In a recent piece published in the Wall Street Journal Dr. Russell Moore was quoted as saying,”We are involved in the political process, but we must always be wary of being co-opted by it.” I have found myself encouraged by Moore’s writing on countless occasions. I’d encourage you to bookmark his blog HERE. Moore’s words are not only helpful but extremely relevant for us today.
At Crossings Community Church we recently looked at the book of Judges. Yes, it is another story which displays the plight of a sinful people. I realized through my time studying and preaching the book of Judges that we are not too different from the Hebrews in that time. Because we have found ourselves in a season where the “political right” (whatever that means) has not been supportive of our country’s political leadership for some time, the language has changed.
We must not be silent or absent from the discussions going on in our country.
In the book of Judges, leading ahead into the following generations, the Hebrew people had come to a conclusion that a political ruler could solve all of their problems. They developed a sort of tunnel vision which warped the prophecies they had previously heard forcing them to meet their own expectations. We can read and find that the gap between what they perceived they needed and what God knew they needed was vastly different. Their forcing of God’s plan and miraculous work through His Son, Jesus Christ, was missed by the vast majority because it was different than what they expected.
The people believed they had a political problem. Political problems are solved by political leaders. Their pride blinded them of their real need and greater struggle. Yes, they had political issues, but those paled in comparison to their real issue. The people had a sin problem which produced a separation between them and God. There would only be one King who could solve the greatest problem in Israel. He would not only be King, but Prophet, Priest, Judge, and Messiah. King Jesus was the only one who could solve the real oppression of Israel, which was the hopeless oppression of sin enslavement.
Today, our political landscape must hear the voices of those of us who have given their lives to stewarding the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must not be silent or absent from the discussions going on in our country. Whether marriage, abortion, or financial stewardship, all of these are addressed in our scriptures. However, in as much as we engage in the discussion with the desire to display the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must never buy the lie that our savior will reside on Capitol Hill.
The biggest and most life-threatening problem our nation (and the world) faces today is called sin. That sin problem creates an enormous expanse between us and the God who created us. That sin condition demands death (Romans 6:23). However, the sin disease is not terminally hopeless. There is only one way of rescue from death and hopelessness. King Jesus came to live and die as the sacrifice to pay the wages of our sin so that we might be citizens of His Reign. He came and died so that we could be citizens of a greater place than even our great U.S.A. He paid the price required for us to be citizens of Heaven, eternal residents in the presence of the one true God who loves us more than we can ever fathom.
Challenge: Engage our current political landscape with the truths of scripture! Make it obvious that you are already under the leadership of the only Ruler who has the power to save and redeem lives. Makes sure that those around you are aware that your first allegiance is to Jesus above any political cause, agenda, or party.
Matt Powell serves as teaching pastor at Crossings Community Church, a body of believers whose mission is to engage, equip, and empower homes for gospel transformation in Katy, TX.