Did you ever have a “friend” in high school that loved causing fights? You know the kind. They act like your best friend but whisper bad things about others in your ear. Then they turn around and say nasty stuff about you to others. They strike a match, sit back and enjoy the flames.
This kind of person has no interest in right or wrong. Justice is a joke to them. All they want is blood.
The world today sees a similar attack, and many Christians fall for it. We don’t realize that powerful persons and entities seek to destabilize society by any means possible. They aren’t really interested in gender ideology or immigration. They just want to see the world fight about it to gain power from conflict. Satan manipulates our moral compass to do his dirty work.
What’s really going on here?
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have convictions. But it’s become so much more about taking sides and much less about people.
The best examples of how to rise above it all come from Scripture.
When the woman was caught in adultery, did Jesus take a side? Yes. He took the woman’s side. She was caught in the act. Adultery is wrong. According to Jewish law, it was punishable by death. Jesus didn’t condemn the woman though. He sidestepped the political argument and shot for the heart instead.
He condemned all sin. He elevated mercy above all things. Do we see current events from this heavenly point of view?
“Should we pay taxes to Caesar?” the Pharisee asked. They tried to set a trap for Jesus. It’s the same trap we fall into when we get tangled up in political debates. Beat your drum all you want, that’s fine. Do you really think you’ll change their minds? The religious powers of biblical times preached morality for generations — and it didn’t work. Stealing is bad, murder is wrong, corruption is evil”¦ we all know this, and all these things continue to thrive. How much more difficult will it be to convince someone of more ambiguous (secularly speaking) issues such as gay marriage?
We must mark the boundaries of morality, but this can never replace our testimony of the Risen Lord.
When people challenge me about the Christian position on homosexuality, what’s my reply? I present Jesus to everyone – gay, straight, whatever – since we’ve all sinned and we all need a Savior. I know the issues. I do my homework to understand the complexities. I can debate it until the cows come home. But I’m done trying to convince anyone. I only hope to inspire them to seek God instead.
How can you change a heart? How much are you praying for those on the other side of the political fence? Or are you too preoccupied with out-arguing them? Give unto God the things that are God’s.
Stop taking church teaching and weaponizing it politically. This only feeds the spirit of the Pharisee.
Our true mission
Take your eyes off the headlines and look to your community, to your family. Where is the need? Who is suffering? How can you help? Where can you share the Gospel? Don’t you trust in this method over any other? How much are you willing to love?
When we see injustice, it should be denounced. But like Jesus, condemn all sin — not just the other guys. Otherwise, it’s politics – and all politics cares about is winning. But the victory of our Lord has already been won. Believe this! Go all in and trust God’s plan. The political arena is not the essence of our faith. Instead, we are preoccupied with saving souls and helping those in need. This work is much harder, and our only hope for success is our complete dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Take up true arms
If we’re so afraid that we’ll lose the political fight, it appears to me that we’ve already surrendered the spiritual one.
Political arguments are easier since we can rely on intellect, knowledge, and wit. The spiritual war, however, requires other resources that we are afraid to trust.
It‘s paramount to understand and identify this ploy used by Satan himself to keep us off balance and distracted.
Return to the real fight. Our Captain calls us. Be not afraid.
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I heard a sermon on the power of women. It was delivered by a male pastor who emphasized how women enrich and increase what they are given. That is true both in the positive and the negative. I have been deeply saddened by how women tear each other down with their words and actions. They hate on each other and I believe that undermines community for everyone. Men come from women, so the women who destroy teach young boys to destroy and the hatred permeates every aspect of society.
I appreciate you sharing light and hope women can speak to each other with kindness, compassion and not distort who they are or cast distortions on others.
Truth. We must learn the difference between pointless argumentation and sensible reasoning and refutation. Titus 1:9 “holding to the faithful message as taught,y so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.”
You are so very right!
Very good post! I truly enjoyed the read! Yes conviction is the Holy Spirits job we are to love like Jesus did and that’s only done through the Holy Spirit . God told us to avoid foolish arguments 2 Timothy 2:23 and most of the time that’s what politics is all about.
Excellent post and so accurate!
There has got to be a balance. I think what you are describing is applicable to many apologists today. We are called to assert the truth and to refute false doctrine. But we are not called to insult and harass people. I like how you showed that as Christians we must be just as concerned for the individual as we are the truth we are proclaiming. This balance will lead us into loving discussion where we do seek to inspire them, where we seek to persuade them, to hear and accept the truth that Jesus Christ testifies about.
God is Love, and cannot force anyone to Love God and Each Other, as God Loves us. God magnifies Freely given Acts of Love done in secret, not Lip service.
It is written God hates the Holier than Thou types, and that attitude and behaviour does not Win converts to Christ. but the contrary, it turns people off.
Christ Alpha, speaking through Jesus, is recorded to have said, “You hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draws close to me with their mouth, and honours me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
These 2000 years later, Christ Omega sees not much has changed with the People Spiritually, as the greatly expanded material economy of want has taken hold of many souls.
As to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, I see this part unfolding Day by Day,
And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.(false beliefs about God in Judaism, Christianity & Islam. Written some 500 years before Islam, the 3rd arm from the Jewish religious record appeared)
For they are the spirits of DEVILS, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth (the 1%, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Senators, CEOs, and other Idols of the People) and of the whole world, (the rest of Humanity) to gather them to the Battle of that Great Day of God Almighty. (the war is already underway between Judaism, Christianity and Islam leading to the climax of that Great Day)
Behold, I come as a thief. (when you least expect it)
Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Revelation 16:13-16
Armageddon was derived from Har Megiddo, located in Judea and Samaria of occupied Palestine 2000 years ago. Israel as a kingdom disappeared some 800 years before Jesus walked in that area during the occupation.
Har Megiddo/Armageddon still exists as a physical place in this material world, but is now under the control of temporal Israel re-created from the Bible after an absence of some 2800 years. After all those years, the occupation of Judea and Samaria in Palestine is still an unresolved, violent, open wound in the Middle East and this material world.
I totally agree with the spirit of this letter, “When we see injustice, it should be denounced. But like Jesus, condemn all sin – not just the other guys. Otherwise, it’s politics — and all politics cares about is winning. But the victory of our Lord has already been won. Believe this! Go all in and trust God’s plan. The political arena is not the essence of our faith. Instead, we are preoccupied with saving souls and helping those in need. This work is much harder, and our only hope for success is our complete dependence on the Holy Spirit.”
The Reality is, that necessitates entering the preserve of the Political realms understanding this, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
All who seek You shall exult and rejoice; those who love Your salvation shall constantly say, “May the Lord be magnified.”
Thank you for the post. Well stated. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6) Never will an argument, or taking sides, lead to knowledge or love of God.
Well said indeed, may our Lord bless you for your ministry