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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]A recent discussion with a buddy and co-worker led me to think further upon something that had been on my mind for awhile.
“We’re Not a Political Church”
I have often heard churches and friends say something to the extent of: “We’re not a political church”, “I don’t subscribe to politics”, “We don’t want to polarize anyone, so we don’t take a political stance”. These political disclaimers are usually said by churches, so as to avoid focusing on “political” preferences/issues that Christians are bound to disagree upon and that can divide the body. While these statements are driven by a well-meaning heart, I believe they can prove to be more detrimental than helpful. Let me explain.
Gospel as an Interpretive Lens
It is true that being conservative or liberal, republican or democrat is not ultimately what matters, but Christ is all!! Our joy is to live life fully for His glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. While that couldn’t be more true, it is also true that what we believe about God has a direct impact on how we view the world and the issues therein. In other words, the Gospel becomes our worldview. Jesus becomes our yoke and we begin to open our eyes and see the world in light of Him. C.S. Lewis once said “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”
Romans 12:2 urges: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” By the grace of God, we will begin to think differently about the issues in our nation in a way that aligns with scripture and the Lord’s purposes.
There are many issues in our nation, and the gospel should inform how we think about them, and therefore, impact our support or lack thereof of a political figure who will significantly influence those issues in a way closer aligned with the gospel or further from it.
Scripture as Authority
There are some issues that are certainly up for debate within politics that don’t threaten the gospel or compromise its truths; but then there are other issues that scripture speaks very specifically to. Such issues consist of abortion, embryonic stem cell research (these two issues are clearly wrong when taking scripture’s teaching as a whole – for more info see abort73 and Klusendorf) , homosexuality etc…
When dealing in the realm of politics, one branch happens to be against almost all the big things that scripture is against, which is why many Christians are conservatives. The other branch happens to be in support of some big things scripture condemns. As Christians, we should know and realize that we are not associated with either group, but with Christ. As the gospel forms our worldview and we begin to see abortion, ESCR, and homosexuality as wrong, we will certainly be deemed republicans and conservatives by society, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since we know where our true allegiance and associations lie. Thoughtful and biblical Christians know these things to be wrong not because we are republicans, but because scripture declares them to be wrong.
Gospel Leads to Action
When the Church refuses to become “political” and avoids addressing the political figures of the time, they stay neutral. By staying neutral, the Church fails to give support to a figure who would hold closest to biblical truths, but it also fails to withhold support from a figure who would advance an agenda that is counter-gospel and an offense to Christ. And the Church’s reasoning behind this neutrality has been to ensure that the body of Christ isn’t divided, but perhaps the very reason we are divided is due to the silence on these issues.
Speaking about the issues in politics that scripture addresses can be a healthy season for a church, as it gives the body an opportunity to learn and think through issues in a gospel-centered manner. Refraining from doing so will most certainly lead to division in the Church and disagreement over policy, morality, etc… because individuals will be operating off their own individual intuitions and personal experiences, rather than the teachings of scripture and the truths of the gospel.
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of this:
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” –2 Corinthians 10:5
How does one do this:
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message (the gospel) as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. –Titus 1:9
Therefore, a Christian’s responsibility in politics is to vote for, support the candidate/figure who is aligning their lives and work most closely to the gospel and to scripture’s teaching on the hot issues of the day. There is tremendous power and unity in the body of Christ and if we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” as we consider the politics of the land and the candidates who would plan to lead us, we can have an incredible impact for Christ’s kingdom.
Last Thought
I often run into Christians who are in support of and voting for political figures that fight for abortion rights, push for continued funding on ESCR and strive to pass multiple pro-homosexuality bills. I can’t help but wonder and ask these Christians how they can continue giving support to a candidate(s) whose desire is to kill more and more babies in the womb, kill embryos by stealing their stem cells to advance seemingly hopeless research in curing others, and advance the cause of a sin that the Old and New Testament condemns, therefore confirming scripture’s whole teaching on homosexuality.
This is the result of not allowing the Gospel to take full reign in our heart and minds, therefore conforming how we think. Relying on anything else to make sense of the world will be a failure since it will ultimately be sinful. Christ alone offers the picture and promise of a perfect world, where he alone will reign with His people, whom he died for. Putting our trust in Him to wrestle through the concerns of this world will not prove futile.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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Seth, I would agree with you if murder and homosexuality were the main things that Jesus preached against. If they were, he’d have been known as the man who was against them. But they weren’t. They were secondary issues at best. If one is to be political like Jesus, I feel one needs to be urgent about the same things he was. What would you say they were? And was he defined more by what he was for, or what he was against?
Thanks for bringing that up Dave. Jesus certainly didn’t preach mainly against murder and homosexuality, rather he ushered in a new kingdom, a new way to live, an upside down kingdom, in that it went against every fiber of man’s flesh. Jesus cared for the helpless, healed the sick, preached, taught, mentored, etc… There are even times when Jesus would just heal, without even preaching himself, or give parables like the good Samaritan: a man who simply went out of his way to care for the bleeding victim. He didn’t preach to him. He just loved him. He took compassion!
I don’t know if it’s necessarily our place to say what Jesus was and wasn’t urgent about. Rather, we should look at his life and see the way he lived and then obey his commands and love like he did.
Also, just because Jesus didn’t make murder and homosexuality his main topics, how does it logically follow that we should not address them? Jesus and scripture does not mention one of the most heinous practices of the ancient pagan world, female infanticide. Does that mean we should avoid it to focus on more “urgent” matters? Surely not.
Jesus also addresses the pharisees at one point and he touches on your point I believe. Jesus is confronting the pharisees over their perceived notions of what is urgent and important and he says they’re missing it:
“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens,[a] but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.” -Matthew 23:23
There is not justice and mercy in ignoring and avoiding the issues of abortion and ESCR, otherwise, we are just like the priest and the levite who passed by the bleeding victim, perhaps feeling compassion, but not taking compassion. (Luke 10:25-37).
Some Christians vote the way they do because they are intelligent enough to understand the value of the separation of church and state and are godly enough to treat others as they would want to be treated. Don’t apply the Bible in legalistic ways to issues such as homosexuality, gay marriage, abortion, and stem cell research. Perhaps reading a few of my blog posts would help you out…
https://cristys-little-words.blogspot.com/2010/11/christianity-homosexuality-dilemma.html
https://cristys-little-words.blogspot.com/2011/10/same-sex-marriage.html
https://cristys-little-words.blogspot.com/2011/12/quotables.html
https://cristys-little-words.blogspot.com/search/label/abortion
Cristy. Just for clarification, can you please explain to me how I applied the Bible in “legalistic ways to issues such as homosexuality, gay marriage, abortion, and stem cell research”? I think that would help me understand you better, because I believe that the Lord speaks through His word, and the Bible is the main tool a Christian has in learning about God and therefore our place in the world.
The Bible is clear on many things that I mentioned in my post and would lead us to action. I read your post on homosexuality and you seem very concerned about the LGBT community’s struggles and lack of compassion from the Church and I agree that is a problem, but that doesn’t mean that Christians can’t or shouldn’t label it as a sin. It is one of many sins that us as fallen people are going to struggle with, and all the more reason why we need Jesus and His grace.
I don’t think your problem is with me so much as scripture, since scripture speaks far more boldly against homosexuality than I did or have.
Seth, I really appreciate your thoughtfulness on this issue. It seems that so much of the Church has forgotten that their beliefs and actions/support goes hand-in-hand. We can’t proclaim to follow Christ and then not follow Him in our actions…our faith without deeds is dead (James 1-2). This totally applies to politics and I’m thankful you addressed it so well.
I have just read this article (3 months later) and appreciate your words Seth. Being “in Christ” (Christ-in-me=Christian) does not mean separating Sunday from the rest of the week, separating politics from religion (because faith in Jesus is not a religion-it is a relationship! A 24/7, moment by moment relationship.) If I believe abortion to be murder, (which I do) then I won’t rationalize it and make excuses for it and vote for people who support it. I can not separate my body from my spirit, so do I live according to my body, or to my spirit, which has been made new IN CHRIST. If I am not new, then what am I? (Lost.) I agree that I am baffled also by the worldview’s of Christians. The Bible tells us clearly what is right and wrong. Jesus did not stand up to make a radical change in the politics of his time, but to offer a radical change in the hearts of man. Our outward actions (how we vote) is a good thermometer for self analysis on our relationship with Christ. God tells us to seek him earnestly. That doesn’t mean prayer at meal time and going to church on Sundays. God is not to be sought after as an after thought, but a before/during and after thought.
Thank you Tina. It’s good to see you working and thinking through these issues. It is a sign of maturity. 🙂 Blessings.