Many Christians bemoan the direction of our country. Our long-lived moral values, resting mostly on the Judeo-Christian ethic, are disappearing like dust in the wind. To combat that, many followers work politically to pass laws and elect candidates to restore righteousness to our country, with righteous defined as right behavior. How is that working? First, with all this work going back decades, our culture shows little moral restoration. Second, our efforts often alienate many unbelievers, who correctly think we’re trying to change their behavior, that we infringe on their rights.
A recent Barna poll found, “Non-Christians are predisposed to hold negative ideas about evangelicals, favoring adjectives like ‘narrow-minded’ (34%), ‘homophobic’ (30%), ‘misogynistic’ (21%), ‘racist’ (17%) and ‘uptight’ (20%) (https://www.barna.com/research/evangelicals-political-lens/). Only a poor strategy would choose to alienate those we try to reach. Not only do we see no positive change, but we piss off those we want to influence.
I suggest the problem comes from us aiming at the wrong target: seeking political influence for kingdom purposes when we target the behavior of nonChristians. Historically, the more churches bind themselves to government the less effective we are.
Perhaps the solution is to change our target to the one that Jesus gave us. Last week our pastor beautifully expressed the calling of all followers: to glorify God and populate heaven. That was the last commandment Jesus gave, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:18-20). That matches the greatest two commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27). They match, don’t they?
How do we best love people? To do our best to bring them to belief in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Not by targeting their behavior, but focusing on their relationship with Jesus. As much as I love John 3:16, verse 18 may be even more challenging, “Whoever believes in him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
When we stand before God at the final judgement, as he determines our destiny of heaven or hell, he’ll ask just one question. Not were we a Dem or Rep, white or black or brown, how bad were our sins. Just, “Did you know my son as your Savior and Lord?”
Very simply, shouldn’t this be our target, not legislating their behavior? We demonstrate love by living transformed lives, by loving them regardless of their behaviors. God sorts that out. Maybe this passage will help, “I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people — not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13).
Pretty clear, isn’t it? When we focus on unbelievers’ behavior, we waste our time and theirs. Even if our work on behavior succeeds, we merely see nicer people in hell. Let’s make following Jesus something attractive, one that shows the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control. Not judgmentalism. Give them heaven and allow them to make their decisions. Respect their decisions. Just like God allows us.
