Back   828 Ministries
Font
PageWidth
Original Content at
https://www.828ministries.com/articles/Christian-Responsibility-t-by-Anthony-Wade-Christianity-160303-648.html

March 3, 2016

Christian Responsibility to the Truth During the Election Season

By Anthony Wade

Enough already with the willful distortions by Christians. Let us take a righteous stand for the truth in everything.

::::::::


(Image by Unknown Owner)   Details   DMCA


You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another -- Leviticus 19: 11 (ESV)

There is nothing like a presidential election season to make Christians absolutely lose their minds and abandon their bibles. It is still nine months before the ballots are counted and already the usual suspects in the Christo-political sphere are out in full force. They are insisting that they have found the savior instead of turning to the Savior. They are creating voting guides that are clearly slanted to the candidate they have pre-selected. They are beating the sheep of the Lord by inferring some great moral responsibility is cast with their vote that only they have figured out. None of this is true of course because the true victim of this season every time is the truth. The one thing we ought to represent the most to a dying world we casually toss out the nearest window when it comes time to select this country's next leader.

They have it all worked out in their conscience, which is seared through a carnal secular desire to see their party reign or pretend the Sodom we live in is really paradise lost. They have leveraged the Bible just like a proof-texting mega church pastor does every Sunday. They employ Machiavellian theology that says the ends justify the means when God could not be further away from that humanistic thinking. Job had friends who thought like this and we ought to do well to listen to their rebuke:

Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God?Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality.Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. - Job 13: 7-12 (ESV)

God does not need us to lie for Him beloved. Our defenses are as fragile as clay pots before Him. Representing untruths out to terrify us when we merely consider the majesty of Almighty God. He spoke the entire universe into existence and we think He needs our help to get the right person into an elected office? When the Bible says that all leaders are installed through Him alone? Seriously? The arrogance we have as believers staggers me sometimes. Just because we believe our cause is just does not excuse being dishonest. Evil is never the vehicle for righteousness. The Apostle Paul teaches us this very thing:

And why not do evil that good may come? -- as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. -- Romans 3: 8 (ESV)

The rhetorical question here reminds us that we do not seek good through evil means. We do not compromise the truth ever. Why? Because then we are no different than the world. The world sells the notion that the truth is malleable. That there are no black and white issues. That everything exists in a spectrum of hazy shades of grey. Why? Because it allows us to feel better about our sin. Why do you think they hate Christianity so much? Because Christ comes along as pure and absolute truth. There are no shades of grey. How much is the truth negotiable in politics? To the level of the absurd! After each debate where do the candidates and their representatives run to first? The "Spin Room." They may as well call it the "Lying Room." That is what spin is! Only in politics can someone who comes in third give a victory speech while the person who comes in second is branded a loser. The point being that we as Christians ought to not be caught steeped in the dishonesty of the world. Why? First of all, the world is always watching:

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, - Acts 16: 25 (ESV)

The world is always watching us beloved. Count on it. There is a reason we are supposed to be salt and light. There is a reason we are to show the love of Christ. There is a reason why we are called pilgrims and sojourners. What do people see when they look at us? Do they see salt and light or pepper and glitter? When Paul and Silas were imprisoned in the inner dungeon in shackles after being severely beaten the Bible tells us everyone was watching them. Listening to them. What would their lives say about God if they were grumbling about their situation? Complaining about being beaten for the sake of the Gospel? Whining about how tight the clamps were? Instead they started to hear hymns of praise! After all of this the unsaved people in that prison heard the beaten, battered and bloodied Paul and Silas singing praise to Almighty God! Do not tell me it did not have an effect:

and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here." And the jailercalled for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" - Acts 16: 26-30 (ESV)

Sometimes we miss a major teaching point if it is not spelled out but what do these verses essentially teach us? All of the other prisoners could have escaped but they chose to stay. Paul says -- don't worry! We are all here! This affects the guard so mightily that he asks how he can be saved! Paul and Silas did not have to scheme on behalf of God. They did not need to lie on His behalf. They just needed to be who they were -- Christians.

You cannot go two minutes on Facebook without some absurd posting that are either lies about a candidate or implications that are untrue, if not unfounded. Remember beloved. There are no shades of grey. Something is either true or it is not. Here is the thing we must strive to remember; if something is unproven, it remains untrue until proven otherwise. We are not God. We are not omniscient. We do not get to play prosecutor, treaty negotiator, or diplomacy expert because we are none of those things. It is bad enough to watch the unsaved masses pile one lie upon another and upon another but the amount of Christians piling on is far more upsetting. Reposting an article that you have not personally vetted for accuracy is just as bad as lying yourself. That is how other people will view it. People who know you are a Christian. How can someone post an article with half-baked political opinions and distortions and in the next breath post Bible verses?

but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,these things ought not to be so. - James 3: 8-10 (ESV)

Do not think for one second that this level of hypocrisy is missed by the lost. They see it very clearly. The number one reason that is always given by the unsaved for why they refuse Christ and His church is the hypocrisy of Christians. Granted, that is not all political in nature but it contributes. We ought to not be caught up in the dishonesty of the world first because the world is always watching. Secondly, because the truth matters to God.

you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." - Romans 2: 21-24 (ESV)

These verses capture the disgust God has for hypocrisy. Jesus Himself spoke against hypocrisy multiple times. The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of the hypocrisy of Christians. How can we rail publicly about morality when we are ourselves so immoral in the public square? This was the point of Jesus when He said judge not. It was not that we are not to judge righteously because we are. It is that we first need to make sure we are not being a hypocrite in doing so. The truth matters to God. So much so that it is one of the ways that Jesus describes Himself. This is especially true for those who fancy themselves Christian leaders; who unfortunately are just as guilty of propagating untruths for their chosen political messiah. 1Timothy teaches us that such leaders are to be blameless. That means integrity and honor. That means the truth matters to them and they set an example of such for their followers. He must have a good testimony lest he fall into reproach. It is not enough to think your cause is righteous. It must actually be such. If it is, then there is no need to lie about it, deceive for it, or mislead others. Because once you are viewed that way you do indeed fall into reproach and it is awfully difficult to change that perception people hold of you once it has taken root.

The truth matters to God. Jesus in Revelation is called that faithful and true witness. He is the way the truth and the life. Truth is who God is. It is one of His immutable characteristics. He cannot deny Himself no matter how unfaithful we might be. His standard of honesty is perfect. He is in fact the God of truth:

So that he who blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of truth, and he who takes an oath in the land shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten and are hidden from my eyes. - Isaiah 65:16 (ESV)

His Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth and will lead us into all truth as believers. Now many will correctly point out that the truth referenced here is the Word of God but that is entirely the point. We already know all truth. It is contained entirely in the Word. There is no ambiguity. There are no shades of grey. There is clear scriptural guidance that God does not need nor should we be engaged in the business of representing falsehood. Ephesians implores believers to put away lying and in another verse equates truth with love. The Book of Romans contrasts believers and unbelievers according to those who obey or reject the truth. 1Peter does the same. Jesus did not shrink from challenging His opposition to test the verity of His Words. Thessalonians implores us to test everything. The Bereans were of more noble character because they verified the truthfulness of what Paul was preaching. This goes as far back as the establishment of Israel and the law. Our key verses are very transparent in language. We shall not steal. We shall not deal falsely. We shall not lie to one another. These moral underpinnings are reaffirmed throughout Scripture as already highlighted. They did not cease to be important in our lives. What are the seven things the Lord hates?

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him:haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. - Proverbs 6: 16-19 (ESV)

Beloved look closely at these. A lying tongue. A false witness breathing out lies. One who sows discord. A heart devising wicked schemes. Feet that run to evil. Nearly all of them are in defense of the truth and consider lying an abomination. Even haughty eyes are self-lies. Beloved, the truth is undeniably, unmistakably, extremely important to the God we claim to serve. Consider the avalanche of Scripture we are in violation of when we engage in willful deception.

While we are on the subject, this includes innuendo. The machinations of carnal lying are not lost on a perfect God. A half-truth is still a lie. As is repeating unfounded accusations, inferring guilt where none has been determined, making connections with nefarious purposes, or any of the other little truth twistings we always see during these election cycles. It is still a lie. It does not matter if you think the person is unrighteous. All of them are. It does not matter if you think the person is guilty. We have a responsibility as Christians at all times but even more so when the natural predilection is for increased falseness and that is to represent Christ. That is to represent the truth. Even if it pains us politically. Even if it pains us personally. I remember last year Brian Houston said in a sermon that Christians and Muslims serve the same God. I did not write about it because I wanted to give him time to respond to the onslaught of criticism. I did this because while Brian Houston is one of the most reprehensible false teachers on the planet, he had never support the notion of Chrislam. Sure enough he admitted he misspoke. Good enough for me because the truth is what has to matter. Still to this day I see Christians leveling the Chrislam charge at him and I cringe. The ends do not justify the means beloved. Whether it be Brian Houston or any presidential candidate there is enough to be righteously critical about without having to resort to distortion. There is no context that makes a lie true. Do not fall for the lies of the enemy beloved. Before you make that post or re-tweet that comment ask yourself if deep down you know it to be true. Picture yourself standing before Jesus explaining with that convoluted logic. It does not matter what your opinion is. It does not matter what your intention is. It only matters if it is true. In closing, consider the word of Jesus Himself:

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12: 33-37 (ESV)

Beloved. What fruit are people seeing in us? The Bible says to avoid foolish arguments and nothing makes fools of us more than carnal politics. Perhaps that was why Jesus was so dismissive of it. Because it doesn't matter in the end. Only the Gospel does. We were not charged with saving our country. Only God saves people and that is only through the spoken Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will be held to account for every careless word we speak. The majesty of God should terrify us. Today's politicians are tomorrow's trivia answers. Even the greatest leaders by the standards of men are mere footnotes in history. Stepping stones in the grand plan of God. We have been so blessed to be given the privilege of representing Him to a dying lost world. Not through stands of faux morality. Not through political punditry. Only through the truth beloved. Only through the truth. If they do not hear it from us; where will they hear it? If they do not see it in us, where will they see it? If they do not believe we reverence it because it is God, they will not believe us on anything else and that is the truth.

Reverend Anthony Wade - March 3, 2016



Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Back