Attitude and Find Victory Over a Porn Addiction
Tony tells me, “I’ve given up. I can’t keep fighting.” He’s discouraged and worn out from his decade-long porn addiction.
A few days later, Lisa walks into my office. “I’m addicted to pornography, and I’ve lost all hope. God doesn’t seem to care.” She doesn’t know what to do anymore.
Tony and Lisa are weary soldiers who have spent years in a hard-fought battle against porn addiction. They’re infected with a defeatist attitude that results in a passive approach to their sin. “What’s the use?” they think. “I’ll just give in again. I won’t ever defeat this problem.” They assume that they’ll always struggle. Change is no longer possible. Their lack of success proves (in their minds) that they’re in a losing battle.
What do believers do if they’ve given up? How do they overcome the defeatist attitude that’s so characteristic of this problem?
Be Aggressive About Cutting Off Access Points
Hope often begins when the addict finds success in slowing down the addiction.
The first step is to be brutal about cutting off access points. Jesus tells us not to be passive about sexual sin. Our Lord uses graphic language to communicate the seriousness of getting rid of sexual sin: “If your right eyes causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away…If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away” (Matt. 5:29-30).
Strugglers do a poor job getting rid of access points. They cut out most access points, but they leave one or two lingering. Why is that? They’ve grown far too cozy with their sin and let it stick around. What happens in a weak moment when Tony is ruled by his lustful desires? Because he’s given up, he’ll give in to his desires, and he’ll act out yet again.
Jesus says to Tony, “Be radical. By my power and my strength, get rid of every access point. Don’t leave any behind.”
A defeatist attitude grows comfortable with sin. A gospel mindset is aggressive about cutting sin out.
Deal With the Shame
Shame causes a struggler to hide. Shame whispers in an addict’s ear: Run. Don’t let people see you. You’re worthless. Who would want someone like you? Sexual sin prospers in the darkness, not in the light. Mold grows in darkness, but it dies under the bright, hot sunlight. So also, sexual sin prospers and grows as a believer isolates himself and turns away (Prov. 18:1) from the provision of God’s people (Eph. 4:15-16) and God’s Word (Isa. 55:10-11).
If you struggle with porn, do you feel dirty and unclean? Have you been exposed? Do you act like an outcast? Do you feel rejected? Do you wallow in a sense of failure?
Hope comes when you turn away from the whispers of shame and run headlong to Christ. Jesus covers the naked and exposed (Zech. 3:3-5). He makes the unworthy and unclean clean (Matt. 8:1-3). He welcomes the outcast with open arms (John 4). He gives you a righteousness that’s not your own (2 Cor. 5:21), so you don’t have to live under your own unreasonable standards.
A defeatist attitude wallows in shame. A gospel mindset begs Christ for mercy.
