Gospel Tract #29

Politics and Believers

After being delivered out of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites were led by Moses into the wilderness of Sinai. God had promised to give them Canaan's land; all they had to do was follow the guide that God had given them. That guide was a sheltering cloud by day which became a comforting pillar of fire by night.

"So it was always. The cloud covered [the tabernacle] by day, and the appearance of fire by night. And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, the children of Israel journeyed. And in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents" (Num. 9:16-17).

In the wilderness, God tried Israel's faith in Him, and on several occasions Israel responded to the test by making plans to return to Egypt – not to be slaves again, of course, but to rule. They knew that the Egyptians now feared them, for the land of Egypt had been wasted by the plagues of Israel's mighty God. Israel also knew that Pharaoh and his army were dead, having drowned in the Red Sea. So, it seemed preferable to many Israelites to return to Egypt than to continue across the barren wilderness toward the Promised Land. But the cloud would not turn around and lead them back to Egypt. It went steadily onward to Canaan.

The cloud's direction notwithstanding, many Israelites wanted to return. On one occasion, they threatened to stone Moses and elect another leader who would take them back (Num. 16). They may have imagined that it would glorify Jehovah if they reigned over Egypt in His name, as they thought to honor Him by erecting a golden calf at Mount Sinai and celebrating a feast before it in His name (Ex. 32:3-5). Surely, it would be a good thing if, instead of the heathen, God's own people ruled over the rich land of Egypt. Despite all Moses' efforts, this is what many Israelites thought.

This, too, is what many in the body of Christ think, who would return to the Egypt of earthly affairs, such as politics or social activism. Such men fail to understand that God has called His people out of earthly entanglements so that they may "walk in the newness of life" and worship the Father "in spirit and truth." Saints have an obligation to pray for whomever God puts into any political office (1Tim. 2:1-2). They have no calling from God to become embroiled in this world's political or social causes.

Paul said that Israel was baptized unto Moses in the cloud that led them (1Cor. 10:2). New Testament believers are baptized unto Jesus by the holy Spirit (1Cor. 12:13). Just as the Israelites had to follow that with which they were baptized in order to obtain the promise, so we must follow the guidance of the holy Spirit in order to obtain the promise of eternal life (Mt. 24:11-13; Rom. 8:14). God's Spirit is no more leading the body of Christ back into the world to become entangled in the politics of earth than the cloud was leading Israel back to Egypt. It is steadfastly going in the opposite direction.

We who have put our trust in Christ Jesus abide in the peace he gives only as we keep our minds on the things of God. Paul said, "To be carnally [worldly] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6).

"If, therefore, you are raised up with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ sits at God's right hand, and think on things that are above, not on things on the earth. You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).

Old Testament Israel had to be concerned with earthly matters because they were an earthly nation, the only earthly nation of saints that has ever existed. In this New Testament, the body of Christ is not an earthly nation. God's people are ambassadors of His heavenly kingdom, and they are to conduct themselves impartially toward all worldly governments. In whatever nation we find ourselves, we are to obey its laws. The only exception to this rule of obedience to earthly rulers is when rulers command God's children to disobey the will of God. The same apostle who exhorted the saints to "obey every ordinance of man" also said to the rulers who ordered him to preach no more, "We ought to obey God rather than man."

When Jesus was being arrested in the garden of Gethsemene, Peter, confident that he was doing God a service, pulled out his hidden sword and attacked those who had come to take Jesus. But Jesus rebuked Peter. He said, "Put your sword in its sheath, for all who take up a sword will die by a sword."

Consider, please, this question. Did Jesus' prohibition apply only to swords? Would it have been acceptable with Jesus if Peter had attacked men with a gun instead of a sword? Or would a whip or a knife have been acceptable to the Lord? Or would he have been pleased if Peter had organized a rebellion against the chief priests, or sponsored a petition to have Caiaphas ousted? What difference does it make what form the fighting takes if Jesus said that his servants do not fight (see Jn. 18:36)?

God's children accomplish God's will on earth "not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord" (Zech. 4:6). If it is not led by the Spirit of the Lord, any deed is carnal, and carnal weapons are useless in spiritual warfare. The weapons of the Spirit, however, are "mighty, even to the pulling down of strongholds" of evil (2Cor. 10:4). Peace is a weapon. Joy and truth are weapons. The love of God is a weapon. The power of the Spirit is a weapon. The battle of the body of Christ is an invisible one, and it can be successfully fought only with invisible weapons.

Voting

If rather than use their spiritual weapons, God's people return to the world's ways and take up the sword of earthly political power, then according to Jesus' own words, they are destined to be trampled upon by that same power. Dear child of God, let us reason together. It is an indisputable fact that the majority of the world's citizens are on the "broad way which leads to destruction." Then, if the saints, being in the minority, resort to the earthly weapon of majority rule, common sense – not to mention the holy Spirit – screams to us the incontrovertible truth that we are bound to be outvoted and defeated. We must fight our battles God's way, or we lose every time.

We can find peace in the knowledge that "the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomsoever He will" (Dan. 4:25). God's plan on this earth includes the use of godless governments and wicked men. Paul pointed this out for the saints: "There is no power but of God," he wrote, "the powers that be are ordained of God" (Rom. 13:1). Therefore, if the body of Christ frets itself and attempts to alter the course of earthly governments by earthly means, is not the body of Christ fretting against the One who ordained those governments? For He is responsible for their being! Listen again to Paul: "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God. The powers that be are ordained of God. Whoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation" (Rom. 13:1-2).

One dear brother, who has since gone to be with our Lord Jesus, said that before he learned this liberating truth, he carried hatred and fear in his heart toward foreign nations that hated this country. In his imagination, he pictured himself killing as many of them as possible if they ever attacked this land, before he himself was killed. That is not the will of God for His people. Later, however, this same brother saw himself and the other saints as ambassadors of a heavenly kingdom, foreigners representing Jesus to all nations of the earth, proclaiming the truth of God's kingdom to all. And as ambassadors, unencumbered with the concerns of earthly governments, we may serve our Lord in "righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit. For he that in these things serves Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men" (Rom. 14:17– 18).

Ambassadors to an Evil World

Because of their submission to the heathen king Nebuchadnezzar, young Daniel and his three Hebrew friends were no doubt considered by Israel's false prophets to be traitors of their nation. We know that Jeremiah was condemned as a traitor for telling his fellow Jews in Jerusalem that they should surrender to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer. 38). And I certainly understand how it now may seem unpatriotic to suggest that saints should not become immersed in the political partisanships of this earth. But Jesus has taught me that no nation on this earth is either sacred or eternal. Until the time when the King of eternity comes to rule the earth with his "rod of iron", earthly kingdoms will rise and fall, conquer and be conquered, prosper and decay. And in whichever of history's times we live, in whatever place, and under whatever form of government, our only cause is to represent our King, and our only weapons, those which pierce the souls of men, not their flesh.

I thank God for the privilege of living in the United States of America while serving the Lord Jesus. God has graced this land with liberties which are envied by all other nations. Those liberties, however, should be seen as coming only from God, sustained only by God, and when taken away, taken away only by God. Looking around at the events transpiring in the United States right now, it is clear that God has begun to withdraw the favor He once showed to this nation. The precious name of Jesus is no longer honored above all others by this nation's leaders. Public respect for Jesus is the very reason God richly blessed this nation, and Western Civilization in general. What, then, can we expect to be the result of this modern refusal to acknowledge His Son? The arrogant confidence in military victory exhibited by the pundits and political leaders over the enemies of this nation is founded upon faith in superior technology and weaponry. But we are taught in the holy Bible that "Safety is of the Lord."

The "Lord" from whom all safety springs is the Father of the Lord Jesus, God's Son, who is now routinely dishonored by nations where He was once publicly praised and respected. Child of God, listen! If God determines to turn this country over to cruel and godless men, you must still act as ambassadors, not rebels, toward those to whom God has given the reins of government.

Our duty as ambassadors for Christ is to pray for every person in political office everywhere, not rebel against them. Obey the laws of the country in which you live. Be thankful for the government over you because, as bad as some laws may seem to be, this world would be a far worse place to live were there no laws at all. Love the peace which laws sustain, just as you love God, because governments on earth are ordained by God, and they all play a role in bringing this age to its conclusion. God has not lost control of His universe, and as long as the body of Christ remembers that, it will not listen to fools who would lead it back to Egypt. It will, instead, mind its own business, the business of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.