In the mold, but it doesn’t belong there
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”
James 4:4
Harsh sounding, isn’t it? But if you claim to be Christian and are humble, you would not view it that way. In today’s climate of ‘global’ (I mean global because everyone here on WP have people who read our blogs from every continent) spiritual battle of thoughts, as I was scrolling through the WP feed, a related post from a blogger who claims to be a Swedish pastor entitled, “The Five Most Embarrassing Evangelical Reactions to the Election Results” caught my attention. I have no issues with the blogger exposing prosperity gospel teachers. I commend him for doing so. However, it was his usage of John 18:36 that needs to be addressed.
“It’s easy to laugh at all of this, but when you think about it it’s quite scary how deeply invested these people are into Donald Trump. He has a place in their hearts that nobody but Jesus should have. At PCPJ, we want to keep a critical distance to all politicians, including the new president Joe Biden. The Kingdom of God is not dependent upon a political party.
After all, Jesus clearly said: “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight… But now my kingdom is from another place.” (John 18:36).”
To address this, let us go to a passage in John 17,
“I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.”
John 17:14-19
I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world – Anyone who rejects the full revelation encompassed in the Word of God IS NOT from God, no matter how benevolent and peaceful they may appear. They may be close to the truth, but have not fully surrendered to the authority of God’s Word. Those who belong to the world will reconcile what does not fit together. One major instance would be those who fit Darwin’s theory of evolution (which links to Atheism) into the creation account and a host of other deceptive thinking like tying Socialism to Acts 4:32-37 and Ecumenism, the movement to unite all religions in the guise of peace.
the world has hated them – The mainstream media over the last four years have continuously slandered Trump (the Conservative platform) supporters of all race and creed to be bigots. They have succeeded in convincing some believers about their repetitive smears. They control how the world thinks. They also control the education system. They do touch on Christianity, but focus mainly on the atrocities perpetrated in the name of Christ, as they indoctrinate Americans about the beauty of Islam’s Shahada and promoting it as a religion of peace when everything we see about Islam is just the complete opposite. Social media giants also hate the truth tellers and falsely label those who call out lies as promoters of dis/misinformation.
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
Any genuine Holy Spirit-filled believer will not be lofty to dispute God’s full revelation from Genesis to the Book of Revelation. In Isaiah 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
Jesus is called the Alpha and the Omega in Revelation 22:13,
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world – “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20
Each person is governed by the set of beliefs they adhere to. Being a follower of Christ does not mean we automatically become exempt from getting involved in governance and policies that affect our fundamental rights to worship God and carry out the Great commission.
Going back to addressing the blogger’s statement,
“At PCPJ, we want to keep a critical distance to all politicians, including the new president Joe Biden. The Kingdom of God is not dependent upon a political party.”
In regards to professing Christians who are washing their hands off politics (God put his people in the political arena – Esther & Mordecai, Daniel & his 3 friends), let us look at Pilate’s laissez-faire approach regarding the fate of Jesus here in John 19:5,
“But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”
Jesus said to Pilate in verse 11 of the same chapter, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin.”
You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above – This is clear any government official in power, God allowed and placed them in that position. Ultimately, the man who will be the president of the United States after all the legal votes are counted and certified is the man God elected.
Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin – The politicians who push ungodly policies are ‘guilty of a greater sin’. This also implies that those who voted to push their unbiblical agenda are sinning. The professing Christians who could have voted to stop these ungodly policies from spreading like gangrene, but decided to wash their hands off happen to fall in the same camp and have committed the sin of omission (James 4:17).
Going back to the very beginning verse of this post, Who are the friends of the world?
Only one side of the camp was known to do witchcraft against a political candidate. With censorship all over the place, it may become harder to find articles on witches casting spells on Donald Trump but this was all over the mainstream media.
Only one side of the camp normalize practices that God finds to be abominable, child sacrifice equated to modern-day abortion, same-sex unions- a defilement of God’s symbol of His union with the church, the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:23-27).
Only one side promote the banning of free speech through censorship, a practice employed by godless regimes to stifle the truth from getting proclaimed. Some belonging to this group also happen to burn the Word of God in public.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10
There are thieves, murderers and destroyers in both parties but prevalently and publicly,
to steal – which political party did the looters and BLM activists promote?
to kill – which political party signed late-term abortion into law (Blue states NY, VA)?
to destroy – which political party adherents (Antifa) go and deliberately destroy monuments and business establishments they do not own?
I am not coercing anyone to embrace a party. People say to vote their convictions. I have done just that. I am well aware it is not my job to convict. My job as a Christian (and all Christians are called to do) is to present and promote truth.
“Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Matthew 13:30
We are nearing harvest time. The recent turn of events are separating the wheat from the chaff, the true believers from the false.
” The professing Christians who could have voted to stop these ungodly policies from spreading like gangrene, but decided to wash their hands off happen to fall in the same camp and have committed the sin of omission”
Pilate’s wife warned him not to participate with the people in condemning the innocent.
Matthew 27:19 “19 And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “See that you have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
And, what did Pilate do? He wanted to be in the middle, like those who either vote for the third candidate or don’t vote at all. Pilate washed his hands, thinking that he won’t be charged with the same sins as the people who are condemning Jesus.
Matthew 27:24 “24 Now when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but rather that a riot was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this Man’s blood; you yourselves shall see.”
By being on the sideline, did it help Pilate avoid a decision? No. He became guilty as well.
Let’s see what Jesus said to Pilate, who knew Pilate’s decision already.
John 19:11 “11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”
If you see evil and have an opportunity to do something and don’t, you will be found guilty. Don’t say to yourselves, I didn’t like Trump because of his personality. Because, you knowing full well, that the other candidate wants to kill babies and do much more evil.
You, Christian, have no excuse.
Thank you for further expounding on Pilate.
No problem
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