by Johnny the Baptist
As churches fire up for the coming presidential election, it might be a good time to consider Jesus and the political world of His time.
There are two contradictory theories. One is that better institutes, schools, governments, etc., produce better people.
The other is that better people produce better institutions.
Jesus subscribed to the latter. He never tried to change His Roman government, which was far more wicked than any America has ever seen. He never even mentioned it! They made slaves of half their population and Jesus never mentioned it. They killed gladiators for amusement–murdered them, while the crowds cheered and Jesus never mentioned it. What He did do was focus on changing the hearts of individuals. He believed better individuals would eventually produce better government.
The church must quit hoping for political power to change America. She needs to, like Jesus, go out and convert sinners. This is the only way we will ever have a Christian nation again. It is far better to win one sinner to Christ than to register 1,000 to vote for some candidate.
by Johnny the Baptist
Original article can be found at http://jtb.fundamental.org/?p=101
WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE US A COMMENT IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW!
The hope for our country is for Christians
to obey 2 Chronicles 7:14. Secondly, every Christian start obeying the great commission. Soul Winning is a command given to every Christian. “We
have become keepers of the aquarium
instead of fishers of men. “
How can Christians let their nation go to hell and think they are doing their best to save the sinner. It is a lot different to patiently let the Christian Faith change a nation, than to set by and let the devils crowd destroy a nation that has already been changed by the Christian Faith, as has America. God created the government, the church and the home, does Jesus tell Christians not to be involved in the Church, the Family? Certainly not, then why would you think He would tell us to stay our of the government. Every Great Awakening has been a NATIONAL REVIVAL, in which every segment of society is touched by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit moves throughout every segment of society, should not His vessels so so as well? By the way, it shouldn’t be one or the other, soul-winning or politics, It must be both. If Christians continue to stay our of politics they are refusing to fight the good fight for the faith and assuring that one day soon America will not be worth saving. I have children and grandchildren and no one will ever tell me that todays politics is not going to affect their future. That is just pure ignorance.
Many in the Church believes a Christian is a patriot if he joins the military and goes to a foreign land to fight those who would destroy our freedoms and way of life we enjoy in America, but then think it is not Christian for that same person to fight those same foes within our very borders and government. If our Christian founders held that view their would have never been a revolution and a United States of America. If we let this view reign within the Church one day soon there will no longer be an America which we all have known and enjoyed.
Mr. Woodard, you asked, “How can Christians let their nation go to hell and think they are doing their best to save the sinner[?]” There is much that could be said in response to this question. First of all, eschatologically speaking, not just the nation, but the WORLD is going to hell in a hand basket whether you like it or not. Voting in a Republican president (or whatever it is you think would improve this country) isn’t going to save any souls. The bible is explicit that, as Christians, our citizenship is NOT in any country here in this world, Eph 2:19, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” God’s kingdom (of which we are citizens) is not of this world (Jn 18:36). As citizens of God’s kingdom, Paul tells us, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,” (2 Cor 5:20). We are to live in this world “as strangers and pilgrims” (1 Pet 2:11). As for the military, Jesus was an outspoken pacifist, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Mtt 6:9) And he instructed his disciples in non-violence, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Mtt 6:38-39). I realize this kind of thing doesn’t get preached much within conservative baptist churches, and it’s a hard pill to swallow for people who love their country and are passionate about politics, but I hope you’ll consider the possibility that Christians are supposed to be a-political aliens, and that we should be ambassadors for Christ in this sinful world.