The road to salvation and eternal life goes through the cross and not through the voting booth. Salvation is not exclusive to Republicans, Democrats, Green Party, Libertarians, or any political party. Salvation is not exclusive to Conservatives, Liberal, or Moderates.
Acts 4:8-12 NIV Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
John 14:5-6 NIV Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the way—the only way. Jesus is the truth—the only truth. Jesus is the life—the only life. Jesus alone is the way to the Father.
It seems like a political conversation brings out the worst in people, not the best, even with Christians. If you want proof look at what happened in the last two Presidential and mid-term elections, between members of your church and in the Christian media.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to a higher standard. We are supposed to be in the world, but we are not supposed to behave like the world. That somehow gets lost when it comes to politics.
Most of you who know me or read my blog know where I stand politically so there is no need for me to defend my or any political position in this post. This post is all about asking you to consider your personal political stance considering your witness for Christ. I want you to be sure that your politics, no matter what they are, don’t corrupt your witness.
Your Christianity is defined by your identity in Christ not defined by the political party you belong to. Your identity in Christ is a higher calling than your political affiliation.
Galatians 3:26-28 NIV So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
As Christians, we must remember it is not about red or blue, but salt and light.
Matthew 5:13-16 NIV “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
I read an article by Clarence L. Haynes that identifies three ways your politics may be corrupting your witness. To read the entire article click this LINK. I have made some minor edits and added some scripture.
1. Hypocrisy
Perhaps the biggest challenge you have when you lead with your political flag is hypocrisy. One reality of blind party allegiance is that no one political party aligns completely with God’s word and God’s agenda. Look at any political platform and you will see things in it that just don’t align with God’s word. This is true of every political party.
The problem we face is we easily dismiss those areas to focus on the things that align. While every party will have some agendas that line up with God’s word, that does not lend itself to blind allegiance. If you are going to be true to following God first and to your testimony, you must be clear to point out political stances that do not align with God’s word – even if they are in your own party.
When we don’t do that, unfortunately it makes us look like hypocrites, and the last time I checked, a hypocrite does not make an excellent witness for Jesus.
2. Selective Morality
When you lead with your politics first, the most frequent problem is selective morality. Selective morality is a byproduct of hypocrisy.
Often, we deflect attention away from our selective morality to defend the party line. Why is it that the person in the party you like can do something and you defend them, but the person in the other party can do the same thing and you are ready to hang them?
Have you ever stopped to think that people in the world are watching this selective morality play out in front of them? We love to cry that the church has lost our impact on society. While this may be true, we are blaming it on the wrong reasons. The simple truth is we have not remained consistent in our morality and commitment to our Biblical values. If we did this all the time, regardless of who the candidate is or what party they belong to, then our witness would have more impact.
Because we don’t seem interested in doing this, it is leading to our salt losing its saltiness and our lights growing dim.
Matthew 5:13-16 NIV “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
What you must love about Jesus is he told people the truth all the time, whether they were his friends or foes. Sadly, many in the church have compromised this area because we are more concerned about the political consequences.
My friends, we have been called to a higher agenda. When we uphold the standard of truth and hold every political leader and opinion to the same standard, then we will regain the respect of those who don’t know Jesus. They may not agree with us, but they won’t be able to deny our integrity.
2 Corinthians 8:21 NIV For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
Proverbs 4:23-27 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
Acts 4:8-12 NIV Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
John 14:5-6 NIV Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Jesus is the way—the only way. Jesus is the truth—the only truth. Jesus is the life—the only life. Jesus alone is the way to the Father.
It seems like a political conversation brings out the worst in people, not the best, even with Christians. If you want proof look at what happened in the last two Presidential and mid-term elections, between members of your church and in the Christian media.
As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to a higher standard. We are supposed to be in the world, but we are not supposed to behave like the world. That somehow gets lost when it comes to politics.
Most of you who know me or read my blog know where I stand politically so there is no need for me to defend my or any political position in this post. This post is all about asking you to consider your personal political stance considering your witness for Christ. I want you to be sure that your politics, no matter what they are, don’t corrupt your witness.
Your Christianity is defined by your identity in Christ not defined by the political party you belong to. Your identity in Christ is a higher calling than your political affiliation.
Galatians 3:26-28 NIV So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
As Christians, we must remember it is not about red or blue, but salt and light.
Matthew 5:13-16 NIV “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
I read an article by Clarence L. Haynes that identifies three ways your politics may be corrupting your witness. To read the entire article click this LINK. I have made some minor edits and added some scripture.
1. Hypocrisy
Perhaps the biggest challenge you have when you lead with your political flag is hypocrisy. One reality of blind party allegiance is that no one political party aligns completely with God’s word and God’s agenda. Look at any political platform and you will see things in it that just don’t align with God’s word. This is true of every political party.
The problem we face is we easily dismiss those areas to focus on the things that align. While every party will have some agendas that line up with God’s word, that does not lend itself to blind allegiance. If you are going to be true to following God first and to your testimony, you must be clear to point out political stances that do not align with God’s word – even if they are in your own party.
When we don’t do that, unfortunately it makes us look like hypocrites, and the last time I checked, a hypocrite does not make an excellent witness for Jesus.
2. Selective Morality
When you lead with your politics first, the most frequent problem is selective morality. Selective morality is a byproduct of hypocrisy.
Often, we deflect attention away from our selective morality to defend the party line. Why is it that the person in the party you like can do something and you defend them, but the person in the other party can do the same thing and you are ready to hang them?
Have you ever stopped to think that people in the world are watching this selective morality play out in front of them? We love to cry that the church has lost our impact on society. While this may be true, we are blaming it on the wrong reasons. The simple truth is we have not remained consistent in our morality and commitment to our Biblical values. If we did this all the time, regardless of who the candidate is or what party they belong to, then our witness would have more impact.
Because we don’t seem interested in doing this, it is leading to our salt losing its saltiness and our lights growing dim.
Matthew 5:13-16 NIV “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
What you must love about Jesus is he told people the truth all the time, whether they were his friends or foes. Sadly, many in the church have compromised this area because we are more concerned about the political consequences.
My friends, we have been called to a higher agenda. When we uphold the standard of truth and hold every political leader and opinion to the same standard, then we will regain the respect of those who don’t know Jesus. They may not agree with us, but they won’t be able to deny our integrity.
2 Corinthians 8:21 NIV For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
Proverbs 4:23-27 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
3. Bible Fallacy
When you lead with politics, you may fall victim to what I call Biblical fallacy. What I mean by that is you use Scripture out of context to validate your political statement or position. Either that, or you explain away why that Scripture does not apply in this situation. Let me give you an example.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
These verses are straightforward and not open to interpretation. They say that we are to pray for all people, for kings and those in authority. There are no qualifiers either in the chapter before these verses or after then. However here is what Christians (when I say Christians in mean Christians of every political persuasion.
We pray for those in the office we like, and we complain about those in office we don’t like. If we pray, we pray blessings for those we like and curses for those we don’t like and then we try to justify our prayer positions with excuses. We will say “look at what they are doing,” or “I just don’t like their policies.” While both things may be true what does that have to do with offering petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving? Here’s what the end of 1 Timothy 2:2 says “...that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”.
Let’s look at an example from recent history. When President Trump was in office, pastors and leaders were lining up at the door of the White House to pray for him. There were prayer meetings and worship services at the White House. Prominent Christian leaders were exhorting their followers to pray for President Trump. However, when President Biden took office, all those voices went silent. What the scripture says is “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority...”
If you say that I would pray for our political leaders “But..”, then you are putting your politics ahead of your commitment to the word of God. If your politics come before the word of God, then you are destroying your witness. The bible doesn’t say that you must agree with all people in office or with all their policies, but God’s word says you should still pray for them. It doesn't say pray for their polices but pray for them. It doesn’t say that you should pray that they change their policies, it says pray for them.
We can honor Jesus' command to pray for our enemies and those we disagree with, and for their salvation,
Matthew 5:43-48 NIV “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I am not saying you must agree with any policy a person in office has, I am saying according to God’s word, that you should not stop you from praying for them. As Christians we must get past the political stuff and realize our calling in Christ is much higher than a political position. Yes, you can get involved and you should. Yes, you can have candidates you like and don’t like. Just remember, the world is watching and what they need to see in you and me is Jesus. If they don’t see that, then your politics won’t matter anyway.
Philippians 4:8 NIV Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
When you lead with politics, you may fall victim to what I call Biblical fallacy. What I mean by that is you use Scripture out of context to validate your political statement or position. Either that, or you explain away why that Scripture does not apply in this situation. Let me give you an example.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 NIV I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
These verses are straightforward and not open to interpretation. They say that we are to pray for all people, for kings and those in authority. There are no qualifiers either in the chapter before these verses or after then. However here is what Christians (when I say Christians in mean Christians of every political persuasion.
We pray for those in the office we like, and we complain about those in office we don’t like. If we pray, we pray blessings for those we like and curses for those we don’t like and then we try to justify our prayer positions with excuses. We will say “look at what they are doing,” or “I just don’t like their policies.” While both things may be true what does that have to do with offering petitions, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving? Here’s what the end of 1 Timothy 2:2 says “...that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”.
Let’s look at an example from recent history. When President Trump was in office, pastors and leaders were lining up at the door of the White House to pray for him. There were prayer meetings and worship services at the White House. Prominent Christian leaders were exhorting their followers to pray for President Trump. However, when President Biden took office, all those voices went silent. What the scripture says is “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority...”
If you say that I would pray for our political leaders “But..”, then you are putting your politics ahead of your commitment to the word of God. If your politics come before the word of God, then you are destroying your witness. The bible doesn’t say that you must agree with all people in office or with all their policies, but God’s word says you should still pray for them. It doesn't say pray for their polices but pray for them. It doesn’t say that you should pray that they change their policies, it says pray for them.
We can honor Jesus' command to pray for our enemies and those we disagree with, and for their salvation,
Matthew 5:43-48 NIV “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
I am not saying you must agree with any policy a person in office has, I am saying according to God’s word, that you should not stop you from praying for them. As Christians we must get past the political stuff and realize our calling in Christ is much higher than a political position. Yes, you can get involved and you should. Yes, you can have candidates you like and don’t like. Just remember, the world is watching and what they need to see in you and me is Jesus. If they don’t see that, then your politics won’t matter anyway.
Philippians 4:8 NIV Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
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