Friday 22 January 2021

We shouldn't

 We shouldn't

In the book of James we read,

“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”  James 4:4.

The past year 2020 here in North America has been to say the least politically intense. Many calling themselves Christian leaders have gone on record as supporting various political parties and politicians. This should not be so.

While there is nothing wrong in exercising ones democratic right to vote for who we wish. We should not be siding with any political party or politician.  

We should be following the example of Jesus and the apostles who never got involved in secular politics. 

The men and women who followed Jesus lived in a multicultural empire at least as diverse as North America. 

They lived in an empire that by our standards today were barbaric. A society that allowed the worship of many gods. That allowed prostitution. That allowed men and women to fight to the death in arenas for the entertainment of the general public and political leaders alike. 

An empire that for several hundred years outlawed Christianity. 

Yet they stayed true to the call of Jesus who said,

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.

In doing so they reached their world within a century. 

Someone speaking particularly about the American church said 

“the American church suffers from the blessings of freedom”

They were right the freedoms we have here in North America allows to do as we wish that includes combining our faith with politics. 

As someone else has said,

“Combining religion and politics is like combining water and gasoline. The water is undrinkable. The gasoline unusable. And the whole thing is explosive.”

That I believe is why Jesus told us,

"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."  James 4:4.

Jesus also said,

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Matthew 6:24.

When we mix our faith with politics it dilutes our message. It can and frequently does push people away from God, potentially into a Christless eternity.

As believers in Christ Jesus we should never mix our faith with politics. We should present the saving grace of Christ Jesus in the purest way we know how to.

Please think about it.

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