However, I believe Christians tend to stray off track when we begin to act as though Christian values in policy and law has something to do with the godliness of our country in general. Christian values don’t save anyone. Individual hearing of the gospel, repentance, and believing change hearts. Policy doesn’t drive people to Christ. Faithful proclamation of the gospel is what we are called to do and to pursue. Why do Christians spend so much time actively pursuing and speaking on and pushing Christian values and policy? Is this a command in scripture that I’ve missed somewhere? Why are we more concerned about how our temporal government behaves than we are about individual souls?
I say this, realizing that someone will say, "But I care about both!" My response is, then do you speak publicly about both? Do others primarily see your passion for Christ and lost souls, or do they see your zeal for political things? Do you talk about and promote things that speak as though policy is the be-all, end-all? Do you and I promote and talk about and plead and share the gospel as much as (or, as ought to be, much more than) we talk about policy or presidents? Is not the gospel actually of far greater concern, of ETERNAL concern?
If this does not describe you, then praise God. I think this is something of which believers need to be cautious. What we publicly post is seen by believers and unbelievers alike, and we are perceived accordingly. It is much better to be thought of as a religious Jesus freak than as a political zealot--and often an enemy.
God will hold individuals within the government responsible for their policies and how they govern. Those who write, promote, and lobby for ungodly or immoral laws will be judged for what they do. Those who write, promote, and lobby for laws that reflect biblical values are also held responsible. NEITHER of these groups will be saved or condemned based on the laws they write and promote. They are saved or condemned based on what they have done with Jesus Christ. Having promoted biblical standards in policy does not make a lawmaker godly. It doesn’t make those under him godly. Policy has nothing to do with the gospel.
It is easier to promote moral values than it is to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems to affect more people for good, in that we see people behaving like Christians--even if they are not. And we Christians, to our shame, tend to be content with that. And I think we get lulled into a sense of false comfort thinking that the people around us are okay spiritually when they really aren’t. This nation isn’t going to stand before God in some collective sense and be commended or condemned. Each person is, and it’s what in their heart that is of concern, not how they behave in general society.
I'll say it again: Nations don’t stand before God in the judgment. Individuals do. Having laws that reflect scriptural values have no power to change sinful, selfish hearts into God-fearing ones. Christian values and policies don’t reflect on the nation’s spiritual condition as a whole, either. We see this even reflected in Scripture in the nation of Judah. After Israel was taken into captivity, godly king Hezekiah, of whom was said, “There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him…He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow him” (2 Kings 18:5), and saved Judah from invasion by Assyria—even he had one of the worst kings in Judah’s history for a son, who completely reversed any good policy Hezekiah had enacted. And not even King Josiah, who went further and brought all the people together and “renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands” (2 Kings 23:3) and was commended by God: “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength” (2 Ki. 23:25) was able to enact policy that lasted longer than his own reign—because the hearts of those in the nation weren’t truly the Lord’s. His policies were no reflection on the hearts of the people he led. They just turned right back to sin and idolatry after his 31-year reign ended (he was only 39 when he died), not because of the change in policy but because their hearts were wicked. Just a few kings and a few years down the line after Josiah (three kings, who ruled a total of 22 years and 3 months) the nation was conquered by Babylon and taken into exile. And through all this there were few whose hearts truly loved the Lord who were able to impact others eternally (like Daniel) because they loved the Lord and served Him faithfully regardless of law or policy…but not because they sought to impact government, but because they witnessed of God and faithfully trusted and obeyed Him.
It's true that people generally experience better lives when righteousness is upheld. "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, people groan" (Prov. 29:2). There are true-isms that apply to nations whose governors, kings, or presidents enact and enforce godly policy. But a better life never saved anyone. A better life ought never to be the primary goal of any ministry, or of any Christian personally. The best thing to come from this kind of temporal blessing is more freedom within which to share the gospel...and I don't see most Christians driven to do that. I see Christians who are content with having policy they agree with and who desire to live comfortably within. Why do we fight for policy tooth and nail? What does our fervor accomplish? If only our fervor to spread the gospel were as high!
I see Christians talking about policy far too much and I think is detrimental to the name of Christ. We tend to spend far too much time barking up the wrong trees. God has put Trump in place--as He has EVERY president we’ve ever had. I’m thankful that some things he is doing as president (aside from his personal behavior) are, by God's grace, aligned with my own personal convictions…but there’s no guarantee that this will continue to be the case for very long. But it isn’t a drive of mine to keep things that way--and I don’t believe it ought to be for any believer. Regardless of who God puts in place, and what kind of laws we live under, we’re to have the same goal: exalt Jesus Christ and spread His gospel. If a nation's direction is going to be truly changed, it must be from the inside out. It will not happen from the top down, with changes in policy that can be easily reversed with a change in command. The heart transformed to pursue the glory of God produces the byproduct of people that do and love righteousness. But having a godly nation ought not to be the goal. The goal is faithful gospel proclamation, which God uses to save people who will love, glorify, and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen!
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