THE PATH TO NATIONAL RENEWAL

Christians Need To Live The Politics In Christ’s Gospel Message

Yes, I am asserting that Christ taught a political message – but not in the sense that we think of ‘political’ today.  However, before I go any farther, I want to make two things very clear.  First, this post is written to and for other Christians.  Second, when I say that Christ’s Gospel message was political, I do not mean that Christ was advocating a theocracy.

OK, now it is true, neither Jesus nor Paul spoke in detail about political or economic ideologies, but then, they may not have had to.  Both spoke from a Jewish background and in the context of all Scripture, so what they taught may have been inherently understood by those who heard them”

2 Timothy 3:16-17

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁶ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

This is what I mean when I say that Christ’s Gospel is political.  It creates a self-governing follower of Christ who has no need of further government.  In the presence of self-governing Christians, the only reason for civil government is for those dealings with people who are not among the believers (i.e. Caesar).  To those who have been reading and studying their Scripture, once we understand this point, we start to understand what Christ meant when He said to give to Caesar…  But there’s more.  Scripture testifies that Christ’s followers were seen as upsetting the world:

Acts 17:6

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

⁶ When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also;

Think about this for a moment: why did the Pharisees want to execute Jesus?  And why did Rome want to eliminate His followers?  It was because Christ taught His followers to follow and obey Him and not the leaders of this world.  How can this not be political?  If you aren’t sure, check the definition of politics again.  Scripture teaches Christians to obey the Lord in all things; in every aspect of their lives.  So, if Christ is the governing force of a Christian’s life, what need does the Christian have for the Pharisees or Caesar?

Keep all this in mind while you remember the Great Comission:

Matthew 28:16-20

The Great Commission

¹⁶ But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. ¹⁷ When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Do you understand what this actually means?  First, Christ clearly says that all authority has been given to Him – both in heaven and here on earth.  Then He tells His followers to make disciples of the nations and to teach them [the people] to obey His commands.  How is this not political?

I understand that many will object to this.  I can hear Romans 13:1-7 being thrown at me.  But read that passage carefully.  It does not say that Christians are commanded to obey the governing authorities of this world; it says we are to submit to them.  There is a big difference between the two.  If the early Christians believed Romans 13:1-7 directed them to obey Caesar, they would have renounced Christ.  However, they did not do that.  They chose to go to the lions instead.  And this is because you either follow Christ or you are of the spirit of antichrist.

Now, before you object to this, think about it carefully.  How can you claim to love Christ and to be following His commands if you are also obeying secular and humanist authority in the world?  By its very nature, the secular/humanist world is antichrist because it denies God.  Do you recall Christ talking about a house divided against itself?  So how can you claim to be a follower of Christ if you are divided between His commands and the antichrist spirits in this world?  The answer is, you cannot.  So, if you follow Christ, you will anger the authorities of this world and that is political.  The hard part here is that this means, when those authorities persecute us for our faith, we are commanded to submit to whatever they do to us and still pray for them at the same time.  To the best of my understanding, this is what Romans 13:1-7 is really teaching us.  Check Scripture and tell me if you do not find accounts of pagan rulers changing because God’s people behaved exactly in this way (Joseph, Daniel, etc).

So you see, while there is much more Scripture to support my assertion than what I can cover here, Christ’s Gospel message is political in nature.  Sadly, whether through deception, conditioning or fear, the majority of those calling themselves Christians in this nation today have eschewed this political message.  And to take this one step further, I am coming to believe that this is the primary reason for the decay we see within our society – and even our churches.  Our founders not only lived the political message in Christ’s Gospel, they incorporated it into the very fabric of our government.  This nation succeeded largely because of the covenant our founders made with God, and if we want to retain the birth right of our liberty, we had better start trying to reaffirm that covenant.  Unless and until Christians in America return to the heart of the Gospel – which includes living Christ’s politics – America will continue to slip into tyranny and despotism.

2 Chronicles 7:14

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁴ and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.