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Apolitical Christians
- Thread starter Reformed
- Start date
My wife lives the life in front of her. There is something to be said for that. No news sites, political blogs, news tv, etc. I envy that about her sometimes.
" ... The Apostle Paul instructs us in Romans 13 that God ordained government to punish those who do evil and to reward those who do that which is right.
Indeed, government (the civil magistrate) is one of only three divinely ordained institutions in Holy Scripture, along with the family and the church.
The New Testament also tells us that “for conscience sake” we are to be good, law-abiding citizens and supporters of the civil magistrate (Romans 13:6-7).
That apostolic commandment means more than just paying your taxes and not breaking the law. God created government to be a force for good and a restraint on evil in society. Jesus commanded Christians to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16). And government is a part of that world.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands Christians to go forth and be a preservative and disinfectant (salt) and to be the light that illuminates the darkness and dispels the gloom. They are to do it “before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Jesus’ commandment is an all-encompassing one and includes evangelism, missions, discipleship and helping to influence the divinely ordained magistrate in an always more moral and just direction.
Jesus’ commandment to be salt and light did not leave open the option for Christians to refuse to be involved with “worldly concerns” and go into a spiritual holding pattern until it is time to be raptured or go home to Heaven. Christians can and have made a real difference. Virtually all of the great moral injustices in American history—slavery, child labor, women’s rights and racial segregation—have been eliminated or seriously reduced as a result of Christians getting involved and saying, “This is wrong, and it must stop!”
As Christians, we have the duty to be informed voters and to vote our convictions, not our wallets and narrow self-interests. Let me be crystal clear about this: If I am presented with the choice of voting for a Jewish woman who is going to protect unborn babies but is also going to raise my taxes by 50 percent, and she is running against a Southern Baptist friend of mine who is going to lower my taxes, appoint me to a government position but is also going to support abortion, I am going to vote for unborn babies and against my wallet every time. Why? Because it is my Christian duty, and because I do not want to have to explain one day to my Lord and Savior at the judgment of believers’ works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) why I thought my wallet was more important than unborn babies!
Does our vote really make a difference? Yes, it does. First, it makes us obedient to Jesus’ command to be salt and light, and He always blesses obedience.
Second, we live in a country that is deeply divided about really important issues, like the nature of marriage, the sanctity of human life and freedom of conscience—and every vote counts.
Third, as Americans we have the right to vote because hundreds of thousands of our citizens have sacrificed all of their tomorrows on the fields of conflict to protect our right to vote and to determine how we are governed. We dishonor their sacrifice when we neglect our duty to vote, and we might also lose those rights so dearly won.
Finally, we must always remember that we are called to be faithful whether we win or lose. I want to close with one of my favorite stories about Francis Schaeffer. In April of 1984, just before he died of cancer, Schaeffer spoke at Liberty University. During a question and answer period, one of the students stood and said, “Dr. Schaeffer, it seems to me that the church is in the 10th round. It is bloody; it is beaten; it’s on its knees. Is there any hope that we can win?” Schaeffer leaned in toward the microphone and said, “Son, if you do it to win, you have lost already. Whether they win or lose, Christians fight the culture wars because our risen Lord has commanded us.” Amen! ©2016 Richard Land
Indeed, government (the civil magistrate) is one of only three divinely ordained institutions in Holy Scripture, along with the family and the church.
The New Testament also tells us that “for conscience sake” we are to be good, law-abiding citizens and supporters of the civil magistrate (Romans 13:6-7).
That apostolic commandment means more than just paying your taxes and not breaking the law. God created government to be a force for good and a restraint on evil in society. Jesus commanded Christians to be “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:13-16). And government is a part of that world.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commands Christians to go forth and be a preservative and disinfectant (salt) and to be the light that illuminates the darkness and dispels the gloom. They are to do it “before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Jesus’ commandment is an all-encompassing one and includes evangelism, missions, discipleship and helping to influence the divinely ordained magistrate in an always more moral and just direction.
Jesus’ commandment to be salt and light did not leave open the option for Christians to refuse to be involved with “worldly concerns” and go into a spiritual holding pattern until it is time to be raptured or go home to Heaven. Christians can and have made a real difference. Virtually all of the great moral injustices in American history—slavery, child labor, women’s rights and racial segregation—have been eliminated or seriously reduced as a result of Christians getting involved and saying, “This is wrong, and it must stop!”
As Christians, we have the duty to be informed voters and to vote our convictions, not our wallets and narrow self-interests. Let me be crystal clear about this: If I am presented with the choice of voting for a Jewish woman who is going to protect unborn babies but is also going to raise my taxes by 50 percent, and she is running against a Southern Baptist friend of mine who is going to lower my taxes, appoint me to a government position but is also going to support abortion, I am going to vote for unborn babies and against my wallet every time. Why? Because it is my Christian duty, and because I do not want to have to explain one day to my Lord and Savior at the judgment of believers’ works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15) why I thought my wallet was more important than unborn babies!
Does our vote really make a difference? Yes, it does. First, it makes us obedient to Jesus’ command to be salt and light, and He always blesses obedience.
Second, we live in a country that is deeply divided about really important issues, like the nature of marriage, the sanctity of human life and freedom of conscience—and every vote counts.
Third, as Americans we have the right to vote because hundreds of thousands of our citizens have sacrificed all of their tomorrows on the fields of conflict to protect our right to vote and to determine how we are governed. We dishonor their sacrifice when we neglect our duty to vote, and we might also lose those rights so dearly won.
Finally, we must always remember that we are called to be faithful whether we win or lose. I want to close with one of my favorite stories about Francis Schaeffer. In April of 1984, just before he died of cancer, Schaeffer spoke at Liberty University. During a question and answer period, one of the students stood and said, “Dr. Schaeffer, it seems to me that the church is in the 10th round. It is bloody; it is beaten; it’s on its knees. Is there any hope that we can win?” Schaeffer leaned in toward the microphone and said, “Son, if you do it to win, you have lost already. Whether they win or lose, Christians fight the culture wars because our risen Lord has commanded us.” Amen! ©2016 Richard Land
I think Christians can choose to stay out of it if they want. I personally have my political opinions and very strong opinions on social issues as an evangelical. However, I choose to not bring my own thoughts up or get into arguments on Facebook or in person. No matter how bad I want. I look at it this way. Approximately 20-25% of all Americans claim to be liberal. Even more probably hold to one or more political views that do not line up with scripture. If they hear my political opinion before I have a chance to share the gospel then they will shut me out and and tune out.
Political non-involvement is\was the standard of Continental (German) Baptists.
The best way to answer the third question is to point out that questions one and two are quite separate.
1. Christians must be political, since the term means being concerned about people and the proper form of governance. Also about justice and the misuse of it. For a Christian to not care about these things should be just as unfitting as a philanthropist who hates people.
2.Voting is only one aspect of being political. Many Christians do not vote for one of two reasons:
A. They know that the voting system here is corrupt. Those who are most fit for office are very often illegally weeded out from the system (like Ron Paul was by the tampering of votes for him during the caucuses) or they just aren't super-rich enough to aspire to the office (especially the presidency).
B. They do not see choosing the lesser of two evils as a choice a Christian should make.
Proven biblically? First, obviously, there is no passage commanding us to vote. Jesus said to the Jewish leaders to render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, but the context is quite different. It does not apply to us as a political guideline. To apply that to Americans today means others should also have applied it in other ages to any and all Caesars that they were under, including Hitler.
The last president I voted for was Reagan. And, based on what I learned in recent years, I regret that vote. I would certainly have voted for Ron Paul.