My Politics vs. My Faith

The church of America is generally pretty politically active.  We have the Christian Civic League, Council's of Churches and other organizations.  This is not always a bad thing as it is good to be involved in our society.  I am concerned however for the direction things seem to be going.

Our defining message, our whole reason for being, has to do with redeeming souls, not cultures or governments.  It often seems to be that we have replaced the message of reconciliation with God through the shed blood of Jesus, with a cultural redemption based on the combatting of sin.  We rail against sins we see as a threat to our way of life and declare that God is going to judgeour country for these sins.  Well, sort of.  God is coming back and He is going to judge the whole world for its sins.  The fact that there is sin in America is neither new nor surprising.  That those sins are becoming more visible and some have government permission doesn't really change much.

Our culture is in trouble because it does not know God, not because it sins.  It sins because it does not know God.  Whether these sins are socially acceptable or are gaining social acceptability does not change how God sees them.  The whole human race is full of sin.  The Westboro Baptist people celebrate deaths of Americans saying that God is judging America for its acceptance of homosexuality.  I know Christians who, while far from so callous as to do that, still believe that America risks God's judgment because we accept homosexual behavior.  Would Westboro celebrate at the death of Muslims because God hates unbelievers?  Would they celebrate at the funeral of a Chinese person because God hates communist athiests?  Would we say that God is about to bring judgment upon any Islamist government because they kill Christians?  Afterall, they also outlaw homosexuality.  God might really be stuck there, wouldn't He?

Of course I am being a bit facetious, but you see my point.  We can get caught up in the politics of gay rights to the point that we forget that our struggle is to bring people to Christ so that they might be forgiven for ALL their sins, whatever they be.  We are not going to see anyone saved by outlawing a particular sin.  Daniel and his friends, Nehemiah, Esther, even Jesus, lived and served under rulers that made our American system look like a Sunday School picnic.  The leaders were godless men and yet these men did not focus on reforming, but on being Christians, pointing to the superiority of their God and His kingdom.  Jesus told Pilate directly, "My kingdom is not of this world."   My American politics moves me toward a consideration of my rights.  It moves my message toward complaining about rulers.  My Biblical faith moves me toward a surrender of my rights and my message one of an unshakeable hope and a resurrected Savior who forgives sins.

God is coming.   He is going to judge all the nations.  He is not going to judge because of homosexuality or immigration or welfare reform or any of the other pet things that we can begin to allow to characterize our Christianity.  He is going to judge all sinner unless they have been declared righteous by the blood of Christ.  The message our world needs so desperately to hear clearly, constantly, and consistently is, "God made Him who knew no sin to be sin, so that we could be the righteousness of God."