In God We Trust?

Can I be frank? I absolutely hate election season. Hate it. Hate it.

And it's not because I'm apathetic. And it's not because I'm a cynic. I'm neither.

We were attending a Presbyterian Church during the last election. For those of you who don't know, Presbyterians preach Reformed Theology, which, at its core, stands on the unequivocal sovereignty of God. My pastor summed it up this way: "God takes what he wants, and he keeps what he takes."

During the election, however, my pastor worked overtime to make sure his congregation got their butts in gear to elect God's man into the White House. He was sure to wear his "I VOTED" sticker to church the following Sunday. When he preached on Evangelism, he was adamant that God was in charge of electing men to salvation. It is God's work, not ours. But when it came to electing a man to lead our country, the pastor presented a very different message. Apparently this kind election is up to us. This a Democracy after all.

He didn't seem to recognize the contradiction between his view of Reformed Theology and his view of Democracy. In fact, so many Christians that profess a strong belief in God's sovereignty also place a high premium on the voting process. Can someone please explain that to me? I can understand why an Arminian would want to help God out, but a Calvinist?

I see another serious contradiction. How do we know God's political strategies? Why do we assume that God always wants a level-headed Republican sitting in the White House to protect unborn babies, keep His name on our money, and preserve young minds from the knowledge of homosexuality. Here's a thought: Maybe things are supposed to get worse before they get better. Maybe by supporting the Republican Party we are actually voting against God.

Some people are saying that Obama is the Antichrist. Then they vote against him, as if their vote could change the book of Revelation. Amazing. It reminds me of the Christians that believed Hitler was the Antichrist and made plans to murder him. You can't change prophecy!

What right do we have to assume God's will for the world? Are we just trying to make this world a safe and moral place? The frenzy of election time can bring out the worst in Christians. Fear. Worry. Anger. Division. Sometimes I wonder how much of our hope in Democracy stems from a lack of true hope, hope in our current, spiritual Monarchy.

My friends, we have a King, though we may not always think of Him that way. Earthly rulers will come and go, men will make their plans and policies, the world will change, for better or worse. But our King will reign forever---unchangeable, full of wisdom, power, and authority.

Why are we so afraid? Let God do what He will with the world, and let us fall in line with whatever He may ask of us. It may be political. It may be educational. It may be financial. It may be spiritual. But all in all, we need to be about our Father's business.

And we shouldn't assume what that is . . .

Life and Death

Sin is not the presence of something evil, but the absence of something good. PROGRESSION OF DEATH: God breathes His life into man . . . "and he became a living soul" Man prefers a human conscience to a Holy Spirit . . . the knowledge of good and evil God removes his Spirit . . . "on the day you eat of it, you will die" Men respond with defensiveness . . . "the woman that you gave me" God tells Cain that he must master his sinfulness . . . Cain is alone Cain becomes jealous of his brother. Jealousy becomes murder. So spiritual death (the absence of God) leads to fear, insecurity, and defensiveness. These fears and insecurities lead to all other sins (name one not related to a fear or insecurity). These sins can lead to all kinds of physical, emotional, and/or psychological dysfunction, even death. Then Jesus comes to puts God back in man ("I have come to give life, and that more abundantly"), and the Holy Spirit begins to restore the pre-Fall man ("from glory to glory into His image"). Do you agree?

Weak Strength?

What would Jesus do? Whatever his Father told him to do. We often imagine Jesus as a wise and spiritual man, preaching creative sermons, condemning the hypocritical Pharisees, and helping practically everyone in his path. That is the story presented in the Gospels. In John 14, however, Jesus opens a window to his soul, showing us what was happening behind the scenes. Jesus: Disk 2, Special Features. There, we see a different man, a weaker man, one that never acted on his own initiative. Jesus even claimed that his very words were dictated by his Father. In a sense, Jesus was the weakest man that ever lived. Which made him the strongest. We can't relate to this sort of man. From the day we're born, we're encouraged to stand on our own two feet, learn to make decisions for ourselves, be responsible. In fact, for people with just one spirit, this is true wisdom. But when the Holy Spirit moves in and starts to put his feet on the furniture, we are forced to go through a major adjustment period. Jesus never had this adjustment period. He was born, in a sense, roommates with the Holy Spirit. He was a man, but he was spiritually alive. Two spirits, one body. Even at age twelve, he recognized his true Father, and demonstrated a desire to be in the temple engrossed in the family business. From birth, he was groomed for obedience, and he followed that path directly to his death. He lived for his Father by living in his Father by the Holy Spirit. He functioned like no man we have ever seen. When we try to emulate him, we often try to mimic his actions, or even to muster up the same emotions and intentions, but at the base of his motivation was a love for his Father which translated into strict obedience. For us, born independent, we must grow in this life before we can even begin to relate. Can you imagine growing to the point where you can claim that not only your actions but your very words were initiated by God?

The Motivation

What kind of person does not even speak on his own initiative? That sounds like slavery to me. Look at these 1:1's Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus . . . James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ . . . Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ . . . Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James . . . But this is not exclusive to the apostles. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant . . . Philippians 2:5-7 So, yes, we are meant to be servants of God. But a bond-servant is not exactly a slave. In fact, the difference is very important. Bond-servants were unique to Jewish culture, instituted by God to illustrate the concept of spiritual submission and obedience, but with a valid and potent motivation: If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment . . . But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently. Exodus 21:2, 5-6 First of all: Ouch Second of all: This is not slavery under compulsion; this is service out of love. VERY different, and much more interesting. I am also intrigued by the fact that this slave is leaving blood on the doorpost, much like the Passover lamb. The awl is going through the man's ear, the place where he is to receive orders. The life of a bond-servant is to listen and obey. But why? "I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me." John 14:30-31 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full." John 15:9-11 Love? Joy? Isn't that what everyone wants? Apparently, the very thing we hate--slavery--is the very secret to what we so desperately want.