Politics

I grew up in a conservative home with parents who nearly always vote Republican. And so, I followed suit when I first began to vote. In fact I am still registered as a Republican voter. However, in more recent years I have been more inclined toward the Libertarian point of view, which is also known to some as "classical liberalism". For the most part I agree with the idea that one group of people should not have the power of coercion over another group. 

For example, I am a Christian; but I do not believe in forcing people, against their will, to practice Christianity. It is only God who has the right to pronounce judgement on the wicked and unbelieving who refuse His salvation. And indeed He will; in due time. On the other hand, I believe I should be able to practice Christianity through both public and private observance; giving praise to God at all times. And indeed, that is what God has called His people to do, whether or not we meet with any resistance from the wicked. 

But I have come to the point now, in my life, at which I place absolutely no confidence in any human government or political system. The Kingdom of God is all I trust. And the Kingdom of God does not come by means of human politicking. Whether or not I should even continue to vote, I'm not sure. But one thing I am certain of; no human government or political system is ever going to bring about the righteousness of God in the hearts of human beings.

Basically what it comes down to is that all systems of human government are flawed, and ultimately will falter and fail. That is because the human flaw of sin is deeper than politics. It is a spiritual condition from which only Jesus can save us. Only He can bring about reconciliation with God (Romans 5:10, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 1 Timothy 2:5). The history of Israel in the Old Testament bares out this truth pretty well. 

At the start, God was their only King. Their only human rulers were judges who settled disputes, gave spiritual guidance, and served as military leaders when necessary. But because of the human flaw of sin, there was constant turmoil. Later, the people clamored for a human king. In their unfaithfulness, they wanted to be like the other nations. It was their desire to be like the pagan nations that also often drove them to commit idolatry. But God granted them their request for a king. And He issued a warning through the prophet Samuel, that their king would take advantage of them, and abuse his authority (1 Samuel 8). 

God gave Saul to be their king. And because of Saul's failures and sin, he was replaced by David. David had his own moral and spiritual failures, but through a covenant of grace, God made him to be the ancestor and foreshadow of the Messiah who would provide salvation from sin. That Messiah, Jesus the Son of God, will come again to establish His Kingdom. 

The prophet Isaiah foretold:

"For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
(Isaiah 9:6-7).

I place no confidence in any human government or political system. There is no lasting hope in any worldly king, president, congress or parliament. But my citizenship is in heaven. And as a citizen of heaven, I eagerly look forward to the day when the King, Jesus the Lord, will return to establish His everlasting and perfect Kingdom (Philippians 3:20, Revelation 11:15). 

Rethinking Reality

Last month, I wrote a post titled Subjective/Objective Reality. In it, I made the point that subjectivity is equally an important part of reality as objectivity is. My position in that post was that moral and spiritual laws are subjective because they can not be seen with the eye, touched with the hand, or examined under a microscope. Yet, as I maintained, moral and spiritual laws are real since they proceed from the mind of God who is absolute.

I now, however, take pause to reconsider, whether or not right and wrong are indeed subjective after all. The reason for this second thought is that, as I have said before and say again, God is love. The reason that we as human beings even have a concept of love; the reason that it is an essential part of the human being, is that we are created by and in the image of God who is love. Love is not just an idea. Love is not even confined to being an action. Love is Persons. God is love (Genesis 1:26-27, 1 John 4:8).

Now God is Spirit (John 4:24). But I'm not entirely certain that that means He is non-objective as a Being or Entity. Perhaps we may conclude that a spirit, and also the Spirit, is another kind of objectivity though transcendent over and apart from the natural universe. We are spirits who have bodies, and we are persons. And God is Spirit, and Personal. And God is love. And love is the fulfillment of the Law of God (Romans 13:8-10). 

I conclude then that God, from eternity past and forever, is a kind of love in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That is, that the subjective idea of love actually comes from the objective Persons of God who is love. And we being made in His image are in the image of love, though because of sin, the image of God in us is distorted. That is, God who is love has made us to have the subjective concept of love, which comes from Him and leads to Him. As an old Christmas carol says "Let loving hearts enthrone Him". If we do not love Him, then we do not love, even if we claim to.

And furthermore, Jesus, being the Son of God, also became a flesh and blood human to die for our sins which alienate us from God. So being God incarnate, He is perfect love, from eternity past with the Father, incarnate also as a flesh and blood human. And so it might be said that in God, and also in humanity (since we are created in the image of God) that which would otherwise be subjective, is found instead to be objective.

However, until one comes to be reconciled with God through Christ, one can not personally know God who is love. And as stated above, God is Spirit. And whoever would worship Him must do so in spirit. As the apostle Paul, through the Holy Spirit, pointed out; the carnal, or natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit. The natural man can not receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned (2 Corinthians 5:18-21, 1 Corinthians 2:14).

Love and Truth

"Love does not delight in evil 
but rejoices with the truth" (1st Corinthians 13:6 NIV).

The balance of truth and love is of great importance. Without love, truth is hatred. Without truth, love is a lie. Without the other, neither one is any good. Together, they are all that matters. This is righteousness.

The Triune God is the eternal, living embodiment of the two. Jesus, the Son of God came into our world to make Him known. To reject Him is to personally reject love and truth. God is love, and His word is truth (1st John 4:8, John 17:17). 

There are some who talk and sing about love, but they do not love God. Nor do they turn to Him to learn truth. They do not want to know God who is love. In fact, many of these same people who talk about love actually hate Jesus. And they hate anyone who wants to follow Jesus. 

Love is not just a concept. Love isn't even just an action. Love is a Person. God is love. But sinful humans twist, corrupt and pervert the concept of love. They want to isolate it from the truth about sin, and the need for repentance and reconciliation with God through faith in Jesus Christ. 

We want love on our own terms. But that's just not even how love works. Love involves sacrifice. You give up what you want in order to please the ones you love.

That is what Jesus did. He gave up His life to please the Father, and to save sinners. That's also what the Father did. He gave His only begotten Son to save sinners. And to love God is to surrender to Him. We are called to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). 

On the other hand, it is easy for religious people to bang the truth up side everybody's heads all day long. But they may not have any compassion. In fact, many of these religious people do not practice, or even preach the truth. I was watching a very disheartening documentary on the History Channel recently. The topic was cult leaders. The satanic deeds of Charles Manson, Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Paul Schaefer were detailed. Such people twist, corrupt and pervert the Scriptures for their own sick and evil desires. 

We may also think of groups like the Westboro Baptist Church, or even mainstream churches that are just focused on arbitrary, cumbersome rules and regulations with little to no grace or mercy. And then there are people who do preach the truth very well, but they just sin in secret and make little to no effort to stop sinning.

Now we all stumble. All of us sin and fall short of the glory of God. We all get off track and stray from where Christ wants us to go. I know that I have. That is why grace is essential. And by God's grace we are able to return to Him.We should realize that the love of God is what drives His truth, and His truth is what drives His love. The righteousness of God is a perpetual cycle of truth and love.

The reason God condemns sin is because of what it does to the soul of the sinner. It corrupts our nature. It twists us into something we were not made to be. It causes trouble in our lives. It makes havoc in society. And it alienates us from a holy God who made us and cares for us.

Jesus came into the world to take away our sin, and bring about reconciliation between us and Him (John 1:29, 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21).