From books being written to bizarre evangelicals for whatever groups to debates about single issues, the political climate is frankly nuts. For a long time this post described the need and pointed to the need for a biblical theology of politics. Much of what we are seeing is the weeds from not planting that harvest. If you sow nothing, you get weeds. Here are some things to think through in todays’ whirlwind of weed pollen.

A proposed biblical definition of politics

Politics is the art of living at peace with our neighbors under a government that promotes good and punishes evil through defending its citizens and their property, enacting blind justice, upholding just scales, and allowing a quiet and peaceable life. Governments going outside these bounds cease to acting in accordance to God’s will. Hence, defiance to tyranny is obedience to God, as preachers stated in 1770’s. Given this definition local politics is much more vital than national, as you neighbors are those around you.

The problem of evil

In Luke 16 Jesus teaches on shrewdness. Life will not be clean this side of eternity. Politics even more so. Too often Christians operate completely from a purist mindset, from the ideal. We think perfection rather than progressive sanctification. In Ephesians 5 Paul instructs us to redeem the time for the days are evil. As dad would put it, medical stuff in war is quick and dirty. There is no clean comfortable politics until Jesus returns to establish his millennial kingdom. There can be much cleaner, but not clean. Jesus is the only just king.

The naivety of single issue voting

Single issue voting is foolish. There are numerous ways God judges a nation: blood shed, calling evil good and good evil, poor justice, shedding of innocent blood, dishonest scales, robbery (yes, governments can steal), tyranny, and idolatry. If one is to focus on a single issue to the determinate of others, like abortion, one opens the door of evil. In voting and engaging in politics, what best restrains the evils for which God judges a nation while knowing there is no clean and perfect answer? This question should drive the Christians mindset as they engage in politics- as they should. Too our neighbors hurt, the church remained silent on issues other than abortion. There are times when one issue will take precedence over another. For example, if tyranny and the lack of freedom is at stake, that becomes a primary issue. The others are far more difficult to call for repentance without freedom. Even the lost people of our day see that.

Be kind not nice

Calling sin out is part of the prophetic message of the New Testament. This got people like John the Baptist and Peter in trouble. We mistakenly just point to religious leaders, but the cultural and political leaders of the day were also in view during Christ’s and the Apostles’ ministries. Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah also had to struggle with the same contention in the Old Testament. Yes, they used prayer and prudence, but they also understood that it is God who needs grant favor for success to happen. And like those thrown into the fiery furnace, we do and state what is right and endure the consequences. We are commanded to be kind which results in forgiveness and repentance, we are not called to be nice or liked. Jesus flatly stated we would be hated because of him. Prudent assertiveness is a lost art in Christ’s church. In wanting to refrain from being divisive, we failed to call for repentance where it was needed.

Engage in politics

Politics is a reality in the Bible. It is a reality in life. How do we best live at peace with our neighbors? If one’s whole community becomes redeemed, what does a biblical form of governance look like? No, socialism isn’t the answer because it lacks freedom. For freedom’s sake Christ set us free. It is not tyranny of any sort as God grants choice and the consequences of such choices. What we do know is that God ordained government to restrain evil and promote what is good. A government that fails in that duty is not of God. In our voting, vote in a way that restrains the most evil and promotes the most good.

A biblical foundation

It is vital in life to have a biblical foundation for what we do. This is especially true if the Bible speaks directly to the issue. The Bible speaks directly to politics. It gives us the intended role of government, attributes for effective leadership, guidance for political forms and representation, guardrails for how God judges a nation, and wisdom for making difficult decisions. In short, the Bible speaks to how we should live as a community, not just as individuals, in freedom that we may live a quiet peaceable lives in all godliness. It’s time to weed the field and sow God’s Word in this area of life. The world is desperate for the church to do so.