Taking every thought captive for obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10.5)

Outcomes
Misplaced Priorities
“All this signals something bigger: an end to meaningful evangelical power and influence.” So writes Jonathan Merritt in an August 10, 2016 entry to The Atlantic online (“Trump-Loving Christians Owe Bill Clinton an Apology”). Mr. Merritt continues, “Since the 1970s, conservative Christian leaders have claimed their political engagement is about morality. They have claimed it is about character. They have claimed it is about values. They have claimed it is about biblical principles. Pious preachers, thunderous televangelists, and moralizing activists have sold America a bill of goods about their pure motivation for decades. But evidence indicates that evangelical political engagement is really about cultural influence, social dominance, and power.”

What has led Mr. Merritt to such a sweeping conclusion?

He rebukes evangelical Christian leaders who are backing Donald Trump for the presidency, because many of them are the same leaders who rightly challenged the moral character of President Bill Clinton back in the 90s. Those same people who wanted to see Mr. Clinton impeached because of gross inconsistencies in his moral life, now want to see Mr. Trump elected, even though his morality is, if anything, even more egregious than was Mr. Clinton’s.

Mr. Merritt skewers such Christian leaders as Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Gary Bauer, Ralph Reed, and Wayne Grudem, all of whom signed public statements calling for Mr. Clinton’s impeachment, but who now support the more morally-wayward Mr. Trump as the “lesser of two evils.” He also insists that Eric Metaxas and Pastor Robert Jeffress, relative newcomers on the evangelical scene, are operating on a double-standard in supporting Donald Trump.

For those not familiar with Mr. Trump’s checkered past, Mr. Merritt provides a summary of his statements and behavior which flout Biblical morality – and in some cases, common decency – yet which at least one Christian leader chooses to overlook, explaining that Mr. Trump is after all just a “baby Christian.”

Mr. Merritt points out that Bill Clinton formally apologized and asked forgiveness for his sins, but “Evangelical leaders largely dismissed his apology and continued their calls for impeachment. By contrast, Trump says he has never asked God for forgiveness.” Mr. Merritt concludes, “Conservative Christians were unwilling to extend mercy to a Democrat who asked for it but have offered it freely to a Republican who doesn’t want it.”

But does this current embarrassing situation – and it is embarrassing, except perhaps for evangelical leaders like Albert Mohler who will not endorse and does not support Donald Trump, because, as he says, he would have to apologize to Bill Clinton – really signal the end of evangelical influence in the social, moral, and cultural life of our nation?

We might ask: What influence have we wielded of late anyway? For all the time, effort, and money evangelical Christians have invested trying to get the “right” people into office, what do we have to show for our efforts in the way of restoring a more Biblical values base to our society? Almost nothing.

And could that be because we have invested our efforts too much in the political arena and not enough in our own communities, calling and equipping professing Christians for lives of holiness, discipleship, witness, sacrifice, and cultural renewal? While certain highly visible evangelical leaders agitated in the public square, encouraging millions of their followers to stand with them, the churches simply have continued puttering along doing what we’ve done for the past two generations: running programs, giving lip-service to discipleship, failing to create viable and edifying alternatives to the kudzu of pop culture, neglecting our cultural and theological heritage, counting heads, pointing fingers, and failing to pursue the hard work of making disciples and being witnesses in our world.

These things ought we to have done, and not to have neglected the other.

The work of the Christian community is first to seek the Kingdom and righteousness of God, then second to seek the wellbeing of our neighbors through good works of all kinds – everyday kindnesses, ready witness, cultural discernment and discretion, participation in political life, and coordinated church efforts to bring the beauty and joy of the Lord to their communities.

We have done none of these very well.

And the fact that evangelical leaders can so easily set aside their previous convictions for the merely pragmatic goal of defeating Hillary Clinton in November speaks, I fear, volumes about the operating values and priorities that guide those Christian leaders.

And those values and priorities are not, in my opinion, what they should be.

For reflection
1. Do you agree with Mr. Merritt’s rebuke of those Christian leaders? Why or why not?

2. In what ways has your church made a significant impact for righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit in your community?

3. How can we tell when someone is operating on the basis of pragmatism rather than Biblical principle?

Next steps: “The work of the Christian community is firstto seek the Kingdom and righteousness of God, then secondto seek the wellbeing of our neighbors through good works of all kinds – everyday kindnesses, ready witness, cultural discernment and discretion, participation in political life, and coordinated church efforts to bring the beauty and joy of the Lord to their communities.”How does your church equip its members for these priorities? Ask a church leader or pastor.

Today at The Fellowship
ReVision: This week’s ReVision is part 8 in our series on the Kingdom Economy. This week we consider the Biblical idea of justice, and discover that, in the Law of God, justice is a jewel with five facets. Download this week’s studies in a free PDF by clicking here.

Crosfigell: The love of God and the judgment of God have been the focus of our columns this week. Click here to read Monday’s and Wednesday’s installments.

Scriptorium: Paul’s ministry in Ephesus is the focus of this week’s daily studies. Download this week’s PDF of our Scriptorium study of Acts (scroll down to Part 17).

Voices Together: John Nunnikhoven’s daily meditations can help you in the practical work of prayer and obedience.

In the Bookstore: The Kingdom Turn and The Poetry of Prayer can help you realize more of the presence, promise, and power for Kingdom living as a follower of Christ.

Videos: Finally, check out the state of your Christian worldview by watching the video and downloading the Personal Discipleship Inventory, a tool for evaluating your worldview and growing in Kingdom vision, disciplines, and outcomes.

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T. M. Moore