That’s Me in the Corner: Politics “Trump”-ed My Faith, Part 3 of 3

You’re probably asking, “What’s the point?”

I’ve spent the last two columns breaking down why don’t believe either side of the aisle is suitable for Christian consumption.

I know, you guys are ready for more mental health and that’s coming next week. But for now, I’m trying to clarify some questions I’m getting since my journey took a jaunt through politics.

What political party or side is right?

What should a Christian do when it comes to politics?

If you want my straight, simple, and short answer, I would recommend that Christians avoid political means altogether. That is just where I am at this point in my journey. It doesn’t mean that I’m judging you as unworthy of the gospel if you do.

It’s just what I believe to be best.

This is where I lose a LOT of people!

The question is usually, “Do you mean we just let them do evil things to others and do nothing?”

The question betrays the problem.

Why do so many Christian people see using political and governmental means as the ONLY way to solve the problems and end the evils we see in our society?

These same Christians would be appalled at someone criticizing them for doing nothing when they are actively praying over a tragic circumstance.

But somehow, when it comes to the political realm, the use of political power and force become the weapon of choice for the Christian, the preferred means to a righteous end.

Speaking from principle, I see political power and political force as forms of violence. All political power and force extends to the use of government agents to impose and enforce one’s own standards on another, violating the will and eviscerating the conscience.

I see this as an unrighteous approach. I’m going to explain my view today.

Don’t misunderstand.

Avoiding political means does not mean that Christians shouldn’t speak out and act in opposition to the evils we see. It means, simply, that we refuse to use the violent force of government in seeking the society we desire.

Instead of trusting in the power of governmental authority, we will major on trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform human hearts and minds. However, we shouldn’t expect this society to emerge without our own efforts to draw near to Christ through the Spirit.

I want to forewarn you. This one will be a little longer than normal. I’m going to make my argument, beginning with Christ, surveying the scriptures, and ending with the early disciples, as for why I believe using government force and power is antithetical to the Christian faith.

I apologize for the length. This will close out the political wrangling for me on this blog.

There I go, my anxiety is speaking again. I’m apologizing when there isn’t a need for it. Ugh!

Anyway, let’s get to it.

Case From Christ

I’m going to begin building my case with Christ. He is the lens through which I understand my place in this world and the proper treatment of scripture. Let’s start where this message begins in Jesus’ life: the temptation.

“And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”

Luke 4:5-8 NASB 95

Satan showed Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time” and promised Him all the pomp, pageantry, and power that comes with this world’s kingdoms.

Jesus saw the spiritual reality behind the kingdoms of this world and turned down the offer.

It happened again after He fed the 5,000, a sign so remarkable that the recipients were ready to make Him king.

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.”

John 6:14-15 NASB 95 (emphasis added)

The people were ready to make Him king. They were willing to do so by force, if necessary. Jesus, for a second time, steps away from the opportunity to be an authorized political king over a kingdom in this world.

Later in His ministry, Jesus was in Jerusalem. As His disciples marveled over the beauty and grandeur of the Temple Mount, Jesus informed them of it’s coming utter destruction and desolation.

The disciples’ question could indeed be viewed as an invitation to subvert the plan and take political power.

“Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

– Matthew 24:3b NASB 95

They were hopeful that Jesus was describing the coming revolutionary fight that would forcefully and emphatically expel Rome from it’s occupation of Jerusalem. Instead, Jesus laid out the timetable for the events culminating in 70AD with the conflagration of Jerusalem by none other than Rome.

On the night of Jesus’ betrayal, His final quiet time of prayer would be abruptly interrupted by those coming to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. After Judas’ kiss of betrayal, the guards moved in and Peter lopped of Malchus’ ear.

It seemed to him, and quite probably to all of His disciples, that this was now the time for the violent revolution to begin.

But, it wasn’t.

Jesus healed Malchus and chided Peter.

“Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”

-Matthew 26:52b NASB 95

I don’t know how Jesus could have been any more clear. His followers are not supposed to use violent force to achieve His kingdom’s goals. Government, and violent revolution against government, is violent force.

Yet, another refusal to take the reins of political power.

After His arrest, while on trial before Pilate, one of Jesus’ most famous quotes of comparison is found. Pilate presses Jesus about His identity as a king. Jesus, again, sets the record straight.

“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

-John 18:36b NASB 95

Jesus’ kingdom was not then and is not now a kingdom of this world. Politics, intrigue, political power, and violence are not the substance of His kingdom.

This wash, rinse, repeat cycle of Jesus’ refusing any benefit from the political power offered by kingdoms of this world should be quite evident at this point.

Yet, He wasn’t done.

As He hung on the cross, note what is demanded of Him.

“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!”

-Mark 15:32a NASB 95

The crowds wanted a simple proof. If Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ, and also the promised, coming King of Israel, then He should prove it now by coming down from the cross.

Such a move would establish His political right in the political kingdom of this world and spark a revolution against Rome. Would Jesus accommodate the crowd’s demands and become the political powerhouse they desired?

No. Moments later Jesus breathed His last breath.

He would not come down.

He would not be a political king.

He wanted nothing to do with the political power available in any of the kingdoms of this world. I talk about why in a minute, but first, Jesus made a seventh refusal to take political power.

Six while He lived and one after He lived again for a total of seven.

If you believe in the power of biblical numbers, where does seven rank on your list?

Because according to Luke’s accounting in the book of Acts, Jesus would refuse political power one last time before He ascended.

“So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?””

-Acts 1:6 NASB 95

Jesus is risen, having conquered death. Certainly that would have been the perfect opportunity to march into Jerusalem, claim what was rightfully His, and the lead the violent, revolutionary, overthrow of Rome and free Israel. Maybe they came to Jesus with the #FreeIsrael … just kidding.

For a seventh time Jesus refuses to use political power and force. His kingdom isn’t of this world, but it is within us. He makes that point in response.

“He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.””

-Acts 1:7-8 NASB 95

While they sought political power, He gave them spiritual power to be His witnesses of His kingdom all over the world. Jesus wasn’t just about Jerusalem or the nation of Israel.

Jesus came for the world, but He wasn’t going to conquer the world through the force of violent conquest.

Case from the Old Testament

Jesus alone is a compelling enough case for someone like me.

However, there are many of you who need more. You need to see this reality spelled out throughout all of Scripture. I find Christ’s assessment as the most valuable but want to meet you where you are so here we go.

I want to begin where our scriptural journey begins, in Eden. God’s mandate is where we’ll start.

“God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””

-Genesis 1:28 NASB 95

When God put man in the garden he was given a mandate to “subdue” the earth. We must remind ourselves that no nations and armies existed in Eden. This subduing deals more with property rights and taking care of the land than anything to do with politics and power.

Man was given rule over wildlife. God intended for us to take care of them, as well as the land.

We’ve chosen to ignore that mandate and focus our efforts on dominating one another politically. So many use this verse to justify those efforts, but such a view is erroneous.

So, no, the Edenic mandate is really no mandate at all for the use of political power.

When does governmental and political power first arise?

Well, the first kingdom we see in scripture is Babel.

“The beginning of his kingdom was Babel”

-Genesis 10:10 NASB 95

This kingdom didn’t end so well.

God had commanded everyone to spread out.

Nimrod led Babel to instead come together and build a tower that would reach heaven. This was the first kingdom of this world and is the model for all of the kingdoms of this world.

Defiance.

The kingdoms of this world will always exist in defiance of God. We’ll see why shortly.

But for now, can we at least agree that God rejected this kingdom?

Later, much later, in scripture God establishes a nation for a very specific purpose … to bring the messiah into our world. Yet, as we see, God did that eventually in spite of that nation. I’m going to deal with that at some point in another column.

God really just needed an obedient household.

And He got it.

So, what of this nation of which we read in the Old Testament?

Most of you are going to hear this for the first time as you read this post. The nation of Israel wasn’t established as a political entity. Read that line again and allow it to marinate in your mind before moving on.

The nation of Israel was established as a spiritual entity. It was to be a unique nation in the world, governed by individual conscience through the kingship of God Himself.

Let’s look at God’s intention for the nation.

“When the Most High divided the nations, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. And his people Jacob became the portion of the Lord, Israel was the line of his inheritance.”

-Deuteronomy 32:8-9 Septuagint

What do we see in this verse?

The only nation on the planet that belongs to God, is His people, and is His portion is Israel. Israel was supposed to be an authentic representation of spiritual life. Israel is not a political entity, but a spiritual one. It was centered, by design, on a temple and both individual and collective sacrifices overseen by priests and governed by God.

But Israel would eventually trade all that glory in. They wanted to be a nation like the rest and would suffer the consequences.

When Israel was established in the land, they decided that the protection offered by political kings and governments was more beneficial than the provision and protection received through a relationship with God.

Samuel’s sons lived in corruption. That corruption drove people away from God. Somehow a king would be different?

“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.””

-1 Samuel 8:4-5

Israel traded their special relationship with God for political dominance.

Don’t believe me?

Let’s see what God had to say about this choice when Samuel prayed.

“The LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day—in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them.”

-1 Samuel 8:7-9

The text can’t be more clear. The political power used and enjoyed by kings was in defiance and rejection of the kingship of God.

Political power is always going to be oppressive. Samuel lays out the case for Israel. Government leaders will confiscate people and resources for their own desires and demands. The king would enslave the nation through confiscatory means, we call that taxation, fines, and fees in our day.

Would anyone argue that isn’t the case still today?

Samuel finished with a very stern warning.

“Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”

-1 Samuel 8:18 NASB 95

God’s people will be ignored by God when they chose to rely on political power and authority.

YIKES!

In proving the spiritual nature of God’s nation and kingdom we get to the book of Daniel. The prophet prayed and he was informed that his answer was delayed by spiritual warfare.

“But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”

-Daniel 10:13 NASB 95

Daniel wasn’t in political Israel, nor was he serving the nation’s king. He was setting the example for what Christ-followers should be today by living out his faith in a foreign land. We see that the angels of Persia were preventing the angel Gabriel from bringing God’s answer to Daniel.

Just as Daniel was serving in God’s kingdom while in Babylon, he was at war with the spiritual forces that controlled Persia, so we also serving in Christ’s kingdom while in the U.S. are at war with the spiritual forces that control America.

While we’re on Daniel, one of his prophecies makes one of the greatest scriptural arguments against using government and political power.

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”

-Daniel 2:44 NASB 95

Clearly, Christ’s kingdom is slowly crushing all the kingdoms of this world until all that remains is Christ’s kingdom.

It is inevitable that all the kingdoms of this world will vanish, like dust.

Those kingdoms are unfit to exist and exist only as a counter to Christ’s kingdom, not as a compliment.

If you’re still with me at this point, let’s take a final look at the case for my view in the New Testament.

Case from the New Testament

I want to start the New Testament by first closing out national Israel. When presented with God’s king, Jesus Christ, they chose the world’s king. Samuel’s promise would ring true as the nation was wiped out in 70AD.

Pilate put Jesus before them and declared Him their king. How did they respond?

“So they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate *said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.””

-John 19:15 NASB 95

The nation of Israel doubled-down on their commitment to political power. They chose Caesar as their king. They eventually rebelled against and were eviscerated by Caesar, all within a generation, just as Jesus had promised.

But, remember what I said about Deuteronomy 32:9. God’s nation is the one that enthrones His king, not the political entity we know as Israel. God’s people are His nation under the kingship of Jesus Christ.

“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”

-1 Peter 2:8-9 NASB 95

If we are in Christ, we are in God’s nation. We are His people, His possession, without regard to where we were born or where we currently live. God’s nation isn’t known by a national boundary. His people are His nation. His people are the ones who are blessed with His presence.

His people are within every national boundary on the planet.

We are a nation hidden away in every nation.

However, as His people, we have an important decision to make. All the nations belong to something other than God. He has but one nation and it isn’t the United States of America.

Where should our allegiance and obedience belong?

I believe we surrender our place of prominence and true power when we choose to use political means to establish our goals. I believe the nations are under the sway of the wrong power. Paul demonstrated this reality.

“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 NASB 95

The rulers and powers in this world are driven by spiritual forces of wickedness. Samuel pointed out what the “holy” kings of Israel would do in oppression of people. The same is still true today regardless of the spirituality or Christianity of the people working in government and holding office.

Why?

Governments belong to those wicked spiritual powers, those forces of darkness in the heavenly places. Governments are always sources of oppression, confiscation, and the denial of human rights. Always. Every single one. No exceptions.

If our struggle is against these spiritual forces of wickedness, how do we expect to fight them using the systems that are empowered BY them. We can’t. We have a different power to live by that Jesus Christ demonstrated in His life.

But, like political Israel, we don’t like His methods.

We’re just not that into the Sermon on the Mount. Forgive our enemies? Get real Jesus! That stuff doesn’t work in modern society. We NEED government to protect us from the litany of bad guys that are out to get us.

We ignore texts that call us only to pray for (1 Timothy 2:1-4) and submit to government (Romans 13:1-10) all for the sake of government not being a barrier to living out our faith. We believe we can take over an apparatus of oppression and wield it to impose our faith that, by nature, must be willingly chosen.

Christ already conquered those authorities, why are we trying to resurrect them into relevance?

“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

-Colossians 2:15

Christ’s death showed us the power to victory over these powers. If we are His, we will use His methods to obtain victory over the evil powers behind government. We overcome because He died, He gave us His story to tell as His Holy Spirit-empowered witnesses (Acts 1:8), and we’re willing to be slain by them.

Did you catch that last part?

We’re not fans of carrying crosses if those crosses mean that we could lose our life, literally. We’re ok with the concept of losing our life figuratively, so long as the cost isn’t death at the hands of government.

We will only overcome those evil powers when we operate in the Way of Jesus.

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

-Revelation 12:11

We are inappropriately appropriating our energy.

We ignore Christ’s treatment of political means (detailed earlier) and seek to tame the beast. Which brings me to my last New Testament text.

The Beasts in the book of Revelation. You find them in chapter 13. They exemplify how God views government and religion.

Together, the two combine to subjugate and oppress human beings.

Should anyone be surprised that the last book in the bible symbolizes government as beasts? Didn’t Daniel do the same in his visions as well. You can read it in Daniel 7.

In this world we have a simple choice, serve the Lamb, or serve a beast.

We should have said of us what our first century brethren had spoken of them.

“they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”

-Acts 17:7 NASB 95

We should be known by our uncompromising service to the Lamb, our King, and His kingdom.

Conclusion: Can’t Serve Two Masters

Which finally brings me to my conclusion. Jesus actually, quite literally, gave us this choice in symbolic terms.

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

-Matthew 6:24 NASB 95

What did Jesus say?

We can’t serve two masters.

One is a Lamb, the other is a beast.

Many modern readers miss the subtle thing that Jesus did here by mistranslating the last word as “wealth”. The word is “Mammon”, which was a false god credited with providing wealth and prosperity.

Lamb or beast?

As I’ve demonstrated from scripture, Jesus refused on seven separate occasions to use political power to achieve any of His purposes. I’ve also shown that the Old and New Testament witness is to God’s kingdom being a separate spiritual, non-political entity as opposed to the kingdoms and governments of this world being ruled by evil, spiritual powers.

We simply can’t serve two masters.

Additionally, government is always force and violence. Don’t believe me. Stop paying taxes, fines, and fees and see if armed government agents don’t eventually arrive at your doorstep to take your liberty or your life should you choose to resist.

Hence, I cannot use government force. I personally see voting as a violent act against people with whom I disagree. So I choose not to vote, or if I do, I will write in NOTA (None Of The Above) or Yeshua, our true king.

Jesus modeled a lifestyle of allowing government to oppress, abuse, and kill Him rather than use the government to oppress, abuse, and kill those opposed to Him.

I plan to do the same.

I can’t serve the Lamb and the beast at the same time. So I choose the Lamb who happens to also be the Way, the Truth and the Life … the Resurrection … full of grace and truth.

I say the opposite of the first century Israelites. They claimed to have no king but Caesar. I claim to have no King but Christ.

This doesn’t mean that I don’t speak out and work in my community or in non-political networks to promote what is true, noble, just, and righteous. It does mean that I don’t empower the evil, spiritual forces of darkness in this world through government against my neighbor, even if that neighbor is my enemy.

Again, sorry this was so long, but I needed you to see where I stand.

Next time, I’m going to talk about a failure of my anxiety. What I did wrong, what I should have done right, and how it may help you next time anxiety is laying the smack down on you.

Grace and peace!

If you liked this post, you just might enjoy my book, What He Said: Living the Sermon on the Mount, Transforming American Culture.

If you want to follow my journey, you can read each of the previous posts below:

Part 1 – That’s Me in the Corner: Sharing My Journey

Part 2 – That’s Me in the Corner: Source of My Anxiety

Part 3 – That’s Me in the Corner: Power in Vulnerability

Part 4 – That’s Me in the Corner: Sex Turns Fatal When the Tail Wags the Dog

Part 5 – That’s Me in the Corner: My Final Baptism

Part 6 – That’s Me in the Corner: Walking in Satan’s Shoes

Part 7 – That’s Me in the Corner: “Be Kind” Change My Theology

Part 8 – That’s Me in the Corner: Politics “Trump”-ed My Faith, Part 1 of 3

Part 9 – That’s Me in the Corner: Politics “Trump”-ed My Faith, Part 2 of 3