Our Calling is Spiritual, Not Political

[Deleted member 10797]

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The people of God are called to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we are here on earth. The purpose of the Christian on earth is not to reform the world and “fix” the world’s problems. Our function in the world is not political, not social, not financial, but is spiritual. Our calling is the proclamation of the Gospel. The issues in the world are not the real issues we need to be tackling and facing. Sadly, so many Christian people think that if they could just reform society then we would be fine. There are so many Christians today that are active in the political arena who think that they can make the world a better place by political means.

Whoever is the leader of your country is not the final word. Yes, Christians should be a voice for righteousness and truth in the nation, but we ought to avoid having close intimacy with politics and not allow it to control our thinking to the point whereby it overtakes Biblical matters. The Christian who devotes a lot of time and becomes deeply entangled in politics is on a slippery path. God is in control. He appoints rulers. We should not look to politics to solve matters. The solution is the Gospel. We ought to focus on pointing the lost to the Saviour and not to the ballot box. We ought to promote trust in the Lord, and not trust in man. It is far better to trust in God than in anything else. No nation ever was blessed by a change of political leadership but by a change in heart, mind, and soul. It is the Gospel that will save nations and souls.

Whatever happens in political negotiations, agreements, and talks does not change the eternal destiny of men and women. Now, I am not saying that politics does not matter, of course, it is an important part of society. What I am saying is that I believe Christian people should not devote a great deal of their time to politics. Politics is not our battle to fight, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

As Christian men and women, we ought to spend our time and efforts on far better and higher things than politics. Our time would be spent far wiser if we devoted ourselves to prayer, Bible study, and evangelism. Our time on earth is short and getting shorter every day. Make sure you don’t waste your time. Each passing hour is given by God’s grace. We will never get back the time we have wasted. Use your time wisely.

 

[lynnie]

Just one perspective from an American......

In the USA, God made "we the people" the rulers. That is how the country was founded. What you refer to as leaders raised up by God are actually not. They are elected representatives, to represent the real rulers, who are the voting populace.

We are not a democracy either. We are a republic founded on a rule of law, and those representatives are to legislate according to the law, not according to the whims of the sometimes lazy, greedy, or lawless electorate. We are to hold them to account- it is the duty of the citizens.

I myself am not much into politics, but I understand the solemn responsibility that some Americans feel. We have been given something unique and wonderful ( by God himself, who raised up "we the people" as the rulers) that appears to be nearly gone but is still worth fighting for. The darkness and depravity is overwhelming, and the demonic attempts to overthrow the rule of law ( Constitution, Bill of Rights) seem almost undefeatable, but many people who understand their calling to protect their children and grandchildren are willing to invest themselves into the political fight. Indeed, it seems like something a true man will give his life for. Do we want to end up communist, and lose all Christian freedoms, or fight not only in the prayer closet but on the physical battleground, or withdraw into our churches, ignoring the responsibility God gave us, and leave our children to the wolves?

I don't have all the answers, but I tend to think other nations do not understand the American perspective.

 

[No Other Name]

Preaching the Gospel and defending the rights of the unborn and the sanctity of marriage are not mutually exclusive. A local group is preparing tracts and Gospel slogans and talking points for a demonstration at a local Planned Parenthood.

I am not being defensive against the OP, rather saying that a lot of quietist congregations would say "Amen!" to OP and not support or even say that street evangelism outside abortion centers are a "waste of time" and that "God is in control" ignoring the always-obvious fact that God's sovereignty includes our own existence and potential involvement as well in factoring what His will is for today and all days to come.

 

[RamistThomist]

We can be a bit more specific: the church qua church should be focused on the marks of the church. Citizens qua citizens can be politically active.

 

[Miss Marple]

The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Our lost, as well as our Christian, neighbor.

When we abandon influence in the political sphere we abandon our neighbors to the most wicked and cruel policies. in my opinion it is a sin of omission.

Here in California, for example, in a custody battle, the spouse who supports the sexual mutilation or chemical destruction of their child in a "transgendering" scenario gets preference for custody. By law. Had our legislature had a decent number of believers in it, this never would have become law.

Contrarily, I wish I would see the godly men of all nations in positions of political authority, taking dominion in a Christlike way. And the rest of us supporting them.

 

[Ed Walsh]

The people of God are called to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we are here on earth. The purpose of the Christian on earth is not to reform the world and “fix” the world’s problems. Our function in the world is not political, not social, not financial, but is spiritual. Our calling is the proclamation of the Gospel. The issues in the world are not the real issues we need to be tackling and facing. Sadly, so many Christian people think that if they could just reform society then we would be fine. There are so many Christians today that are active in the political arena who think that they can make the world a better place by political means.

Hi Nathan,

Your first two sentences start out great. But at the same time, it doesn't really tell us anything in its isolation. What denomination? What cult, for that matter, that not agree with this? See my problem?

But then, immediately, I started to lose my train of thought just a bit. I was going to go sentence by sentence with my comments and questions, but I decided to sum it up in a few words and see where that gets us.

You say the people of God are to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why we are here on Earth. Then for the rest of the paragraph, you seem to list the activities and desires, and hopes that Christians are not supposed to be involved with. At least not affected very much, and that with caution.

I guess my first question is, What is the importance of anything in this physical world? Is our physical body important? Are interaction, interdependency, and community with our fellow humans important? Are the Ten Commandments part of the Gospel? Is the Gospel some subset of all that God has done for us? Or, as I and many others think, a summary or, perhaps even better, a slogan for all God has done for us and His requirements for us.

I haven't been feeling so hot lately, so I may have missed something in what you said, but I can't think of a single thing you warned Christians about getting involved with that are not legitimate areas of work for Christians to get even deeply involved in.

How 'bout politics?
Most Christians have recognized that God has appointed three major hierarchical systems among men: the civil government, the church government, and the family government. And I'm sure all agree that at this time, the whole world considers one of these three the primary and head over the other two. Yep, you guessed it. Politics.

Is it possible that God has no problem with the civil authorities on Earth? Is it possible that God's Saints would not be involved in the war against this unjust system?

Reread Psalm 2.

Ed

 

[RamistThomist]

You say the people of God are to share the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think this highlights an ambiguity in the original post. People of God could refer to the church as church, in which case it does not need to be in politics. Politics is not a mark of the church. Sometimes, though, people of God could mean Christians in general, in which case politics could be legitimate.

 

[Charles Johnson]

You say "our calling is spiritual", but none of us have just one calling. As William Perkins points out in On Vocations, we have a general calling to be Christians, but we also have particular callings to our individual vocations, including those of us who are called to the political office, and we have the calling to be responsible citizens, which includes voting, for those of us who live in nations which enfranchise us with the vote for elected officials.
Disobedience to God in fulfilling the duties of our particular calling is a sin.

 

[Deleted member 13126]

You say "our calling is spiritual", but none of us have just one calling. As William Perkins points out in On Vocations, we have a general calling to be Christians, but we also have particular callings to our individual vocations, including those of us who are called to the political office, and we have the calling to be responsible citizens, which includes voting, for those of us who live in nations which enfranchise us with the vote for elected officials.
Disobedience to God in fulfilling the duties of our particular calling is a sin.

I think you may have overstated your case. If I don't like my choices as a voter, in your worldview would I be compelled to vote and choose the lesser of two evils because I live in a nation where I'm able to vote? I'd rather not choose any evil, or anyone evil. Which is the greater sin in such a case, to 'not fulfil the duties of our particular calling' or to go against our conscience, knowing that whatever can not be done in faith to the glory of God is sin?

 

[MyCrows]

Sorry I'm late but

 

[Polanus1561]

OP hardly interacts in the topics he ownself makes. Take that for what you will.

 

[No Other Name]

I'd rather not choose any evil, or anyone evil.

That is impossible to avoid short of writing in Jesus Christ. I don't think Charles Johnson overstated his case rather understated all the marks of spiritual life that accompanies voting such as prayer, Bible-reading, and all the spiritual disciplines that attune one with God's will and God's wisdom for our lives. God uses pagan rulers for His will and working for good for those who love Him throughout history (Cyrus etc)

But honestly, in this day and age, it's not necessarily the dearth of candidates so much as the question of how votes are counted that is troubling. That story is still unfolding yet.

 

[Charles Johnson]

I think you may have overstated your case. If I don't like my choices as a voter, in your worldview would I be compelled to vote and choose the lesser of two evils because I live in a nation where I'm able to vote? I'd rather not choose any evil, or anyone evil. Which is the greater sin in such a case, to 'not fulfil the duties of our particular calling' or to go against our conscience, knowing that whatever can not be done in faith to the glory of God is sin?

I don't think you should go against your conscience. But ideally, through a careful study of the law of God, your conscience would like up well with your duties and freedoms.