So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:6-8)
God’s word is the absolute and public standard of truth; therefore, it is the only sound basis for policies in government. However, this does not mean that the Christian vision is a political one, and it does not mean that the Christian cause is well served by deep involvement in the political process. The doctrine that Christians have a mandate to become entangled in society and to develop culture is often used as an excuse to carnalize spirituality.
A tremendous amount of resources has been devoted to discussing how Christian theology applies to politics, how we could secure our rights and enforce our ideals by the political process, and how to vote out non-Christians and vote in our own people. Indeed, the Christian faith has a place for politics, and when possible the apostles took advantage of existing laws to facilitate their work. In fact, it would be foolish not to take advantage of rights that we already possess to maintain a measure of safety and convenience in the gospel ministry.
That said, many have lost sight of the true vision and power of Jesus Christ. Their goals and means have become heavily political. But to trust in politics is to trust in men, and men will always disappoint. The fact is that, unless we are referring to insurrection, advancing the Christian cause by politics only works as far as the non-Christians tolerate it. The laws of a democracy is not enforced by the immediate miracle-working power of God, but by ordinary providence working through men’s cooperation and compromise, and men do not always cooperate or compromise.
Suppose members of a weaker group protest for their rights, and members of the more powerful group compromise. The weaker members then declare victory – the movement has overcome! But they did not really win; rather, for whatever reason, those with greater power showed generosity. Of course, it is likely that those with more power felt pressure and compromised due to self-interest, but they did not have to compromise, and could have suppressed the entire movement and bore the consequences.
So a large group of youngsters can occupy a huge square and protest for democracy. The government could tolerate it, but after a while it could also send tanks and soldiers to slaughter the people and shut down the whole thing. In another part of the world, a group might protest for their rights and for political change. No harm comes to them, not because they are so mighty and frightening, but because the government tolerates them. They are deluded if they think they really have the power. Yet the movement could be worthwhile, because the people are taking advantage of the existing tolerance of the authorities to make additional demands.
The power of Jesus Christ at work through the gospel is the only power that does not on the one hand depend on violence and insurrection or on the other hand depend on the tolerance of those in authority. An inordinate interest in politics is indicative of the loss of spiritual vision and power. Many would disagree with this and throw out all kinds of arguments to justify their emphasis, precisely because this criticism applies to them. They have lost the true power, and now they cling to a human substitute. They have forsaken the spring of living water, and have dug for themselves broken cisterns that cannot hold water. It is a form of idolatry.
Cessationism is a chief culprit. It is more harmful than many other heresies, and stands as one of the greatest evils in the history of mankind. To differing degrees, it denies or reduces the spiritual power that is believed to be available to God’s people. The void is then filled by human and demonic counterfeits. On the other hand, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). To the extent that Christians have abandoned the divine weapons, they frantically grab at substitutes for the sake of self-preservation. Then, it becomes a doctrine. Then, it becomes a way of life.
The cure is a renewed consciousness and reactivation of God’s power in our lives through repentance, prayer, and teaching. Jesus’ vision is the spread of the gospel by spiritual power. His strategy is effective in any generation and under any political system. You do not even need to be a citizen of the nation. If you are a citizen of heaven, then you have the right and ability to effect change in any nation.
The world will not be saved by contending with the non-Christians on their own terms and by operating under the rights that they offer us in the first place. And it will not be saved by violence and insurrection. Rather, the gospel is the power of God that will save everyone who believes. And the Bible knows no other way of preaching the gospel than by the power of the Holy Spirit.