Politics & the Pulpit

Years ago, I was part of a mission organization that instructed its pastors to avoid getting political at all costs. The motive behind the mandate was good: the organization didn’t want their pastors diluting the gospel or creating unnecessary stumbling blocks that might hinder people from receiving the life- changing Word of God. They emphasized the fact that our political affiliations have absolutely no bearing on the message of salvation. In a country that is already so politically divided, they argued that a pastor’s political voice would only serve to further alienate the congregation he had been called to serve. After all, Jesus prayed for unity (John 17:21–24), and nothing is surer to create division than political differences.

“Yes, it is your civil duty to vote; just don’t let anyone know which circles you colored – and don’t ever talk about it from the pulpit. Ever.”

The logic made sense to me (it still does); so I wholeheartedly embraced it – for years. It wasn’t until I began to see just how far the American political landscape had trespassed their political boundaries (venturing into the ecclesiastical pulpit and hijacking biblical morality for their own political platforms) that I began to sense a growing need for faithful Christians to “get political” – with their pastors leading the way.

Let me explain…

Politics (from the Greek πολιτικά, meaning: “affairs of the cities”) is the set of activities associated with the governance of a defined area (such as the United States of America). Those who are vocationally involved in the realm of politics (i.e., politicians) are to govern their area according to what is right and good and true. They are to make decisions, pass laws, and enact policies based on what is best for its citizens – in order to provide the greatest opportunity for human flourishing. This includes such things as taxation, global trade, national security, infrastructure, commerce, economic development, and the punishment of criminals. This is the authority granted to human governments by the Word of God (Matt 22:21; Rom 13:1–7). And, insofar as our politicians are drafting laws based on what is good (as defined by God), then Christians are called to submit “for the Lord’s sake” (1 Pet 2:13–17).

However, it is critical for Christians to remember that the realm of politics has absolutely no jurisdiction whatsoever over the Word of God (Psa 138:2; Acts 5:29; 2 Tim 3:16–17; Heb 4:12). None. Thus, as soon as any government begins to enact laws and policies that are contrary to the Word of God, they have trespassed into a territory that does not belong to them. God has not granted politicians the right to reimagine the moral lines of good and evil. Morality is NOT a political issue; it’s a biblical issue. Therefore, just as the ecclesiastical realm (the church) has no inherent authority to determine what is economically acceptable, likewise, the political realm (the government) has no authority to determine what is morally acceptable.

Here’s the point: the issue of abortion (which dominates much of the current political conversation) is NOT fundamentally a political issue. It’s a moral issue, a biblical issue, and one that God has already settled (Exod 20:13; 21:22–23; 2 Kings 17:17; Psa 139:13–14). Politicians who use this issue as an election platform are way outside of their lane. The same is true for every other moral issue that has been pirated into the political sphere, such as:

• marriage (Gen 2:24; Eph 5:31–32),
• divorce (Mal 2:16; Matt 19:6; Mark 10:11–12),
• sexual identity (Gen 1:27),
• sexual orientation (Lev 18:22; Rom 1:24–27),
• childhood development (Deut 6:4–9; Prov 13:24; 22:6),
• worship (John 4:24),
• the local church (Heb 10:24–25), etcetera.

These are all biblical issues, and thus a faithful pastor must speak into them (2 Tim 4:2). This is the church’s jurisdiction.

Insofar as the government abducts biblical issues into a political arena, the pastor who would dare to boldly speak the whole council of God must (in this sense) “get political”. Furthermore, insofar as a political party seeks to utterly abolish all sense of biblical morality from issues such as abortion and human sexuality, the faithful pastor must also be willing to expose them (Eph 5:11) and actively oppose them (2 Sam 12:7–12; Jer 50:31; Matt 12:34–37; Luke 3:19–20; Gal 2:11). Though he is faithfully expositing the Word of God, nevertheless, he will inevitably be perceived as “getting political”. So be it. When politicians and political parties are trampling the laws of God to build their own platforms, then we must confront them, even if that runs the risk of being accused of “getting political”.

The other reason for pastors to be vocally engaged in the realm of politics is because Christ is King over every realm on planet Earth – including politics. The boundary lines of His supremacy encompass every square inch of the universe. By His word kingdoms rise and fall. He ordains leaders, and He removes them (Dan 2:21). The Bible tells us that King Jesus has all power and all authority over all things at all times and in all places (Matt 28:18–20). All things have been put under His feet – including secular politics (Eph 1:22), and He will continue to reign until the knowledge of His glory covers the Earth like waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14; 1 Cor 15:25–28). There is not a realm on this terrestrial ball that exists outside the dominion of Christ’s kingdom: marital, parental, sexual, moral, ethical, psychological, mental, educational, civil, political… all of it belongs to Him (Rom 11:36; Col 1:16–17). Our nation was built on the shared belief this supremacy: “One nation under God”.

The local church is an outpost of the kingdom of Christ on earth (Matt 3:2; 4:17; 12:28; 24:14; Mark 1:15; 9:1; Luke 17:20–21; Col 1:13). So why is it that so many of us feel the pressing need to avoid this realm as if politics were the one place in which the light of the gospel should never shine? Why do we tiptoe around the moral issues of our day as if the inspired Word of God had nothing to say? Why do we avoid political conversations as if the gospel was limited or handicapped? If Christ is King over all the earth, why is there a sphere in which the church is afraid to tread? If Christ is King and we are His ambassadors, then the church should feel the utmost freedom to bring the gospel to bear into every nook and cranny of the political platform.

And wherever any political platform is a stage for godlessness, we must solicit the axe of Boniface and cut it down with every opportunity (2 Cor 10:4). We must “get political”.