Churches and Politics: Duties and Dangers

In my last blog, I spoke of the need for Christians to make their voices heard in the political arena.  Though the law prohibits churches from endorsing candidates, individual Christians have both the right and the duty to speak out.  However, I also acknowledged that there are inherent dangers in political involvements.  What are those dangers?

1. The danger of letting a political party set our agenda.  Our first loyalty must always be to God and His Word.  When we become too involved in politics, we tend to become blinded by party loyalties.  This has already happened to many churches on the political left, and thus they continue to support candidates who take unscriptural positions on abortion and same-sex marriage.  Conservative churches are not immune to this danger.
2. The danger of ethical compromise.  We can't deny that politics is a shady business, where many people believe the end justifies the means.  Certainly no follower of Christ should embrace such a philosophy.  The president of the seminary I attended used to say, "It's easy to do the right thing in the wrong way, and that's almost as bad as doing the wrong thing." We must be careful that we do not engage in immoral or unethical behavior, even if our goals are noble.
3. The danger of relying too heavily on the political system.  Even if your candidates win, they are unlikely to change the moral tone of our society.  Our politicians, as corrupt as they may be, did not create all the immorality and corruption in our society.  They are simply a result of it.  True revival never comes from the top down; it always comes from the bottom up.  Society will not be changed until hearts are changed.
4. The danger of losing sight of our main mission.  Our main mission is and must always be to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.  Granted, the gospel message has important social implications, but social reform is not our main agenda.  John MacArthur has wisely said that a person can be pro-life and still go to hell.  A person can also hold the right views on family values and religious liberty, and still spend eternity in hell.  We must not get so caught up in politics that we neglect our most important mission.

That being said, the solution is not for Christians to avoid politics altogether.  On the contrary, I believe it is a sin for us to remain silent while our government is running roughshod over our liberties and our values.  We live in a country where we have the right to make our voices heard, and I believe God will hold us responsible if we do not exercise that right.  As an American citizen, voting is your right.  As an American Christian, it is also your duty.

One final comment: many people say Christians talk too much about what they're against, when they should talk about what they are for.  Personally, I find such arguments to be little more than sophistry; after all, if you are for certain things, it logically follows that you will be against other things.  Nevertheless, I shall give it a shot.  I am for politicians who defend the sanctify of human life from the moment of conception.  I am for politicians who will defend traditional marriage, defined as a covenant between one man and one woman.  I am for religious liberty and free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment, and I am for Christians exercising their religious liberty in the political arena by voting and making their voices heard on important issues.  I hope these words will placate my critics, but I doubt it.