Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Christians, Politics and The Gospel

Whatever your views on politics or your political party affiliations, we all cannot run away from the fact that the political atmosphere in our country has been toxic. The talk and thinking along tribal lines, the hatred portrayed through insults and violence, and the thuggery of cadres, to mention but a few, have characterized the past few weeks. To compound the matter, the leaders from the two major political parties were playing the blame game while casting a blind eye to the unsavoury and evil acts. Several Christians have rightly been disturbed by the state of affairs. So what is a Christian to do in such times?  

Submit to the governing authority 

This is probably a truth you know and may have heard several times in your Christian life, but do not be deceived into thinking that your obedience will come by the mere fact that you know it. We should appreciate the fact that when the Bible calls believers to submit to authority, in the Bible times, it was in the context where the rulers of the day were persecuting Christians. In this "arena," he called them to submit to the governing authorities. Refusing to submit to human authority is, in essence, refusing to submit to God's authority. Hear Paul's charge to the Romans:

 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those, who do wrong. Rom 13:1-3

Love your neighbour and your enemy 

When political lines are drawn and sides are picked, we get so charged up and set our minds on winning, whether it is an election, an argument or, in worse cases, a fight. In fact, not only do we want to win, but we want to do so in a way that shames the opponent. We become obsessed with being right that anyone with a different view is in our mind stupid and a fool whom we cannot stand. Such attitudes may be expected of non-believers; it should not be so for Christians. Not only are we to love our neighbours, but we are also to love our enemies and do good to those who harm us and thereby overcome evil with good. The hate speech, malicious slander, tribalism and violence should not be found among Christians who claim to be in the likeness of Christ. Christians should be filled with love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control and humility. We need to learn that it is possible to disagree with each other and yet, live in harmony. It is not only humane; it is Christian.

Fulfil your civic duties

We just fulfilled one such duty by voting. It is also our civic duty to respect and uphold the rule of law. Standing up and speaking out against injustice, regardless of who is perpetrating it, is not wrong. It is our civic duty to defend the vulnerable and ill-treated. We must do this peacefully and within the framework of the law. We cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand when we ought to be correcting wrongs. Be it in your workplace, at home, or on public platforms, stand for justice and do so with courage and love.

Rightly identify the problem.

Interestingly, everyone is agreed that we have problems as a country, but we are not all agreed as to what the problems are and, worse still, what the solutions should be. Part of the reason Christians are confused as to what their responsibility should be is confusion on how to identify the problem. Our country has many issues ranging from poverty, unemployment, corruption, poor health services, lack of proper infrastructure, bad roads to bad governance. However, our biggest problem is a moral one. Sin in the human heart is the biggest challenge and problem we face. It is because of sin that people are corrupt and selfish. It is because of sin that people steal and kill. It is because of sin that people abuse authority. Because of sin, lies, fights, slander, hatred, tribalism, and violence exist. Therefore, unless sin is rooted out of the human heart, any effort to stop sin is temporal and bound to fail as it simply removes the fruit and leaves the roots.

Believe in the power of the gospel. 

If sin is our biggest problem as a country, then the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only solution. Paul cries out, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation". Elsewhere he says, "woe unto me if I do not preach Christ and him crucified." Paul lived in a time when rulers persecuted Christians, inequality was rampant, hatred and tribalism were common, and yet he preached the gospel. Many think this is a political problem that will not be solved except by a political strategy. Many Christians believe the only and best solution to dealing with the issues in our country is through political means, i.e. lobbying, demonstrations, press releases, and boycotts. However, Zambia's problem is not merely political, it is a moral one, and the only lasting solution is the gospel.

We are in a spiritual battle against worldly thinking and ideologies, and we can achieve victory over them only with the weapon of Scripture. Paul says: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The moral bankruptcy in our country is an indictment on the church of Jesus Christ. While evil and darkness are raging, where is the light of the gospel? Where is the light of Jesus shining in Christians in our society?

John MacArthur is spot on when he says, "We must reject all that is ungodly and false and never compromise God's standards of righteousness. We can do that in part by desiring the improvement of society's moral standards and by approving of measures that would conform government more toward righteousness. We do grieve over the rampant indecency, vulgarity, lack of courtesy and respect for others, deceitfulness, self-indulgent materialism, and violence that is corroding society. But in our efforts to support what is good and wholesome, reject what is evil and corrupt, and make a profoundly positive impact on our culture, we must use God's methods and maintain scriptural priorities." [1]

Trust in God

Guard your heart against despair and discouragement. God is not dead. He sits enthroned, and He is in absolute control of all the affairs of the earth. Rulers come and go, but God remains constant, and His reign is from everlasting to everlasting. Though we must grant civic leaders, their due respect, our confidence must not be in them. We should not view them as our "messiah." We must hold them accountable for their God-given stewardship. So, do not lose heart. Trust in God. Hope in the living, all-powerful, loving and all-wise King of Kings.

 

  [1] https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A124/christians-and-politics-part-1

 

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