I want to start off by saying that I have been attending church nine months before I born, if you know what I mean. Personally I made the commitment to follow Jesus and be known as a Christian some forty-three years ago when I was a boy of nine. To be honest, I had no idea what that meant and in my teenage years drifted into things I should not have which meant I drifted from Christianity. It wasn't until several years later after I married my wife, that we both made comprehensible decisions to follow Jesus and dedicate our lives to serving and loving him.
[callout]I am about to hit a raw nerved with both my liberal leaning and my conservative leaning friends when it comes to our government and the decisions that are made in the Executive, Judicial, and the Legislative branches of our government. I believe that Christians will never be happy with the government and we should stop trying to pin our country's hope on politicians.[/callout]
Here's why:
If you are wanting the government to be filled with Christians who believe the way you do, and pass laws that dictate Christian values, you are putting your hope in the wrong place. We cannot and should not legislate personal morality. What happened with the SCOTUS in Hobby Lobby case this week is definitely a win for religious freedom, but don't we as Americans have that anyway?
We want the government to do what Jesus left the church to do - change the world with the gospel of Jesus. It almost makes me nauseous to think that Christians today are in many ways similar to the Jewish zealots of Jesus day. They wanted rulers in high places to overthrow those who would lead the charge to cleanse their country of those wicked godless Romans. We think God in government is going to solve our problems? Dear friend, that will only happen, when the King of Kings sits on His throne. Remember the words of Jesus, "If the world hates me, it will hate you also." I have news for you, if you are a bleeding heart liberal or a die hard conservative, the government is not your Savior.
If the Christians I know on Facebook would spend as much time sharing Jesus with those who do not know him instead of knocking the Democrat or Republican parties, then we would fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus didn't say that he left the organization of government to change the world, he left his church - "I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
Sometimes I think there are knuckle head Christians who don't read and understand the Bible. If you are like most evangelical Christians I know, you believe Jesus will return very soon. If that's how you believe, guess what? Then you believe it is going to get worse before Jesus comes back. Look around!
Yes, I get mad at the way the spineless politicians run our country. It makes me angry that men and women have died for four hundred years to protect this country and we have wimps in state capitals and in Washington DC called politicians who are more interested in their net worth than the worth of the people of the United States.
But, I am called to show grace and mercy. To focus on what really matters. To spread the good news of Jesus and his forgiveness to everyone who will listen and pray they turn to him and turn away from their sinful life.
