Just a couple months ago, I was chatting on Social Media with a young lady about our local politics.  During our conversation, she stated that she had recently walked out of a church when the preacher began talking politics.  Which brings up an excellent, and currently highly debated topic among Christians: “Should the Church stay out of politics?”

And let’s be clear.  When people are discussing whether or not the Church should stay out of politics, what they’re actually discussing is whether or not the pastor should teach and/or preach about it from the pulpit.

Now obviously, we all have our initial knee-jerk response to this question.  But as Christians, it’s time we set aside the knee-jerking, and we begin using the discernment God has given us.  Sure, it would be great if we had an entire chapter of politics in the Bible; giving us a step-by-step explanation of do’s and dont’s.  But we don’t have that do we?

That being said, I find it incredibly interesting as to the three main knee-jerk responses I’m hearing from Christians when this topic arises.  These answers may sound familiar to you as well:

1. “Well, ya know… give to Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
2. “Over there in Romans chapter 13, the Bible tells us to obey our government leaders, because God is the One who puts them in place…”
3. “Well ya know… separation of Church and State..”

Now, the issue I take with these responses is they have absolutely nothing to do with whether or not the Church should stay out of politics.  These responses have nothing to do with whether or not the pastor should talk about politics from the pulpit.

So what is the answer to the question?  Is there even an exact answer?

I must confess… this is a topic that is not easily summed-up with just a few words.  And as we begin, I’m going to ask you, the reader, to keep something very important in mind.  I’m going to ask you to keep in mind the role of the “Church“… the role of the “Pastor.”  Please keep in mind what God has commanded of him:

1. The pastor is commanded to shepherd the flock of God. (1 Peter 5:1-4)
2. The pastor is commanded to feed the flock of God through His Word. (Acts 20:28)
3. The pastor will have to give an account for the SOUL of everyone he is charged to oversee. (Hebrews 13:17)

It appears that Americans have somehow come to the understanding (or misunderstanding) that there is a complete separation between the Church and the State.  However, evidence surrounding our everyday lives prove nothing could be further from the truth.  What about our local police departments here in the South?  What about the leading currency of the world?

Whether it’s the local police vehicle that reads, “In God We Trust,” or the very money we spend every day, the ideologically-led spirit of the Founding Fathers is unmistakable…

… and therein lies the social dilemma in which we find ourselves in America today.  And this currently appears to be an impassible intersection between two ideologies.  It is a chasm that cannot be bridged.  Why?

THEONOMOUS, AUTONOMOUS AND HETERONOMOUS CULTURES

The United States of America was founded as a Theonomous Culture.  A theonomous culture is:

• Believed to be governed by God. 
• Guided by the idea that theological truths are the foundation of all cultural forms.
• Origin: the word “theonomous” comes from the Greek theos, meaning “God”, and nomos, meaning “law.”

However, over the past 70 years, lawmakers began changing laws, turning America into more of an Autonomous Culture.  An Autonomous Culture is:

• A type of culture that emphasizes individual autonomy.
• Origin: derived from autos meaning “Self” and nomos meaning “Law.”

In autonomous cultures, individuals are free to make their own choices and are held accountable for their actions.  But as many will agree, America has quickly shifted to more of a Heteronomous Culture over the past few years.

A Heteronomous Culture:

• Is characterized by two distinct sets of laws, one set for the controlling few and another for the masses.
• Is where the law is dictated from those at the top of the hierarchy, whether it be through religious leaders or political figures.
• In secular terms, Marxism is a prime example of a heteronomous culture.
• In religious terms, Islam functions in a heteronomous manner where the dictates come from religious leaders and are followed by the masses.
• Origin: comes from heteros meaning “Different” and nomos meaning “Law.”

Can you now better understand the battle taking place? 

We have a nation founded and built upon Judeo-Christian principles, where Christian roots are deeply woven into and throughout the fabric of these United States of America.  That is undeniable.  However, for many decades now, the culture has been doing its best to shatter the foundation on which America was born and built.  

So… what is the answer to our dilemma?  Have you noticed I still haven’t used any specific Scripture from the Bible?  But what do we do when there is no specific Bible verse on politics for this specific topic?  As I stated earlier, dear brothers and sisters, this is where we must rely upon Spiritual discernment. 

The good news is, we can use the Word of God to help us in this journey.   

Why did God even give us this thing called LAW?  He did so, 

• For Our Own Good
• To teach us to love your neighbor as yourself
• In order that life might go well with you and your children

But Paul tells us specifically in Galatians 3:4, that the Law was the schoolmaster, the teacher, the guardian that protected and disciplined us until Christ came.  The Law led us to righteousness. Stay with me now, dear reader, because we’re almost done.

Now consider this.  The Bible.  It’s Mankind’s only written Word from the God of Creation.  And yet, the first five books of the Bible are known as the Torah… or the Books of Law.  The Law was exactly what set the Jewish people apart from rest of the world.  Two of Paul’s 13 Epistles (Romans and Galatians) speak extensively about the Law.

And lastly, it is critical to understand that the Law is Spiritual.  Which is to say that God’s Law is:

• Factual
• Perfect
• Unchangeable

… and exists with incredible consequences, even if you are completely unaware of its existence. So what, then, is my point?

The Founding Fathers understood perfectly the value and importance of the Law.  It’s what sets us apart from the rest of the world.  It is the discipline that leads us to peace, joy, unity and freedom. Which is precisely why we have 3 specific branches of our government: 

• Legislative Branch – Makes the Laws
• Executive Branch – Enforces the Laws
• Judicial Branch – Interprets the Laws

The foundation of America is the law, and it is known worldwide as the document referred to as The Constitution of the United States of America.  It is exactly what sets America apart from all other countries in the world.  And it is exactly how the early Christian settlers were able to reveal the Spiritual world, to an unspiritual world. It is the beacon of light that shines brightly in a cold, dark world.

Therefore, when someone approaches me asking, “Should the Church stay out of politics,” my knee-jerk reaction is to respond with,

“I apparently don’t understand what you’re asking me?  Because the definition of politics is – the activities associated with the governance of a country, whereby the governance of the United States of America was made clear when the Protestant Christians created a document, founded upon the principles from the Spiritual Law given us by the Creator of the Universe, that begins with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness… and somewhere includes the phrase for the people, by the people.”

Brothers and sisters, I’m not saying the Constitution is as important as God’s Sacred Law.  However, just as the above image is intended to represent, the Bill of Rights; along with the entire Constitution, could not and would not exist without the Law of God first existing. In this context they go hand-in-hand. 

Therefore, to answer the question that has me so baffled, American politics are in no way separate from the Protestant Church.  Rather, the United States government was, and still is, intended to be the extension of the values and ideology of the Protestant Church.. which is the Bride of the Creator and Savior of the world… Jesus Christ.

And finally, this conclusion carries with it the inference that every Protestant Preacher has been given the authority by God, to speak and to preach about whatever God has placed upon his heart, whether political or otherwise.  Amen…