The Cult-like Followers Of Political Parties

"... Hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Rom. 12:9, NIV). 
"To fear the LORD is to hate evil..." (Proverbs 8:13, NIV).
"When we are not governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants." --William Penn
"Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice for the oppressed of my people ... What will you do on the day of reckoning...?" (Isa. 10:1-3, NIV). 
"... But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (1 Peter 3:12, NIV).

DISCLAIMER:  THIS POST SERVES AS AN INDICTMENT ON ALL PARTY LOYALISTS OF WHICHEVER PERSUASION, WHO PUT PARTY AND POLITICS ABOVE PRINCIPLE, WHICH IS ONE OF MAHATMA GANDHI'S SEVEN DEADLY SOCIAL SINS.  

CAVEAT:  "WE LIVE IN THE AGE OF THE RISE OF TRIBALISM AND IDENTITY POLITICS; BEWARE!"

Personally, I do not think  Jesus would join any party because he would be nonconformist, untraditional, anti-establishment, and counter-cultural and no party would even want him.  The Bible warns against compromising with the devil--give no opportunity to the devil, in other words (cf. Eph. 4:27; 5:11)!  Don't give an inch, he'll take a mile!  Our nation has been deceived and beguiled by the devil's strategy to divide and conquer in the manifestation of identity politics or an "us versus them" orientation and scheme of thought.  What does God hate, but to sow discord among brothers? The devil is a great divider, not a unifier who builds bridges--because he doesn't stand for the truth and there is no truth in him.  Blessed are the peacemakers, not peacekeepers or the peaceable!

Our nation hungers for leadership and has fallen for an authority figure who can push his weight around and bully and insult his way to power like a demagogue--note that God is no bully and His authority is persuasive, not abrasive.  Note that we don't need a ruler, but a leader.  Whoever heard of returning insult for insult, only worse politics such as taking revenge on political opponents?  It seems that people "identify" with our president and these are the so-called "forgotten" or disenfranchised voters, who long to just be heard by anyone. But power does tend to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely per Lord Acton, and those in power misuse it to their own detriment as well as those they influence--it only reveals the real you.

Our nation is guilty of spiritual idolatry--worshiping political power per se and our leaders themselves, where only God should be given such superlative status.  They deify their party by adhering to principles such as "my party, right or wrong."  God will not ask us what party we belonged to at the Judgment Seat. When you get to the point where you are no longer critical, where it's due, you have gone beyond respecting to fearing or worshiping your leader--we must maintain our discernment and see good as well as evil.  We ought always to pray for our leaders, even if it is for them to repent and see the light; we ought not to pray that God blesses evil or evildoing!   God is not mocked, whatever we sow as a nation, we'll reap according to Gal. 6:7!  Our God is the moral center of the universe as the final Judge and will also judge the nations at the appropriate and opportune time.

Our nation set up the world order of the free world after WWII and our president is dismantling it because it doesn't serve his interests.  It is only one example of why a Congress is derelict of duty to pose restraint and to be a check and balance as an equal branch of government.  It is obvious that some have no regard for ethics, principle, and morals other than their own agenda or issue.    The point is that when you close your mind to principle there's no telling what you'll approve of and sanction.
Christians should be appalled at the refugee border crisis. We must restore liberty and justice for ALL.  When we castigate one category of humans as not worthy of their dignity and rights, we have gone the way of Fascism and are on the road to a holocaust like the Nazis.  

Philosophically what some have done is force their agenda on a secular society by force as if legislating Christianity made people believers.  You can't outlaw all sins.  Is this not unlike shariah law where Muslims legislate their religion on non-Muslims?  They will tell you that it's all worth it after all because we will get conservative jurists (even if incompetent) on the Supreme Court--in other words, the ends justify the means or pragmatism, is a legitimate worldview and methodology, which would be an activist court, so denounced by conservatives.  This is anti-Christian!  Wisdom is doing the right thing in the right way and even having pure motives.  We must never forget that Christ's kingdom is not of this world!

The devil celebrates the times he can aid Christians if they will give him what he wants--power!  This is the way the Antichrist will ascend too, by the aid and sanction of the religious authorities.  We don't want the tyranny of an individual who is authoritarian and has a lust for power.  We must never worship political power and think God is a member of our party because He cannot be labeled or put in a box.   We must not be negligent of being the watchdog and worshiping at the shrine of political power, as we deem our turf and job security as Job One, being intimidated, not speaking truth to power!  And unwilling to stand up and be counted for what's the right thing to do.

Parties do not abandon good people, but leave them!  There are still Christians in our parties but they have become numb and desensitized to evil and need a spiritual wake-up call.  It no longer can claim the moral high ground and has lost its moral authority by all its compromising and loyalty to a person instead of the rule of law.  That's what democracy stands for in the final analysis: the ultimate rule of law and that law is based on natural law and divine law, not the law of whims or expediency.   Many times we should be saying, "There oughta be a law," but have overlooked the evils in our country for the sake of being loyal to a party--but that kind of blind loyalty, obeisance, or homage belongs only to God--who is no respecter of persons. Too many confess the creed: My party right or wrong! 

What we have is a Congress of moral cowards!  Just because a party is in power doesn't mean they have God's seal of approval!  God may very well be punishing our nation, for He does so by giving unjust leaders. It is no sin to call a spade a spade and to fly your Christian colors or declare war on evil as you see it--woe to those who don't discern evil from good or who call evil good. We aren't called to be apologists for the president and defend immoral and unethical executive decisions--but stand up for what is the right thing to do as a higher allegiance to God.

When we are unequally yoked with the infidel we cannot blame God for the evil that results--we must take responsibility if we do something in God's name, known as hijacking the faith for our cause or agenda.  We need no working arrangement with the devil!  Don't give him free rein to usurp the domain of the church!  There is no middle ground or place for neutrality, we must assume our marching orders and stand up for Jesus, not standing on the sidelines or behind the scenes. 

One must ask, not "Where's God?" but "Where's the church?" as we are the moral compass and conscience of our nation heeding the commission for social justice--the church must preach the truth and equip the saints. Therefore, we can only expect anarchy or chaos in the political arena when we eradicate Christ from the public square and take God out of the equation. Indeed, that leads to a bleak outlook, but our faith is more than a creed, it necessitates action and practicing what we preach.

In the final analysis, we must realize we get the politicians we deserve because some politicos want a party to become a party of social revolutionaries and polarizing politics and think they have the God-given right to wreak havoc on the social order and political landscape or to upset the legal applecart to their fancy and whim--they wanted change and they will very well get it, but change for change sake is not good.

CAVEAT: "We cannot remain silent and concede everything away and lose by default," as C. S. Lewis articulated it.       Soli Deo Gloria!

How Shall We Then Live?

"And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?" (1 Cor. 14:8, ESV).
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people [Israel] whom he has chosen as his heritage!" (Psalm 33:12, ESV).  
"There is no accountability since God does not exist" (Psalm 10:4, HCSB). 
"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people" (Prov. 14:34, NIV).
"To this, you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps" (1 Peter 2:21, NIV).  

Christianity is composed of two things: orthodoxy or believing right, and orthopraxy or doing right.  Orthodoxy has to do with ethics or right conduct, answering the question, "how shall we then live?"

My title was also the title of a book by Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer, of L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland.  It is a big issue of how believers should apply their faith and fulfill their marching orders.  We are not meant to either flaunt it nor privatize it, though our faith offends no one if we do keep it to ourselves.  However, it's not a matter of personal preference to propagate our faith, or "shove it down other people's throats" as some call it--it's the Great Commission, mandated by our Lord Himself.

We are to live out our faith, and only those believers who desire to live it out and share their faith are obedient--the only way to keep it is to give it away!  We are, in essence, to live forthright, honest, exemplary lives as proof of our profession, which is the reality of our faith.  The faith we have is the faith we show!  We must never lose focus of our first order of business (Job One), that we are here to make a contribution and fulfill God's will, and must heed the spiritual wake-up calls to read the signs of the times.

As American citizens, we have the awesome task of being witnesses in the midst of people who've already heard (territory Paul would've balked at entering, to sow where someone else had been).  People already have preconceived notions of our faith and are prejudiced--we must be all the more ready to be "not ashamed" "in debt" and "ready" as Paul proclaimed in Romans 1.  The door is indeed often closed and we must pray for the open door or opportunity to live out our faith as examples.  Unfortunately, there's often just enough darkness not to see, and enough light to see, but only to the willing and obedient.  That's the rub:  man is by nature stubborn and in defiance of God's authority, especially in the political realm, which seems to be Satan's turf, and so it takes moral courage.

The biggest error is to think we can usher in the kingdom and that America is somehow God's chosen nation.  It's true that Governor William Bradford of Plymouth set out to "advance the kingdom of Christ," (cf. Jer. 29:7) but our nation has no right to usurp Israel's place in God's scheme of things and the overall plan for the ages.  This is the church age and the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, and we are here primarily to save souls, not the nation.

But if Christians do get their so-called act together and repent, pray, and stand up for the truth, God will bless our nation and rebuke the devil's intervention, and may perhaps relent of His divine wrath, punishment, and even curse--yes, God can and does curse nations, even Israel (cf. Deut. 28).  We can not call something crooked if we don't have an idea what straight is.  And we should never turn a deaf ear to the evil in the land and be too timid or inhibited to speak out about crimes against humanity or whatever form evil manifests.

But by and large, we can expect the blessing of God if we follow godly paths of righteousness in our nation; for the Word says, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."  God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality and will bless us for the sake of His people.  But we must also note that God has promised to bless those nations who bless Israel as God's chosen people, promising Abraham that He'll bless those who bless him.  We cannot maintain an anti-Semitic attitude or policy and expect God's approbation--this doesn't mean whether they are right or wrong politically or morally!

Believers are called to rise to the occasion and stand up and be counted for the Lord, and that means taking stands for the truth and being loyal to God and even courageous to the point of civil disobedience and public stands when the state's policies are immoral, unethical, or unscriptural.  We must maintain the highest standards of conduct and hold our government accountable and be equal to the challenge!   Who knows, as it is written in Esther 4:14, maybe we were born for such a time as this?

We must be careful not to idolize our party (i.e., "my party, right or wrong!"), identity, candidate, or policies to the point of demanding our highest allegiance and unwavering devotion.  God is not a member of a party since He cannot be limited or put in a box or labeled, and it is often the case that Christians deify their party or candidate at the expense of losing all sense of decency, morality, and even ethics.  Remember, only God deserves our homage and ultimate loyalty; we only pledge allegiance to a nation "under God."

We must learn to draw the line and know where the limits are.  Sometimes the law is in direct violation of divine principle, but we will never realize this if we are blinded by following party, person, or policy above God.   Augustine of Hippo said something very noteworthy for our time:  "An unjust law is no law at all."  Remember the words of Scottish Presbyterian minister and author Samuel Rutherford, in his book, Lex Rex, (i.e., the law is the king), that delineated limits to the power of the king or any government as being subject to the rule of law--and this goes back to biblical precedent, not just democratic--this book upset the political landscape and applecart.  In a similar vein, Will Durant, historian, said, "No society has been able to maintain morality without the aid of its religion."Also, Edmund Burke noted:  "'All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing."

Christians always reserve the right to peaceful protest and even defiance of evil law, and this is fully realized in the slogan of the Reformation:  I dissent, I disagree, I protest, attributed to Martin Luther.  In a crisis of evil, many ask, "Where's God?" but we should be asking, "Where's the church?"  We must never forget that we have dual citizenship, our home is in heaven and we are only passing through with our spiritual green cards on a mission.  God doesn't burden just one individual to change the world for Christ but will transform it through the corporate activity of the body of Christ and the church at large. One task of the church is to equip and help believers find their calling and gifting so this can be implemented. It's a shame when unbelievers lead the way and do what we should be doing by nature (cf. Romans 2:14-15).

NB:  God did something about evil--He made you!  Our mission to counter social injustice has not been rescinded.  Note the words of a famous Christian philosopher, dramatist, theologian, and journalist--known as the "prince of paradox":  "What's wrong with the world?  I am.  Yours truly, G. K. Chesterton."  The words of John Donne come to mind:  "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." We must turn our creeds into deeds, thus proving our testimony by actions, which can speak louder than words--true faith always expresses itself! 

We must expose, openly declare, and wave our Christian colors and not permit evil win by default. We must also learn not to just bemoan evil, but to challenge ourselves to see the possibility of good beyond the gray clouds.  Evil always presents an opportunity for good, because that's why it exists as the counter and contrast of good, which we can then highlight and see clearly in juxtaposition.

In sum, Christians have a Second Great Commission, to heal and preserve society, and we must pay our dues, living up to our faith and being worthy of the name of Christ, touching the world for our Savior, all in order that no one will have anything bad to say about us, and we can win them over by our witness.      Soli Deo Gloria!
  

The Void In Man's Heart

Blaise Pascal posited there was a "vacuum in man's heart that only God can fill"; Augustine of Hippo wrote in Confessions, "Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee."  Man is on a great quest for shalom or peace of mind in manifold ways (with God, others, himself, etc.).  We all need fulfillment to feel we are important and are making a difference in the world, a mark, impression, or impact on others.  He has sought to find relief in religion, education, culture, entertainment, philosophy, a higher standard of living, political freedom, and materialism or success such as the American dream, but he is still empty, just as Dr. Carl Jung said that the "central neurosis of man is emptiness."  Man seeks to find fulfillment in many things to occupy his boredom, for "The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation," according to Henry David Thoreau.  There's the rub!

Pascal said quite paradoxically:  "If a man is not made for God, why is he happy only in God?  If a man is made for God, why is he opposed to God?"  What a dilemma we're in!  We have been called Homo religious, or the religious being, our nature.  Just as we are hard-wired for work, we also are meant to worship God, and if we fail to, we will worship something even anything, but never nothing! The leading school of thought is nihilism growthwise among the intelligentsia, and they teach man has no ultimate meaning or purpose to exist--essentially faith in nothing supposedly.  But men are not capable of worshiping nothing; they will resort to worshiping something, even themselves in narcissism. 

But no man is religion or worship free, but finds substitutes for God in his life.  That is the essence of idolatry--worship of something or someone in God's place, as well as having a faulty understanding of God--either putting Him in a box or limiting Him in some other manner, all because God is a jealous God and demands worship in spirit and in truth.  We must beware lest our thoughts of God become too human!

Just like Christians are content and "happy customers" of Jesus, so the infidel seeks a life without God and will grasp at straws, though even as he clutches they disappear--to be happy apart from God in escapism.  The consequences of unbelief are a life lived in vain and a frantic search for happiness in things, or other relationships without God as the center.  We must believe in God to be happy and content, and if we don't believe in God, we will believe in anything and maybe even everything that comes our way, for God will send great delusion to believe the lie and we will become captive to the devil to do his will (cf. 2 Tim. 2:26), if perhaps God may not grant the grace of freedom.

That is why gullible and credulous people believe in anything out there like astrology, magic, UFOs, etc., because they don't believe in God and their faith is misdirected!  I mean really believe in Him with the heart in a personal relationship, not just acknowledging His existence or having a head belief.   The saying that GIGO is validated:  garbage in equals garbage out!   We need the anchor of Christ in our soul to shield us from Satan's lies and false doctrines of strange teachings (cf. Heb. 13:9).

You can't talk to some people about spiritual things because they have no interest.  Actually, if you can switch the topic to heavenly matters for only a few minutes you may save a soul!  Most have their mind on earthly matters, including believers, and are distracted or have their interests divided.  They seem to think that God is dead in the sense of not being relevant or necessary to explain reality.

But without God life makes no sense (you cannot answer life's ultimate questions and issues) and there is no purpose in living, no meaning in life and nothing to live for but to be an animal in heat, seeking pleasure and avoiding pain!  All because they are taught they are animals it isn't any wonder they want to live like them or the other way around--they believe their animals and end up acting like them as a consequence--we shouldn't be surprised.

It's been said by Dostoevsky that "if there is no God, all things are permissible."  Kant said that God must exist for ethics to be possible!  Does man just want to find out that all he can do is "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow he may die?" (cf. Isa. 22:13; 1 Cor. 15:32).  To state his contentment, on the other hand, Paul had learned to be content in all things (cf. Phil. 4:11) and  said quite glibly, "I am what I am by the grace of God." (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10.)     Soli Deo Gloria!