- 2016 (9)
- July (1)
- May (2)
- March (3)
- February (1)
- January (2)
- 2015 (2)
- December (2)
Blog Archive
May 05, 2016
It's Time To BE The Church!
It has been difficult to avoid the media onslaught over the past several months as the political campaigns have been growing more intense. It seemed for a while that things settled down, but now there is yet another wave as the Republican party has been narrowed to one candidate.
It is not my desire to offer any particular political opinion in order to persuade anyone concerning their personal choice as we look forward to the upcoming election. It is my desire and hope to remind us all of our primary allegiance in the midst of the controversial and often heated battles that stir in the midst of the moral and political chaos of our beloved country.
The state of politics and morality in the early days of the Church was not anything worth cheering about. There were many undesirable issues going on in the 1st century context of the believers who were striving to be faithful to the gospel. Yet, I don’t recall the writers of Scripture panicking or getting up in arms about the political or moral state of the world which surrounded them. While there is much truth offered in the divine text from which we can draw a great deal of application for our own context, the primary pursuit of the the early church was not to force political change, but to remain faithful to the truth of the gospel within the moral and political chaos in which the Church existed.
Sure, we should not detach ourselves from the goings on of the culture around us. Most definitely we should seek to remain a voice as believers within the country God has graciously allowed us the privilege of living in. But we must never forget that Christ never determined to bring his Kingdom to fully and finally bear upon the present kingdom of the world through political prowess! Christ’s primary plan for engaging any and all cultures regardless of their governmental status, military might, or moral ambiguity was and continues to be the Church!
Imagine if we were as concerned about the state of the church as we are about world and national government. Imagine if we stood up and spoke up as much about the compromising state of the church as we often do about lost sinners living like lost sinners. If we are not committed to the Church living like the Church and striving to be a clear and decisive testimony of the gospel, then how could we ever imagine the Church convincing the lost world around us to stand on truth that we, the church, are not even striving for.
Our hope is not in the political process even while we pray for the best case scenario (as we should). Our hope is in a crucified and risen Savior who now reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. Our allegiance must be clearly to him! I can only imagine the power and impact the Church would possess if those who identify with Christ in word would live it and hold one another accountable to do the same.
We are the radiant Bride of Christ. We have been granted a privileged status among the people of God by the Sovereign Creator of the universe. We have been set free from the bondage of sin to live to please another master who is worthy of our worship. We have been called out of the kingdom of darkness into his marvelous light. We have been given the power to be his witnesses in the midst of the darkness. We have been given a hope that far surpasses anything this world can offer us (even in a free country).
LET’S BE THE CHURCH! LET’S PURSUE THE GOSPEL FOR THE GLORY OF GOD! LET’S STRIVE TO BE THE RADIANT BRIDE OF CHRIST THAT WE ARE AND SEEK TO PENETRATE THE DARKNESS SO THAT MANY MIGHT SEE THEIR DESPERATE NEED FOR A SAVIOR!
WE ARE THE CHURCH! IT’S TIME TO ACT LIKE IT!