By Buddy Hanson
Once more it’s the height of the political season, and once more Christians are disappointed in the candidates that have emerged. There is something very puzzling about this. In the first place why should we be surprised that, after sitting on the sidelines waiting for a random act of kindness on behalf of non-Christians to offer up a slate of explicitly Christian candidates? For example, how many churches have provided weekend seminars for local candidates and legislators (and their members!) on how a Christian civil ruler should legislate? In the second place, the Bible promotes the personal liberty of self-government, not the tyranny of central government, so why are we more interested in what a president might do, than we are in what we should do?
Rather than continuing to preach to the choir, I thought a more effective tactic would be to provide a series of brief Spiritual Mind Expanders. Perhaps you can use them with your Christian friends to arouse their interests and awaken them to some ways to bring honor to their Lord, Savior, and King, Jesus Christ in all they do. Since this is not in any way a complete list of “IF’s, you may think of additional ones. If so, send them in after Part Four (at bhanson@graceandlaw.com),and if we have enough to send out a Part Five, we’ll do so.
Following are the first seven IF’s. Enjoy!
IF
We really believe that God’s Word is true and without error,
IF
We really believe that man’s word, when it doesn’t conform to God’s Word is false, then aren’t we agreeing that ONLY God’s Word works, and that man’s word ONLY fails?
IF
This is the case, then why do we spend even a millisecond considering which candidate to vote for?
IF
They don’t believe that Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him?" (John 14.6)
IF
They don’t believe this, they will seek counsel from people who hate the triune God of Scripture and will make decisions based upon the self-centered and sinful wisdom of man, instead of the others-centered and holy wisdom of God.
IF
We vote for the lesser of two evils, are we not disobeying the apostle Paul’s admonition to “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12.21), and at the same time, “resisting the ordinance of God,” causing Him to appoint evil rulers over us, instead of godly rulers? (Romans 13.1-7)
IF
We blatantly disobey God’s counsel on how to select civil rulers, upon what basis can we expect Him to “hear our prayers” to turn our country back to living according to biblical ethics? (Isaiah 1.15)
(Scripture quotes may be paraphrases)
Buddy Hanson is President of the Grace & Law Resource Center, which helps fellow Christians provide a visual model of what a redemptive world will someday look like by assisting them to re-suppose what they pre-suppose by interpreting the Bible in terms of our present days, instead of according to the last days. www.graceandlaw.com, 205.454.1442
To send in more IFs, contact Buddy Hanson at bhanson@graceandlaw.com. If enough are received, Hanson plans to incorporate them into a Part Five.
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