Peculiar Love For One’s Own People

“Brethren according to the Flesh.”

Romans 9:3

Paul had two classes of brethren; those who were with him the children of God in Christ; these he calls brethren in the Lord, Philip, i. 14, holy brethren, &c. The others were those who belonged to the family of Abraham. These he calls brethren after the flesh, that is, in virtue of natural descent from the same parent. Philemon he addresses as his brother, both in the flesh and in the Lord. The Bible recognizes the validity and rightness of all the constitutional principles and impulses of our nature. It therefore approves of parental and filial affection, and, as is plain from this and other passages, of peculiar love for the people of our own race and country.

Charles Hodge
Commentary Romans 9

“Nationalism, within proper limits, has the divine sanction; an imperialism that would, in the interest of one people, obliterate all lines of distinction is everywhere condemned as contrary to the divine will. Later prophecy raises its voice against the attempt at world-power, and that not only, as is sometimes assumed, because it threatens Israel, but for the far more principal reason, that the whole idea is pagan and immoral.

Now it is through maintaining the national diversities, as these express themselves in the difference of language, and are in turn upheld by this difference, that God prevents realization of the attempted scheme… [In this] was a positive intent that concerned the natural life of humanity. Under the providence of God each race or nation has a positive purpose to serve, fulfillment of which depends on relative seclusion from others.”

~ Geerhardus Vos
Biblical Theology

Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

10 thoughts on “Peculiar Love For One’s Own People”

  1. Of course, I know you do. My statement was not an accusation. It is a fact that the enemies of God have been using for a long time in this country. We christians are on the defensive and have been for as long as I can remember. we need to become as those who turned the world upside down. Many of us know where this is going. The burning question is, how will we fight?

    1. How will we fight?

      The only way we know how. With the truth.

      The odds are so great against us that only the truth unleashed can defeat the enemy if God wills.

  2. He is

    He is the truth the word the way.
    He’s relevance for one more day.
    The actual and the ideal,
    The fix to how we think and feel.
    To operate apart from him
    We’re drawn to it. He calls it sin.

  3. Am I a soldier of the cross,
    A follower of the lamb,
    And shall I fear to own his cause,
    Or blush to speak his name?

    Must I be carried to the skies
    On flowery beds of ease,
    While others fought to win the prize,
    And sailed through bloody seas?

    Are there no foes for me to to face?
    Must I not stem the flood?
    Is this vile world a friend to grace,
    To help me on to God?

    Sure I must fight if I would reign;
    Increase my courage,Lord.
    I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
    Supported by thy word.

    Thy saints in all this glorious war
    Shall conquer, though they die;
    They see the triumph from afar,
    By faith’s discerning eye.

    When that illustrious day shall rise,
    And all thy armies shine
    In robes of victory through the skies,
    The glory shall be thine.

      1. Wanted to share this one as well.

        Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?
        
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
        
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
        
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?

        By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,

        We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

        Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,

        Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;
        
But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:
        
He whom Jesus saveth marches on His side.

        By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,

        We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

        Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,
        But with Thine own lifeblood, for Thy diadem;
        With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee,
        Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.
        By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divine,
        We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

        Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe,
        But the King’s own army none can overthrow;
        ’Round His standard ranging, vict’ry is secure,
        For His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.
        Joyfully enlisting, by Thy grace divine,

        We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!
        Chosen to be soldiers, in an alien land,
        Chosen, called, and faithful, for our Captain’s band;
        In the service royal, let us not grow cold,
        Let us be right loyal, noble, true and bold.
        Master, wilt Thou keep us, by Thy grace divine,
        Always on the Lord’s side—Savior, always Thine!

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