WARNING: This one may rock the boat a little, but lately, I've been thinking some personally-challenging thoughts with regard to my evangelical efforts. Some of you may even call these thoughts "heretical", but I'm just asking questions. I'm just seeking understanding. I'm not saying that I am right; I'm not saying I am wrong. I am simply writing what has been going around in my brain for a few weeks now... and I welcome thoughts from anyone and everyone. With that said, let's explore:
I fear that as Christians, too often, we focus our missional energies on the "fruit" of our cultural problems rather than the "root" of our cultural problems. We want to see laws changed to favor righteousness. (Fine.) We want to have "righteous-rule" in our land. (Sounds great.)
However, I think that we have become political Christians. We have blurred the lines between spiritual freedom in Christ with the civil liberties afforded by the Constitution. We have sought social reform before spiritual reform. In essence, we have looked at the failures in our land and said, "if we can just get more Christians in political offices", or "if we can just get them to outlaw abortion", or "if we can just get them to keep the Ten Commandments up at the courthouse"... "then, and only then, will we have God's favor on our nation." . . . get ready because this is where the boat-rocking starts.
My challenge is this: it does not matter who rules the land. It does not matter what laws are on the books. It does not matter who is in political office. Those issues are all fruit problems. (As a matter of fact, the greatest growth of the Body of Christ on the earth, historically, seems to always come when their is unrighteous and oppressive rule in the land... hmmm...???)
Back to the point: it is a tragic thing when an apple tree doesn't yield fruit, but to focus purely on the no fruit/bad fruit/weak fruit/etc. is fruitless. First, we must examine the root system of that apple tree.
The laws of our land are nothing more than a reflection of the morality of the people of our land. If there is lawless, godless edicts being proclaimed, that is merely because our nation has become lawless and godless. However, simply putting "righteous" rule from the TOP DOWN is nothing more than Theocratic Tyranny. (yes, I just said that.)
We must first focus on the roots: the people of this nation. They need the Church, the Body of Christ, to rise up and reach out. These may seem like a broad generalization...BUT... Christians, more commonly termed by the Media as "the Religious Right", are nothing more than a social institution looking to get the best political deal they can to further their social worldview. (and please, don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful worldview).
All I am saying is: we are focused on the wrong thing IF we think that the laws on the books will change people's hearts. Rather, we should focus on changing people's hearts first. Then, we will see the laws reflect the morality of the people. That is not to say that we neglect our civil duties as citizens of these United States. That is merely to say that we need to be focused on eternal souls rather than short-term policies. People need salvation, not democracies.
Two final quotes to leave with you:
1) John Adams wrote: "Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people; it is wholly inadequate for any other."
2) Scripture does not say, "If my people, who are called by my name, will vote in the right politicians and decree the right laws, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land." I believe it actually tells us "if we will humble ourselves and pray."
Theocratic Tyranny comes from the top-down, but Jesus Christ ministered to people by making himself the lowest. He reached out to the broken, to the wounded, the lame, blind, deaf, captives, etc. He was a citizen of a different kingdom who did not confuse his civil duties to Israel and Rome with his eternal duties of showing those who were lost the way back to their heavenly Father.
Like I said, I welcome your thoughts, comments, suggestions, recommendations, etc...
I LOVE this blog! You have hit the nail on the head! There is an unshakable place of peace knowing that our sovereign God holds our nation in His hand and hears our prayers to turn the hearts of people towards Him. Thanks for provoking our thoughts. :) Pam
ReplyDeleteAHEM!! Good on you, Dallas. Will we ever learn to BE the testimony? Want to say a lot more, but will hold my tongue. Love you! Thanks for being REAL!
ReplyDeleteI love to explore so let me submit the following as food for thought...
ReplyDeleteFirst let me say I do agree with you for the most part. However, using your analogy I would mention there are diseases that start in the fruit and the leaf. If you don’t take care of them they too can destroy the tree. I’m not saying we don’t have a root problem but a wise orchard keeper would take care of both root and fruit problems.
I have recently received some very thorough Biblical teaching on the Reformer’s Creed that leads me to believe we must do both at the same time. I think in the United States we have the opportunity and the responsibility to do so on a level not possible in countries where the people do not vote in their leaders. Paul used his Roman citizenship to avoid being handed over to the Jews that wanted him dead and God used it to advance His kingdom. Should we not do the same? Should we not use whatever God has provided, including our government, to advance the Kingdom of God and a encourage righteousness?
No doubt lasting change in a country only happens when people are transformed (not just have a born again experience). However, I think the narrow focus of the church on the salvation of souls (due to a faulty eschatology) is part of the reason the church lost the media, and the arts and many other human institutions that we (including you specifically) are so desperately trying to win back. So why change the hearts first as you say? Let’s do both at the same time to the best of our ability.
God created man to transform the earth after the pattern of Heaven. If my vote or being in office can do that then I say do that AND focus on the souls of men both by preaching the gospel and by being a godly example (whether you are in the grocery store or political office). Let’s tend to the root AND the fruit at the same time.
Your article is thought-provoking and stirs my spirit.
ReplyDeleteDad
I saw an e-mail about this on our Google account and clicked the link. I like what you're saying here. First century Jews anticipated a kingdom of God that was a political kingdom. We believers would do well to remember that Jesus came proclaiming a different kind of kingdom and did not bring the hoped for political revolution. Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and give to God what is God's. Jesus was primarily concerned with renewing and transforming the hearts, minds and spirits of the few who chose to follow Him---not with renewing or transforming political structures. In your words, He was all about addressing the roots problem, not the fruits problem. You also see this in the early church, with the apostles (especially Paul) admonishing the church to submit to existing political authority, while appealing to Christ followers to adopt a radically different way of treating people. The little book of Philemon is a great practical example of this, with Paul sending Onesimus back to his slave master Philemon but pleading with Philemon to greet Onesimus as a brother. No doubt the kingdom of God is advancing by force. The church is called to take enemy territory. That process will inevitably have a cultural impact. Jesus's ministry on earth and His continued work through the church have had an enormous cultural impact for the better. I think you are on the right track, however, in suggesting that we are to fulfill our calling of expanding the kingdom of God primarily by proclaiming the gospel and making disciples.
ReplyDeleteNathan Wyatt
Bravo! Both to Dallas and Karen the explorer.
ReplyDeleteI'm at an evangelists' conference in London right now, and according to one of our speakers, this generation (which, by the way, is the one we're supposed to reach) is extremely cynical about politicians and politics anyway. Film-makers are today's prophets, and pop stars are today's poets. They know where the gold is. It's people's hearts.
Yep, this is good stuff. Some off the top of my head thoughts:
ReplyDeleteI don't think Dallas is saying we don't need the law. We do. Jesus both loved and fulfilled the law. But the law, and the legislation that supports it, is not an effective chenge agent. It is often not even much of a deterrent. From a purely pragmantic perspective, fear of the penalty of law is likely the most effective deterrent and even that is weak.
Legislation and the authority of government are control agents. Without it we would have anarchy...perhaps a quicker road to the end of things. Perhaps the law is here to give us time.
Fruit or root? When Jesus encountered the fruitless fig tree, he killed it. He had a low view of fruitlessness. But taping figs to the branches would only have raised his ire at one of his other pet peeves - hypocrisy. The root has to be changed.
I'm with Dallas. Maybe even more with Dallas than even he is. And I agree with Chip, but I'd say it slightly differently. The gold is people's hearts. People used to be deceived by the promise of power and politics to change the world. The corruption of the last few decades has eroded that in many of us.
The promise of wealth, power, and security still holds power of many hearts, but the stories in song and film calls to even deeper waters - at least those that dive there.
There is one true story. It is told again and again in each of the individual lives of the people of God. It is not often sensational story on the surface, but if James Cameron could access what was actually occurring it would captivate us more than any 3D IMAX experience. Read "The Great Divorce" by C.S. Lewis.
It is story that brings a response. It is belief and acceptance of the true story that opens the door to reconciliation with the Father and the beginning of true transformation.
I propose that the best vehicle for story is relationship and the best context for relationship is the Love of God. Where is the Love of God on earth? The church - specifically the body of Christ sprinkled amid and amongst the people of this planet - is the best source of transformation through encounter with the true story manifest in each of our lives. If we love and live transparently, the world will be changed.
...all stream of conciousness so probably many things said poorly or somewhat inaccurately. I'm also a lazy editor so it is what it is.
Mike
Dude. I'd vote for you.
ReplyDelete