CHRISTIANS AND POLITICS

Christians And Politics, June 30, 2024

First Extreme: Political Obsession

Matthew 5:13 (NIV2011) 

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 


Second Extreme: Political Aversion

James 2:14-17 (NIV2011)
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.
16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Guiding Principles
Christians are to promote peace and prosperity in the world


Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NIV2011)
4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV2011)
10  Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

Citizenship is a matter of stewardship

God’s Ways best enable human flourishing

Psalm 92:6-7 (NIV2011)
6  Senseless people do not know, fools do not understand,
7  that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

Psalm 92:12-14 (NIV2011)
12  The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13  planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green…

Guiding Principles
Christians are to promote peace and prosperity in the world
Faith is pervasive

Matthew 12:30 (NIV2011)
30  “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

“I think whatever religion is, it has its own dogma…And I think in your case, professor, when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s a concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for years in this country.”

Guiding Principles
Christians are called to promote peace and prosperity in the world
Faith is pervasive
God is sovereign over a fallen world

All leaders are fallen people. And yet…
1 Peter 2:13-17 (NIV2011)
13  Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14  or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15  For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16  Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17  Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Romans 13:1-2 (NIV2011)
1  Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2  Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.