"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law" (Rom. 13:8, NIV). "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'" (Gal. 5:14, NIV).
Christians are to be God's voice of love in the world, where communication has broken down, and even where there is a failure to communicate. As Bertrand Russell said, "[W]hat the world needs is Christian love or compassion." We have a good message to share: one that transforms and offers genuine, in-real-time hope. There is so much disinformation, outright lies, propaganda, fake news, and mudslinging out there that a believer can hardly discern good from evil and truth from falsehood. The mature Christian knows good from evil and "hates evil," a definition for fearing the Lord. We live in a day and age when "the powers that be" are those of the most clout by virtue of donations and PAC money, almost unlimited spending on behalf of special interests--power is bought!
The so-called Evangelical Right has hijacked the Christian faith claiming to stand for it and going against its agenda labels you a "liberal." The Evangelical Right isn't always right though it presumes to speak in God's name! There are many believers they don't speak for. God doesn't approve of using labels for people because that is a way of judging them or putting them in a box or analyzing them. People are complicated and in God's image and deserve the benefit of the doubt on disagreements--don't be an extremist or absolutist. We shouldn't quarrel about mere differences of opinion (cf. Rom. 14:1). The world sees no love lost which is tragic.
It seems like the ones who make the most noise make the biggest impact on politics without regard to right and wrong--people lose rationality when their emotions get the best of them. You can be sure the most terrible sign of our times is that there is a rampant demonizing going on, where people think of their "tribe" as being all right, and the other "tribes" as being evil or all wrong. "My party, right or wrong!" There is much so-called "groupthink" but this is when a group isn't thinking at all in reality. Much could be accomplished if parents simply taught their children a little respect to whom respect is due (this doesn't mean agreeing with everything!).
There is a grain of truth in all political views and sometimes it's the ones that get the biggest rise out of people that are focused on. The Christian virtue of tolerance is quite different from the world's view. We respect a person's dignity and self-worth and the right to disagree with us, but we don't think their views are equally valid or they must accept our political views. In fact, the only thing we are to be dogmatic on is Bible doctrine, not our political persuasions--leave room for disagreement--mere differences of opinion. We can disagree without being disagreeable and agree to disagree on some issues that the Bible isn't clear about or is open to interpretation.
It's all about putting love into action and living out our faith so that others can see we are true to our colors. As Paul said in Gal. 5:6 that "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (cf. NIV). We are to win people over by example! This means applying the Bible to political movements and issues. It is a compliment when believers are known by their love. That is the telltale sign and mark of a true Christian, who simply wants to pass on the experience of love in Christ he has known. We ought to win them over by our example of love in action expressing our faith through good deeds. It is far more important to God that the believer's heart be in the right place than he belongs to the right party. God is not a member of a party since that would be putting Him in a box or labeling Him! It so vitally important to know that God will not ask us what party we belonged to, but whether we loved the brethren.
We ought not to be known as the Evangelical Right but as the "Evangelical." But there has been a cleavage in politics today! There are people who actually despise Christians because of the appalling fruit of the Evangelical Right! When will they learn that not all problems are political and politics is not always the answer? (WHAT ABOUT INTERCESSION?) Hasn't God commissioned us to transform the culture and persons by example, evangelizing, and by doing good deeds with reforms such as ending slavery, not to take over the government in the name of Christ, and hijack the faith to be revolutionists in the name of God?
NB: There are no certain types of government though that God endorses; one thing they ought to be dedicated to is the rule of law, separation of powers, equality under the law, liberty for all without exception, respect for human dignity, natural law, and human rights conferred by God and secured by government--all are biblical and can be summed up with justice for all ("all men are created equal"), and God is opposed to the perversion of justice. CAVEAT: WE ARE KNOWN BY OUR FRUITS AND IT'S EVIL TO SOW DISCORD AND FOSTER DIVISION AMONG BROTHERS, SINCE THE STRATEGY OF THE DEVIL IS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER. Soli Deo Gloria!
Christians are to be God's voice of love in the world, where communication has broken down, and even where there is a failure to communicate. As Bertrand Russell said, "[W]hat the world needs is Christian love or compassion." We have a good message to share: one that transforms and offers genuine, in-real-time hope. There is so much disinformation, outright lies, propaganda, fake news, and mudslinging out there that a believer can hardly discern good from evil and truth from falsehood. The mature Christian knows good from evil and "hates evil," a definition for fearing the Lord. We live in a day and age when "the powers that be" are those of the most clout by virtue of donations and PAC money, almost unlimited spending on behalf of special interests--power is bought!
The so-called Evangelical Right has hijacked the Christian faith claiming to stand for it and going against its agenda labels you a "liberal." The Evangelical Right isn't always right though it presumes to speak in God's name! There are many believers they don't speak for. God doesn't approve of using labels for people because that is a way of judging them or putting them in a box or analyzing them. People are complicated and in God's image and deserve the benefit of the doubt on disagreements--don't be an extremist or absolutist. We shouldn't quarrel about mere differences of opinion (cf. Rom. 14:1). The world sees no love lost which is tragic.
It seems like the ones who make the most noise make the biggest impact on politics without regard to right and wrong--people lose rationality when their emotions get the best of them. You can be sure the most terrible sign of our times is that there is a rampant demonizing going on, where people think of their "tribe" as being all right, and the other "tribes" as being evil or all wrong. "My party, right or wrong!" There is much so-called "groupthink" but this is when a group isn't thinking at all in reality. Much could be accomplished if parents simply taught their children a little respect to whom respect is due (this doesn't mean agreeing with everything!).
There is a grain of truth in all political views and sometimes it's the ones that get the biggest rise out of people that are focused on. The Christian virtue of tolerance is quite different from the world's view. We respect a person's dignity and self-worth and the right to disagree with us, but we don't think their views are equally valid or they must accept our political views. In fact, the only thing we are to be dogmatic on is Bible doctrine, not our political persuasions--leave room for disagreement--mere differences of opinion. We can disagree without being disagreeable and agree to disagree on some issues that the Bible isn't clear about or is open to interpretation.
It's all about putting love into action and living out our faith so that others can see we are true to our colors. As Paul said in Gal. 5:6 that "the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (cf. NIV). We are to win people over by example! This means applying the Bible to political movements and issues. It is a compliment when believers are known by their love. That is the telltale sign and mark of a true Christian, who simply wants to pass on the experience of love in Christ he has known. We ought to win them over by our example of love in action expressing our faith through good deeds. It is far more important to God that the believer's heart be in the right place than he belongs to the right party. God is not a member of a party since that would be putting Him in a box or labeling Him! It so vitally important to know that God will not ask us what party we belonged to, but whether we loved the brethren.
We ought not to be known as the Evangelical Right but as the "Evangelical." But there has been a cleavage in politics today! There are people who actually despise Christians because of the appalling fruit of the Evangelical Right! When will they learn that not all problems are political and politics is not always the answer? (WHAT ABOUT INTERCESSION?) Hasn't God commissioned us to transform the culture and persons by example, evangelizing, and by doing good deeds with reforms such as ending slavery, not to take over the government in the name of Christ, and hijack the faith to be revolutionists in the name of God?
NB: There are no certain types of government though that God endorses; one thing they ought to be dedicated to is the rule of law, separation of powers, equality under the law, liberty for all without exception, respect for human dignity, natural law, and human rights conferred by God and secured by government--all are biblical and can be summed up with justice for all ("all men are created equal"), and God is opposed to the perversion of justice. CAVEAT: WE ARE KNOWN BY OUR FRUITS AND IT'S EVIL TO SOW DISCORD AND FOSTER DIVISION AMONG BROTHERS, SINCE THE STRATEGY OF THE DEVIL IS TO DIVIDE AND CONQUER. Soli Deo Gloria!
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