I am about to write about two things that you are never suppose to talk about in a social setting: religion and politics. Two subjects so volatile that it’s best just to leave them alone. For better or worse, I just can’t. Because as a Christian, I know how vital it is to constantly work at aligning our worldview with what God reveals in His word and our lives. The wrong worldview can lead to unnecessary suffering and defeat, while the right worldview can equip us to deal with all that the kingdom of darkness can throw at us.
The passion involved when people talk about politicians and politics can be quite startling although understandable. The profound affect a politician’s decision can make on us can cause us to sit up and take notice. The question I muse about is this; how do Christians maneuver through this polarizing political climate?
First of all, I think it’s vital that all Christians have a good foundation to stand on. We know that Jesus is the rock and everything else is sinking sand. Our political outlook must be based on God‘s words.
When we talk about politics, we are really talking about government or Kingdoms. From the scriptures it is easy to deduce that Government didn’t originate with man but with God. It originated with the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the eternal God Head, the first government with no beginning and will be the last Kingdom with no ending. Our God is a God of law and order and since man is made in His image and likeness, government is written on our hearts.
At some point in eternity, God in His graciousness decided to expand His kingdom. Angels were first brought into God’s Kingdom and then man. The currency God chose for His Kingdom is faith, hope, and love. God knows, in His kingdom that a relationship with Him is the highest good for all of His creatures, and yet, He left it to the individual to embrace His revealed goodness or to reject it. Unfortunately, some angels and mankind rebelled against Him and doubted His goodness resulting in darkness and death.
All is not loss. According to His wisdom, God in His great mercy, unfolded a plan of redemption and salvation that culminated in His son Jesus Christ. When a man receives this gift of salvation, that man is born again and is baptized into the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom is not of this world, it is distinct from any other kingdom and is the highest of all Kingdoms. It is eternal, and the perfect King of this kingdom is God Himself. God in His infinite wisdom has allowed other kingdoms to coexist with His in this age, such as the kingdom of darkness and the kingdoms of this world, but in the end, after the dust has settled, His kingdom and His kingdom alone will rule and reign forever and ever. Daniel shows by interpreting King Nebuchadnezzar’s vision, what will happen to the most significant kingdoms in history, and the coming last kingdom of man signified by the iron and clay feet.
Daniel 2:31-35,44
31“Your Majesty, you had a vision. You saw a large statue. This statue was very bright. It stood in front of you, and it looked terrifying. 32 The head of this statue was made of fine gold. Its chest and arms were made of silver. Its stomach and hips were made of bronze. 33 Its legs were made of iron. Its feet were made partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by humans. It struck the statue’s iron-and-clay feet and smashed them. 35 Then all at once, the iron, clay, bronze, silver, and gold were smashed. They became like husks on a threshing floor[a] in summer. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a large mountain which filled the whole world.
44“At the time of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed. No other people will be permitted to rule it. It will smash all the other kingdoms and put an end to them. But it will be established forever. 45 This is the stone that you saw cut out from a mountain, but not by humans. It smashed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told you what will happen in the future, Your Majesty. The dream is true, and you can trust that this is its meaning.”(GW)
What does all that have to do with our approach to politics? As Christians we can take comfort in knowing that this isn’t our home. This isn’t our kingdom.
Hebrews 13:14
For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. (ESV)
We can take comfort in knowing that the God we serve is so vast that He sees all nations as but drops in the bucket.
Isaiah 40:15
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. (NIV)
We can take comfort in knowing that the Kingdom of God is here right now, and that it is an expanding, large mountain, that is filling the world. To His glory, Christians have been given the awesome privilege to help expand God’s kingdom in this world.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”(ESV)
We can take heart in knowing that our King has already couquered this world and the kingdom of darkness. Amazingly, we have as Christians, an awesome privilege to help administer our King’s victory.
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John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(NIV)
In conclusion, as far as the political scene, I will give unto Caesar what is Caesar‘s, and I will pray for those in authority as the word of God instructs.
1 Timothy 2
2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man[a] Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, (ESV)
Proverbs 21
21 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will.(ESV)
In love, we also must speak truth, justice, and we must denounce immorality in all its various forms to those in authority, as John the Baptist did and many of our Christian brothers and sisters down through history.
I will do all these things but my passion, our passion, our allegiance must first be to the Kingdom of God while everything else takes a back seat. While many will continue to put their hope in this politician or that political party, I will put my hope in the only man that can handle it all, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ!
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.(ESV)