In the face of the upcoming presidential election, I feel compelled to speak directly to those who profess to be Christians. So, for those who will most certainly not like what I have to say, know ahead of time: I warned you.
Weekly, I hear from well-intentioned Christians telling me of their concern for America. They tell me that only God can restore America. That’s true; only He can, but He won’t because God cannot/does not honor sin, and America is a nation of sin. It’s sin that we proudly sit in the pews, not being convicted by the Spirit, but instead applauding our sinfulness.
You may say, “We don’t do that” – but in truth we do. Your next question will probably be, “How do we do that?” I’m glad you asked. We do it by not taking a stand for righteousness.
This election cycle is pivotal, and we have every right to be concerned about another four years of Obama. But that doesn’t mean we should plunge for the first candidate with a good line. For Christians who claim to be pleading with God to rescue us from the disaster that confronts us, the issues must matter.
We often hear the phrase “single-issue voters” used as a pejorative when we are being referenced. Single issues are supposed to matter to us. How can we ask God to intercede for us when we compromise, or even worse, when we reject His values? Abortion, homosexuality, licentiousness of every sort are important issues.
If people cannot control their personal lives, how do we expect them to control the temptations associated with elected office? What is the message that goes forth when pastors preach God on Sunday and support Obama? How do they reconcile that with Scripture? How do pastors explain supporting a man who is antithetical to everything God calls absolute?
The nation as it exists today did not get this way by itself. We helped and encouraged it because we lost our way. We placed our faith, trust and confidence in men not God. We prayed to man and gave lip service to God. We chose candidates based on what they said and what we heard and/or saw on the airwaves. We should have chosen them based on their actions and records.
Whenever we were called upon to compromise, we did it and still do. How often do those asking us to compromise our values offer to change or compromise their values for us? The answer, of course, is that they do not. And still we give money and support to political parties that would be hard pressed to care any less about biblical absolutes.
As Christians, our first priority is to God, but somewhere along the line we lost sight of that. If we want God’s help, it’s time we remember what He expects of us. We have become so consumed with the present that we’ve forgotten what God wants. We’ve forgotten that we are in the world but admonished not to be a part of it. We have become so consumed with the present that we’ve forgotten we’re just passing through. Our home is in eternity. Ergo, we’re called to focus on things that have eternal value first. We’ve been conditioned to believe standing up for what we believe is wrong, but the same doesn’t apply to the enemies of the Gospel.
My message is simple – we cannot make a difference here until our priorities are in harmony with that which is important to God. If we have those priorities in order, we will make a difference.
If we, as a people of God, are doing what we are supposed to do, the nation cannot help but follow – because when we do what we are called to do, we replicate ourselves. If we are replicating ourselves in God’s image, the witness of same can be seen by all. It doesn’t matter what destructive evil laws have heretofore been legislated, the people will turn away from the kinds of behavior that said legislations sanction.
We were not left powerless. We are imbued with the very Spirit of God – but we are also warned not to grieve the Spirit. We must decide whom we will serve. This day we must choose. Will we serve the imaginations of man and the things of this world, or will we serve the Triune God and the promise of eternity?
The time grows short. The final chapter has been written. Prophecy can be delayed, but it cannot be prevented. I’m not advocating sitting on our hands – I am advocating that we set our priorities right.
