Before reading this article, we need to define terms, namely what is meant by "the Church" in this article.
By Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese at Probe Ministries "Dr. Lawrence Terlizzese answers a common question of a Christian view of politics and government: How would a biblical worldview inform us on being in the world of politics but not of it? “Dr. T” models a critical yet engaged distance in assessing the beliefs of Presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama."The universal church is that organism of professing believers making up the body of Christ through baptism by the Holy Spirit, which was formed first on the day of Pentecost, is distinct from the nation of Israel, and is not limited to local congregational or denominational affiliation.
Everyone, living or dead, who has ever put their faith in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost till now, is a member of the universal church, Christ’s body, of which He is the head. From bible.org
The Church could not be true to its universal calling if it was a political power like Israel because this turns its mission into one of war and conquest, such as the Crusades in the middle ages, rather than conversion through faith (John 18: 36). Islam is a good example of a religion that does follow Israel’s kind of political identity in the establishment of Sharia Law. The Church is not one nation, but one people among many nations, cultures and systems. It cannot afford to be a nation with its own civil law and government, which sets itself against other governments and other people. When the Church establishes itself as a political power it compromises its prophetic mission and loses its unique contribution to politics. Instead the Church has a more complex role in any system it finds itself in.Read a related post: Urban legend: Should Christians Support President Obama? A message attributed to Dr. David Barton on the Charles Stanley program
My own comment to this post was this (in case anyone cares):
The Tunnel DwellerEvery facet of my beliefs I see being denigrated by the left in Washington, academia, news media and the entertainment industry; people who have my convictions being ridiculed on every channel, called "extremists" in the halls of Congress and I cannot remain silent.I know all this and am troubled over the way my blog runs counter to the Biblical injunction to always build up and never to tear down. But somebody please tell me how to remain silent and supportive when I see this administration bully average citizens and drive hate-filled wedges between segments of the American population.
But I do realize that in the end, all will come out as our Lord has ordained and that he chooses who will rule over us. In the end, all that matters is that all will bow down before Him as King of Kings.
So my issue is still unresolved; I only know that - in the end - the good guys win.
2 comments:
With specific regard to the role of Christians in the political process, I feel that it is time for us to speak up. We should not couch the argument in terms of what the Bible says, because so many will summarily dismiss our arguments because they don't accept the Bible. We should stand upon Biblical principles of honesty, decency, and respect that are generally accepted by even most atheists and look for the good qualities of the candidates. Anyone who has to sell their product by telling me how bad the competitor's product is, will likely not convince me of anything. The danger of painting your adversary as a scoundrel and enemy of almost everyone is that, when people get a chance to see your enemy in person and listen to him (or her) express themselves in their own words, and they turn out to be quite different that what you have painted them to be, you are the one who now looks like a scoundrel.
The tact that the Obama team took in painting Romney as a rich man who cares only about himself and other rich people was dangerous from the start, because of his demonstrated ability to get things done, even when the odds were against him. Do I like everything about Romney? Absolutely not, but he sure has come out as the most likeable person in the face to face comparisons that we have seen. Old Joe may be likeable to many, but old Joe is a party hack, who plies many groups with words which mean something to them, in order to advance his own career.
It is time to get back to basics and look for people of quality who can turn this great nation around and get us back on the road to being the greatest nation on Earth.
I am teaching in Europe right now, at the NATO School. You would be amazed at how much the attitudes of the Europeans have been changed, as a result of the debates.
Thanks for speaking up. I share your position and have hesitated for far too long, to stand up for things that are right, but more importantly against positions on issues that are wrong, but politically correct. The main stream media, academia, and Hollywood have gradually supplanted the values which were instilled by our “founding fathers” and have been such a vital part of what makes America and Americans different from all the rest. When our values are attacked and we timidly stand by and allow it to happen, mainly because we don’t want to be branded with the generalizations and name-calling that they direct our way, we weaken the resolve of those who also share our values.
While I have no desire to be branded as an anything phobic, I have become more willing to speak out for what is right and honestly address what is wrong. I do not condemn anyone, but I know that abortion is ending the life of a precious being, which has a purpose, at the time of its creation. It is not about a person’s right to choose, it is about what rights a person has to eliminate the result of a poor choice of behavior, by terminating the end product. With regard to homosexuality, it is clearly a sin in God’s eyes. Do I dislike homosexuals? Absolutely not! It is God’s desire that we all are reconciled to Him. Sin is “separation from God” because we have failed to hit the target that he desires for us to hit. As one who continually misses the mark on what I desire to do, I am unwilling to pronounce judgment on anyone, but I know what the Bible says and am not willing to change my values, just because of pressure to be politically correct.
Thanks for posting your comments on the Tunnel Wall and thanks for taking a stand on important issues of our time.
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