If you don’t pray in tongues God hears you, but it’s like you are using dial up, while I’m on high-speed internet. At least that’s what my friend was told in college.
Agree to disagree. But such comments aren’t unique. History is littered with examples of Christians denigrating the faith of fellow believers over secondary and tertiary issues.
This continues today as the faithfulness of many Christians is questioned over the issue of politics. Due to increasing hostility from the left, many Christians have argued that the only path to biblical fidelity is to openly endorse the Republican party. Pastors especially have been called on to use their authority to exhort their congregations to vote Republican, burying in the past the notion of Christian liberty in politics.
Young people especially have been drawn to this conservative movement, throwing their hands up at the aggressive and irrational ideologies of the left and holding their arms out to leaders who are willing to state the truth publicly and unapologetically. This is evidenced by the popularity of conservative truth-speakers like Charlie Kirk among Gen Z men.
We should rejoice that young people are attracted to biblical views on key cultural issues. Yet, dangers linger. Tying the church to a political party can damage the faith of young people and threaten their evangelistic witness. To avoid this, we must be open to an issues approach. This is not a commitment to winsome cultural capitulation–or at least it shouldn’t be–but involves being openly critical, when necessary, of both political parties while continually pointing to Scripture as our ultimate moral guide.
Jesus himself modeled this approach, condemning the Pharisees despite the evil of the Romans, rejecting all religious parties who were opposing him rather than choosing sides, and making clear that he came to establish a heavenly kingdom through the church–not an earthly one through the state.
This doesn’t mean all political options are morally equivalent. We are culpable for our vote and any evil it perpetuates. It does mean a commitment to Scripture over a party platform, to building God’s kingdom over a political movement, and to Christ over any political candidate.
If we politicize Christianity it will have consequences–real, lasting, damaging consequences. Let’s look at seven of them.
Seven Negative Consequences of a Politicized Christianity
- A Political Christianity Gives People Less than What They Need
In 18th century England, many political policies were enacted to mitigate the wave of depravity engulfing the nation, but it was the preaching of the gospel–primarily through George Whitefield–that transformed the culture.[1] The cross alone can change a soul forever. And as the people go, so goes the culture.
As important as abortion, gender, and race are it would be a tragedy for people to mistake conservative ideals for the gospel. This is ideological legalism, the false belief that if our worldview aligns with the Bible then we’re saved. Our need of a savior will be minimized, the gospel will be obscured, and people will not be transformed.
- A Political Christianity Threatens our Evangelistic Witness
Paul writes, “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might win some” (1 Cor. 9:22). Paul wanted to remove any unnecessary obstacles to the gospel. That is why he had Timothy circumcised to reach the Jews (Acts 16:3) even though Paul didn’t think circumcision was necessary. If anyone was offended, Paul wanted it to be because of the gospel or Scripture.
Many people today are open to hearing about Christ but may be averse to the Republican or Democratic parties and their leaders. The gospel and the Bible are offensive enough, let’s not add our own controversies.
To be clear, we must speak out on moral issues. Cogent arguments should be made for the sanctity of life, biblical sexuality, and the harmfulness of CRT.
Some argue we shouldn’t talk about these issues because it’s not the gospel. After all, as some argue, non-Christian don’t care about what the Bible says anyway. But most won’t follow that logic to the end. If a non-Christian tells us they want to murder their boss, should we say, “Well, you aren’t a Christian, so I doubt you’d care what the Bible has to say about murder”?
I hope not! I hope we would plead with them since the Bible says that sin will destroy their life, hurt others, and distance them from God.
We must not shrink back from God’s truth. In fact, some might even be drawn to Christianity because of our firm articulation of moral reality amidst a sea of irrationality, but we must not encumber the gospel with politics. The cross alone can save and transform.
- A Political Christianity Undermines the Gospel
When believers equate Republicanism with true faith they undermine the gospel by requiring what God does not for salvation. Paul belabored this point in Galatians. He condemned the Judaizers for questioning the salvation of Gentiles who weren’t circumcised.
Believe it or not, there are Christians who exhibit fruits of the Spirit, who love expositional preaching, and who are complementarian, who also vote Democrat because of immorality they see on the right. Requiring political affiliation for faith creates a false shibboleth, an unbiblical requirement for salvation which questions the faith of people who are in every respect sincere believers. Instead, we must question our questions about the faith of others–especially when those questions center around non-gospel issues. They are morally culpable for their vote (more on that shortly), but if they denounce the evil on the left while tactically voting left, they are still Christians.
- A Political Christianity Harms the Conscience of Faithful Christians
If the church is linked with Republicanism then Christians genuinely concerned for immigrants or appalled at the sexual immorality and racism of Donald Trump might be accused of fraternizing with the enemy rather than following their conscience. If their zeal continues they might be told they are flirting with apostacy. This forces a choice: ignore their convictions to appear in line with fellow Christian conservatives or embrace liberalism. Neither are good options. Ignoring our convictions can lead to searing our conscience and embracing liberalism can destroy our faith.
Thaddeus Williams writes this about the dangers of liberalism: “Christians with great intentions welcome socialist ideas into the gates of their faith, only to have their Christians worldview–their doctrines of Scripture, sin, and salvation–plundered from the inside out.”[2] I agree, and working with college students has only reinforced the dangers of liberalism. But I wonder if some embrace liberalism not because they are drawn to it but because they feel pushed there by Christians unwilling to see the Republican party with a critical eye. An issues approach might draw some to the church but also keep genuine Christians in it.
- A Political Christianity Violates Christian Liberty
Some attempt to disprove an issues approach via reductio ad absurdum, by pointing to an extreme to show that there are situations where it would be ridiculous for the church to stay politically neutral.
Enter the Nazis.
Surely churches in Germany were required to oppose the Nazis, right?
Some certainly did, but more often they opposed specific evils of the Nazi party. As Robert Benne points out, many churches in Germany supported the Barmen Declaration which condemned Nazi interference with church doctrines and polity, and decried Nazi discrimination according to Scripture. Pope Pius XII denounced the Nazis treatment of the Jews. A Lutheran Bishop in Norway defied Nazi commands, forbidding pastors to announce Nazi Jewish policies in churches.[3]
Individual Christians resisted in a number of ways. As Benne writes,
Some Christians participated in underground resistance. A small group plotted an attack on Hitler’s life. A number of German politicians–such as Carl Gördeler, Mayor of Leipzig–participated in political resistance to the Nazi regime. Some wrote enough attacks on Nazi policies that they were expelled. Others were muzzled and put under house arrest. Yet others privately disagreed but were silent in the public sphere. Some fled.[4]
Others joined the Nazi party to subvert it from within. Yet, as Benne writes, “One can no doubt locate authentic Christians among all these options.”
All Christians must oppose evil, but Scripture doesn’t outline exactly how. If the German churches condemned anyone not flying the flag of resistance they would have unbiblically limited the ways the church was mobilized to fight evil. That truth still stands. The church is universal but one approach to fight evil is not.
However, all votes are not morally equivalent. It would have been unwise for the average Christian to show support for the Nazi party–even if they denounced the specific evils of the party–since their support would complicitly perpetuate those evils. The same is true for a Christian voting Democrat today. Because of abortion, any person who votes for that party is complicit in the genocide of the unborn. The preservation of life is a top tier issue in God’s Word.
Though abortion and gender are not the only moral issues represented on the ballot, it should weigh on our conscience as we evaluate the ethics of our vote. Permissible does not mean prudent. Biblical ambiguity on voting carves out a cleft in the rock of Christian liberty, but that doesn’t mean it’s wise to camp there.
- A Political Christianity Promotes Political Idolatry
Politicizing Christianity encourages people to place their hope in political parties and movements rather than God. If churches emphasize conservatism over Christ so will their congregants. In that case political messianism obscures the beauty of the true Messiah.
Worship God and he’ll shape your politics, worship politics and it will shape your god. Christ’s church exists to glorify him, not Republicans. As Mark Dever has said, “We should worship and pray so ardently in our churches that people get bored who only pretend to know Christ.”
- A Political Christianity Perpetuates a Movement Mentality
When some argue Christians should have no enemies on the right they flirt with danger. Suggesting that Christians minimize or ignore the flaws of Republican leaders perpetuates a movement mentality, an environment where egregious sin is ignored and abusers can continue in power–to the great detriment of others. This also can wound the conscience of many Christians suppressing the conviction of the Holy Spirit to expose evil. Instead, Christians are called to expose sin regardless of which side of the political aisle it’s on.
Conclusion
When Ambrose was Bishop of Milan the Roman emperor Theodosius attended his church. During that time, Theodosius hastily ordered the killing of 7,000 Thessalonian rioters–a decision he immediately regretted but couldn’t take back.
The following Sunday Ambrose physically barred Theodosius from entering the church, demanding that he walk through the streets of Milan repenting to the people. Theodosius acquiesced. When he was finally able to return to church, Ambrose made him kneel and beg for God’s forgiveness before the congregation.[5]
Why did Ambrose do this? Because he believed that “The Church belongs to God, therefore it cannot be assigned to Caesar. The emperor is within the Church, not above it.”[6]
I am confident Ambrose praised God for saving Theodosius, for making him emperor, and for influencing the world through him–but Ambrose never bowed at the altar of Theodosius or the Roman Empire. He bowed to Christ alone. If he was seduced by the power of the emperor he wouldn’t have rebuked him in this needed way.
Christ established a heavenly kingdom to do earthly good, not an earthly kingdom to do heavenly good. Faith can–and should–influence politics. But we must prioritize faith over politics for our faith to affect politics.
Young people are searching but mere conservatism and political movements won’t do. They need Christ and his Word. Where our country or political parties will be in 200 years I don’t know–I know the church will be standing. We can affirm and celebrate aspects of the Republican party and its leaders, but we can’t equate the church with Republicanism because Scripture is the only inerrant party platform and Christ is the only perfect leader.
Herald his name and preach his Word. If we do, young people won’t merely vote, they will be transformed.
[1] Arnold Dallimore, George Whitefield, vol. 1 (Banner of Truth, 1970). 29-31.
[2] Thaddeus J. Williams, Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice (Zondervan Academic, 2020). 192.
[3] Robert Benne, Good and Bad Ways to Think About Religion and Politics (Eerdmans, 2010). 96.
[4] Benne, Good and Bad Ways to Think About Religion and Politics. 97.
[5] Nick Needham, 2,000 Years of Christ’s Power Vol. 1: The Age of the Early Church Fathers, Revised edition edition (Christian Focus, 2016). 187-88.
[6] Needham, 2,000 Years of Christ’s Power Vol. 1. 186.
Mike McGregor
Mike McGregor (MDiv, Reformed Theological Seminary) is Director of College Ministry at First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. You can follow him on Twitter at @m5mcgregor.
