Telling the Truth

Guest (Female): Christians have always had to navigate the world of politics in light of their Christian faith. The Apostle Paul understood this and offered great wisdom to the Roman church. That's what Stuart Briscoe explores in his message, A Christian View of Politics. Today on Telling the Truth, we'll hear the conclusion of that teaching.

Your generous support helps keep broadcasts like this one going out around the world so you and others can experience life through the biblical teaching and resources of Telling the Truth. So as thanks for your gift today, we'll send you Triumph Over Temptation, an encouraging four-message series created by Stuart and Jill Briscoe to help you stand strong against temptation and grow in your faith in the process. Call today to request yours: 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's today's message.

Stuart Briscoe: The Apostle Paul says that if the rulers of this world had had the right kind of wisdom, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. They were structures, divinely ordained structures, that somehow or other had got in the grip of institutionalized evil, and institutionalized evil was operating through these structures. Now, what does that mean as far as we are concerned?

The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians chapter six that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, that our struggle is against all kinds of rulers and powers and authorities and spiritual dynamics. But he also points out to us in his teaching that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, they are spiritual. So what is he saying?

He is saying that we live in a world where there are all kinds of people groups and nations and systems of governance and political structures, all of which are divinely ordained, to which we should respond with great respect and honor, as a matter of conscience. But we must be very, very careful because the same structures can become the very institutionalization of evil itself.

Now, that is a very salutary word. That is the political system viewed from a biblical perspective, as I understand it. Now, it's not too difficult for us to understand that in extreme cases. For instance, I doubt very much if anybody here would say, "Well, it's pretty obvious that the political structure of the Third Reich in Germany in the 1930s became the very institutionalization of evil."

I don't think many people would have too much difficulty in saying that Stalinist Russia, the Soviet Union, the political structure became the very epitome of institutionalized evil. So yes, sure, I see what you mean. The big question as far as we're concerned is this: Is it possible that evil could operate in a participatory democracy? Or is it possible that evil can function in a capitalistic, free-enterprise political scheme? Perish the thought, you say. No.

We've got to be prepared to look at this and ask ourselves, are we looking at political structures and political systems from a biblical perspective? If we do, then I would suggest to you that we will have a considerable degree of ambivalence as far as the Christian and relationship to politics is concerned. On the one hand, we will recognize there is a very real legitimacy to the whole structure that we must be part of.

But there are clearly things that we have to recognize in it that we will have absolutely nothing to do with, and we stand against. In other words, we're in it, we're not of it, but we're sent to it. So much then for a biblical perspective, a breathless, as far as I'm concerned, summary of a biblical perspective. Let's move on quickly now to a historical perspective. And I'm sure this will bore you out of your socks, so we'll get it over as quickly as possible, but I think it's helpful.

A historical perspective: How has this worked out as far as the church's history is concerned? And remember that those of us who don't learn from history are damned to repeat it. And so it is important that we not only have a theological perspective, but a historical perspective as well. In other words, in the old days, they weren't totally stupid, and they did learn some things. They did some things right that we can emulate; they did some things wrong that we can avoid.

In 311 AD, a dramatic event took place in the history of the church when the Roman Emperor Constantine was converted to Christ. That changed things dramatically. Up until that time, the people in the church of Jesus Christ had battled Imperial Rome, and they'd had a rough ride. Many of their finest people, their greatest people, were assassinated, they were murdered, they were executed. They had a rough deal indeed.

In fact, if you read the Book of Revelation, you will find there a tract which I believe is written by a pastor in exile to the church from which he is exiled, where he is commiserating with them about the horrors and the terrors of Imperialistic Rome, and he is encouraging them that Christ will win in the end. And this is clearly the situation that the church lived in up until about 311 AD.

Then, when Constantine was converted, the scene was changed dramatically. So now, instead of the Christians being opposed by the powers that be, the Christians were actually encouraged by the powers that be. And it became the in-thing to be a Christian in Rome up until the fall of Rome. After the fall of Rome in 410 AD, up until the time of the Renaissance and the Reformation, the church became incredibly powerful.

So that now we have an entirely different situation: The Christians are using the political powers to further their own ends. Now notice the three totally different approaches. Number one, Christians opposed by the powers. Number two, Christians encouraged by the powers. Number three, Christians using the political powers for their own ends.

Then came the Reformation. And out of the Reformation all kinds of things which we're well aware of. But three particular strands of thought developed as far as Christian involvement in the political scene is concerned. The Anabaptists, they said there are two kingdoms: the kingdom of this world that is political, is man-made, and it's corrupt; and the kingdom that is to come, which is demonstrated in the church, which is of God and it operates on the basis of the spirit. We live in the one, we have absolutely nothing to do with the other. We flatly reject it. We're in it, but we're not of it, in other words.

The Anabaptists, of course, took this position, and their descendants to this day, some of the Mennonites and the Amish, people like that, and some of the fundamentalists would have adopted pretty well that attitude. The second approach was that of Luther. Luther said that there are two kingdoms, that God rules over all, and that we have to live in both of them. And there'll be an awkward tension between the two. And sometimes we'll find we have to respond one way in one of the kingdoms and another way in the other.

But it will only be in the eschatological future that the kingdom of God will be established. Now, there are people who would follow in the line of Luther's thinking, as there would be those who would follow Anabaptist thinking as well. Then there was Calvin. Calvin believed that the church had a tremendous responsibility because it was the arena in which God was at work. And that God was at work in the church to move out into the world. And so he believed that the church should have a profound influence on the political structure of the day. And what he endeavored to do in Geneva, of course, is well known.

Now, if you were to go around Elmbrook today, you would find to their surprise some descendants of the Anabaptists, some descendants of Martin Luther, and some descendants of John Calvin as far as their politics are concerned. Why? Because they're all wrestling with this business: What should we as Christians be doing as far as this political system is concerned, which is clearly ordained by God but has been infested with and affected by the powers of evil?

Well, let me give you in closing five practical suggestions as far as this is concerned. Five practical perspectives as to how we can begin to handle this kind of a situation. First of all, let me point out to you that they're going to be very simple to follow because they are simply A, B, C, D, and E. A, acknowledge the validity of political activity. That is a practical conclusion to which the Christian can and should come. The Christian should regard himself or herself, among other things, as a responsible citizen.

Guest (Female): We'll return to today's teaching shortly, but first, here's a note we received from Douglas who says, "Thank you for bringing new light to what I thought was a dull, boring book in the Old Testament. Proof that there are hidden gems in God's Word. The more we seek God, the more he will reveal himself to us. God bless your ministry."

Guest (Male): Thanks, Douglas. That's the kind of encouragement your support today will bring to more people around the world as you help share the teaching and resources of Telling the Truth so others can experience life in Christ. And we'd like to encourage you with a powerful resource to equip you to not only resist temptation but conquer it and grow in your faith as you do.

It's called Triumph Over Temptation, a four-message series created by Stuart and Jill Briscoe to empower you with biblical truth to help you stand firm in the face of daily temptations. Filled with the Briscoes' trademark wisdom and understanding of scripture, this series will help you remember that every temptation to do wrong is also a chance to do what's right. We'll send you the Triumph Over Temptation series as our thanks for your gift of support today to help continue the Briscoes' legacy through the teaching resources of Telling the Truth. So request your copy when you call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Let's get back to Stuart's message.

Stuart Briscoe: Now there's a degree of conflict even in saying that. Many of us are familiar with the idea that the Christians belong to the age to come and they're temporary residents in this present evil age. That is a motif that we're familiar with. We sometimes sing the song, "This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through." Well, that is true. On the one hand, we're to be regarded as pilgrims, but on the other hand, we're called to be citizens.

Now, as citizens in a participatory democracy such as we have in the United States of America, there are vast opportunities for participating in the political scene. It is therefore appropriate for the Christian to recognize the degree of detachment because they know that this world is not their home, they're just passing through. But on the other hand, there has to be a degree of involvement because they recognize that the political structure of this land can at their best and noblest be beneficial to humanity.

And they would want to ensure that they are contributing to that which God has ordained for the benefit of humanity. Therefore, I think we can say categorically, it is most appropriate for the Christian to acknowledge political validity. Secondly, B, we need to beware of political idolatry. What I mean by that is that we need to be aware of the fact that if we engage in the political system at whatever level we get involved, we've got to be very, very careful that we do not assume more of government and of politics than is appropriate.

Number one, beware of the political idolatry that seems to assume that politics can bring in the kingdom. We've got to come to terms with the fact that politics can make society tolerable, and that's it. That only the work of the spirit of God can transform people's lives. Now that does not mean that we should not be interested in making society tolerable. It does not mean that we should be disinterested in working in that which God has ordained so that people can live freely and fully as divine creatures.

But we've got to recognize that the political system will never bring in the kingdom of God. Now there's always the tendency once the Christian becomes active in politics as a Christian, that they've got this underlying sense that somehow or other we're going to make this a Christian nation. In fact, some of the sound bites that we get give you the impression that they're going to return America to its original Christianity.

My reading of American history is that it never was a Christian country, that there was never more than one-third of the American population that was committed to Christ. And incidentally, that's probably about the same fraction at the present time. So let's be careful that we don't get caught up with this idea that politics can bring in the spiritual kingdom.

The second thing that we need to beware of is this: No party has a corner on righteousness. Now there are conservatives and liberals; you've probably noticed that. At their best, what are conservatives and liberals all about? My understanding of it is this: Conservatives conserve what is good. Ray, let's hear it for the conservatives. Who can possibly object to people who want to conserve what is good?

What about liberals? Well, my understanding is, liberals liberate us from what is bad. Yay, let's hear it for liberals. Who can possibly be opposed to liberals who are committed to liberating people from what is bad? In actual fact, if conservatives are committed to serving what is good and liberals are committed to liberating from what is bad, it seems maybe both of them have got a point.

It also seems to me that maybe both of them could be wrong. Because there's always the awful possibility that conservatives can conserve what is bad. And there's always the possibility that liberals can liberate us from what is good. And you and I know perfectly well that we could spend a long time giving evidences of both those things happening. Simply to say, realistically speaking, no party has a corner on righteousness.

The issue then is what's good and what's bad, and who decides? And that's where we need to be theologically informed. The third thing to beware of as far as political idolatry is concerned is that politics can bring out the worst in people. Have you noticed? And that one of the sad things that happens is that when well-meaning Christians get into the political arena, at times they get dragged down and the worst in them comes out.

Let's be realistic about politics. No less an authority than Richard John Neuhaus, the author of the acclaimed book The Naked Public Square, said this: "Politics is the business, more art than science, of governing. It has to do most essentially with power: getting, keeping, and exercising it. I am aware that this is not a very elevated view of politics," he went on. "Politics can involve nobler works and even visions, but they are not essentially what politics is about. We should resist being taken in by inflated and romantic views of politics." A salutary word.

Now this, of course, does not negate what we've already said: We should acknowledge political validity. It does give a word of warning that we beware of political idolatry. Thirdly, C, we should commit to political activity. Every Christian, I believe, should be involved at some level in some kind of political activity. Minimally, minimally, we should be praying for those in authority over us. Most of us, I would guess, are familiar with the statement that Paul gave to Timothy: 1 Timothy chapter two.

Let me read it to you. "I urge then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." Now, of course, remember that he was writing to Timothy in the reign of Nero. So you can't just say, "Well, you know, if Paul had the kind of bunch of politicians we've got, no way he'd have prayed for them." He had a whole lot worse than we've got. He had Nero. And he is saying that the responsibility of the Christian is to be praying for those in positions of political leadership. And I would submit to you that that is the minimum political involvement of the Christian.

Guest (Male): We'll hear the conclusion of today's teaching in a moment, but first, a reminder: When you give a gift today to support the teaching ministry of Telling the Truth, we'll say thanks with an empowering resource created by Stuart and Jill Briscoe called Triumph Over Temptation.

We all face temptation every day, sometimes every moment of every day. While you may struggle with sinful desires and selfish motives, you must remember that every temptation to do wrong is also an opportunity to do right. You are not powerless to resist wrong. You have God's power within you to bring you through even the toughest challenges.

In their four-message series Triumph Over Temptation, Stuart and Jill Briscoe equip you with powerful biblical truth to help you triumph over temptation and grow your faith in the process. Triumph Over Temptation is our thanks for your generous gift today to help more people experience abundant life in Christ through the unchanging truth of God's word. Simply request your copy when you call today and give a gift to help keep Telling the Truth going around the world. Call 1-800-889-5388. That's 1-800-889-5388, or give online at tellingthetruth.org. Now, here's the conclusion of Stuart's message.

Stuart Briscoe: If we accept the fact that it is legitimate to commit to political activity minimally praying, then optimally we can participate. We should be voting. We should be voting intelligently. We should be voting consistently. If there's somebody for whom you can in good conscience vote, vote. And if there's nobody there for whom you can in good conscience you can vote, seems to me, don't vote as a matter of conscience. But take this as a privilege and a responsibility. Commit to political activity.

D, develop a political philosophy. Now, very often our political philosophy is based, as we've already said, on images and sound bites. I would suggest to you that our political philosophy should be based on theological reflection if it is going to be a Christian involved in this world. We recently studied a book called Saints as Citizens. In the last chapter, he came up with six principles that we can utilize in developing a philosophy of political thought.

Let me give you those six principles. Number one, we should be concerned about social justice. Number two, we should be concerned about respect for life. Number three, we should be concerned about reconciliation. Number four, we should be concerned about active compassion. Number five, we should be concerned about wise stewardship. Number six, we should be concerned about the empowerment of the underprivileged.

Now, you don't have to agree with those, but there are six theological principles, all of which you'll find have a solid biblical rationale. And I would submit to you that there's a framework in which we can develop our political philosophy. E and finally, we should express political sensitivity. By this, I mean that there should be a willingness to try to understand the opposing point of view.

And a very, very important thing has to be that when the Christian begins to engage in the political arena, that they remember that they are Christian first and political animals second. And that the challenge is to behave in a Christian manner. Somebody came to me and said that they had had all kinds of problems as a Christian in the political realm because many Christians come into the political realm giving the impression to other people that they are right because God is on their side, and the other people are wrong because clearly God has nothing to say to them.

And he said this has caused tremendous problems not only for people trying to engage in the political arena but has caused great problems as far as the testimony of Christians is concerned. If we're going to think in terms of the Christian involved in the political arena, Christians of all people should be sensitive to the confusion that exists in people's minds. They should be ready to listen to another point of view, and they should be willing to relate to the person desperately concerned that when the relationship is over, there will not be a bad taste left in that person's mouth as far as the name of Christ and the cause of Christ and the application of Christian principle is concerned. So there you have it, some thoughts on a Christian view of politics.

Guest (Male): What a blessing to hear Stuart's wisdom on this topic. We hope today's message has encouraged you. Before we go, remember that when you give today to help keep Telling the Truth broadcasts like this one going out around the world, we'll send you a copy of Triumph Over Temptation, a four-message series from Stuart and Jill Briscoe that's sure to help you stand up to daily temptations and grow stronger in your faith as you do.

So call now to give and remember to request Triumph Over Temptation with our thanks. 1-800-889-5388. 1-800-889-5388, or you can give online at tellingthetruth.org. Thanks for being here today. Come back tomorrow for a message from Jill titled Lost and Found. We'll see you then.