In a previous post, we explored a few attitudes and actions the Christian faith calls people to adopt. These attitudes are often counterintuitive, if only because they are rarely found in our politically charged climate of late. We closed by offering a few ways people can organize to accomplish good in their city. The question, then, is what is considered good? There are many things we could say, but the Bible helps us by narrowing it down to three basic categories that encapsulate “good” – justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
What will be surprising to many is how the Bible’s conception of good does not fit cleanly into any political ideology or agenda but imagines a better way.
Justice
For any society or social organization to thrive it must be governed by justice. Every human being has a sense of justice because God has written his law on every person’s conscience (see Romans 1). Whatever he may call it, every person has an innate sense that there is a God (the first three commandments) who requires “fair play” (the last seven commandments). Everyone must eventually admit that they think workers deserve a day off (fourth commandment), everyone deserves respect (fifth commandment), murder is wrong (sixth commandment), adultery is wrong (seventh commandment), stealing is wrong (eighth commandment), lying is wrong (ninth commandment), and envy is unhealthy (tenth commandment).
If these basic laws are not committed to and enforced consistently in any organization–whether it is a home, church, school, social club, business, state, or country—no one in the organization, especially the weakest, will thrive. Only the most powerful will survive by force or influence. Therefore, the first good we must seek is justice.
This also informs the way we vote. The first good we must look for in a leader is a conscience which views itself as governed by a law. He or she must demonstrate such a conscience and then see themselves as answerable to the law God has written on their conscience.
The proper disposition of all nations, politicians, and citizens after the fall is repentance before God. This does not mean every person and nation are called to constant shame and guilt. Instead, it means every individual and nation must live in a perpetual state of “turning away from unjust, unloving ways of life to habits of justice.”[1]
This includes insisting that the able-bodied work rather than receive welfare (1 Thess. 4:11; 2 Thess. 3:7-13; Eph. 4:28); administering justice for murderers (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12; Lev. 24:17; Num. 35:16-21, 29-34); protecting the life of the unborn (Jer. 1:5); using force to maintain law and order (Rom. 13:1-5); and requiring those blessed with great wealth to provide for the needy (1 Sam. 2:7;Eccles. 5:19; Prov. 10:22), just to name a few.
However, repentance is not merely turning away from injustice; it is turning toward, promoting, advocating and even agitating for justice. To be a disciple of the word of God is sometimes to be a revolutionary. Desmond Tutu said, “There's nothing more radical, nothing more revolutionary, nothing more subversive against injustice and oppression than the Bible. If you want to keep people subjugated, the last thing you place in their hands is a Bible.”[2]
Most people would agree that imposing our values on others is not the most effective method of evangelism. However, when it comes to advocating for victims of injustice, Christians must impose their values for the sake of those who cannot advocate for themselves. This is part of what it means to live triumphantly in a world where many do not share our values.
Mercy
The second value by which we Christians must seek to govern and be governed is mercy. God forbade Israel’s king to accumulate horses, wives, silver and gold because to do so would ultimately deny mercy to those he governed. Horses were not indigenous to Israel, so to get more of them would require going to hostile territories to buy or take them by force. The nearest supply of horses would be in Egypt, and to go back there in any capacity would be to risk being enslaved again.
God was standing up for those weaker than the king who might be forced to put themselves at unnecessary risk to wage a war for his selfish indulgence. To accumulate wives would require unmercifully compelling Israelite women to compromise their dignity and join a harem. Or it would require fetching wives from pagan nations, which would inevitably lead to the reintroduction of Canaanite religion known for its grotesque human cruelty. Finally, a political leader can only amass fortune on the backs of the populace because government does not produce anything. Only by increased taxation can a politician live luxuriously, and increased taxation usually hurts the poor the most.
The examples of justice listed above may have sounded a lot like some of the planks of a conservative political platform. The merciful acts (see below) God requires may sound a lot like planks in a liberal political platform. Christians are neither red nor blue—we are draped in purple as followers of the Great King.
Let me remind you of the merciful acts King Jesus requires from his followers: radical care for the poor (Lev. 19:9-10; Deut. 15:7-11; 24:19, 21; Matt. 19:21, 25:34-40; Luke 3:11, 14:13; Acts 6:1; Gal. 2:10; James 2:15-16; 1 John 3:17); compassion for the alien (Lev. 19:33-34; Deut. 10:19); massive debt forgiveness (Lev. 25:25-30); careful stewardship of the environment (Gen. 2:15; Lev. 25:4; Ps. 24:1); sometimes commuting sentences even for those who have committed capital offenses (John 8:1-11); punishing the abuses of the wealthy (Jer. 6:13; Amos 3:15-4:3;Mal. 3:5; Luke 16:19-31; James 5:1-6); and cessation of war (Micah 4:3-4).
Acting mercifully, especially toward our enemies, is the most powerful weapon we have in advancing the good news of the Kingdom in any organization or society (Pr. 25:21-22; Ro. 12:20). We show mercy to demonstrate with our actions that the gospel is really good news. It’s hard for a hungry person to believe in what you’re teaching them until you fill their belly.
Mike Aitcheson is the pastor of a PCA church in St. Lucie, Florida called Christ United Fellowship. Mike is an African-American leader in the PCA and knows what it is to be misunderstood, falsely accused, and racially discriminated against. But thanks to the gospel, you cannot find a bitter bone in his body. Christ United is located three blocks from The Pulse Club, the largest gay bar in Orlando and the scene of a tragic terrorist attack in 2016. During Gay Pride month in Florida, Christ United Fellowship was targeted by hate-speech from homosexual activists. Even though they have members who battle same-sex attraction, because their church will not promote homosexuality or conduct same-sex marriages, they are publicly ridiculed.
However, along with the Christian owners of the local Chick Fil-A, they were among the first on the scene to offer merciful help to the Pulse victims and their families. The church also led a prayer vigil in the park for the city, for the Muslim community (the shooter was a Muslim), and the LGBTQ+ community. In the following weeks, they did other practical works of mercy demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ, even for those self-identified as enemies of the church. This is what Christians do; we show mercy toward those who hate and oppose us because that is the way Jesus has loved us.
Faithfulness
Finally, Deuteronomy 17 says we must seek to govern as and be governed by those who not only “read and revere” the law of God but “follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and [don’t] consider themselves better than [their] fellows and turn from the law to the right or to the left” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20). We must look for faithful leaders and be faithful ourselves even if there are no faithful leaders to be found. Because Christ is your king and His Spirit indwells you, there is nothing he can command you to do that is too difficult for you to accomplish. No one can legislate against your faithfulness.
In conclusion, it is necessary for Christians to be involved in politics. Christians must vote, understand the issues of the day, and familiarize themselves with the candidates running for office. Christians who are so called must be politicians themselves. However, we will not bring in the kingdom of God through our political candidates or political activism. The law of the land is supposed to do certain things like protect its people; restrain evil; provide a safety net for those who are disenfranchised; conduct war and protect against war, etc.
But politics cannot change hearts; it cannot put marriages back together; it cannot cause children to walk in the fear and admonition of the Lord and so live beautiful lives; it doesn't encourage generosity, and so on and so forth. The government doesn't (and can’t) do what only the gospel can do. Only the church can carry out the message and mission of the gospel. And yet, often we Christians act like the kingdom of God arrives on Air Force One. Consequently, we live in fear and anger.
I've been through eight presidential elections as a pastor, sixteen congressional elections, six senatorial elections, and a nauseating number of local elections. Over those 25+ years, people in my congregations have thought that a particular election would either make or break the world. And no matter whose candidate has or has not been elected, the culture continues to fall apart, because, frankly, we have wasted so much energy as the church of Jesus Christ on things which ultimately will not change hearts. We must be involved in politics, but while it is a part of being faithful citizens of the place God has placed us, it is not the means by which real and lasting change will come.
Dealing repeatedly with a broken political system is a necessity of living in a broken world. There are good things Christian politicians can do, but in gospel ministry, we are involved in that which alone will conquer the world, change lives, and bring people to salvation: the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, our perfect King who will reign forever.
[1] James W. Skillen, The Good of Politics (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2014), 11.
[2] Speaking at London's Jesus House for All Nations Church, in the "Who Is My Neighbor" conference, (6 September 2008).