Christians and politics

If those who attend churches that have roots in the Christian faith believed what the Bible said, this election would be a landslide...the other way.

Because many Christians let their world inform what they think about the Bible, you get some incoherent politics.

Five reads shed some light on God, Christians and politics. I encourage you to take the time and digest these over the next couple of days .

1. An Open Letter to Evangelicals by Harry R. Jackson, Jr. In his essay, Mr. Jackson paints a clear portrait of the Christian as a citizen. He also exposes how a weak view and understanding of the Bible leads to its mis- and non-application in the lives with such a view. Nowhere is this currently more visible than in the political arena.
2. Christians and Politics, Part 1 by John MacArthur, Jr. Here is the first of a four-part treatment of Christians and politics. The first part introduces the other three highlighting how much has fundamentally changed in our nation within a half-century and identifies the real problem in America today.
   
3. Christians and Politics, Part 2 by John MacArthur, Jr. In this section, John MacArthur emphasizes that the church is not the state. It's important to note that he does not say that the church must abstain from things political but that the church's priority resides in the spiritual realm and not the physical.
   
4. Christians and Politics, Part 3 by John MacArthur, Jr. Here MacArthur discusses the role of the individual in politics in America.
   
5. Christians and Politics, Part 4 by John MacArthur, Jr. "By means of faithful preaching and godly living, believers are to be the conscience of whatever nation they reside in," writes MacArthur.
   

I have found John MacArthur to be a superb biblical scholar and teacher. That said, I feel that here he does not emphasize enough the need for the believer to proclaim God's truth in politics and culture, in realms civic and scholastic, where we have too often been silent. The church through every believer restrains the anarchy of a society. When it doesn't do that, society begins to rot, and when that happens, I believe that we disobey part of God's command to steward the earth He gave us.

I include his insights for you to consider through the lens of Scripture what God would have you do.

(Thanks to my friend Mark for tipping me off on MacArthur's articles)