Introductory Post: what this blog is all about

My political philosophy can be distilled into this simple idea: that I am first a Christian, and second an American. As an American I have loyalty to my country and fellow citizens. I hope and pray she prospers, I long for her success. I will actively participate in its life as a citizen who votes and pushes for what I believe to be sound political policy. However, my highest loyalty lies not with any earthly power, all my love, affection, and devotion rest with He who is above all, who made all, who holds all together in the palm of his hands, The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Jehovah, his son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. I aim for no higher purpose, for no higher calling than to be used as a vessel in the Lord’s hands. He has called me and saved me by the blood of Jesus to live a holy life set apart from this world. Though once I was dead in my trespasses, I am now alive in Christ. Though I was once a prisoner chained to sin and death, I am now free to live the life that God has called me to. As the Apostle Paul says “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

In the heated political world of today, we seem to be given two choices. On the one hand we can acquiesce to the world, loosen the rigor of our theology, give in to the popular culture of the day, and lose the backbone of our faith. This acquiescence is generally seen to cater more to the political left and focuses less on doctrine and more on social issues. In political terms, many on the right would deem this as “becoming woke.” I sympathize with people who choose this path, it can be easier. The broader culture is certainly shifting away from what has historically been deemed as Christian morality. It is much easier to go with the flow than to fight against it. And there are real needs that need to be addressed that are being ignored from those within the Church. On the other hand, we see a course correction in the other direction towards the right. Which in recent years has meant the entanglement of the evangelical church with the Republican party. Those on the right see the country becoming something they do not recognize so they try to cling to those who seem to have an answer. The people they look to sometimes have an answer to one of their fears, but the entanglement has become so deep that they cannot extricate themselves from the path that the party is leading them on. This has led to excusing and ignoring failings from leaders, and Christians who cannot have reasonable discussions on sensible policy because they are more afraid of the Left “winning” than anything else. In a sense the Republican party has become the new evangelical church. I can sympathize with the people in this camp, because many of my family are in it. The United States is changing every day. It has become different than how it was when they grew up for a myriad of reasons, and that is scary. Many on the left deem these people bigots, ignorant, or crass, when that is not the case for the vast majority. When I see this dichotomy, I become disheartened. I do not believe that either of the two choices presented to us are the best way to live. Throughout its history Christianity has gone through many waves of doctrinal purity and laxity. I feel that we are in a wave of laxity now in America. Yet for all the challenges, the main tenets of Christianity have remained through the ages. I believe we must hold on to these, we must not sacrifice our theological purity to satisfy the current cultural mood. On the flip side, we should not over-correct by attempting to legislate morality, establish a quasi-theocracy, or support politicians who claim Christ yet look nothing like the Christ I read about in the Bible.

I know that no one is perfect, but when the world sees Christians preach with our mouths a gospel, not of love but of political power and success at all costs, they see the faith we profess to hold in Christ as a sham. If our faith in Christ can be shaken by a changing political landscape, what kind of faith is that? If we align with people who look like the world, talk like the world, and fight like the world what does that say about us? What does that say about our witness? It is precisely in thinking about these questions that I have often found myself in the middle, politically and spiritually. I have been too theologically strict for liberals, and too open-handed for the fundamentalists. It has often put me at odds with those I love most on both sides of the political spectrum, but my conviction is that this is the way Christ has called me to live. It is the way I believe Christ himself lived. He ate with tax collectors and prostitutes; he showed love when the “religious” scoffed. Christ cleansed the temple and, as a teenager, taught the scripture like no one else ever had. He had this duality in his own life on earth, he walked an intervening path. I am trying in my own way to stumble along after him in this middle path. I am trying to love my neighbor as myself, I am trying to hold fast to what I have been taught, and at the same time I am trying to figure out how to be a good citizen in the 21st century. To be in the world, but not of the world. Many will say that walking this middle path politically is pointless, that it is ineffectual, and will lead to the ruin of our country through one means or another. They would counsel to choose one side or the other.

Politically, the middle road very well could be ineffective, but I count the cost of the alternative as too great a price to pay. This middle path is one that requires great faith. It requires Christians to admit that we do not have all the answers, it requires us to be humble, it requires us to trust God to keep us safe no matter the course this country takes. The middle path allows us to fight for good and right, but to also hold all things loosely. Knowing that this world is not our home, and that no matter how good a society we create here it will always be marred by sin and death. This world is a shadow that is passing away. The God I read about in the Bible is sovereign over every single aspect of life, he even dresses the lilies and keeps his eye on every sparrow. So how much more an election? How much more the daily management of our government? Our faith should be built on this solid rock. He is a sure foundation, he is our hope and our salvation.

Therefore, when push comes to shove, my faith and my attempts to follow Christ will always take precedence over any political loyalty. The calling that He has placed on me, and every Christian, is that we must die to ourselves each day, and live for Christ. Who is the one who laid down his life for us, so that we may live! We who have put our faith in Christ were on the path to eternal damnation, but he became the sacrificial lamb for our sin. He who knew no sin gave us a way to be redeemed for eternity and sanctified today. So, I strive not as one who is dead, or as one who has no hope for tomorrow, but as one who has more hope than this world can even fathom. I have hope that one day all things will be made new, that one day this world will pass away, that God will wipe away every tear, and death will be no more.

Along with that hope also comes a terrible truth, that before death dies the judgment of God must be executed on all living creatures. This day will be terrible, many will be thrown into the lake of fire, even many who have called out “Lord, Lord.” This means that there is nothing on earth more important than those who are saved, being in the business of preaching the gospel to those who are not. We must preach the good news with our mouths, and live every action, every breath according to this calling.

Jesus commands us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Elsewhere Jesus says: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

God the Father says: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Paul exhorts: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

These passages point to the calling that all Christians have. Regardless of age, sex, location, political persuasion, or socio-economic status. My great fear, and the main impetus behind beginning this blog, is that many professing Christians in America have thrown aside this high calling. They have traded the high calling of saving souls from an eternity apart from God for hollow political victories and political expediency. With many well-meaning Christians falling on both sides of the political spectrum. And many, many more so-called Christians, co-opting that name to scare, intimidate, and legitimize their own standing. Where Christians once were martyred for living out our high calling to proclaim the name of Jesus without compromise, we now cast stones at unbelievers, fight as the world fights, or roll over in the face of cultural push back. Our love has run dry. We cheer for anarchy, for meanness, for cruelty, and for hate. We tolerate people who trash the name of Christ as long as they provide us victory over the other side. Christianity is no longer seen as a force for good in this country, but as a political cudgel or as an ineffectual non-entity. We fear change, we fear the other, we fear immigrants, we fear being seen as too hateful for speaking truth, we fear the collapse of the economy, we fear the loss of our prestige on the world stage, and we fear the loss of the good old days. My friends, this ought not be so. Christ did not come to this earth to die for our sins so that we should live in fear once again. Christ came that we may have life to the full! Society should be repulsed and confused by the life of the true Christian because of how we love in truth and in power. What we see today is a society that recognizes the professed Christianity as its own because there are politicians, mega-preachers, and lay people who claim Christ, yet look, talk, and walk exactly like the world.

Over the course of this blog, myself, and some like-minded friends, will attempt to dive into why our American Christianity has become skewed. Examining how Christians should live as citizens of this world, with the hope of eternal life in Christ. I do not claim to have all the answers, I know a little of history and politics, but what I attempt to know more than anything is Christ and Christ crucified. Going through history and the Bible we will share opinions on where we are today, where we have been, and where we think we should go. As this journey begins, I want you to know that anyone who writes in this blog will maintain a posture of humility. If I am wrong about something, I hope to learn and grow from that. I only ask you to take that same posture. If something written here offends you, please be thoughtful and show mercy because I am only a human trying to do the best I can. As I know the same is true of you. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). If you plan to read, let us examine our hearts, let us listen, and let us have civilized discussions with each other.

As I bring this post to a close, one question that I have often asked myself, and that many of you have likely asked yourselves by this point, is by what authority do I make these claims? I am certainly no theologian nor a political scientist. I know who I am, a wretched sinner, one whose every bent is towards evil… but in Christ, I am now redeemed. I now see, dimly, but I press on as the Apostle Paul says:

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Though I am still a sinner, like all Christians, each day I am being sanctified and brought closer to Christ. The Holy Spirit that lives within me and within each true follower of Christ is the same Holy Spirit that imbued Peter, Paul, John, and the great cloud of witnesses throughout the history of our faith. This same Holy Spirit is still moving and seeking to bring souls to right relationship with God. So, though I have no authority on my own, I pray I write through the power, wisdom, and grace of the same Holy Spirit that lives in all true believers. On matters of opinion or doctrine I will always strive to stay in line with my convictions from the Spirit, what is written in the Word, and historical Christian understanding. As you examine what I say, I hope you will do the same, knowing that it is with much fear and trembling that I am writing. Most importantly I write out of a place of love. Especially love for a people who call themselves Christians yet don’t look like Christians I see in the Bible. God is the judge of all, and will judge believers and unbelievers at the end of time. Here and now, which I believe is fully backed up by scripture, when we see a fellow believer stumble or be caught in sin, we are supposed to lovingly pull them back into right reasoning and right relationship with the Father. Jesus attempted to do this with the Pharisees, Paul did this with Peter and many others through his letters. Let my parting words ring true as you continue to read, I love you, all I want is for all of us to know God better and show the world the full measure of his love, glory, and goodness.