Jesus, America, and God's Kingdom - Part 1
Jesus, America, and God’s Kingdom | Part 1
Some American Christians confess Jesus is Lord but act like the president or their preferred presidential candidate is. How? They get more passionate and excited about a human political leader than they do about Jesus Christ’s Lordship. They defend them more passionately than they would the name of Jesus. They get more offended when that person is disrespected than they ever do when Jesus Christ is disrespected. When their preferred leader is cursed, they are furious. When the name of God and His Son Jesus are cursed, it goes in one ear and out the other. They know the platform, values, and policies of their preferred political leader far better than the Word of the living God; and they are far more committed to spreading their political message and their name than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It seems obvious, but I’ll say it again anyways: Christians have one Lord and King. Not two. Simply one. We have one Lord with one law, the law of Christ. He is our Leader, our Savior, our Hope. When speaking about our relationship to money and possessions He said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” What He says about our inability to serve 'two masters' is true of money and a lot of other things as well, including political leaders and presidents. As James says, it’s far too easy to bless God and then turn to curse people made in God’s image. This is what many Christians are doing to their political opponents right now, cursing them in their hearts, with their keyboards, and behind their backs. The cure for these sinful feelings, words, and actions is to re-embrace the truth that Jesus is Lord and to remember that we want everyone, including our political leaders and our political opponents, to come under His Lordship with us. We are quick to condemn and ask for God’s wrath, and slow to pray for God to forgive and change people’s hearts. We have received mercy, but not many people would know it by how we treat leaders and candidates on all sides and those we disagree with on Twitter.
Plus, doesn’t the Lord determine who will be president anyways? Doesn’t the Lord superintend all of our dealings and decisions and votes in ways we can’t see or understand? Do we really need to fear the future even if we think the wrong person is in the White House or might be in the White House in a few months? Why do we fear, rage, curse, and condemn when heaven is God’s throne and the earth is his footstool? Why do we worry when the nations are like a drop in the bucket compared to God’s greatness? Isaiah 40:15-18 says, “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?” Wow. Enough said. So live and vote and act and care and desire good things for all people and for this nation. Don’t worry though. Put not your trust in human leaders in whom there is no salvation. Let’s say confidently with Daniel, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.” (Daniel 2:20b-21). Amen.
Some American Christians confess Jesus is Lord but act like the president or their preferred presidential candidate is. How? They get more passionate and excited about a human political leader than they do about Jesus Christ’s Lordship. They defend them more passionately than they would the name of Jesus. They get more offended when that person is disrespected than they ever do when Jesus Christ is disrespected. When their preferred leader is cursed, they are furious. When the name of God and His Son Jesus are cursed, it goes in one ear and out the other. They know the platform, values, and policies of their preferred political leader far better than the Word of the living God; and they are far more committed to spreading their political message and their name than the gospel of Jesus Christ.
It seems obvious, but I’ll say it again anyways: Christians have one Lord and King. Not two. Simply one. We have one Lord with one law, the law of Christ. He is our Leader, our Savior, our Hope. When speaking about our relationship to money and possessions He said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” What He says about our inability to serve 'two masters' is true of money and a lot of other things as well, including political leaders and presidents. As James says, it’s far too easy to bless God and then turn to curse people made in God’s image. This is what many Christians are doing to their political opponents right now, cursing them in their hearts, with their keyboards, and behind their backs. The cure for these sinful feelings, words, and actions is to re-embrace the truth that Jesus is Lord and to remember that we want everyone, including our political leaders and our political opponents, to come under His Lordship with us. We are quick to condemn and ask for God’s wrath, and slow to pray for God to forgive and change people’s hearts. We have received mercy, but not many people would know it by how we treat leaders and candidates on all sides and those we disagree with on Twitter.
Plus, doesn’t the Lord determine who will be president anyways? Doesn’t the Lord superintend all of our dealings and decisions and votes in ways we can’t see or understand? Do we really need to fear the future even if we think the wrong person is in the White House or might be in the White House in a few months? Why do we fear, rage, curse, and condemn when heaven is God’s throne and the earth is his footstool? Why do we worry when the nations are like a drop in the bucket compared to God’s greatness? Isaiah 40:15-18 says, “Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him?” Wow. Enough said. So live and vote and act and care and desire good things for all people and for this nation. Don’t worry though. Put not your trust in human leaders in whom there is no salvation. Let’s say confidently with Daniel, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.” (Daniel 2:20b-21). Amen.
Chad serves GracePoint Church as the Lead Pastor-Elder under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Along with the other Pastor-Elders, he shepherds the congregation and leads the church towards a biblical vision.
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