Worshiping Politics?

“For those looking for security, be forewarned that there’s nothing more insecure than a political promise.” Harry Browne

 

Did you get your chicken? In 1928 then presidential candidate Herbert Hoover promised, “a chicken in every pot.”

If you haven’t already voted, I hope you vote this Tuesday. We have a privilege in America that many others around the world don’t have – free elections and the right to vote. Yet, we must realize the extreme limitations of government to resolve core problems. That doesn’t prevent political candidates from promising that they will solve all of our major problems if elected…but have they?

We still haven’t won the War on Poverty. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson declared an “unconditional war” on poverty. Visit any urban area in America and you’ll quickly see that in spite of Johnson’s good intentions, we’re losing the “war on poverty.” Some 40 million live below the poverty line. That works out to 12.3% of the population or one in eight Americans. In 2020, the poverty threshold for a single person under 65 was an annual income of  $12,760; the threshold for a family of four, including two children, was $26,200. Though the numbers have bounced up and down since 1964, government has been able to do little to make inroads against poverty. 2,000 years ago the Lord Jesus said, “The poor you will always have with you” (Mt. 26:11 NIV). Sadly, we do.

We still haven’t won the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs begun under President Richard Nixon continues to utilize policies of prohibition to achieve a variety of objectives. The popular “Just Say No” campaign aimed at discouraging children from engaging in illegal recreational drug use by offering various ways of saying No. The program was championed by First Lady, Nancy Reagan, during her husband’s presidency. Yet, while in 1980, 580,900 people were arrested on drug‐​related charges, forty years later that number has increased to well over a million. Nearly half a million are currently incarcerated for drug-related offenses with another 1.15 million on probation or parole on drug‐​related charges. 50,000 Americans die annually from opioid overdose.

We still haven’t won the War against Racism. How far have we come since Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham jail” or his historic, “I have a dream” speech? Tragically, not very far. The events of this past year clearly reveal that in “the land of the free,” racism is still a terrible blight on the American horizon. That’s because laws, social programs, and education can never change hearts. In one of the most liberal cities in America (NYC), Jews were recently attacked because they dared to support the “wrong” political candidate. It was a page straight out of Nazi Germany. According to Pew Research, 63% of Americans say that being Muslim hurts someone’s chances for advancement in our society. What social activist, Dorothy Day called “a revolution of the heart” is more like a regurgitation of the same terrible maladies.

We still haven’t won the War against Abortion. In 1980 I voted in my first presidential election. At one time I naively believed that with a pro-life President, we could end this atrocity. 12 years of Reagan and Bush were a wake-up call for me. Even if Roe v. Wade is overturned (I don’t believe it will be), it won’t end abortion. Estimates of the number of illegal abortions in the 1950s and 1960s ranged from 200,000 to 1.2 million per year. Currently, there are almost a million annual abortions in America.

While few want to acknowledge it, abortion is one of the greatest acts of racism with 40% of them performed on African-Americans. It’s no wonder that Bernice King, MLK’s daughter is opposed to abortion and believes that life begins and should be protected by law at conception.

Many other social evils could be added to this list. While as Christians, we must do what we can to combat poverty, drug addiction, racism , and abortion – the solution isn’t and never will be found in government.

One of God’s constant rebukes of His chosen people, Israel, was they're trusting in foreign governments to rescue them. Rather than trusting God to intervene for them, they reached out to evil foreign kings. God used the Old Testament prophets to continually warn them. Yet, because Israel would not repent, God finally brought judgment on them for their idolatry.

It was wrong because our ultimate hope is not in government or elected leaders, but in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself alone. Only He has the power to  meet our greatest needs of forgiveness and salvation. Only He can truly change us and our world, true heart change from the inside out.

Many in the Church and many Christians are guilty of the same sin of idolatry. We’ve deified government and worship at the altar of politics. For many politics has never been more important and has turned into the opium of the masses. As former Nixon “hatchet man” who later came to Christ, Chuck Colson wrote, “Modern history is replete with lessons about the futility of putting ultimate trust in much vaunted political systems.”

How do you know if you’ve made politics your idol? Some signs are: Your hope in life is inextricably tied to a politician or your political party winning. You look to a politician or party as a perfect savior who can’t do or say anything wrong. You side with your party on every issue by reflex without thinking through a biblical worldview. Your speech and tone in political discourse tends to be harsh and angry, rather than kind and honorable. You forget that political opponents have eternal souls, that Jesus loves them and died for them just as He did for you. You let politics steal your joy. You don’t seek to understand how a political opponent thinks. You fail to acknowledge the false idols of your own political party.

Yes, we should vote, so please vote for the candidate that best reflects a biblical worldview. Remember though that none wholeheartedly do. Most of all, remember that our ultimate hope is in our sovereign God.

I am so thankful that politics have not divided our church. Our focus must be on His eternal Kingdom, not temporal earthly politics. None of us know what will happen after this election. One thing we are certain of though is that  King Jesus will still be on His throne! His promises will remain true, His church will move forward, and His gospel will prevail. Our hope is not in who wins this election, it’s in King Jesus. Regardless of what happens this election, God is in charge and His coming kingdom is forever! 

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.