Freedom From Decay
Why are we Christian? There seems to be a modern, institutional mindset that we are Christian for two reasons:
1. Fear of Hell -- we want fire insurance; and
2. Christ's promise of an abundant life -- we want comfort.
While claiming to be God-centered, this theology is really self-focused. The people who hold to this view, cling to the promises of God, in the hope that their spiritual walk will translate into a life of prosperity and comfort.
But their spiritual responsibilities fail to reach beyond the Sunday worship and midweek programs and they are quick to criticize other Christians who are active for the kingdom of God in arenas outside the institutional church. Furthermore, they are offended by those who will stand for God without compromise in the secular arena.
Their objection is that these standers non-compromitus are trying to do God's work for Him; that they are trying to usher in the kingdom of Heaven; or that they present a social gospel, based upon works. Moreover, they violate the conventional belief that the work of the Lord is found solely within the protective walls of the church, or para-church.
The standers non-compromitus, however, understand that we are Christian because that is what God commands. That is, He demands that we recognize that He alone is God (Deu 6:13-14, Mat 4:10); He demands our faith in the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ (Rom 3:20-31); He demands we repent from our sins (Luk 13:5); and He demands our obedience to His word (Luk 3:8, Joh 14:15). Furthermore, He honors the obedient with the promise of eternal life (Mat 19:17).
These Christians understand that we are continually working out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phi 2:12). Not that our works save us (Tit 3:5), but that we are to live in obedience and we are to be continually maturing in the Lord (Col 1:10).
With this foundation, we can know that every arena that the Lord has brought us into is an arena where He has already claimed dominion (Dan 2:37, Col 1:13). In obedience to Him, we are to take dominion of every arena, for the sake and the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Dan 6:4, 2Co 10:5, Col 2:6-8). These arenas include our families, our churches, our jobs, our hobbies, clubs and public forums, lawmaking and politics, etc.
God calls us to stand (1Co 15:58, 16:13, Heb 10:23-31), and after we have done everything to stand we are to stand firm (Eph 6:13-14). "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." [Heb 10:23 NIV]
For the Christian political activist, this last legislative session in Washington State brought hope but ended with dismay. For the first time in decades, we swept the House of Representatives and replaced them with conservatives a good portion of these were Christian and God-fearing. But it was almost demoralizing to witness their unwillingness to pass Godly law.
The leadership was unwilling to send bills that promoted righteous law to the Senate because they knew these bills would be rejected. Threats of rejection, however, did not dissuade them from sending fiscally conservative bills to the Senate. So something is lacking in this argument in their defense. A few months back, I sent a letter to the House leadership, asking them how they intended to convince the people that the Senate is the problem when the House isn't throwing anything at their door.
I can't help but wonder, if we are successful in electing Godly people to the Senate and the governorship, will we now pass Godly law? Or will there be another excuse, such as imputing our morality? or protecting weaker members for re-election?
At the end of the session, I had the opportunity to speak with a conservative member of the House. He is a God-fearing man, but as the session wound on he allowed his views to become compromised for the sake of winning leadership approval in his run for the Senate. As we sat together for breakfast, I began the conversation along the topic of the need for Christians to stand firm for Godly law. He followed with me, but as the conversation began to narrow regarding our responsibilities, he attempted to bring in arguments that would stretch the tent and give a little more latitude for compromise.
Finally, he defended that he reads his Bible and he prays every day quite often with the House leadership. Therefore, he cannot help but think that his every step is ordered of the Lord and everything he does is within God's will. I told him that I thought that his argument sounded fine and that I had had this same conversation with the House leader that he spoke of but he had neglected two important elements:
1. Although Christians are saved from sin and regardless whether we spend time with the Lord, daily or constantly we still have our old sin nature. Jeremiah warns us that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9). Along this same line, Paul reminds us that the regenerate man longs to do good but wars against his fleshly desires (Rom 7:15-18); and
2. If our impulse is from the Lord, it will never violate the Word of God. Everything that we do that does not measure up to the Scriptures comes from our sinful nature and not from the Lord (1Jo 4:1). We cannot fight worldly battles with human wisdom (Pro 3:5-6, 2Co 10:4-5, Col 2:6-8, Heb 10:26-31).
He suggested that we really need to continue this conversation sometime. I am sorry that I offended him.
My friend, when Jesus Christ instructed us to be as shrewd as serpents (Mat 10:16), He also commanded us to be innocent as doves! I have often had conversations with various legislators regarding their support of a bad bill. Invariably, they will defend their action as a necessary evil for re-election. And, as always, I have to confront their logic. "Let me get this straight," I will say. "The good guy had to vote for an evil law, to guarantee that the bad guy will not get elected and vote for evil laws?"
Paul tells us that "the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." [Rom 8:22-23 NIV] We live in a fallen world.
The reason that the world is imperfect and "was subjected to frustration" is "in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." [Rom 8:20-21 NIV]
Sin brought death and decay. Mans' laws continue that death and decay. God's law points us to repentance and life (Rom 2:12-15, 3:20-31, 2Co 7:10). The world is decaying and we cannot humanly reverse that. Yet God has promised freedom from decay. So how are we then to live?
The apostle Peter argues that the day of the Lord will come as a thief and the elements will be destroyed by fire (2Pe 3:10-14). Then he asks the same question: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?" Peter answers the question: "You ought to live holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming."
This brings to mind that I have heard many Christians and several in places of authority declare that we know through the Scriptures that things will get worse until the end, so we are unable to fight the inevitable. That is, we cannot hold back the antichrist so we might as well get along. But the Bible argues that regardless of the antichrist, we are to live Godly lives to speed the day of the Lord. We do not capitulate to the world and thereby speed the day of the antichrist or the rate of decay. If Peter admonished us to live Godly lives to speed the day of the Lord; and Christ declared that the end will not come until the whole world has heard the gospel (Mat 24:14); then how can a Christian even think of aiding the world's or the antichrist's agenda by promoting the world's systems and supporting un-Godly law?
Isn't part of the "glorious freedoms of the children of God" [Rom 8:21 NIV] that, though we do not understand all things (Deu 29:29, 1Co 13:12), we can understand the knowledge of the truth (Mat 11:25-26, 2Ti 2:25, Tit 1:1) with a pure heart (Psa 51:10-14, Mat 23:25-26)? This understanding of the knowledge of the truth demands that:
• We no longer work for the agent of decay (Rom 7:21-25, Heb 10:26-31);
• We live in obedience (Joh 14:15, 23, Heb 12:1-2) ; and
• We teach all nations, by example and by law (1Ki 8:58-60, Mat 28:19).
The Bible is clear that if the Lord has placed us into the arena of civil authority, whether that authority be merely local, or be state or national, we are to take dominion (1Ch 22:12), tear down the strongholds (2Co 10:4-5) and be a witness to the people by giving them righteous rules or law (1Ki 8:58-60, Mic 6:1-16). Don't be taken captive by the world's philosophy (Col 2:8). Don't trust human wisdom (Pro 3:5-6). Let us take our direction from God (Heb 10:23) and stand firm to the end (Isa 7:9), overcoming the yoke of slavery or bondage to decay (Gal 5:1).
God save our nation.
[©1996 Dean Isaacson ]