The EMBARRASSING INEFFECTUAL MEMORANDUM OF POLITICAL PREACHERS...time to act

Cal Thomas is easily one of the most articulate political commentators ever to grace American soil. He is the most syndicated journalist today and what sets him apart from the rest of the pundits is not only his brilliant and insightful “uncommon sense” to the issues of the day; but his ability to see things clearly through the lens of Scripture. He is a consummate biblical thinker and I for one am grateful for the daily contribution he makes on behalf of the gospel in the marketplace of our culture.

His razor sharp analysis is spot on about the political sea change that has occurred among many evangelical leaders: “On the right and on the left, ordained and self-proclaimed "reverends" and honorary "doctors" appear to spend more time trying to reform a fallen and decaying world through politics and earthly power than they do promoting and proclaiming the ultimate answer [the gospel] to that fallenness.

While these apostles of political parties and personal agendas have every right to make fools of themselves, they are enabled in their foolishness by millions of people who blindly send them money.”

His thoughts distill so much of my ongoing concern for the ecumenically charged ECB movement that prescribes political remedies as the cure for moral maladies. These “political preachers,” as Cal so aptly names them, not only deliver a misleading duplicitous message (i.e. Pat Robertson’s latest faux pas) but also do unwarranted “harm” to the testimony of Christ. I have recently received several emails from missionaries from all over the world who have said that their witness for the gospel has been made increasingly more difficult because of Robertson’s careless remarks. That is tragic.

However, by far Cal’s most devastating and stinging rebuke to those in the ecumenical evangelical camp of political co-belligerence are these powerful words: ”Too many Christians think if they shout loud enough and gain political strength the world will be improved. That is a false doctrine. I have never seen anyone "converted" to a Christian's point of view (and those views are not uniform) through political power. I have frequently seen someone's views changed after they have experienced true conversion and then live by different standards and live for goals beyond which political party controls the government.” That is astute and bold analysis ladies and gentlemen that I agree with wholeheartedly. When evangelical leadership is diverted to reducing the importance and impact of the gospel of sola fide in society by relinquishing that God-given duty to politics, then the only “good news” that can bring lasting change in peoples lives for eternity is marginalized and made impotent.

What is the solution to these preachers turned social/political commentators? Once again, Cal Thomas provides the word of wisdom: “[Pat Robertson’s] penance should be to retire and to take his bombastic conservative and liberal colleagues with him.” Instead of Justice Sunday we need a series of Reformation Sundays that will preach the Word, proclaim sola fide and call the church in America and the current evangelical pontiffs to repentance. Until then, we’ll have to tolerate the benign gospel of political preaching—which is really no gospel at all.

The cross waves higher than the flag,
SJ Camp
Jer. 29:4-9

this is an encore presentation - originally posted 6/2/2005

THE NEW DOWNGRADE...12 dangers of Evangelical Co-Belligerence related to the Manhattan Declaration

"The church is being redefined before our very eyes. Soon it will be just a faint memory of what God had truly designed it to be; like an old faded picture on a wall." -Author Unknown

In John 18:36 our Lord says these surprising words in answer to an inquisition by Pontius Pilate, “…If my kingdom were of this world, my disciples would be fighting…” These words cut straight to the heart of the matter before us today. Clearly, the Lord’s kingdom is not of this world. Jesus did not come as a social revolutionary to clean up the culture from lascivious delinquents; or as a religious zealot to overthrow the Sanhedrin; or even as a political agitator to dethrone the Emperor. His kingdom is eternal; it is not of this world. What we do here on earth now, we will do in glory in unbroken fellowship for all eternity—give Him unceasing praise and adoration as King of kings and Lord of lords. As the great Pauline doxology says:“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).

His Disciples are Fighting
But why then is it today, beloved, that we do see His disciples fighting? –and fighting not for eternal things, but for the temporal things of this earth. Fighting for religious rights; fighting against unregenerate people for acting like unregenerate people; fighting against the secularization of public policy; fighting for a social moral imperative; fighting against senate filibusters; fighting for family values, etc. And yet, with an eerie wholesale silence we don’t see them contending for the faith, boasting in the cross, heralding the good news of the gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone, and proclaiming Jesus Christ and Him crucified as the answer for the social ills plaguing our society today. Why is it that some of His disciples are striving for political influence and unity on community causes rather than laboring exhaustively for that which is eternal only with believers in Jesus Christ?

It may seem strong to suggest, but I believe that Christianity is under siege today. Not by liberal academics or atheistic adherents. But by much-loved evangelical leaders who have unwittingly marginalized the faith, redefined the church, gagged the gospel and made all but insignificant the Word of God by legitimizing a strategery to recover the moral fiber of this nation through the political process promoting cultural unity with anyone who agrees with “societies scarlet letters” as defined by ECB. In this politically charged environment they are holding Christianity hostage. It is the New Moralism – where postmodernism, faith-based values and cultural conscientious objectors intersect. This is ECB. Are they ashamed of the gospel? Have they let the flag wave higher than the cross? Has the concern for Christian influence in public law eclipsed the gospel’s transforming power in the lives of the citizenry? I hope the following will in part address some of these important questions.

History - A Lucid Teacher
To answer these important questions we turn our eyes back to the rich 19th century ministry of England’s finest expositor and preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Mr. Spurgeon faced similar issues in his day and he stood firmly and boldly against the tide of common trends within the Baptist Union in England warning them that they had slipped into compromise by adopting a worldly methodology that would eventually give way to a skewed theology if they didn’t “have the courage” to make dramatic and necessary changes. Though Mr. Spurgeon faithfully sounded the alarm against modernism, he quickly became one of the most hated ministers by most of his fellow churchmen. He would even be the object of his own brother’s scorn, which evidenced itself in helping the opposition vote him out of The Union (so much for family values). This broke his heart and caused him to sink into such grave depression that many felt it ultimately contributed to his death.

Listen to Spurgeon’s own words of warning: “Biblical truth is like the pinnacle of a steep, slippery mountain. One step away, you find yourself on the downgrade. Once a church or individual Christian gets on the downgrade, momentum takes over. Recovery is unusual and only happens when Christians get on the 'up-line' through spiritual revival.” As one very well respected pastor has insightfully noted, “Christians today tend to forget that modernism was not first of all a theological agenda, but a methodological one.” Spurgeon was right and this is exactly what we are facing today.

Are we on the downgrade today beloved? According to Mr. Spurgeon’s criteria… unmistakably!

The Times... They Aren't a Changin';
Just as it was in Spurgeon’s time so it is in ours. It is men of God, genuine believers in Christ—not liberal worldly theologians—who are leading the charge. ECB is taking the church down an almost irreversible path of destruction. It’s Achilles heel is the nonbiblical justification of normalizing a pseudo-morality based upon some general goodness inherent in society absent of regeneration through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I must say at this point in fairness to my brothers of ECB that I have never heard one of them ever claim, for example, that Romanism is truly Christian. They would all say, as far as I know, that Romanism is a false religion, representing a false gospel, under false leadership, under a false church. That has never been a point of contention with my brothers. But shockingly what is, is that even though they affirm a right view of Romanism—they cast it aside and are quick to say, “though we must stand apart from them confessionally in terms of faith, we must stand together with them in the battle of "the culture wars.” That my dear friends is called compromise!

That is what makes this issue so alarming--the purposed casting aside of all that is dear to the faith and the gospel to create this new alliance for societal renewal. This kind of cultural methodology will prove to be gangrenous to the entire body of Christ. Why? Ultimately it will demand the invention of an evangelical co-belligerent theology to justify its existence if its pundits are to continue to champion its validity. There can be no justice on any given Sunday when the Lord's Day is turned into a political rally and the preaching of God's holy Word is abrogated to allow a Romanist to turn a pulpit into a punch line for his shared moral cause with evangelicals. We need ECB men of God to repent and return to a biblical Christianity in practice—not just in precept, once again in our day.

Human Rights; Human Dignity; Human Happiness
Listen to these defining and dynamic words written by one of ECB’s most influential voices: “Western civilization now faces a new invasion of the Vandals, and Christians are again confused about the meaning of our current struggle. Theological vandals seek to undermine the Church; political vandals have debased our civic discourse; legal vandals have turned the law into a playground of invented rights; moral vandals entice with a promise of polymorphous perversity; psychological vandals have made every self a victim; and the academic vandals have transformed the university into a circus of irrationality.” I wholeheartedly agree on his analysis of our culture’s condition; I just don’t agree on the cure they are prescribing.

As one advocate and architect of evangelical co-belligerence has stated, ”In the sovereign providence of God, we face a great cultural challenge. We must be unembarrassed co-belligerents in this battle. Human rights, human dignity, and human happiness hang in the balance.” I couldn’t agree less. What hangs in the balance is the gospel of Jesus Christ; the veracity of His Word; the function and purpose of the church; and how we as Christians are to be salt and light in a pagan world. Rights? I have none--"I have been crucified with Christ." Dignity? It is only found in the Lord--"I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Happiness? It’s all about obedience--"love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your soul and with all your strength..."

Many have recently requested for more specific concerns about co-belligerent philosophy over the past four weeks. I have tried to outline for you at least twelve dangers (there could be more as this movement unfolds) of ECB that I prayerfully trust in God’s grace will serve as a grid by which to encourage the church to biblical discernment on this issue.

His unworthy servant in His unfailing love,
Steve Camp
1 Timothy 6:20

"Truth can always stand the test of scrutiny. Error never wants to be challenged--it always breeds tolerance."

Twelve Dangers of ECB
1. The Lack of Biblical Foundation
There is no Scriptural foundation or instruction for cultural co-belligerence found anywhere in holy writ—none. If it cannot be biblically or theologically supported (and no one who is involved in this movement has developed any Scriptural foundation for its justification) then why do those who believe in Sola Scriptura still claim loyalty to this practice? If this is such a vital contribution to Evangelicalism/Protestantism in winning the culture wars, influencing government and turning back the tide of moral decay in society, why was it not taught or practiced by the Lord or any of the Apostles?

DANGER: People who champion co-belligerence do so outside the authority of Scripture and therefore cannot affirm Sola Scriptura in its practice.

2. The Removal of the Offense of the Cross
trying to achieve unity in the cultural war or even advancing a moral agenda recovery program with non-believers absent of the gospel of Jesus Chirst removes the offense of the cross. It is a biblical certainty that because the world hated Christ it will therefore hate His followers (John 15:18-19). The servant is not greater than the Master and if they persecuted Him, they will most assuredly persecute His people. The Apostle Paul gives this precious promise, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (1 Tim. 3:12). It is unavoidable. Even Peter encouraged other believers that were suffering for the sake of Christ to “think it not a strange thing that this fiery ordeal has come upon you…” (1 Peter 4:12). Suffering for His name sake is part of living for Christ. The word of the cross is “foolishness to those who are perishing;” and to preach Christ crucified is to the “Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks folly” (cp 1 Cor. 1:18, 22). If the Apostle Paul believed in an evangelical co-belligerent strategy to fight against the social ills of Nero in his day, he could never have said, “But may it never be that I would boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which this world has been crucified to me, and I to the world; from now on let no one cause trouble for me for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus” (Gal. 6:14, 17). Paul was no co-belligerent; but oh, what a tremendous Christian!

DANGER: People who champion co-belligerence do so without “preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” For the sake of cultural unity the offence of the cross is purposely removed.

3. The Secularization of Being “Salt and Light”
Many co-belligerents site the biblical phrase, “salt and light”, as applying to any people/social/political group that will come together with believers to stand against the moral ills of our day. But that is a secularization of the term. The phrase “salt and light” applies only to those who have responded to the gospel of grace (Matt. 5:1-12); who now have a righteousness “better than that of the scribes and the Pharisees” (Matt. 5:20); and whose good works when seen by pagans will “give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). In other words, this is our cultural mandate for change, for influence, for impact and for being an effective witness in the culture to others. Being salt; letting our light shine is the evidence of the transformed life by the gospel.

DANGER: People who champion co-belligerence adopt a secular view of being salt and light—applying that reality to anyone who rallies with them on the social cause which their moral conscience agrees.

4. The Promotion of a Moral Human Imperative
There is no such thing in Scripture as a “moral human imperative” that applies to all peoples absent of the gospel. The co-belligerents of Christ’s day were the Pharisees whom the Lord rejects and condemns in Matthew 23. In Matthew 5:20 the Lord absolutely shatters their claims to any kind of moral righteousness due to their own merit, moral compass, or inherent culturally beneficial good works. Creating a “moral majority” a “Christian coalition” a “religious right” according to the standard of societal moral acceptability, family values, or in the words of the late Pope John Paul II “a gospel of life” is a biblical fallacy.

DANGER: People who champion co-belligerence do so in support of a moral imperative derived from works righteousness thinking God is pleased and society redeemed with the veneer of pseudo-spirituality.

5. The Denial of the Efficacy of the Gospel
The “great divorce” suggested by leaders of evangelical co-belligerence is the purposed separation of the social cause from Christ and His gospel—standing together/standing apart. This at best is social schizophrenic spirituality. If you amputate the gospel from the social concerns, you end up promoting, proclaiming and promulgating a “morality or righteousness” apart from Christ that the Lord Himself calls "iniquity or lawlessness" (Matt. 7:21-23). There can be no meaningful social change or impact apart from the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus). Why? Because only the gospel can produce life transformation.

ECB promotes the idea that real change in our society against moral decay can occur without the power of the gospel. Our Lord is so clear, “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matthew 15:17-19). The fountain from which any social straying from morality flows is the heart; and it can only be transformed by the gospel--not by social co-belligernce.

Christian political activism is simply a flirtation with moral justice; (i.e. evangelical leaders confuse access with the oval office with impact.) Résumé’s, press releases, and well-nurtured political alliances do not change the world; committed Christians living under the Lordship of Christ in obedience to the Word of God in the power of the Spirit of God through the means of the gospel do.

DANGER: People who champion co-belligerence do so to the purposed exclusion and amputation of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in their social causality.

6. The Condoning of Unequally-Yoked Alliances
It is against the command of Scripture to partner with an unbelieving world in any kind of spiritual ministry or enterprise. This is what the apostle Paul called “being unequally yoked” (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1). To do so is to forfeit the blessing of God and His favor on any venture they embark. Listen to Paul’s powerful words and stinging rebuke to would be cobelligerents: “What partnership have righteousness and lawlessness; or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?” Could it be anymore clear? There can be no “shoulder to shoulder” standing together with anyone who rejects the gospel of Christ or doesn’t know Christ as their Lord and Savior. Evangelical Co-belligerents for the sake of political capital and influence, cultural cleansing and family values restoration will “unashamedly and unembarrassingly” stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone that agrees with their cause regardless of faith preference, truth constraint, or doctrinal conviction.

Parnering even with other faith-based groups such as Romanists, Orthodox or Jews still violates the command of Scripture. There can be no "shoulder to shoulder" alliance with this world; even with "faith-based pagans." This is a page right out of the ECT (Evangelical and Catholics Together) and The Ecumenical Jihad playbook.

DANGER: People who champion co-belligerence must yoke themselves with nonbelievers; they do so in direct disobedience to God’s Word forfeiting His favor and invoking His judgment.

7. The Alienation of Unbelievers for “Acting Like Unbelievers”
Evangelical Cobelligerents fault and accuse nonbelievers in society for living like nonbelievers. When ECBers publicly fault nonbelievers for their failure to change their moral convictions in conformity to theirs; coupled with the use of legislative/political muscle, they end up alienating the very ones that need the transforming power of the gospel of grace. Apart from regeneration through Jesus Christ our Lord and His restraining grace any of us could be slaves to all matters of sin in our lives. Let me ask the ECBs a question: if you didn’t know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, what would you be living like? And then, would you want someone to picket you, boycott you, petition against you, vilify you, strong arm you, coerce you, legislate against you – or would you rather someone had come to you with the gospel of grace and walked with you as your neighbor and explained how to have eternal life by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone?

DANGER: People who champion cobelligerence lose sight of eternity in those because of temporary social moorings and therefore become calloused and hardened against the very ones that need the gospel. They therefore cannot fulfill the Great Commission for they have elevated worldly concerns above another eternals soul.

8. The Body of Christ Turned Into Political Agitators
Co-belligerents really distrust the Sovereignty of God in His working through the governments and the leadership of those governments that He by His own choosing, purposes and will has raised up in power to accomplish whatever He has predetermined them to accomplish. Even wicked, corrupt, insidious authorities He will ultimately use for His eternal purpose and glory.

There is an amazing verse of Scripture on this theme found in 1 Peter 4:15. He says, "Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler." That phrase troublesome meddler literally means a "political agitator." Peter warns them not to suffer for that reason... Suffering as a Christian and for the name of Christ is one thing; suffering as a political agitator though brings no glory to the Lord and is forbidden biblically. We are not to be seen in the culture as ones who would disrupt the political process and its leadership to forward our own moral or spiritual agenda.

Listen to the Word of God:
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor” –Romans 13:1-7.

“Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. 15For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. 17Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king” –1 Peter 2:13-17.

Even in exile under Babylonian captivity the Lord instructs His people how to live. Notice, He doesn’t call them to organize and overthrow their captors. He says,

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5'Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7'Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” –Jeremiah 29:4-7.

DANGER: People who champion cobelligerence live as political agitators fighting for morality against the very authorities that the Lord has sovereignly placed in power.

9. The ECB Political Entitlement—“Religious Rights”
Evangelical Cobelligerents say they exist to protect our religious rights. This is spiritual smoke and mirrors. First, we don’t have any religious rights to violate (our only rights lie in Christ, not in culture). Secondly, even if all our “religious rights” are violated (i.e. say for a moment they mean prayer, worship, the reading of the Scriptures, etc.), we then must “obey God rather than man” regardless of the consequences (Acts 5:28-32).

Proponents of this kind of thinking will site examples like in 1963 when they say that the Supreme Court outlawed prayer from the public schools. This is patently untrue. What they outlawed was sixty seconds of token silence. That isn’t prayer—it’s just sixty seconds of silence. Beloved, we are to pray without ceasing (Eph. 6:19-21); not just give God a minute a day. I have five children and they all attend public schools. As a praying parent, I still can walk down the hallways of their respective schools and pray quietly for the teachers and leadership there; I even pray with my kids before they have lunch; and on occasion I have let their teachers know that I am praying for them as well. The only way that prayer can be taken out of the public schools is if Christians in those schools stop praying. My rights have not been violated one bit. But if they saw me praying and asked me to stop, I would not; I could not. I would obey God rather than man.

I realize that this is a difficult way of thinking in our times, but as Christians we only have one right—to have no rights. Paul even brings this home to the courts when saying in regards to lawsuits that you only “have the right to be wronged.” (see 1 Cor. 6:1-10). (If all of our so-called “religious rights” were taken away from us in this country tomorrow, it would be a tremendous blessing from the Lord. For we might actually find out who is really saved and who isn’t.)

DANGER: People who champion cobelligerence fight to protect religious rights, violate the Scriptures in John 18:36 where our Lord said, “if my kingdom were of this world, my disciples would be fighting.” But His kingdom is not of this world—all our rights lie only in Christ.

10.The Pagan Co-belligerents – Still “Safe” in Their Sin
Paul never allowed unbelievers that he encountered in the culture to remain in their ignorance. Even on Mars Hill he didn’t meander on Stoic philosophy, Greek political issues or pagan rituals. He immediately directed them to the God of creation and called them to repentance. Even when he appeared before Felix and Festus he gave a defense of the gospel and the testimony of Christ, not political moral justifiers for a better nation. When Paul was ready to be beheaded for the cause of Christ under the wicked hand of Nero, he called himself the prisoner of the Lord and used his incarceration as an ambassador in chains to further the gospel and do all things for the sake of the elect. Paul was always about the winning of men’s souls, not the moral fiber of a nation.

DANGER: People who champion evangelical co-belligerence seldom get around to sharing the gospel with their opponents; the societal concerns on cultural or political issues have overshadowed and robbed them of seeing their opponents as sinners in need of Christ (cp, Luke 14:21ff).

11. The Church Turned PAC/Lobbyist/Voting Force
One of the most tragic fallouts of ECB philosophy is reducing the body of Christ to nothing more than a political force. We have slowly, subtly, and serenely become the fourth major arm of American politics (Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians and Evangelicals). We are unfortunately not known today by our divine duties: proclaiming the gospel; worship and glory of God; loving our neighbor; taking care of the widow and orphan; discipleship; missions; church discipline of sin; prayer; honor the ordinances of baptism and communion, and preaching of the Word of God. (read Acts 2:40ff; 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy; Titus).

DANGER: People who champion evangelical co-belligerence dumb-down the body of Christ to the status of a political action committee for the purpose of flexing our religious muscle to sway candidates, issues, morals, elections and party platforms to line up with our social-moral values. This violates the standard of Scripture as to the purpose and function of God’s church: “which is the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15).

12. The Inevitable Conclusion: Win the Culture War; Lose a Voice for the Gospel
What if the culture war could be won through co-belligerence? What if the tide of moral decay could be reversed and we saw a moral societal shift back to traditional family values in our lifetime? What then? You will have to ultimately return back to the divine duty that God has had for his people all along: the preaching of His Word; the proclamation of the gospel; loving your neighbor; the worship of God; the fellowship of the saints; being salt and light to our world; praying for those in authority over us; etc.

But under ECB social philosophy of cultural ministry we will have a tragic situation on our hands. We will have a moral society that is left safe in its civility—but not saved; a church that is comfortable because the cultural ills have been inoculated by co-belligerent Christians who have whitewashed the landscape with the veneer of spirituality absent of real regeneration—but not holy. We will have grateful politicians—but Washington will still be corrupt; we will be on mainstream media talk shows—but they will still have not heard the gospel; and we will be organizing Christians to be outraged with disdain by something else someone who doesn’t know the Lord has done—but we still won’t go to them, share the gospel and be known as our Lord was as “a friend of sinners.” We will wake up in Laodicea and we will be neither hot, nor cold—just lukewarm and we will call it Christianity. This, beloved, is the apostate church where the Lord is knocking at its doors asking to come in and fellowship with us again.

So while Rome is indulgencing, the Mormons legitimizing, the Islamic moralists smirking, the atheists applauding, the agnostics dancing, the media craving, the politicians praising, and the flag is still waving, will you hear again the faint powerful lyrics of the Apostle Paul ringing in your ears once again: “We preach not ourselves; but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as your bondservants for Christ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

DANGER: People who champion evangelical co-belligerence will never win the culture wars, though they might improve them some. But they will have failed miserably by sacrificing the gospel message, sound doctrine, theology, the church, and the biblical duties that the Lord has called us to all along “for a piece of political pie” with the reward of temporary fame, increased fortune and the still unrealized fantasy of a moral Christianized world without Christ and His truth at the core.

In Closing
When one eliminates the centrality of the gospel from the social cause; or amputates the call to repentance to unregenerate people they’d rather play politics with, share picket lines with, boycott corporations with, legislate morality with, and strong arm politicians by militant means with—rather than deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus Christ with; when one tries to focus on everything from family; to culture wars; to filibusters; to elections; to religious rights; to a bankrupt social moral imperatives; rather than on focusing on the Lord and His “once for all faith delivered to the saints”, where does this all lead? You end up with ECB.

May the church turn away from this defection from Christ and His Word and come back to the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel as the cure for the sin sick hearts of mankind.

a timely encore presentation

THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION and EVANGELICAL CO-BELLIGERENCE...the ineffectual intersection of politics and faith

“The goal of both the church and the state is to advance the public good.”

-Francis Beckwith

The ultimate goal of the church biblically

is not the public good,

but the glory of God in the proclamation

and advancement of His gospel of sola fide.

God, not the audience, is sovereign.

The “public good” is political speak for tolerance.

The gospel, however, does divide;

it is a stumbling block, offensive and foolishness

for those who are perishing.

Here we go again!

In the face of President Obama's economic wasteland and political indecision vacuum concerning Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq; coupled with an abortion provision being slipped into the latest health care bill championed by Harr Reid yand company - the religious right has found reason again to try itself in the political arena through The Manhattan Declaration.

It is nothing more than ECT (Evangelicals and Catholics Together) and Justice Sunday revisited. Same framers and advocates of the benign philosophy of political remedy for moral malady. The religious right of the past 24 years has all but been silenced. And despite the grass-root efforts by many well respected evangelical leaders and politicians, our country remains unchanged on key social and family issues. So once again, those who are impassioned about important social issues from a "faith perspective" such as abortion, same sex marriage, and religious liberty and freedom, are all but silent about the real "faith solution" for these same issues. The solution being regeneration through the Lord Jesus Christ and not political legislation. The solution for the Christian must be Gospel-Centered; Christ-Centered; and Cross-Centered. Anything less is ineffectual in bringing real resolve spiritually to these concerns.

The lack of sea change in American society to a conservative political ethic for many of us has been frustrating. But attempting to fight spiritual battles with carnal weaponry is just as disappointing. Christians who in the past have sought real change on key cultural issues did so, in part, absent of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. IOW, the gospel became the afterthought, not the primary thought. That failed strategery to keep the proclamation of the gospel center in a righteous quest I have defined as Evangelical Co-Belligerence (ECB).

I offer the following definition:

Creating alliances with individuals or groups who do not share belief in or with orthodox biblical Christianity, in order to fight an agreed upon social, moral, cultural cause that seeks to undermine the traditional family and family values. This includes, but not limited to: gay marriage; abortion; euthanasia; etc. and those who aid, influence, or control such societal moral decline such as the Supreme Court, Congress, state and local officials, and a run-a-way Federal Judiciary. This is accomplished by using boycotts, petitions, picketing, legislation... any political remedies available to resolve the moral maladies in our nation.

This is further accomplished by organizing evangelicals/local churches as PAC's, lobbyist groups, or as some refer to as "Christocrats", as Christian voting blocks to threaten with militant tones sitting politicians with the prospect of not being reelected if they fail to adopt the ECB moral/family agenda. This tactic is being championed by many evangelical leaders, seminary presidents and pastors absent of the authority of Scripture, absent of the preaching of God's Word, and absent of the heralding of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. -Steve Camp, July 14, 2005

Christianity in culture does have impact and does produce change. But it only does so as long as Christianity doesn't become a political organization and remains at its very core deeply gospel-centered. Is it wrong for believers to enter politics? Of course not. Is it wrong for Christians in politics to use their office, driven by a biblical worldview, for the good of society and their fellow man as say Wilberforce did on the issue of slavery? Absolutely not. But the church itself is not driven by the brilliance of U.S. Constitutional ethics, but by the Scriptures of the living God.

So again, what is the solution to the plight our nation finds itself in? The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that brief answer is not about offering cultural reform back to an era of family values and more virtuous days. Jesus Christ did not come to transform America, but to transform Americans. The gospel is not the new nationalism for the conservative, but the hope for any sinner (like me and you) who by God's sovereign electing love trusts that eternal life and salvation is attained only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord alone.

IOW beloved, in this hour in our nations history may I propose a simple mandate: it is time for the church to be the church.

Gospel-driven Worship:

Acts 2:42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

Gospel-driven Welfare:

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

Gospel-driven Witness:

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The Silence of the Lambs...muzzling "the faith" in the political arena

A few years ago I was watching my nightly intake of cable news shows. One of them I was Chris Matthews and HARDBALL. This show was of particular interest for it was dealing with Christians and politics (Matthews had on Campolo, Land, Pennybacker, Perkins, Sutton, etc.). With an election season fully upon us, I thought it would be good to examine some of the emphasis that evangelicals have placed on political remedy for moral malady.

Ashamed of the Gospel
While I watching this broadcast, an obvious thing finally hit me: the evangelical leaders who were arguing for displaying the Ten Commandments in the public marketplace and to defend the rights of any child in bringing a Bible to public school to read; failed to mention any Scripture at all while on a nationally televised talk-show (the marketplace) in trying to make the case for "religious freedom" in the use the Bible.

Is that amazing? (If you’re familiar with Alanis Morissette song “Ironic", this would be an excellent time to start humming.)

There was not one panelist--none, including Pastor Sutton of Two Rivers Baptist Church, that opened up the Scriptures (or even read them) in the entire one hour broadcast last evening to make “their case” - and this show was being aired from Two Rivers as well. With courage like that, we could almost lead a retreat--for get about advancing the gospel.

Ladies and gentlemen this is THE core issue and the problem with Evangelical Co-Belligerence. They may get it right some of the time in defining the problems of our society; but they miss the solution entirely when they offer no biblical solution for the cure of those moral maladies biblically. They are silent on the gospel; they're ashamed of it; they really don't believe it, trust it, or hold it in high esteem. If they did, it would be on their lips--"what's in the heart the mouth speaks." They claim to represent Christians in the political arena; they claim to be the self-appointed spokesmen for family values and morality; and yet, they are dumb in developing their arguments from the Word of God.

Patriotism is not Synonymous with Christianity
And let me be clear, I love our country and support our elected officials; but the silence from ECBers from the truth of God's Word and the gospel is deafening. The secular progressives (as Bill O'Reilly refers to them) speaks boldly about their beliefs and moral convictions from the "bible" of their convictions (NOW, PPH, liberalism, postmodernism, etc.); but Christians in the marketplace do not speak with the same boldness and biblical clarity needed to meet the challenges head on. Why? They want to be liked and embraced by the mainstream media while all along trying to position themselves as confronting the same media they are combating. This is religious politics and cannot be condoned biblically.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

This is one of the most comprehensive passages on the sufficiency of Scripture found anywhere in the Bible. Notice the four qualities:

1. for teaching (it instructs each day in how to live for Christ, know Him and function in all matters of life and faith);
2. for reproof (to stop doing what’s wrong);
3. for correction (to start doing what’s right);
4. and for training in righteousness (that is, our daily sanctification being conformed to Christ as we grow in Him).

Quit Monkeying Around... Preach the Word
What’s the fruit of the life dedicated and lived for the Lord according to His Word?; the man of God is competent, equipped for every good work. There is nothing lacking in God's Word. It is complete to outfit us for everything we need and face in this life. (Read Psalm 19:7-11 for further confidence in the sufficiency of God's Word). And those in evangelicalism claiming to speak for God, never do from the pages of God's Word! They are content to bore us with their words, opinions and political, cultural moorings and rhetoric. Let me ask you a question: with such a thorough Word that God has given to us, why is it then that evangelical leaders, even pastors, fail to proclaim it boldly when given the opportunity as was given last evening? When men of God are silent on His Word, then no matter how good and noble the cause seems, the world has won.

David says,

“And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts. I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed. I shall delight in Your commandments, which I love” (Psalm 119:45-47, emphasis mine).

Spurgeon Wasn't for Sale Like the Preachers of Today

Listen to his powerful, uncompromising words on Psalm 119:45-47:

“This is part of his liberty; he is free from fear of the greatest, proudest, and most tyrannical of men. David was called to stand before kings when he was an exile; and afterwards, when he was himself a monarch, he knew the tendency of men to sacrifice their religion to pomp and statecraft; but it was his resolve to do nothing of the kind. He would sanctify politics, and make cabinets know that the Lord alone is governor among the nations. As a king he would speak to kings concerning the King of kings. He says, ”I will speak”: prudence might have suggested that his life and conduct would be enough, and that it would be better not to touch upon religion in the presence of royal personages who worshipped other gods, and claimed to be right in so doing.

He had already most fittingly preceded this resolve by the declaration, "I will walk, "but he does not make his personal conduct an excuse for sinful silence, for he adds, "I will speak." David claimed religious liberty, and took care to use it, for he spoke out what he believed, even when he was in the highest company. In what he said he took care to keep to God's own word, for he says, "I will speak of thy testimonies." No theme is like this, and there is no way of handling that theme like keeping close to the book, and using its thought and language. The great hindrance to our speaking upon holy topics in all companies is shame, but the Psalmist will "not be ashamed"; there is nothing to be ashamed of, and there is no excuse for being ashamed, and yet many are as quiet as the dead for fear some creature like themselves should be offended.

When God gives grace, cowardice soon vanishes. He who speaks for God in God's power, will not be ashamed when beginning to speak, nor while speaking, nor after speaking; for his theme is one which is fit for kings, needful to kings, and beneficial to kings. If kings object, we may well be ashamed of them, but never of our Master who sent us, or of his message, or of his design in sending it.

And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. Next to liberty and courage comes delight. When we have done our duty, we find a great reward in it. If David had not spoken for his Master before kings, he would have been afraid to think of the law which he had neglected; but after speaking up for his Lord he feels a sweet serenity of heart when musing upon the word. Obey the command, and you will love it; carry the yoke, and it will be easy, and rest will come by it. After speaking of the law the Psalmist was not wearied of his theme, but he retired to meditate upon it; he discoursed and then he delighted, he preached and then repaired to his study to renew his strength by feeding yet again upon the precious truth.

Whether he delighted others or not when he was speaking, he never failed to delight himself when he was musing on the word of the Lord. He declares that he loved the Lord's commands, and by this avowal he unveils the reason for his delight in them: where our love is, there is our delight. David did not delight in the courts of kings, for there he found places of temptation to shame, but in the Scriptures he found himself at home; his heart was in them, and they yielded him supreme pleasure. No wonder that he spoke of keeping the law, which he loved; Jesus says, "If a man love me, he will keep my words." No wonder that he spoke of walking at liberty, and speaking boldly, for true love is ever free and fearless. Love is the fulfilling of the law; where love to the law of God reigns in the heart the life must be full of blessedness. Lord, let thy mercies come to us that we may love thy word and way, and find our whole delight therein.”

What Is The Solution?
Could it be anymore clear beloved? The reason for evangelicals not speaking clearly from God’s Word in the political arena or on mainstream media is unmistakably three things:

1. Ashamed of the gospel;
2. They fear man more than fear God which breeds cowardice; and
3. Self-acceptability.

What is the antidote:

1. Liberty in the Word;
2. Boldness for the Word; and
3. Love the Word.

I will again call these men who are in the public’s eye to not be so thin, timid and uncertain about your confidence in God’s Word and His gospel. But to "play the man" and speak it plainly, boldly, and with charity. Represent the Lord well "before kings" and you will have no cause for shame. Until that day occurs, we will continue to witness the nice, pleasant, benign dribble that occurs when most evangelical leaders appear on Larry King, Chris Matthews, FOXNEWS, etc. Oh for real men of God to take the public stage not as politicians, but as prophets calling a nation to repentance, to be reconciled to God, and to follow Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives.

The Apostle Paul’s words are a fitting and necessary close: “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:13-14).

VIVIT,
Steve
2 Cor. 4:5-7