| elections, persecution and the democratized church |
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Martin Luther asked: "If jesus wore a crown of thorns why does the Christian expect a crown of gold?"
As the election nears and all the posturing by special interest groups intensifies we will also begin to hear Christians bemoan the election of a specific candidate as detrimental to the interest of the Christian church in America. They will argue that the right to free worship and expression of faith in the public square will be challenged and eventually taken away if their candidate is not elected.
Let make this very clear, this is not a forum for me to promote one candidate or the other. I really have no dog in this fight in regards to devotion to a particular candidate. What I do hope to accomplish is for Christians in America to realize that the free expression of our FAITH does not come from the First Amendment or from the protection of government, but from the freedon we each have in Christ to suffer and be persecuted for HIS name sake.
You say wait: "that is not freedom at all, it is persecution". Yep that is right, it is.
Christian faith ies a personal relationship with Christ, and it was His act of sacrifice on the Cross that made me fre to enter the throne room of Grace and worship the Almighty. For centuries Christians in other countries have continued to worship inspite of laws prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Many were even put to death for their defiance of the law of man.
While visiting Ukraine several years ago to lead revivals, I was amazed to hear the stories of men and women who were tortured by the communist party for their faith. When released to return home from captivity, they immediately went not to their house , but to a worship service proclaiming praise to God for their captivity and opportunity to minister in Jail.
These stories reminded me of the Apostle Paul and his letter to the Phillipian church. Paul saw his chains as opportunity for the Gospel to be preached to a "captive audience". Picture this: every six hours a new guard would be chained to Paul, instead of making small talk, Paul used the opportunity to share the Gospel. Imagine that, even when faced daily with the possibility of death and torture, Paul fearlessly preached the Gospel.
The beatitudes mention that we are blessed when we are persecuted for His names sake and that our reward is the kingdom of Heaven.
What we see throughout the Epistles and Gospels is a commitment not to the laws of man, but a commitment to the proclamation of the Gospel and the dispensation of grace, mercy and justice to the nations. In no way do the scriptures point to an assurance of government protection from persecution and protection from laws that prevent worship.
I Peter 3 tells the Christian to submit to all rulers and authorities as they are in their position due to the providence of God. The principle of obedience comes into play here. If man's law does not violate God's law then we are to obey. If man's law violates God's law then we should out of obedience and appreciation for God's grace obey God's law over man's no matter the consequence. We should pray as dilligently for leaders we disagree with as the leaders we agree with.
Persecution is a by product of Faith in Christ. It does not matter who is elected to rule, our allegiance is to God. If we believe in the providence of God we will pray for our leaders no matter who they are.
As the election approaches I believe we should try to influence the electoral processes with our Christian perspectives, but even more so allow our desire for God's providence to rule our actions and words.
Please feel free to disagree with this post, just be nice. |
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