Politics and Christianity (Part 1)
I received a political ad recently that I believe sums up the problems of the church and its affect on the culture. This ad targeted conservative Christians with the call to their ‘new revolution’ where we are going to take back America. The beginning of the ad stated, “It is all about you.” The claim that everything is about you is the problem with our culture and the church. The church growth movement, emergent church movement and both the spiritual and political viewpoints of this current generation begins with a flawed view point. It is not about you, the power to take our country is not about you, the success of the church is not about you. ‘You’ are not the hinge that the church, culture and political government turn on.
I have been thinking on this topic for a long time because I see several flaws within the church that are fed by the ‘me’ generation. Over the last 25-30 years there has been a major shift in the focus of the church as we have turned away from the mission given to us by Jesus Christ and to another vision that does not come from God and cannot be found in the Bible. Even though everyone claims to be using the Bible to support their viewpoint, in reality most leaders are only taking passages that support their ideas and these are taken out of context to give a false impression that the Bible is teaching something that is indeed unbiblical. Anything that takes the focus of the church away from her scriptural mandate is not of God regardless of any good that may be done. The goal of the church is not to build a kingdom, but to build disciples. God alone builds His kingdom.
In the early 1980’s the ‘Moral Majority’ launched a new movement that was powerfully effective in politics but has devastated the church. Many of the major Christian organizations have followed suit and shifted away from discipleship and toward politics. Before I go on to explain, let me clarify that I do indeed believe that each Christian has the responsibility to sound their voice through their God given right to vote and to be involved as God gives us an opportunity. I believe that when the opportunity is available, we should indeed participate in governing our nation based on the principles that our faith is founded upon. I do not believe that the Bible even remotely implies that we abandon everything in order to win political power. Each day you will hear so-called Christian leaders endorsing candidates that are anti-Christian because they believe this gives us the opportunity to win political power.
Some of the most well known Christian leaders have publicly endorsed candidates that hold views that the church has always recognized as anti-Christian but as one of these leaders stated, “This candidate is our best chance to beat Hillary”. Is Hillary Clinton the driving force of the church? Do we fear political candidates more than we fear God? This turn from the truth is justified by saying things like, “We can’t only look at one or two issues but must look at the whole candidate”. What a foolish statement this is. If those one or two issues are vital issues, they do indeed disqualify someone from the endorsement of the church. Even some of the most vile leaders in history only had one or two flaws. If those ‘one or two issues’ put a candidate in a position to rebel against God and His moral commandments, then they are indeed important enough to reject a politician. I would rather lose an election and stand faithful before God than to win every political office and be found in rebellion against my Creator. Don’t forget that the Bible warns us, “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord” (Jeremiah 17:5).
The scriptures teach that we will know whether someone is of God by their fruit. The same holds true for organizations and movements. What is the fruit of Christian politics? Poll the moral majority or any member of any Christian grassroots movement and see how deep their understanding of scripture is? What is the net result of Christian politics? In the 90s Christian politics scored a great victory by gaining republican seats in the voter revolt of 1990. In 2000 republicans gained control of the house, senate and presidency and what was the result? Our nation has not returned to its moral character? The country has continued to descend politically, culturally and economically. We have not regained any of the former glory endowed upon us in the eyes of the other nations. Crime rates continue to rise, church attendance continues to fall, and no evidence of Christian values has been instilled upon our culture. Have we ever witnessed even a slight return to biblical values in our culture through political strength?
The Mission of the Church
What role does the church play in politics? If you will take the time to study the scriptures you will find that there is not one time where the scriptures instructs the church to become political activists. In fact, political activism has shifted the vision of the church from Jesus’ instructions to a completely different focus. Christians should be good stewards of all things that God has entrusted to us and this includes our freedom to vote and take advantage of opportunities to influence our culture; however, this does not excuse us from our primary mission that was given to us from God. This directive was given to us in Matthew 28:19-20
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Do you want to be active politically? That is fine; however, your first priority must be to make disciples and teach the church to obey all that has been commanded in scripture. The Christian political movements have been devastating to the church because they have taught churches to abandon their primary mission and take up a new banner. Jesus did not command you to go out and win votes and get republicans into office. If someone wants to campaign for office, there is no harm in this as long as the first priority is fulfilled. Most deception is not a blatant abandoning of truth but a subtle shift that causes someone to just miss the mark. This is the deception of Christian political movements. They sound good and seem noble, but they shift the focus away from discipleship while teaching people that they are doing God a service. Sacrifice without obedience is not serving God.
Over the last twenty-five to thirty years we see many people and many churches involved in politics while the doctrines that teach believers how to walk in God’s word go untaught. Even while the activism won elections, the church lost ground in the culture. Today the shift is so focused on political victories that many Christians are openly endorsing candidates that have immoral records and positions simply because they have the better chance of winning in politics. Consider this passage from Hosea 4:6-7
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 7 " The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.
Do we not see the same problem today? Even our glorious victors have become a shame to the nation as the very candidates that claim to be leading the charge of morality have been shamed by scandals and exposed by immoral behavior. The same problem that plagued God’s people in the past plagues the church today. While the church is dying spiritually from the lack of knowledge of God’s word, the focus is on everything but teaching the people how to live according to the word. The mission of the church has not changed; we are still called to teach each disciple how to obey all that has been commanded. If you win the whole world politically and lose the soul of the church, you have gained nothing and lost everything.
The battle for the culture is won in the hearts of God’s people, not on the battle field of the political and legislative systems. As you will soon see from scripture, the victory over the culture can only be won by God’s people submitting themselves to Him and obeying His word. God’s people cannot take back America for it is not in their power to do so. God blesses a nation based on righteousness and curses based on wickedness. The Bible makes this clear in Proverbs 14:
34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.
This small passage speaks volumes. If a nation is corrupted by sin, all the votes and politicians in the world cannot exalt that nation. It is righteousness alone that exalts a nation for God has promised and warned that you and those around you will be blessed if you obey and cursed if you disobey the word of the Lord. The culture (or world) cannot establish righteousness for this goodness comes from God alone. The church is given the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21); therefore, if righteousness is lacking in the culture then the deficiency must be in the church. The culture is incapable of pursuing anything but the flesh, but the church has the power of God by walking in the Spirit. If the church ceases to abide in the Spirit, the darkness affects the church and the culture. Consider this passage from Luke 11:33-35
3 " No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. 34 "The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 "Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
There are two parts to this illustration Jesus gave the church. First, the people of God are the light that shines in the darkness of this culture and draws men to the light. If the members of the church are taught to walk in the light of truth, they will then become the light to the culture. The light does not come from the person, but the Spirit of God that shines through us. We become light by walking in the light and we walk in the light by walking according to the truth of scripture (Philippians 2:15-16, 1 John 1:6-7, John 3:21, John 8:31, and Eph 5:1-11). The second part is a warning that if the light in us is darkness, how great is that darkness. If the church hides its light or allows its light to be quenched by corruption, the darkness is great for there is no source of light at all. The world is already in darkness and if the only source of light is darkened, how great is that darkness. It is the responsibility of both the church and the individual Christian to take heed that the light of Christ within us is not darkened.
The culture is not enlightened through laws or legislation but through the light shining from the gospel. When the church forgets its call to teach men how to let their light shine, she loses infinitely more than she gains. When God’s people walk in the light, it directly affects the church, which directly affects the culture which in turn has a direct impact on politics. If we try to build America without a moral foundation, we are in a losing battle for no structure can stand on a weakened foundation. Any ground that we may gain will be quickly lost when the foundation is shaken. If we look to politics to save us we are asking the blind to lead the blind. However, if we obey God’s call to make disciples, we will see God’s people walking in the light and then we gain ground in the culture as well. Ultimately God is the one who directs the nation. The nation that forgets God will fall but the nation that is founded upon righteousness will be exalted. This is both a great promise and a warning of a curse. God will fulfill His word.
God Appoints Leaders
Truly God does appoint leaders based on the righteousness of the people. The leaders of the nation are not our saviors but tools in the hand of God. If you look throughout the history of our nation you will see that even when we were being exalted on the world stage, our leaders often were not godly. Very rarely do we find an American President that truly showed godly values. Many of our presidents and past statesmen lived immoral lifestyles and even denied their Creator, yet God still blessed. Why? Because our salvation is not in man but in God. God has promised that righteousness within His people bless a nation and when the church falls away God judges.
God appoints leaders based on His sovereign will and according to scripture, he turns the hearts of the leaders according to the spiritual condition of His people. The problem with the modern church activism movement is that we are looking to men as our salvation instead of the sovereignty of God. Any man who claims to have Christian values – even if his life contradicts this claim – gains the Christian vote even though time after time these men have failed to produce the expected results. People claim to be Christians and have godly values but when they get into office they lead according to the demands of the culture rather than leading by the values they claim to possess. Mankind cannot lead the nation and anyone who puts their trust in man is cursed. Consider this passage from Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
We are taking the reverse approach than scripture mandates. Instead of gathering leaders to build our nation, we are called to turn to the Lord so that He will build our nation and turn the hearts of leaders to fulfill His good will and also to raise up leaders that will benefit our nation. According to Isaiah 58, if we obey God, He will bring healing, He will guide us continually, He will establish our righteousness, and then He will raise up leaders from among us to restore, rebuild and raise up the broken foundations. God accomplishes His work through people, but it must be the work of God. The Lord appoints leaders based on His will and based on the righteousness of His people. Look at Romans 13:1-2
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
Compare this to Romans 9:17-18
17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth." 18 Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens.
God uses men both righteous and evil to reveal His power. Pharaoh was raised up by God to a position of power for the purpose of judgment so that all nations would fear the Lord’s name. God raised up righteous leaders such as King David for the purpose of showing His power to those who walk in righteousness and through righteousness God made the nation great. David did not make Israel great; God made Israel great and used King David to accomplish this. Throughout the scriptures God raises up wicked rulers to judge a wicked people and he raises righteous rulers to bless His people who walk in righteousness. God is not dependent on a leader for He controls all things. Consider Proverbs 21:1
The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
God has the power to turn the heart of any leader and has promised to heal the nation when God’s own people humble themselves, turn from their own ways, seek His face and pray (2 Chronicles 7:14). We have a national day of prayer that claims this promise but without fulfilling the commands of 2 Chronicles. If God’s people do not humble themselves, turn from their ways and seek God’s face, it does no good at all to pray for God to heal our land. God’s promises only work within God’s ways. You cannot expect God to raise up leaders who are wise when God’s own people live according to their own ways and walk in foolishness.
Since God has clearly stated that He raises up leaders and appoints all authority, if we have poor leaders there must be a spiritual problem among His own people. Just the fact that churches are putting so much trust in political leaders reveals the fact that something is wrong in our spiritual lives. According to scripture, God will judge the person who rebels against the leaders He has appointed. This is true even if our leaders are fools. The foolishness of our political leaders are merely symptoms of the fruit of our culture. The foolishness of our culture reveals the lack of effectiveness of the church to create disciples who will influence the world around us.
Even the apostles did not rebel against the sinful leaders of their days. They resisted only the commands that conflicted with God’s commands but they did not resist their authority. The wickedness of the leadership reflected the rejection of God’s will, but the church remained faithful until God brought change into the culture. There came a time of peace for the church after they were established in righteousness (Acts 9:31). We too have the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:
14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
How many times have we heard this passage and yet the church still does not act in obedience? The church continues to conform to the world and the individual members follow their own ways. Without fulfilling the commandments God has given, this promise cannot be claimed. For some reason, the church has turned away from God’s promise and is seeking to find hope in politics rather than humility and obedience to God’s word. The church has gotten so far away from the scriptures that no one can even recognize the sin that has seeped into the church.
Here is a simple test; ask yourself and the members of the church how much time they have spent studying the word? Not books about the word, commentaries or listening to sermons, but actual time in the word. Compare this to the number of hours spent in front of the TV. How much time do you or the members of the church spend in prayer? Do you pray each day and set aside quality time to spend with God? If you and your church are not setting aside time for these two things, you are not seeking God’s face and do not have these promises. God appoints leaders and as we seek Him and walk in obedience, God has given us, the church, the power to have a direct impact on our culture.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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