Scriptural Insights on Christian Political Activism

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I am praying that these next several weeks at home will prove refreshing and recharging as you ready yourself for the coming year—and what a year it promises to be!

As I write this study, today the Iowa Caucuses start the ball rolling toward the November elections. It is daunting to think of the energy that will be required of you in these coming months in seeking reelection. My prayers are for your courage and energy—that it will come from on High— that you will have an unusual level of enthusiasm and focus, and most importantly, you’ll seek after the Lord in a disciplined manner through all that awaits you out there.

In writing out your New Year’s resolutions, make sure one of them is to firmly instruct your scheduler to protect your weekly Bible study time with the Members Bible Study (see below, right after first-votes-back each week). God will bless such resolve. I remain committed to providing you with a study worth your time; an in-depth study that will challenge you to remain afresh and in-tune with our Lord and Savior.

May this week’s study help in that regard.

This week I would like your permission to prod you about Christian Activism. There is certainly a place for such, especially in our form of civil governance. The problem however is this: In my ministry too often I see believers in government deceive themselves in terms of their biblical priorities when it comes to this subject. Their heart prioritizes nation-preservation over Kingdom-building. I hope that is not the case with you. As we will see, the former flow from the later.

Let us wade into this subject by first investigating and furthering our biblical understanding of the sovereign will of God versus the commanded will of God. It is important to have this distinction clear in our minds in order to think through this issue properly and with good theology. You will see what I mean as we impart on this journey together.

I. GOD’S SOVEREIGN WILL AS IT RELATES TO NATIONS

A. What do the following passages teach regarding the course of nations?

1. Job 12:18, 19 _____________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

2. Psalm 75:7 _______________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. Jeremiah 27:5 ____________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

4. Daniel 2:21 ______________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

5. Daniel 4:25 ______________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

6. Daniel 4:35 ______________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

7. John 19:11 _______________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

8. Acts 14:16 _______________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

8. Romans 13:1 _____________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

B. What does Daniel’s prophesy in 2:36-43 indicate about the sovereignty of God (Cf. 2:21a)? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

1. According to Daniel 2:44 what contrasts God’s coming Kingdom with those before it? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

II. GOD’S COMMANDED WILL AS IT RELATES TO BELIEVERS

A. God specifically commands believers.

1. What is the commanded will of God as expressed in Matthew 6:33? (Memorize. This is the key verse of this study). ________________________________________ ________________________________________

2. What is the commanded will of God as expressed in Matthew 6:19-20? _______ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. In light of the above, believers are often referred to as aliens and sojourners in this land. Why? Refer to 1 Peter 1:1 and Phil. 3:20 and Heb. 13:13, 14 in formulating your response. ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

4. How does the believer “seek first the kingdom of God” and “lay up treasures in heaven” even though he or she lives in this present, temporal world? (Cf. Matthew 28:19; 2 Tim. 4:2) ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

B. Church and State and the sovereign versus commanded will of God.

1. What insight does Matthew 16:18 provide relative to God’s sovereign will and His Church? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

2. What insight does Matthew 28:19 provide relative to God’s commanded will and His Church? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

3. What insight does Romans 13:1 provide relative to God’s sovereign will and the State? ________________________________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

4. What insights do the following passages provide relative to God’s commanded will and the State?

a. Matthew 28:19 ________________________________________ ________________________________________

b. Romans 13:5 ___________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

c. Romans 13:6 ___________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

d. Romans 13:7 ___________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

e. I Timothy 2:1&2 ________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

C. What is commanded of the believer in 2 Corinthians 5:11? ____________________ ________________________________________ ________________________________________

WHAT THE WORD “PERSUADE” MEANS

Peitho: “To prevail upon or win over. To bring about a change of mind by the influence of reason or moral considerations.”

1. What does Proverbs 11:30 say? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

2. What does Titus 3:9&10 teach will be the outcome when attempting to moralize instead of evangelize? ________________________________________ ________________________________________

Notice in summary that the believer is commanded to evangelize and persuade the hearts of men, but there is no specific command of this sort relative to changing a nation. These aforementioned passages repeatedly categorize the changing of a nation under the category of the sovereign will of God. (More will be said about this in outline point IV).

III. A BIBLICAL COMPARISON BETWEEN AN ACTIVIST AND A DISCIPLE

The following left-hand column contains some of the historic doctrines of the faith. Notice the possible difference in understanding of each from an activist and a disciple’s perspective:

DOCTR. PSSG ACTIVIST DISCIPLE
Eschatology Phil 3:20,21 Save America, Preserve the temporal Seeks God’s Kingdom. Invest in eternal
Soteriology Romans 10: 9&10 Convert the laws. Corporate change Convert the soul Individual change
Sanctification Rom 12: 1-2 Recruitment & power Confession & humility
Ecclesiology 1 Tim 3:15 Mfg Activists Make disciples
Hamartology Eph. 2:1-10 Moralize Evangelize
Pneumatology Eph. 6:13-20 Raise Money Spiritual weapons
Anthropology Romans 3:23 Man is exalted God is exalted
Bibliology 2 Tim. 3:16 Secondary Preeminent
Satanology Eph. 6:12 Physical war Spiritual war
WHAT IS PREEMINENT IN YOUR HEART?

This chart significantly encapsulates the differences in thinking between disciples’ and activists’ ways of thinking.

IV. BALANCING THIS IN A SELFGOVERNED NATION

The New Testament was written during the autocratic rule of Rome. America today is a selfgoverned Republic. How does this fact impact the Christian’s involvement in governmental matters? The following examples should aid your thinking

1. What is your responsibility related to your personal finances? But are your finances most important?

2. What is your responsibility related to your physical body? But is your body most important?

3. What is your responsibility related to your government? But is your government most important?

True, believers are not commanded to change their nation, but they are commanded to be good stewards of their possessions, and God has entrusted our government to its citizenry (of which believers are a part). In America, the electorate is the government, so it follows that believers need work to steward it to the best of their abilities for God’s glory—but not in an idolatrous sense where it becomes a higher value than the eternal work of God and the building of His Kingdom via evangelism and discipleship. Herein is the best theology on this.

V. SUMMARY

One of the most frustrating things in ministry is to experience well-meaning Christians prioritize the wrong thing. This stems from ignorance and/or a lack of Bible training. Hopefully this exposition will help you to major on the majors—those things wherein He first commands our obedience. And remember this: In the long-run, building God’s eternal Kingdom is the best way to preserve a temporal nation (cf. Matthew 6:33). Amen!