This episode highlights potential abuse of power by carnal Christians in government. Sanctified believers identify substantially with Christian values and motivations, and the wisdom that characterizes their decisions is pure, gentle, reasonable, and without hypocrisy. (James 3:13-18) On the flip side, James warns believers that "strife and selfish ambition" are the fruits of earthly, natural, and demonic wisdom. Paul calls Corinthian believers "mere men" because their carnality was evident in strife and jealousy. (1 Corinthians 3:3) Taken together these Scriptures are a sobering reminder that Christians can operate according to a demonic agenda when they engage worldly and carnal values. Coupled together with the corrupting allure of power, carnal Christians in government tend to operate according to wisdom that is "earthly, natural, and demonic," instead of the wisdom from above, that is "pure, gentle, reasonable, and without hypocrisy." Partisan and demonizing rhetoric from professing Christians in government underscores the prevalent carnality that is sadly justified by an appeal to Christianity. A so-called "Christian state" would only exacerbate the present hypocrisy.
Clash of the Kingdoms
This episode mostly contrasts the essential characteristics of the kingdom of darkness and those of the kingdom of Christ, pointing to inevitable conflict in a so-called "Christian state." All men are naturally born into the kingdom of darkness, driven by "the big three," "the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." (1 John 2:16) Once a person becomes a Christian, he/she progressively identifies more with the Kingdom "big three": "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." (Romans 14:17) Unfortunately many believers in the U.S. are at best "carnal Christians," in which worldly identity markers largely predominate over Kingdom characteristics. The episode then posits a grossly optimistic scenario in which 51% of American believes are substantially sanctified, motivated and identifying with the kingdom of Christ. Specifically Christian laws generated by a "Christian state" would inevitably produce a clash of the kingdoms, where the Big 3 of each would naturally collide in the public sphere. The ostensible solution, enshrined in the establishment clause of the Constitution, prohibits Congress from setting up a national church-state establishment presiding over all.