Your Political Tribe Can't Save You

Do not replace Christ with political tribalism or the state. These are false christs which cannot save you.

When Christians or Christian ministries spend most of their time fighting and posting about politics ... when 90% of their posts on social media are responses to today's political news, the gospel tends to get lost. But don't get me wrong. This is not a statement against being involved in politics. We ought to be. I wholeheartedly affirm that Jesus is Lord over all things and that includes the State and the Magistrates. Rather, I believe, as Christians, we ought to be against REPLACING Jesus with political tribalism and a worship of the state -- which is a clear and present danger among some in the church. There are Christians and Christian ministries appear to be so caught up in politics, that they are in danger of being devastated when they lose, which reveals that they have replaced Christ with politics.  It is a fact that the general equity of God’s judicial Law is still applicable to the civic sphere,  but let's not put our hope in it. In the end, politics is small.... governments come and they go... but the kingdom of God is eternal. 

Will a bad government be a setback for the kingdom of God? No.. The kingdom of God can advance under the most anti-Christian and oppressive conditions. God's word is not chained. The greatest revival in history has occurred in our lifetime in China under severe persecution. This reveals that the kingdom should not be confused with a political party. They are not the same thing. Do I believe that God's law should be promoted in the civic sphere? Yes, Without question.. Will I lose hope if my political party looses, or if the civic sphere collapses into anarchy, communism or some other authoritarian state? Of course not. I will continue to proclaim the truth to the state and to individuals, but again, the state is not to be confused with the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God advances through the gospel which changes hearts who then willingly yield to Christ as King.

Lastly, just so there is no misunderstanding, let me clarify my statement about not confusing the state with the kingdom of God.: Jesus Christ is King over the state right now, and the magistrates are His 'servants'. But this being the case it follows that he is also sovereign over what happens to them. He has determined allotted periods of their existence and their boundaries. And He is sovereign over their rise, decline and fall.. Nebuchadnezzar was told, “The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Daniel 4:25). So my point of saying that "The state is not to be confused with the kingdom of God." is to clarify that while we are to work for civic righteousness by promoting God's Law, we also ought to obey His providence and not be overwhelmed with grief when things do not go according to our political plans. It is not a setback for the kingdom of God.

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"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation." - Psalm 146:3

 

 

Thu, 05/30/2019 - 16:40 -- john_hendryx

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