How Do Christians Live in a Divided Political Age?
Jesus gave his followers a blueprint for earthly political action when he said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). A Christian’s perspective, priorities, and posture on earthly politics must be shaped by the Kingdom of God.
If you would like to listen to the two-part sermon series I preached on this subject at Living Word Community Church, the videos are here. I will broadly outline those talks in this post.
Why talk about this subject now?
When I was asked to step into the role of Lead Pastor at Living Word Community Church in my hometown of York, PA, I had to do a gut check. I found myself asking, “Do I really want to pastor a church in 2024?” I was far too cognisant of the turmoil pastors had endured in 2020.
I do believe this topic is a timely, critical discipleship issue in the church for several reasons.
Politics is on your mind and constantly in your face. Billboards, social media, celebrities, corporations, and retail establishments are overly politicized.
Christians are being driven to fear and division due to the unhealthy political rhetoric.
Relationships, even among families, are in peril due to political disagreements.
The Church’s witness is at risk due to the unhealthy ways Christians are engaged in vitriolic political discourse.
Navigating the political process and important issues requires wisdom and discernment.
Our democratic system of government will become unsustainable if we lack virtue as a people.
Two Faulty Approaches
There are two faulty approaches to how Christians engage in the political process.
1) Put your head in the sand. This approach seeks to ignore divisive elections and hope they go away. Many pastors would fall into this camp. Quick hint: politics are not going away anytime soon.
2) Assume God is on your side and be partisan. This approach assumes God aligns with all of my political party’s policies. It becomes very easy to treat those who disagree as enemies to be mocked and destroyed. Many people wish their pastors would pick a side.
A Kingdom-First Approach to Earthly Politics
When Jesus said that we should seek his Kingdom first, he intended that Kingdom politics would be our priority. There is a connection between Kingdom politics and earthly ones. We have to first understand the contours of Kingdom politics before we can apply them to earthly politics.
Six key principles help define a Kingdom-First approach to politics.
Principle #1: Earthly kingdoms rise and fall before the Kingdom of Christ
Daniel 2:44 says, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”
Daniel was shown a vision of toppling kingdoms: Assyrian, Babylonian, Medes, and Persians. The Greek kingdom would rise and fall and so would the Roman Empire. Every earthly kingdom will come to an end. Only the Kingdom of Christ endures forever.
Principle #2: Jesus resisted efforts to establish a typical earthly kingdom
On numerous occasions in his earthly life, Jesus resisted becoming a typical, earthly king. Consider the following Scriptures:
John 6:15 “Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
Matthew 4:8-10 “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’
Mark 8:33 (when Peter rebuked Jesus for announcing his pending death), “But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Matthew 26:52-53 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”
Jesus consistently rejected earthly power grabs to build a kingdom. It must have been confusing for his Jewish followers who longed to throw off the yoke of the Roman empire. But Jesus knew his Kingdom goals could not be accomplished through earthly politics.
Jesus’s perspective on earthly power should temper our own.
Principle #3: Jesus inaugurated the eternal, universal Kingdom of God
In Mark 1:15-16, Jesus announced the inauguration of the Kingdom of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus established this Kingdom, not by earthly political force, but in his life, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Jesus Christ is reigning today! His Kingdom is bringing life, salvation, and healing to all who would enter it by faith.
Principle #4: Jesus is creating a Kingdom people
Christians are citizens of another Kingdom. The apostle Paul outlined this in Philippians 3:18-20 saying, “Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
This Kingdom people are a multi-national, diverse, and united family.
Revelation 7:9-10 recounts John’s vision of this diverse family: “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.”
Jesus calls his Kingdom people to a kind of unity that confounds earthly political division.
Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14-16, “For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”
In a political age full of tendencies toward racial division and nationalism, the Church should exercise extreme caution about engaging in political practices that destroy our unity.
Principle #5: The Church Exists to Bear Witness to the Reign of Christ
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave the Church its Great Commission. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Our first political priority as a Church is to bear witness to the reign of Christ. Sometimes Christians have been caught in the temptation of idolizing an earthly leader as the solution for life’s most enduring challenges. Earthly leaders can serve the common good but they can never take the place of our ultimate King.
Principle #6: The Church is called to be salt & light in the present age
In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
The followers of Jesus can and should be a force for good in this present age.
Salt brings out the best flavors in food. Christians should strive to bring out the best in people, their families, communities, and especially in our political dialogue.
Salt preserves food from spoiling. Christians can act as a restraint against corruption in the world. Earthly politics can be useful on this front if done lovingly and wisely.
Light pierces the darkness and helps us see. Light exposes the dark. In a world of darkness, Christians can act as light that helps us see a way forward.
The command to be salt and light is an extension of the Great Commandment. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)
Our posture of love must be unselfish and gentle. Paul writes in Philippians 2:1-4, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
Paul again in Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
Winning politically at all costs is not an option for the Christian. Our posture and tone matter because we are called to represent King Jesus. I would prefer that if Christians decide to be nasty, hyper-partisan, swear, or call names, they would not do that under the banner of the name “Christian” because it defames the Name of Jesus and gives the Church a bad reputation.
Some Final Practical Thoughts on Being Salt & Light
Being salt & light requires a fearless posture
Romans 1:16-17 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
King Jesus loves righteousness and hates wickedness. There are times when we must fearlessly exercise our duty to be salt and light.
Hebrews 1:8-9 reminds us about the reign of Jesus, “Your throne, O God, will last forever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Kingdom politics has a righteousness-promoting-and-wickedness-resisting-ethic that certainly extends to earthly politics.
Righteousness is right, holy, moral living. It is personal and social.
Wickedness is the opposite of righteousness. It is also a personal and social evil.
Justice is confronting wickedness. As such, Christians have much to say and do.
Proverbs 14:34 tells us that “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
This call to Kingdom-First political engagement is not some kind of wimpy, neutral peacekeeping. It promotes human righteousness that leads to flourishing and resists the corrupting and exploitative powers of wickedness.
We do not call down fire on our enemies but love them
In Luke 9:52-55, Jesus rebuked his disciples for desiring the destruction of their enemies. “And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.”
Christians must learn to live with and respect our neighbors even as we practice winsome persuasion. In rejecting a mass casualty event on those who rejected him, Jesus shows us that we must continue to allow space for people to reject him without threat of punishment. God alone is Judge who will righteously sort our hearts in the Final Judgment.
A Christian’s list of key political issues should be extensive
Christians should be concerned about a myriad of issues that pertain to all of life including poverty, greed, family, sexuality, our common life with neighbors, questions of war, the production of weapons of mass destruction, the trafficking of human beings, exploitation, clean water, healthcare, and so on.
Political policies do matter. Consider that in 1954, Brown v Board of Education ruled racial segregation in schools unconstitutional.
The character and integrity of our political leaders matter. I have heard Christians argue that the character of leaders does not matter. I can’t fathom how a Christian arrives at this position. Have we forgotten that John the Baptist was beheaded for confronting Herod’s adultery?
We should expect our politicians to tell the truth, be trustworthy, and not simply flip-flop their opinions based on a poll. This doesn’t negate the prospect that their minds can be changed.
We can boldly speak on key issues with compassion
I believe God is the Author of life and subscribe to a Psalm 139 ethic (verse 13 says “You knit me together in my mother’s womb”). Human life is a beautiful creation of God that should be cherished and protected. This starts in the womb but should be all of life, a whole-life approach that encompasses womb to tomb.
For this reason, Christians can and should care about issues beyond the womb like poverty, the quality of schools, whether people have access to quality healthcare, etc.
We must not act like the Pharisees whom Jesus warned the disciples not to imitate. “But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.” (Matthew 23:3-4)
The Church’s political action won’t fit today’s political mold
In Matthew 10:16, Jesus said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.”
The political parties will press Christians to fit into a mold in which they cannot fit. We need to be both wise and harmless, something the current system seems to discourage.
Pastor Tim Keller used to say that 80% of life’s situations don’t have a simple Bible verse to give clear direction. For example, how should Christians engage with AI? The Scriptures and the witness of the Holy Spirit are absolutely crucial in the process of acquiring the wisdom we need to answer tough questions. This includes making political choices.
I refuse to tell people how they should vote. A Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, the Scriptures, a conscience given to them by their Maker, and a Christian community. Of course, as a pastor, I would love to have genuine dialogue about earthly politics and often do. God gives us the tools we need to make difficult decisions and promises to give us wisdom without restraint!
And so, we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come” as we engage in Kingdom-First politics.
In a short number of days, Americans have the opportunity to vote in an important US election. When that day comes, give thanks for the freedom to VOTE.
Remember that a vote for a party or candidate can’t mean full endorsement of their whole agenda. Our civic responsibility doesn’t end at the vote.
So, pray for your leaders and continue to lobby for righteousness and justice.
But may we as people of the Kingdom never forget that we are looking for a better country (Hebrews 11). While we make that journey with eyes fixed on the Kingdom, we are called to be salt and light in this divided political age.
