There are no specific parties, candidates, or blatant voting issues mentioned in this post. I believe everything here applies objectively to every Christian, regardless of whom or what you decided to vote for. Here are my thoughts on the last 36 hours. I hav
e seen a lot of Bible verses today. To list a few: Romans 13, John 18, 1 Peter, 2 Timothy, etc. All of which have some merit to our political context. However, I think there needs to be some clarity for those passages in light of the context that some are referencing them in as well.
The act of speaking against unbiblical policies and the individual(s) who stand for them is not a violation of Romans 13. If that were the case, then the very act of voting against an incumbent official should be deemed as resisting authority (Romans 13:2) and thus sin. Yes, we are to love our enemies (Mt. 5:44, Rom. 12:20). Yes, our speech should be with grace and seasoned with salt that we may know how we ought to answer each one (Col. 4:6 -- something I need to repent from regarding my own levels of sarcasm at times). But to love our enemies means first identifying them as enemies in order that we may love them as enemies. For our speech to be with grace and seasoned with salt means we must first be speaking for there to be any speech to season. It is important to remember there is a distinction between being divisive and being uncompromising. The goal of divisiveness is to divide regardless of what is true. The goal of being uncompromising is to stand for truth regardless of if it divides. We are to reject one who is divisive (Titus 3:9-10), but we are also to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Heb. 10:23), and to “no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph. 4:14).
As regenerated believers in Christ, this earth is not our home. And we should not attempt to make it our home. Shocker of the day: Earth did not become Heaven on Tuesday. Our substance is not the shadow of the things to come, rather, our substance is Christ Himself (Col. 2:17). But there is nevertheless a still a shadow that we must live in on this side of eternity. Jesus is our King and our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). But let’s not forget that while we are in a foreign land, we are not mere aliens, but ambassadors in this foreign land (2 Cor. 5:20). Our purpose on this side of eternity is not a passive one (Matt. 25:14-28). And while politics have no part in the Gospel of grace, we should not let appeasement and passivism prevent the Gospel of grace from having part in our politics.
Yes, be subject to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-2). Submit to every ordinance (1 Peter 2:13). Honor the king (1 Peter 2:17). Be subject to rulers and authorities (Titus 3:1). Give supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanks for kings and all who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1). But none of that needs to include any type of implication that the Church is back-peddling from God’s truth in the wallowing of some political defeat. Truth by its very nature cannot be defeated (objective truth, for those deep thinkers who may try to split hairs with me on this). Truth simply is. Hence, God Himself is “I AM” (Ex. 3:14), truth (John 14:6), and eternal (1 Tim. 1:17). Thus there was no victory or defeat yesterday, only an acceptance or rejection of truth, or what is. Christ was not destroyed on the cross, He was rejected to the cross (Luke 20:9-18). And as we abide in Him, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9). That isn’t a flippant biblical pep-talk that Paul wrote. That is inspired truth found in Scripture.
As for those Christians who seem to be in the obviously-frustrated “shut up already and start honoring the king” boat (for lack of a better concise way of labeling it), I have some thoughts as well. Let me preface this by stating that I understand there are some people out there have certainly taken their comments from honest to obnoxious. I get that (and I've been guilty of that myself at times -- Just letting you know that I know that you know. You know?). But before you start responding with blanket statements to everyone still voicing concerns, here are some things to consider: Moses stood and proclaimed truth before Pharaoh, and it even angered God when Moses was unwilling to do so (Exodus 3:13-14). Nathan confronted King David (2 Samuel 12). John the Baptist confronted Herod (Matthew 14:1-5). Jesus rebuked Pilate (John 19:10-11). The early church prayed, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God in boldness in direct opposition to the threats by Jewish authorities not to do so (Acts 4:18-31). On 2 separate occasions, Paul rebuked Roman authorities under his government-based legal rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16:35-39; Acts 22:24-29). Paul spoke “the words of truth and reason” to Festus and Agrippa (Acts 26:25), which included a commission to “open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are being sanctified by faith in (Christ)” (Acts 26:18).
Take comfort in knowing that God is sovereign and that our hope is in the King of Kings as opposed to any earthly politician? But remember that it was the inaccurate thought of a dead defeated savior that made “the doors shut where the disciples were assembled” (John 20:19). And the accurate understanding of a rejected risen King (Acts 2:30-36) was what led them to go out and “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Interesting observation. Their comfort from God resulted in action, not complacency. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17) Honor the king. Honor the King. End of rant.
The act of speaking against unbiblical policies and the individual(s) who stand for them is not a violation of Romans 13. If that were the case, then the very act of voting against an incumbent official should be deemed as resisting authority (Romans 13:2) and thus sin. Yes, we are to love our enemies (Mt. 5:44, Rom. 12:20). Yes, our speech should be with grace and seasoned with salt that we may know how we ought to answer each one (Col. 4:6 -- something I need to repent from regarding my own levels of sarcasm at times). But to love our enemies means first identifying them as enemies in order that we may love them as enemies. For our speech to be with grace and seasoned with salt means we must first be speaking for there to be any speech to season. It is important to remember there is a distinction between being divisive and being uncompromising. The goal of divisiveness is to divide regardless of what is true. The goal of being uncompromising is to stand for truth regardless of if it divides. We are to reject one who is divisive (Titus 3:9-10), but we are also to “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Heb. 10:23), and to “no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph. 4:14).
As regenerated believers in Christ, this earth is not our home. And we should not attempt to make it our home. Shocker of the day: Earth did not become Heaven on Tuesday. Our substance is not the shadow of the things to come, rather, our substance is Christ Himself (Col. 2:17). But there is nevertheless a still a shadow that we must live in on this side of eternity. Jesus is our King and our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). But let’s not forget that while we are in a foreign land, we are not mere aliens, but ambassadors in this foreign land (2 Cor. 5:20). Our purpose on this side of eternity is not a passive one (Matt. 25:14-28). And while politics have no part in the Gospel of grace, we should not let appeasement and passivism prevent the Gospel of grace from having part in our politics.
Yes, be subject to the governing authorities (Romans 13:1-2). Submit to every ordinance (1 Peter 2:13). Honor the king (1 Peter 2:17). Be subject to rulers and authorities (Titus 3:1). Give supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanks for kings and all who are in authority (1 Timothy 2:1). But none of that needs to include any type of implication that the Church is back-peddling from God’s truth in the wallowing of some political defeat. Truth by its very nature cannot be defeated (objective truth, for those deep thinkers who may try to split hairs with me on this). Truth simply is. Hence, God Himself is “I AM” (Ex. 3:14), truth (John 14:6), and eternal (1 Tim. 1:17). Thus there was no victory or defeat yesterday, only an acceptance or rejection of truth, or what is. Christ was not destroyed on the cross, He was rejected to the cross (Luke 20:9-18). And as we abide in Him, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Cor. 4:8-9). That isn’t a flippant biblical pep-talk that Paul wrote. That is inspired truth found in Scripture.
As for those Christians who seem to be in the obviously-frustrated “shut up already and start honoring the king” boat (for lack of a better concise way of labeling it), I have some thoughts as well. Let me preface this by stating that I understand there are some people out there have certainly taken their comments from honest to obnoxious. I get that (and I've been guilty of that myself at times -- Just letting you know that I know that you know. You know?). But before you start responding with blanket statements to everyone still voicing concerns, here are some things to consider: Moses stood and proclaimed truth before Pharaoh, and it even angered God when Moses was unwilling to do so (Exodus 3:13-14). Nathan confronted King David (2 Samuel 12). John the Baptist confronted Herod (Matthew 14:1-5). Jesus rebuked Pilate (John 19:10-11). The early church prayed, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God in boldness in direct opposition to the threats by Jewish authorities not to do so (Acts 4:18-31). On 2 separate occasions, Paul rebuked Roman authorities under his government-based legal rights as a Roman citizen (Acts 16:35-39; Acts 22:24-29). Paul spoke “the words of truth and reason” to Festus and Agrippa (Acts 26:25), which included a commission to “open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are being sanctified by faith in (Christ)” (Acts 26:18).
Take comfort in knowing that God is sovereign and that our hope is in the King of Kings as opposed to any earthly politician? But remember that it was the inaccurate thought of a dead defeated savior that made “the doors shut where the disciples were assembled” (John 20:19). And the accurate understanding of a rejected risen King (Acts 2:30-36) was what led them to go out and “turn the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). Interesting observation. Their comfort from God resulted in action, not complacency. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17) Honor the king. Honor the King. End of rant.
No comments:
Post a Comment