Election 2008
The Political Christian

Christians are strangers in a strange land. Not, however, in the world of politics. We see Jim Dobson on television telling the world why he can or cannot vote for a particular candidate. The Evangelical vote is commented on, courted and analyzed by political pundits virtually every day. Liberal Christians [whatever that is?] are also a part of the current campaign probably because of Obama’s tie to the UCC. The press can only be concerned about these things because Christians have made politics a concern to themselves. Would it not be nice if Christians were known for the practice of their faith in word and deed that for their political involvement?

May involvement in politics be the Slough of Despond of the modern day believer on the way to the Celestial City? Is political activity distracting us from our real mission and making us more comfortable here in the world than we should be? Is this too other worldly? Yes, we are to reform the culture but is that to be through the political process? Should not our efforts be more firmly entrenched in making the church reflect the Biblical mandates of the church? The reformation of the culture comes through the reformation of lives which is the work of the Gospel. The church is the expression of Christ in this world until He returns. It is where the “already” is expressed. It is the supernatural institution created by Him for His worship and His work. Like Jesus, we change the world one life at a time.

Is it just coincidence that the church has seemingly deteriorated as the Christian has taken on a greater role in politics? As we have taken more interest in who is our President than who are the bishops, we find bishops who are not in line with Biblical standards. Look around carefully. See how much worship has changed; how less people read Scripture and Scripture is exposited in a corporate worship service; the renewed attacks on justification by faith; the boldness of the new atheists; the general worldliness of churches in how they operate; and the lack of holiness and virtuous living among church attenders; all since politics became important to Christians.

The politicization of what passes as evangelical Christianity today is not the sole cause of the church’s malaise today. But, one must acknowledge that the zeal for things political by believers has diverted their time, energy and treasure from the work of Christ’s Church. Every Christian knows Christ said “seek ye first the Kingdom of God”. Yet, we seem to look “first” to things of this world for the solution to what we believe are the world’s ills. We know better…sin is the ill of the world. And, for sin there is only one solution. And, that solution is not found in the state house or the White House.

Ask your Christian friends who are headlong into politics how their hard work to have someone elected their civil magistrate fits with St. Peter’s identification of Christians as aliens and sojourners in this world. Cultures that are Christian are not founded upon politics but upon the preaching, teaching and living out of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ through His embassy in this foreign country…the Church. This is not our home and we should be working more diligently for the homeland than for a land that belongs not to us and is passing away.