We are Christians. Can we in biblical obedience and good conscience decide that we are going to engage in behavior that is not distinctly pursuing the Great Commission? Setting up this division sounded all wonderful and good on the first go around. But can it truly be sustained by people of faith? Or is it our mandate to do as our fundamentalist brothers and sisters do? Should we be using every tool in our arsenal, including the freedom of religion in this nation, to be pressing the Case for Christianity? Should we be seeking to manipulate princes and principalities for the advancement of our faith? Even at the risk of war?
Pursue the question and the answer can become obvious. Of course we can be Christians without manipulating the power structures to pursue our evangelical goals. Until Constantine, there was no power structure behind the Christian faith. And around the world, most nations have Christianity in the minority, without political strength. It must be sustained by other power, the sovereign power of God.
I think the case can be made that Christianity is biblically required to remain OUT of politics. I know, that flies in the face of almost the entire bible. The people of Israel were chosen to be a sovereign nation under the leadership of God. But the faith moved into political structures not set into law by God. The fundamental relationship of faith and politics changed. It has remained changed to this day.
There was biblically created an Israelite nation. God ordained it on Mt. Sinai. No Christian alternative was set in place by Jesus or Paul or anywhere across the New Testament. So we are left with less explicit instructions on uniting our faith and our politics.
So begins a time of Spiritual discernment to find the middle way.
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