CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

November 6, 2005

KEEP PRAYING FOR:

Our congregation                                                                 Our nation, military and leaders

Our students                                                                         Various friends, relatives and co-workers

David and James in the Navy

WE GO TO THE KING’S TODAY AFTER THE ASSEMBLY.

POLITICS AND CHURCH

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God” (Romans 13:1).

A few months ago, a famous television preacher made a statement that we should assassinate a dictator of a South American country.  Needless to say, he was criticized for that statement, and rightly so.  He eventually apologized for making it.  That and other things have caused me to think about the role of the church in politics, and the role of Christians as well.  Why should we as a church be involved or not?  What would be the purpose and what would be some of the consequences of such involvement?  And what are the expectations?

Several years ago, Cal Thomas, a syndicated columnist and founding member of the Moral Majority, co-authored a book on this subject called Blinded By Might.  In it he argues that rather than trying to change things from the top down, Christians should by their lives be changing one heart at a time.  He thinks that those religious leaders advocating a strong Christian involvement in various areas of government have been blinded by the power they have received from several election victories.  Rather than serve, they see control as a means of accomplishing the return to Judeo-Christian values.  Mr. Thomas lost several friends after this book came out; they feeling he had turned against them.

The current law of the United States is that no church can support a certain politician in an election.  Churches and ministers can preach on moral issues, and often do.  Remember, there are ministers on all sides of various issues.  Abortion, homosexuality, marriage, the ACLU, the Ten Commandments, prayer in schools, and a host of others are hot button issues for religious conservatives.  Then there is the war, poverty, justice, and others that are issues for religious liberals.  Very little compromise can  be reached between these groups.  While they all involve issues of life, they also involve how one sees God and scripture.  There is an effort to repeal that law that prevents churches from supporting candidates so that a more vocal effort can be made to elect the people needed.

There is a problem in this, especially as Mr. Thomas sees it.  We are becoming dependent on the actions of government to accomplish what we want, or to phrase it another way, we are trusting in government to change people.  That really hasn’t been a successful effort.  We are to see God as King, Jesus as Lord, and Caesar isn’t.  Trusting Caesar can be a dangerous thing because he can require things we might not like in order to get our way.  That might compromise the Judeo-Christian ethic.

Darrell Bock wrote an article about this called “The Politics Of The People Of God” (Christianity Today, September 2005).  He makes note that Romans 13:1-7 teaches us that the state’s purpose is to protect its citizens and to deal with wrongdoers.  The church, or kingdom as he calls it, is about living a God-honoring life in this world no matter where we are.  The state rules over a specific land whereas the church lives under the rule of God in various places.  Throughout history, there has been confusion between the church and the state.  On the negative side, when the church became intertwined with the state, power rather than service became the norm.  The reaction to that was to build a wall of separation between the state and the church, making the church irrelevant, as seen in Europe today.  On the positive side, there is a recognition that there is a distinction between the two.  The church is a community without borders is another way of saying it. 

Service and love become the key ingredients in the church’s effort to effect political change.  We must be careful of the dangers and lures of power.  Mr. Bock suggests that the Christian right needs to be careful about “over-mingling of religion and state.”  We must “make our case in a manner consistent with the core gospel values of love and concern, and do our best to be sure our tone reflects the same values.  That means arguing to protect and honor life, while guarding against selfishness or greed that deprives others of necessities.”  To the Christian middle and left, he suggests that they not ignore the need for lasting transformation of people to gain social or political change.  Finally he reminds both groups that legislation can only do so much.  Changed hearts is necessary, and that doesn’t occur from the top, but from individuals meeting individuals.  The prophets remind us to show concern for the poor and outcasts.  The book of Proverbs teaches us to raise up responsible citizens.

When the New Testament was written, the Roman Empire was ruled by a dictator.  There was no call for the overthrow of him, nor for legislation for change.  Rather, Christians lived their lives in such a way to make differences in the lives of people.  Rather than letting outcast babies die along side the road, they were rescued and raised in Christian homes because Christians saw the values of life.  The poor were helped, the sick cared for, and the gospel proclaimed.  Today we live in a nation where we can vote and speak to the concerns of our culture.  We have that right and responsibility.  There are a great many concerns that have already been suggested.  But as God’s people, we need to be careful that we do not loose sight of who is Lord and who isn’t.  While I want to see more believers in government, where they can influence and change laws, I also realize that I have my responsibilities in my local community. 

There are many fine groups advocating change.  But they, and we, must be careful in how we speak in our efforts to change things.  We may disagree when a politician changes his mind, but we do not have to condemn him in such a way as to reject him as an ally.  Remember, the media has their own agenda and prejudices in the ethics of America, so be careful of what is stated in a news report.  Cal Thomas is still a strong advocate for change, just that he sees a temptation in power that we need to be careful to avoid.  To reject him as an ally is a mistake, yet some have. 

Among a congregation, there are both Democrats and Republicans.  We need to encourage each of us to examine the values advocated by each candidate.  Each party has its platforms and values.  How do they compare to the Bible.  Do we live or die by the party we belong to or do we recognize that God is King and that He has standards by which we can examine each?

We need to pray then for our nation and leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2).  We need to ask God to raise up godly and God-fearing people who are humble.

                                                                                                                                George B. Mearns