Our Responsibilities as Sojourners and Citizens

The world tells us to put God in a box and not to bring our faith out into the marketplace or into politics, while hushed churchgoers tell us to stay silent about our faith lest we offend and burn bridges.  But God is too powerful to be constrained, too big to be contained, too omnipresent to be cast out, and too omniscient to not be consulted, especially when we are so desperate for wisdom.

Furthermore, when belief in God, trust in His divine attributes and sovereign plan, or even a simple nonreligious respect for His natural moral law (those universal truths establishing right and wrong set in the hearts of every human being regardless of race, religion, residence, or heritage) are rejected by the majority, a society has effectively chosen to feed on nothing better than a sickening goulash with the following ingredients:

• Haunting, hovering hatred
• Lying lips
• Divisive dissent
• Destructive distrust
• Vilified victims
• Violent vengeance
• Evil emerging everywhere
• Marriages morphing into meaninglessness
• Mothers being manipulated to murder their own children for convenience and to pay homage to the god of choice
• Inalienable rights being redefined from "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" to "the right to kill, steal (socialism), and destroy through the pursuit of sodomy, hedonism, laziness, luxury and pretending to be a god in one's own eyes (Reference John 10:10)
• Decimation of families, young women, and children by the Great Harlot who parades herself in the form of pornography
• Powerful political personae possessing no courage, no character, no backbone, no morals, and no decency

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree...they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." (Romans 1:28-32)

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What must a fallen but forgiven Christ follower to do in such a time as this?  Humans have no power to change a single human heart.  Our best arguments and most articulate words fall on deaf ears (that hear but only what they want to hear) for those who refuse to believe. (Isaiah 43:8) If we speak out too harshly, we could seal shut a door that was on the verge of opening.  If we don't speak at all, how will the lost and hurting know the reason for the hope that is in us?  Is it not selfish to hold back the truth while others perish? 

Here are some thoughts in response to a questions regarding a Christian's responsibility as a citizen of his country when his eternal citizenship is in heaven.

Trust in God Alone
First of all, a Christian's responsibility is to trust in God alone, not in earthly governments, military might, worldly weapons of warfare or carnal wisdom. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When Judah was surrounded by the world's largest, fiercest, most ruthless, bloodthirsty and undefeated army in the world (Assyria), all human hope was gone.  Hezekiah's closest adviser, Shebna, kept encouraging him to gain strength by forming allies with pagan nations and to buy horses and chariots from the Egyptians even though God forbade it.  But Isaiah delivered this message from the Lord:

 ¹ Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many
    and in horsemen because they are very strong,
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!

³ The Egyptians are man, and not God,
    and their horses are flesh, and not spirit.
When the Lord stretches out his hand,
    the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall,
    and they will all perish together.  (Isaiah 31:1,3)

When we put our hope in political powers or grow fearful and anxious over the failings of elected leaders, then we have misplaced our trust.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." (Psalm 20:7)

When all our hope is in the Living Lord, however, we do not fret or lose heart, and our peace in the midst of the storm can be a powerful witness to the lost who may want to know the source of our joy and peace.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Isaiah 26:3)

Pray in Faith

The "perfect peace" is not suggesting a state of apathy. Instead, "perfect peace" prescribes and perfects prayerfulness. Pray for wisdom and goodness to fall on your leaders and for God to change their hearts. Pray for all citizens to seek God's wisdom and discernment and that they will live peaceably with one another showing respect for all human life. 

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ² for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. ³ This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2: 1-4)

Seek God's wisdom
While praying without ceasing, God's people must study His truths and listen for His voice.

¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (1 Timothy 3: 15-17)

I'll share a recent example to illustrate how this has played out in my own life. While praying for our country and asking God for wisdom regarding the upcoming election, I was reminded of James 3:13-18.  Applied to politics, this passage could serve as a guideline for the body of Christ to use when determining which leaders possess more wisdom.  For a Christ follower, "wisdom" could be defined as "knowledge rightly applied." Wisdom is not just knowledge or experience.  Wisdom is using that knowledge and experience to exercise good judgment that works toward the greater long term good. It is not manipulating information to serve one's own self interest or to benefit a few special interest groups while hurting everyone in the long run.

¹³ "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."  (Jame 3:13-18)

My verse-by-verse interpretation of that passage when applied to choosing leaders is summarized below.  (Warning: any human paraphrase or personal application to one isolated situation  has no authority on it's own and may not be the way God intended us to apply it, for who can possibly know the mind of God? Each person must prayerfully search the Scriptures for Himself.)

Verse 13: To know if someone has wisdom from above, look for humility in his character. One who is humble or meek has found wisdom, whereas arrogance characterizes a fool.

Verses 14 & 15:  Those who boast are liars. They are filled with jealousy and selfish ambition. They are "earthly, unspiritual, and demonic," so choose leaders who are honest.

Verse 16:  Those who harbor envy and selfish ambition (the boastful) bring disorder and commit vile deeds.

Verses 17 & 18:  Conversely, those who possess wisdom from above are "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere." They will sow & reap peace and righteousness.

So who do we choose if no candidate seems to fit these indicators of wisdom, and we're choosing the lesser of evils? If neither candidate exhibits ANY of these marks of wisdom, then determining which candidate is less evil becomes a fruitless exercise based on quantity and accuracy of information available, but since the media has become a propaganda machine, discerning what is true and weighing the evidence is nearly impossible.

So this upcoming election, in particular, must drive us continually to our knees in prayer.  There God will speak to our hearts. We need only be consistent with the conviction He gives us.

With regard to the presidential election, my personal conviction is that neither candidate upholds the standards for wisdom, so I'm looking at their platforms, policies, and the people they have chosen to lead with them.  Cabinet members, Supreme Court justice prospects, and advisors will heavily influence the decisions made for our country, so I am looking for the marks of wisdom in these influential leaders and finding enough on one side to assure me that wiser decisions will come from one candidate's administration than the other.

 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22)

Please note that my approach toward the lesser of evils dilemma is only based on personal conviction, not Biblical truth.  Each one must seek the Lord and decide for himself regarding disputable matters.  (Romans 14)

Speak the Truth in Love

The Lord fights our battles for us, whether those battles are seen or unseen (Deuteronomy 1:30, 2 Chronicles 20:17, Isaiah 31:14, Zechariah 14:3).  Sometimes He gives us the privilege of taking part in those battles as in the case of David facing Goliath, but ultimately the battle is His alone and always for His glory.  In Ephesians 6, the Lord gives us a long list of defensive armor to wear during spiritual battles, but the only offensive weapon against evil we are given is the WORD of God. (Ephesians 6:17) This weapon is to be used against the enemy of our souls, not against our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  When we twist God's word or manipulate it to hurt someone else, we are not speaking God's truth in love.  

In Exodus 14:14, God commanded Israel not to speak at all while He fought for them, so we must consider the context and follow His leading in every circumstance.  James 3 reminds us that the tongue is set on fire by hell and that "with it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God." (James 3:9) Furthermore, teachers of the word are judged more harshly (James 3:1) and are better off with a millstone tied around their necks and thrown into the sea if their words lead another astray. (Mark 9:42) 

To not speak truth when God is commanding us to speak out through the promptings of His Spirit within us is the sin of disobedience. It also reveals a love for oneself and one's own reputation that supersedes love for others. When we do speak, we must be certain we are speaking God's truth correctly and speaking it from a heart of love as the Spirit leads and not out of anger, fear, or frustration. And we must always take every opportunity to lovingly share the hope of Christ for salvation to those who believe.

We cannot speak correctly if we are not faithfully trusting, praying, and studying His truth.  If we are abiding in Him, seeking His will and not ours, then we will pray rightly, not with impure, vengeful motives or out of a wounded spirit which begets angry, frustrated emotions.

"You do not have, because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4: 2b-3)

Just as we would never willingly choose a radical ISIS warrior to rule over us and force us to obey his version of the Quran, we have no right to hold those outside of the Christian faith accountable to a hihger standard than the laws of the land, for they have not placed themselves under God's authority, nor do they have God's power to resist the sin nature.  Regarding the body of believers, however, it is our responsibility to sound the alarm (Joel 2:1-3), equip, train, teach, discipline, and correct. 

The church of Christ is meant to function together as a body.  If the head knows danger is near or that the foot is about to slip, the head must send a signal to the rest of the body, and the nerves must do their part to get that message relayed.  If one part of the body fails to send the message, the whole body will fall. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31)

So what happens if we let fear of offending others keep us from sounding the alarm?  Here's how Ezekiel answered that question.

The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, ³ and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, ⁴ then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. ⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. ⁶ But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand. 

⁷ “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. ⁸ If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. ⁹ But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33:1-9)

Submit to Authority
Whenever possible without violating God's law, obey your leaders and submit to those in authority over you.  How can you win them for Christ if you gain their disdain?  Love them as eternal souls made in God's image and respect their position of authority.  Wait for God to open doors for eternal fruit and be ready when He calls you to an opportunity to bear fruit.  If your leader commands you to disobey God, then your allegiance to God comes first, and you must obey God and submit to whatever the government's law deems as your punishment.

Praise Him through the Trials 
Perhaps the hardest thing for the Christian to do as a citizen of his country is to rejoice in Christ when the nation falls apart and all earthly hopes and dreams are shattered.  God allows loss, pain, and suffering into our lives for a reason. He may be administering His justice, which if we are honest, demands that great tribulation fall upon America, for our nation has collectively rejected Him, blasphemed Him, dishonored Him, and defiled all that He has made to be good.  We deserve nothing but the full bowl of His wrath poured over us, for even a redeemed believer's righteousness is only possible through the covering of Christ's blood poured out for all our wickedness.

 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³ for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴ And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  (James 1:2-4)

But God is merciful, slow to anger, patient in withholding his wrath, and His mercies are new every morning.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Know that He allows hardships to refine us, test us, strengthen us, mold us, and draw us closer to Himself, but NEVER forget HIS GOODNESS and MERCY and LOVE!  He brings nations to ruin for the purpose of bringing them to repentance.  National or natural disasters are compassionate wake-up calls warning the nation of the greater judgment to come if they do not turn to Him.  Every hardship or heartache is worth the price if they all lead us to repentance and into the bosom of our Heavenly Father.  The blatant, in-your-face sin permeating our society also gives us a greater appreciation of man's desperate need for God whose righteousness and mercy become all the more awe inspiring in comparison, thereby compelling us to share the glorious gospel of Christ with others.

Do not lose heart, for God is on the throne. Draw near to Him and strength your faith in Him.

Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)

Encourage one another and build up the body of Christ.
The family of faith must continually encourage one another, and all the more as we see through the culture and the political atmosphere that the Day of the Lord is approaching.  

   Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.  (1 Thessalonians 1:11)

Each and every believer must be faithful to making disciples and using his/her spiritual gifts, talents, and resources to strengthen the weak, nurse the sick, provide for the poor, evangelize, shepherd the flock, teach, offer mercy and compassion, minister to widows & orphans, nurture Biblical marriages and families, serve, lead administrate, and so forth, while also using every freedom and opportunity left to fulfill civil duties.  As the persecution intensifies, the grapes may get trampled, but the result is valuable sweet wine. We must keep doing what we've always been called to do regardless of issues of the state, but with a greater sense of urgency as the signs of the times become increasingly obvious.  The body of Christ needs to be intentional about increasingly working together to build up the church and spread the truth now more than ever as the issues of the state are decided by increasingly corrupt minds who plot to steal the hearts and minds of future generations. 

Modern Town of Bethlehem (copyright belongs to blog author)

Keep Growing in Love for God and Man

³⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)