Christians and Politics

                Does our Christianity affect our politics? I certainly hope so.  Our faith in the Lord and our obedience to His teachings should impact every area of our life. But we do have to be careful about some things. I’m not talking about compromising our beliefs or watering down our doctrine.  I’m talking about putting politics ahead of our purpose.
 
                As Christians our first call is to lead people to Christ; to spread the Gospel. We have to be careful that our political beliefs do not interfere with our ability to witness to those who are lost.  We have to take a step back sometimes and think about whether or not our political discussion will lead into a way for us to talk about God’s purpose, His grace, and His forgiveness. We must always strive to leave the door open for evangelism.   Often, we find some of our political ideals can prevent us from reaching the lost.  I saw an article that asked the question “Was Jesus a capitalist or socialist?”  I can answer that easily. Jesus was the Savior. He came to seek and save the lost.  Jesus came to save capitalists who are lost as well as socialists who are lost.
 
Words we use and our demeanor are also important.  For instance, I’m very opposed to abortion on demand and protesting outside an abortion clinic can be both political and religious. We, as Christians, should never be ashamed to participate in such events.   But…we do have to be careful how we present ourselves.  I saw a protest outside a clinic recently and several people were holding up signs that said, “abortion is murder”.  True enough. But I also saw some signs that said, “God loves you and loves your baby”.  Which people do you think left the door open for an opportunity for meaningful discussion about the Lord
 
                Think of it this way:  suppose you wore a red MAGA hat to Five Points South here in Birmingham to pass out salvation tracts.  You may agree with most everything President Trump has done and you most certainly have the freedom to wear the hat but….how many people would you have the opportunity to witness to about the Lord?
 
Sometimes we just need to focus on what is eternally important.
 
Say good things about your Savior and His Church on the Bluff
 
Bro. Tony