Now What?

Cal Thomas, a Christian political analyst, has an insightful post on Townhall.com today entitled "The Religious Right:  R. I. P."  Some of his analysis I agree with, his conclusion I do not.  To analyze his complete view I would of course need to interview him, so since I cannot do that, I will so the best that I can.  

He says that what evangelicals have been doing for thirty years obviously hasn't worked, I mean come on we just elected a socialist to the most powerful job on the planet.  Social change does not take place through the courts, or through political means.  We need to "love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit those in prison and care for widows and orphans," just as Jesus did.  I agree with that, but there are several things about what Mr. Thomas says and how he says it I disagree with.  The progressive, liberal theologians have also tried to do the above for longer than thirty years and it has only landed them in the Marxist christian camp believing nothing, except social change through social activism.  This eventually led to watering down the Scriptures and the Gospel, when all that was done all they had were social issues.  He does make a good point about evangelicals relying on government to our peril.  Change doesn't happen through political means either.  The Gospel's aim is not social change, and neither is it the right of an oppressive government on either side to change society.  

As Christians we are to be salt and light where ever Christ leads us personally.  That may be into politics to stand for truth, justice and righteousness.  It may be in the home raising godly children, or in a business, or somewhere in the public square, even if that public square is hostile to our beliefs.  To pull out of all of these realms would be a disaster of monumental proportions.  Surely, Mr. Thomas wasn't advocating this, let us hope not.  That has been tried also and has failed miserably. Going back into our holy huddles and waiting till the storm passes doesn't work, the storm will only get worse, and we will be marginalized at best.  Christ never advocated a pragmatic approach to life anyway.  

Christ spoke His Gospel of grace where ever He happened to be.  Whether that was to the Pharisees (who had a great deal to do with the culture at that time), or to the money changers, or to the men that caught the woman in adultery, and he also dinned with the "sinners,"  the tax collectors (politicians all), and the prostitutes.  He did not just feed the hungry, although we are to do that, He did not just pray for His enemies, although we are to do that as well.  He confronted His enemies when it was right and just to do so.  He played with children, He lived life with a great deal of people, showing them the way.  He also suffered, died, and was crucified.  We maybe called to do all of the above, and as we go....we should show and tell others of the Gospel.  The Gospel is what changes people, neither social activism, nor holy huddles, nor anything else changes lives, the power of God through His Gospel.   God sent His Son so that we might be reconciled to Him, not by our works of our own righteousness, but only by Him.  Christ saw change.  He made great upheavals of change, before and after He died and rose again.  Think about the change he wrought for women, for children, for the sacredness of life.  That issue alone changed history forever.  

We in this great experiment of a country of ours have lived under freedom longer than any people in the history of the world.  That is amazing.  We have definitely taken it for granted.  The majority of the people that have lived on this planet have lived under tyranny.  I am reading The Black Book of Communism and the numbers in the last century that were killed under that philosophy are staggering.  The authors of the book estimate 100 million.  They say  Hitler's regime was just a drop in the bucket, but we in the free West have not been able to make this comparison without being labeled anti-Semitic.  How staggering.  Just think of all those 106 million (counting those who died under the National Socialists) who were followers of Christ.  If we think about it, it wasn't that long ago.  

We all need to read The City of God by Augustine.  Augustine says that there are two different kinds of people; those that belong to the city of God and those that belong to the city of man.  This world will never be a theocracy, it will never be a utopia (much to the liberal chagrin) because these two groups of people will never see eye to eye.  He wrote this just a few years before the barbarians sacked Rome.  

I picked up a book that I haven't read in many years yesterday.  Carl F. Henry wrote a speech on the coming of the barbarians in 1970, later on in 1988 he wrote a follow up volume called Twilight of a Great Civilization.  It was amazing to me how prophetic he was.  He was one of the most brilliant Christian minds of the last century.  He says, "When Protestant liberalism lost theological credibility, it deteriorated into a politico-economic program.  Cloaking Marxist revolution in the symbols of Christianity has become trendy since Castro's regime in Cuba."   Politico-economic programs, sound familiar?  The Black Book of Communism says that there are two "fantasies" about socialism, I will only state one here.  The first fantasy is a "thesis that purports to offer a non-violent, market road to socialism-that is, Marx's integral socialism which necessitates the full suppression of private property, profit, and the market."  Sound familiar?   The authors go on to say, that once the socialists get power, they have never seen or heard of any that could not give into the temptation of continued power.  "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, (Lord Acton)."  

This brings me to my final point.  Go read II Chronicles chapter 20 of the story of Jehoshaphat, Gideon, dad-gum the whole entire history of Israel.  We have always been in the minority!  Jehoshaphat was hit with the fact that his army was out numbered tremendously.  He is afraid and says, "We are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You," (II Chronicles 20:12).  All God does is a picture of the Gospel.  We are powerless to fix, change, save, etc, etc, ourselves.  When God puts us in times, predicaments, trials, fearful times it is only to prove His faithfulness in order to have freedom from fear, circumstances, trials, etc.  Then we have the abundant life that Christ has promised and God is greatly glorified, because He alone saves!

Even so Come Quickly, Lord Jesus.....Lynn