If God knows our free will choices, do we really have free will?

I've always been puzzled by the notion held by some people that if God knows what we are going to choose in the future, then we really don't have free will.  We are little more than pre-programed robots.

They say that if God knows we are going to make a certain "free will" choice, then when it is time for us to make that choice, God already knows what we are going to choose. Therefore we are not really free to make a different choice, change our minds, and God's foreknowledge of events big and small, means we really don’t have freedom of choice at all. 

Quite honestly, I do not see this as being a legitimate theological issue. Let me explain. Let's work with the basis that we are “free-will creatures” and that God knows all things, even our future choices. Furthermore, let's define free will as the ability to make choices, reverse direction, change our minds, regardless of a person's sinful nature. Given these conditions, is God's omniscience and our free will incompatible, as those who claim God does not know all things before they happen?

By analogy, knowing what will happen does not mean that we are preventing or causing that thing to happen. The sun will rise tomorrow. I am not causing it to rise, nor am I preventing it from rising by knowing that it will happen. Maybe a more human illustration... if I put a bowl of ice-cream and a bowl of cauliflower in front of a child, [they sort of alike] you know without much debate which one is chosen – the ice cream. Knowing an expected outcome ahead of time does not restrict a child from making a free choice when the time comes. 

Logically, God knowing what we are going to do does not mean that we can't do something else. It means that God simply knows what we have chosen to do ahead of time. Our freedom is not restricted by God's foreknowledge. Our freedom of choice is simply realized by God ahead of our action. In this, our natural ability to make another choice has not been removed any more than my choice of what to write and how to write this article is controlled by God, word for word.  Before typing any part of this text, I pondered which words to write. My pondering was my doing, and the choice of words was mine. How then was I somehow restricted in freedom when choosing what to write if God knew what I was going to do? No matter what choice we freely make, it can be known by God, and His knowing it doesn't mean we aren't making a free choice.

Part of the issue here is the nature of time. If the future exists for God even as the present does, then God is consistently in all places at all times and is not restricted by time. This would mean that time (as we know and understand time) was not a part of His nature, to which God is subject and that God is not a linear entity, that is, it would mean that God is not restricted to operating in our time realm and is not restricted to the present only. 

If God is not restricted to existence in the present, our present, then the future is known by God because God indwells the future as well as the present (and the past). This would mean that our future choices, as free as they are, are simply known by God, not pre-programmed choices and outcomes. Again, our ability to choose is not altered or lessened by God existing in the future and knowing what we freely choose. It just means that God can see what we will freely choose, and therefore knows what our choice will be.

Scripturally, God inhabits eternity. Psalm 90:2 says, "Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.  But this verse, and others, do not declare that God lives inside or outside of time. 

Rather, the Bible tells us that God is eternal. The Bible teaches that God has no beginning or end. Nevertheless, the Scriptures are not definitive on this issue, and we can only conclude what they do say, namely, that God is eternal, without beginning, without end and that He can accurately and precisely predict what will happen.  "As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place," (Dan. 2:29).

We can reasonably conclude from our limited understanding of God’s nature that time, as we know it, is not applicable to God's nature. In other words, God has no beginning, and since "beginning" deals with a logical event in time, God is outside of time.  Essentially, time has no relevance to God, while time is man’s enemy, up to the return of Christ when eternal life becomes a reality for the faithful.  So, in relation to our free will and God's predictive ability, there is no Biblical reason to assert that God's foreknowledge negates our freedom of choice.

Furthermore, there is no logical reason to claim that if God knows what choices we are going to make, that it means we are not free. It just means that the free choices we will make are made independent of any cosmic manipulation or coercion... they are just known ahead of time by God. 

If we choose something different, then that choice will have been eternally known by God. Furthermore, this knowledge by God does not alter our nature in that it does not change what we are--free to make choices. God's knowledge is necessarily complete and exhaustive because that is His nature... to know all things. 

Why? Because God always knows all things: " . . . God is greater than our heart, and knows all things," (1 John 3:20).

“Do You Love Me?

Pride is often considered the foremost vice among Christians, since it is contrary to the love of God. As Christian thinker and writer C.S. Lewis stated... "According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind."

Christianity teaches that there are many different manifestations of pride. They include "boasting of men (1 Corinthians 3:21)," doing something "from selfishness or conceit (Philippians 2:3)," and refusing to "be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21)."

God clearly commands Christians to be humble, not proud and boastful.

Sometimes, we Christians may be tempted to self-righteously look down on unbelievers who lead immoral lives, and even other believers whom we deem “less worthy” but we need to remember that we are saved by grace, not by any good thing we do, and all our blessings come from God, because of His mercy, and love for us.

Every time a Christian is proud of himself or boastful about something he has done, he is sinning and breaking a command of God.  We are told to be humble instead.  Pride and boasting can be problems for Christians and non-christians alike. The Bible warns people about being proud and boastful.

Jesus taught a powerful and valuable lesson, we should all remember, on the last night of his life and ministry, before his destiny with the cross.  He taught the lesson to one of his own... Peter.  The lesson is recorded in the gospel of John and several questions emerge as we read this passage at John 21:15-17...

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

There are several things in this passage we do not often consider.  For example... Why did Jesus ask Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Maybe it was because Peter denied him three times, although at this encounter, the last supper, Peter has yet to be confronted with his denials of Jesus.

Why did he make his point publicly? Because Peter denied him publicly. Maybe the other disciples needed to hear Peter openly declare his love for Christ. Without hearing those words, the doubts would linger forever.

The man who had been so boastful, so sure of himself, so confident of his own courage, is now thoroughly humbled by such a simple question. Jesus’ first question – “Do you love me more than these?” (v. 15) – was a subtle reminder of his previous boast to be more loyal than the other disciples (Matthew 26:33). In his reply Peter declares his love for Christ, but he refuses to compare himself with anyone else. As painful as this question was framed by Jesus, it was absolutely necessary to make his point, not only with Peter but all the disciples. It’s as if Jesus is cleaning an open wound so that it might properly heal. He is getting rid of Peter’s guilt and shame by dealing with it openly.

Consider what Christ doesn’t do. He doesn’t try to make Peter feel guilty. He doesn’t humiliate him publicly. He doesn’t ask him, “Are you sorry for what you did?” He doesn’t make him promise to do better. He just asks one question: “Do you love me?”

Once we have hurt someone we love, it is hard to look them in the face and it is harder still to be questioned about our true commitment. “How could you have done that? What were you thinking? Do you even love me at all?” But the questions must be asked and the answers must be given.  And they must be repeated if the truth is to be fully told and understood by all parties.

If you think about what Jesus accomplishes in asking that simple question, he is setting the stage, the criteria for emotional and spiritual growth that enables everyone who professes Christ to really be engaged with Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.  There are three qualifications for those who would serve the Lord... The first is love.  The second is love.  The third is love.  Anything else needed? Nope.

And, it works out in our lives like this... First we love, then serve.  First we love, then speak.  First we love, then lead.

When Christ asks the question the third time, Peter’s heart is grieved and he blurts out, “Lord, you know all things” (v. 17). With those words Peter renounces all his self-confidence.  He is saying that he cannot do anything with love for Christ.   

On that fateful night in the Upper Room, he thought he knew himself, but he really didn’t. Now he’s not so sure of anything. He doesn’t even trust his own heart; instead he trusts in the Lord who knows all things, especially his heart. This is a mighty step forward in Christian growth. It is a great advance to come to the place where you can say with conviction, “My trust is in the Lord alone.” Sometimes we have to hit bottom and hit it hard before we can say those words.

No doubt Peter loved Jesus more after his fall, his denials, than before.  No one loves like the one who has experienced God’s grace firsthand.

I love you, Lord Jesus, but not as I ought. Purge from my heart all pride and grant me a good memory of my past so that I might love you more when I remember how much you have loved me and forgiven all my sins. Amen. 

Is God in Control of... Everything?

Which way should I go? Maybe left... maybe right?  Could go straight, but how will I know which direction is best?

What about shocking events?  Someone you know, 42 years of age, dies suddenly from a heart attack. Was it in God’s plan? 

I don’t believe that God plans for any life to be cut short. I don’t believe that God wants anything like that to happen to anyone, even bad people. I don’t believe that a premature death is punishment for some sin.  I don’t believe that violent storms, tornados, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis in southern Asia are by the hand of God to punish people for not believing in Him.  Think about this...

Does God plan that every 4 seconds, a child dies of preventable diseases? Did God plan for half a million people die in an earthquake in Haiti? Did God condemn 400,000 Vietnamese boat people to drown at sea while seeking a new life in a better country?

What kind of God would He be, if He did these kinds of things to innocent and defenseless humanity?

Some might argue that God is sovereign and in control of everything, and therefore everything that happens is all part of God’s master plan. We should all be sickened and frankly terrified by such a thought. The sort of God who could minutely plan bad things for the people he created, simply does not exist!

We all hear platitudes such as... “It was all in God’s plan for our lives.” “God is in control.”  “Everything happens for a reason.” “God wanted another angel when someone dies.”

No argument that for God to be God, he is all-powerful and could do anything, but that doesn’t mean he DOES everything. If he planned out our lives in minute detail, we would be mere robots, puppets at the end of a string being controlled and manipulated, helplessly doing what we were never meant to be doing and having no control over our own lives.

As human beings, we have free will. We can make choices, some small, some big and profound, some not so good that have long lasting consequences.  The power of free will affects every person in the world. We are all affected, not just by ones personal choices, but by other people’s choices as well.

Things which happen to all of us can be a result of choices or random happenings. (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12) Random events of nature which no human can either predict or control.  Choices we make, either consciously or unconsciously, can result in actions which adversely affect ones life.  Choices other people make, can result in actions which affect my life.

Most natural events are random and unpredictable. We do not know when a volcano will erupt.  A family living in a fishing village in Sri Lanka had no way of knowing that a movement in the earth’s crust over a thousand miles away in Indonesia would cause a Tsunami which would destroy their lives, homes and livelihoods.

But we do have some choices to make when it comes to natural events. A volcano eventually produces very productive soil. Living on a volcano’s slopes can be very profitable, or disastrous. If we build our house on a flood plain of a river, we can take advantage of the soils deposited by previous floods, until the next big flood ruins what we have built.

There might be economic choices to make. An earthquake in Japan may not result in great losses because many buildings are earthquake-proof, whereas in Haiti an earthquake caused enormous loss of lives and homes.

We have some control over our own health. A fatal disease might be unpredictable and unavoidable but might have been prevented if we looked after our health and immune-system as a healthy living choice.

When God created all things he gave humankind a special ‘gift’ of free will. In nature, this makes us unique. An animal has some, but very little free will. They are mostly controlled by basic instincts. Material objects have no free will but act according to the laws of physics.

Having “free will” has its costs. If we accept that God gives us free choices, we have to accept that he cannot then interfere with those choices. It also means that he doesn’t interfere with other people’s choices either. That means that if someone drives carelessly, we might be involved in an accident through no fault of our own.  Unforeseen events can and will affect all of us at some point in life.

The choices we make may be good choices, bad choices or neutral. But even a neutral choice can turn out to hurt us. We may decide to take the scenic route home, rather than the fast route. That is not a bad choice, or a good choice – but either could result in disaster or nothing at all.

We make hundreds of tiny choices every day. Most have no noticeable effect, but we have no way of knowing that. If we were to agonize over every tiny decision, then our lives would be unbearable. That is where faith come in. Faith is an assurance that whatever happens in our lives, that God will guide our choices, if we know what He expects of those who love Him and cause all to ‘work together for good’.  All of God’s Word is a guide to living well in a dangerous sin-filled world.  Knowing what we should do, does not guarantee that our choices will always be perfect, but it does assure us that we can cope with whatever comes...  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)  A person who endures hardship, and bears up under life’s unforeseen events without caving under the pressure, will be a glorious example of faith and trust in God.  

The greatest confidence Christians can have is to know that God is at work within your life and that, no matter what happens, in the end God’s love wins and you will be glorified with eternal life!

God does not control our choices but he can, and does guide us in our choices.  He does not do it by pulling our strings as a cosmic puppeteer.  He does it by engaging us in his Word.  Some choices need little, or no guidance. 

We all know that murder is a bad choice. We should not go through life asking God about every little thing: “Is it your will that I have a cup of tea”. That’s where faith comes in.  Trust that God likes “tea” after all, He made it!

When we give up our lives to follow Jesus, follow His plan for Salvation, the Holy Spirit lives within us and help us in our choices. Making the right choices can benefit us – and those around us whose lives are impacted by our actions.

God does have a plan for the life of every man and women. His plan involves reconciliation, restoration and love. His plan is to make us all complete. He has made us all in His image. That means that HE has a free will too and freely gives of himself to the human race in love.

If we do not have free will, we cannot love. God loves us and we can love Him. He put us in a world which is seemingly random but can be overcome if man’s efforts go into making the world a better place. He gave us free will knowing we would often abuse the power by making wrong choices. But God also revealed himself in Jesus Christ and invites us to:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”  and: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Mark 12:30-31)

So, it is not about God controlling every detail of our lives... IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE.

Truth, Choices and Consequences

People are defined by the choices they make and the consequences of those choices. In fact, the Bible is a book about people just like us whose choices determined their future. For example Adam and Eve, Cain, and Noah all made choices and lived with the consequences – good or bad.

Whenever the Bible talks about people and their choices, the Holy Spirit faithfully shares with us the negative consequences of their poor choices as well as the positive consequences of their wise choices. The “family portrait” of God’s family which the Bible presents shows the bad as well as the good and makes it clear that God gives us freedom to choose – but we have to live with the consequences of those choices.

So, along with the freedom to choose comes the responsibility for our choices. If we will allow Him, God will help us make wiser choices so that the consequences of our choices will give us a better life in Christ.

However, at times God lets us gain experience and wisdom from the pain of poor decisions we make. So, good decisions are the product of wisdom. Wisdom is the product of experience. And experience is the product of poor decisions.

The choices we make as children shape our future and influence the decisions we will make as adults. It’s like laying bricks for the foundation of a building. You may be only a sixteenth of an inch off when you begin the wall, but if you don’t make some kind of correction, your error will be magnified as the size of the wall grows. This is how some people wreck their lives. They make small decisions that incrementally over time put them on a path of expanding and sometimes tragic consequences.

And being indecisive can produce negative results as well. Look at the man who received one talent in Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. He became frightened that he might lose the one talent he had, so he dug a hole in the ground and hid it. For not investing it wisely he was severely reprimanded (see Matthew 25:14-30).

The passivity that cripples a person’s ability to make decisions often results from being criticized too severely and praised too seldom for the choices they made while growing up. This is what you will find in the history of many adults who shy away from making decisions, and even refuse to face realities and emergencies in their lives that demand choices.

The secret to overcoming your fear of making choices is to realize that everyone’s life is full of risks. Not making choices carries an even greater risk... losing control of your life. 

Like any other skill, your ability to make good and wise decisions improves with practice. You learn from the pain of your poor decisions how to make better ones.

Look on life as an adventure. Face the daily risks. Learn from your right decisions as well as your wrong ones. Reflecting on the consequences of our choices not only helps us not to repeat our mistakes it increases the number of our wise decisions and the good consequences they bring.

The mental process by which we make decisions is spirit-driven... either a good one or a dangerous one. There is a constant spiritual warfare being waged “between our ears” as Satan and the influences of this world try to distract us from making good decisions.

Choices are not made in a moral or spiritual vacuum. If you are “in Christ” the Lord, His Word, fellow believers, and all the positive influences that emanate from fellowship and worship are available to you as you contemplate your next choice.  That said, His enemy Satan and the allures of a wicked self-focused world are bombarding your mind with urges, fantasies, and ideas that will seem good but will take you down a path to sadness and despair.  Knowing which of these comes from whom is essential if you are going to express Christ’s life and deny expression to His enemy. Committing Scripture to memory will help you develop the necessary discernment for this task.  If you are not one who easily memorizes Scripture, then keep a Bible handy at all times, wherever you happen to be.  Fill it full of yellow sticky notes with important passages and refer to them daily!

Jesus Christ has a wonderful future for you that the devil doesn’t want you to discover. Today your life may be a disaster because of the consequences of bad choices. So align your life with Christ and He will help you discover creative ways of dealing with the crises in your life.  Just don’t expect him to solve your problems, or make the consequences of bad choices go away.  He doesn’t work that way.   You did it, you made it... you live with it.  He will however help you learn ways to make better choices and deal with the consequences of the not so good choices you have made.  The best guide for joy-filled living comes from His Word the Bible.  Immerse yourself in its wisdom and you will begin to see the “helps” he offers!

Ever since Adam and Eve, people have tried to make others responsible for their bad choices . . . tried to put the blame on others. Accepting the responsibility for poor choices and their consequences is the only way a person can grow. Look at the life of Moses. Although he made the right choice in identifying with the Hebrew people of his parents, rather than the Egyptians, he didn’t always make wise choices. Remember, he slew an Egyptian who was oppressing the Hebrews (see Exodus 2:11-25). When he was leading God’s people through the desert, Moses chose to disobey God by striking the rock for water when God told him only to speak (see Numbers 20:1-12). And not even Moses was given immunity from the consequences of his bad decisions – the murder of the Egyptian cost him 40 years on the backside of the desert and striking the rock cost him entrance into the Promised Land.

Wrong choices in small things are quite likely to be insignificant, but it’s important to seek God’s help for making the right decisions in the major things, the crossroads decisions of life. It would be wonderful if we always knew when we were making the life-changing, crossroads decisions. Unfortunately, that isn’t always true, but there are decisions we all face in life that we know are these kinds of major crossroads issues.

For example, whom we choose as our friends in junior and senior high is a crossroads decision. In high school our friends wield more influence than parents. This is why parents should monitor their children’s friendships and not fear to direct them away from friends that will have a bad influence on them.

Certainly dating, marriage and career are key crossroads choices. Young people need guidance and courage to keep sex reserved for marriage. Anytime that one engages in sexual behavior outside of marriage he/she is not only disobeying God, but also complicating his/her life. Parents have a responsibility to help their children make godly choices in this crucial area of their lives. And, of course, along with dating and marriage come important choices about having children and raising families.

Making wise choices is not just for young people, it applies to all ages.  Are you facing a major decision in your life right now? Jesus wants to meet you at that “crossroads” and help you look far enough down the road of your future to discover those options that represent His highest and best for your life.  You can discover what he expects of his followers in his Word... The Bible.

Jesus was NO Politician!

Knowing more than anyone about people, able to read minds and hearts, knowing the future of things, it seemed that Jesus would have made a very successful politician. What were the politics of Jesus?

It may come as a surprise to many, but Jesus Christ did not involve Himself with the politics of His day. Even though He had a strong interest in government, He chose not to become involved in any of the political factions of the day, either in the Jewish government or in its master, the government of Rome.

Christ had good reason to remain apart from politics. The message He preached was indeed about government, but a government He would bring to the earth, not one that would come about through human efforts. Jesus’ message was about the government of God that will rule the world and that will bring about world peace!

On one occasion, a crowd of followers was so impressed with Jesus’ miraculous ability to feed a large crowd, including 5,000 men, with five loaves of bread and two fish that they attempted to take Him by force and make Him their king.  However, Jesus escaped their intentions and departed to a mountain alone (John 6:5-15).

Obviously, He would have had support if He had wanted to overthrow the existing powers. But it is clear that Jesus did not wish to become involved in the politics of the society around Him.

When Christ was on trial for His life before Pontius Pilate, the Roman procurator of Judea asked Jesus about His political aspirations. During this exchange, notice what was said: “Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’  “Jesus answered him, ‘Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I would not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here’” (John 18:33-36).  Even though Jesus was born to be a king, He told Pilate that He wasn’t involved in the politics nor would he interfere with the politics and governments of man.

In spite of the clear message from the Bible that the Kingdom of God will not come through human efforts, numerous people through the centuries have taught that it will. Some say the Kingdom is in men’s hearts, while others say that the mission of the Church is to change today’s governments, making them godly.

Numerous prophecies show that Jesus will not only be a king when He returns to earth, but also that He will be inaugurated as King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 19:15-16). The politics of today will not solve the world’s most persistent problems. These will only be resolved when Christ becomes the supreme authority over the entire world.

Even though Jesus did not involve Himself in the politics of His day, He did teach His disciples to respect governmental authorities. Regardless of the nation in which one resides, respect for that nation’s leaders is part of the responsibility of a true Christian.

Paul speaks of this when writing to the Romans, “Let every soul, be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2, compare with Daniel 4:17).

Later in the same chapter, Paul states that we should pay whatever taxes we may owe (Romans 13:6-7). Jesus addressed this same subject when answering the Pharisees’ question of whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar. He told them to “render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

Paul also commented on respecting government leaders when writing to Titus. Paul said... “Remind them [the members of the Church] to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1).

Peter adds, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God” (1 Peter 2:13-15).

According to the Scriptures, Satan is the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Bible speaks of the world we live in as being evil. Paul, writing to the Galatians, stated, “Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father” (Galatians 1:3-4, KJV).

This present evil world, including its governments, is of Satan’s making. Sadly, all nations have been deceived by Satan (Revelation 12:9). Though Christians live in the world, they are not to be of the world. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus, praying for His followers, said to His Father, “They [His disciples] are not of the world, just as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).

The governments of this world, in so far as they are under Satan’s sway, are in opposition to God. Satan cannot be reformed; he has to be eliminated. That is also true of the human governments of this present world. Removing both Satan and human government is exactly what Jesus is going to do.

Although Christians are admonished time and again in the Scriptures to respect the leaders of the nations in which they reside and to be law-abiding citizens, there is no biblical example of believers trying to change, set up or take down the political system of their nation. The “citizenship” of Christians is in heaven... meaning God counts His followers as citizens of His coming government (Philippians 3:20).

Christians are to be ambassadors of the government that Jesus will set up when He returns to earth (Ephesians 2:19; 2 Corinthians 5:20).  Ambassadors are representatives of one government, living in another. Christians are sojourners and pilgrims in the nations of this world (Hebrews 11:13); yet they, like the apostle Paul, may also be citizens of these nations.

The message Jesus declared was about a future government—not the present one. He told of the Kingdom of God—a government that He would establish on the earth in the future. He admonished those who heard Him to repent and believe in that message, that way of life.

What would the politics of Jesus be today?  If Jesus were here in the flesh today, what would He do in our present political environment? Would He campaign to get His favorite candidate elected?

No, He would still be declaring the message He spoke about when He came during the first century. The solution to man’s problems is not to reform present governments, but rather to replace them with the Kingdom of God, along with the elimination of God’s adversary who corrupts the hearts of men. 

What should Christians do? The mission of a Christian is to be an ambassador of Jesus Christ— an advance emissary of His Kingdom, His coming government. Ambassadors of governments today are expected to not involve themselves in the politics or governmental systems of other nations. Instead, they submit to the government and laws of the nation in which they live. Christians do the same as long as the local laws do not conflict with the laws of God (Acts 5:29). 

If Christians are going to follow Jesus’ example, they will not get deeply involved in the politics of this world.  Our mission is to proclaim Christ’s message to all nations. The good news is that the Kingdom of God is coming!

What does the Bible say about Politics?

If there is anything that will spark a spontaneous debate, if not an outright argument, it is a discussion involving politics... even among Christians. As followers of Christ, what should be our attitude and our involvement with politics? 

It has been said that “religion and politics don’t mix.” But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The answer may surprise and even frustrate you. The Bible gives us two truths regarding our stance towards politics and government.

The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed, and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can derail His will (Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (Daniel 2:21) because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (Daniel 4:17). 

A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though self-willed men abuse their political power, often intending it for personal gain, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

Second, we must grasp the fact that no government cannot save mankind from its appointed day of reckoning with the Most High. We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices supported and endorsed by the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire's unjust laws and brutal treatment of people. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the gospel and live lives that give clear evidence to the gospel’s transforming power.

There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (Romans 13:1-2). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13-15). Paul tells us in Romans 13:1-8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us, hopefully for our good, to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, we should exercise that right by voting for those whose views most closely parallel our own.  Those being Christian, Godly values and views.

One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.

The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. 

Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, and pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they understood that, as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. The same holds true for all Christians today. When we follow the teachings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be (Matthew 5:16).

Political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, his economic strength, his military might, or his politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope and joy—and the salvation of mankind—is accomplished only through His work of faith, love, and grace. 

Inventing a Christian America

Today, March 1st, is Super Tuesday.  11 states hold primaries today to determine their preference for a presidential candidate within each political party.   Typically the outcomes of each states voting represents a presidential candidate's first test of national electability. Convincing wins in Super Tuesday primaries have usually propelled candidates to their party's nomination.

Political elections are as much about those doing the electing as it is about those eventually elected to office. Think about it, if each vote represents what a voter believes and hopes for, then the person elected is really a magnification of the desires voters happen to have at that point in time.

This is why national elections are so fascinating. Every four years, Americans collectively paint and present to the world a picture that communicates their aspirations and fears. It is a picture that enables us to see the character of a nation.  Every four years candidates are going to “fix” the problems of America, just like every candidate in all the prior elections have been going to do.  Something is wrong with that picture, as it would seem that no problems are ever really fixed, or not fixed right as a new crop of political saviors would project.

Growing up in America, you learn early on that the land of the free and home of the brave considers itself to be a Christian nation.  This assertion is not simply drawn from the presumption that America has many self-professing Christians living within its borders, it is born of America’s identity as a whole, its history and its destiny are somehow tied to Christianity.

Political leaders feel the need to appear Christian, say Christian-sounding things, [Two Corinthians..?] show up at Christian institutions, and end their speeches with “God Bless America!” American money proclaims “In God we Trust.” What could be more Christian than that?

The current election cycle is demonstrating once again that the rhetoric and mythology of a uniquely Christian America should come to an end. Why? Because the votes don’t lie.  Though voters may speak piously and rather vaguely about Christian values and ideals, polls and election results communicate clearly that this is a nation consumed by fear, anger, suspicion, and racial divisions – none of which are Christian virtues.  

If voters were serious about presenting to the world a picture of a Christian America, they would need to be painting with the colors of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, gentleness and self-control, because these are the colors that, as the Apostle Paul said in Galatians chapter 5, give convincing evidence of harmony with Jesus Christ and the power of God at work in American lives.

Of course, Americans and their leaders will continue to speak in the name of God, even profess grand things about God, as they make their case for American Exceptionalism and the righteousness of the American Way. But from a scriptural point of view, this rhetoric is all rubbish. What matters is not what you say but how you live.  And from a Christian point of view, nothing matters more than living a life that is inspired by God’s love for everyone. (1 Corinthians chapter 13)

In Matthew’s gospel (chapter 25) readers are taken to the time when God judges all the nations of the world. It is a rather terrifying scene because many of the people present at this judgement are convinced that they are the legitimate inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

But God is not fooled. God simply asks... Did you feed the hungry, offer drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit those in prison?

How will America fare in this time of judgment, especially when we admit as evidence the  millions of Americans (many of them children and the elderly) who do not have enough good food to eat, or the millions of Americans who have to drink water polluted with lead and industrial/agricultural pollutants?  

What about the refugees and immigrants who are being refused at our borders and made to feel unwelcome in our land, or the homeless, many of them ill, who do not have a home and proper shelter from the elements, or the prison inmates, many of them African American, who are treated like the garbage of society?  See, in America it does matter where you live and what color you are and how much money you have.  The people of color in Flint Michigan with lead poisoned water are far less important than the people of Malibu California.

God is asking the nations about their public policy, not their verbal piety, because the true test of Christianity has only ever been and always will be... the test of love.

Imagine a political leader saying, “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2).

Love or noise? Love or nothing? Christianity hinges on how people choose between them. If Americans were serious about being a Christian nation, they would call forth and elect leaders who are patient and kind, and never boastful or rude. They would demand a political process much less characterized by vitriol and noise.  But for that to happen, the people who vote would themselves need to espouse the virtues of love.  You see, we don’t get the opposite of who we are... we get exactly a reflection of our own core values.  That’s why this years political candidates are woefully insufficient to the tasks of inspiring and pristine leadership. Ain’t pretty but its true!

America, BE who you are and tell it like it really is.  Or, look in the mirror, change, and start living what you say you are... a Christian nation!  Contemplating an end to the rhetoric of a “Christian America,” is not the same as suggesting an end to Christianity in America. 

However, the violence and hate, and the greed and the lack of sympathy for those deemed to be threatening minorities, all those outside the prevailing majority who make the rules, strongly suggest that now is precisely the time for a sustained re-infusion of God’s love in our American foundations.  

But for that love to be genuinely Christian, and not a projection of our own fear, anxiety  or arrogance, citizens are going to have to separate once and for America’s true nature from true Christian ideals. They are not the same thing.