Philemon Series Week 2: Forgiveness Extension

  There are several memes that go around the internet that joke about Paul’s letters. There’s the one that reads, “General Pauline Letter Outline: Grace. I thank God for you. Hold fast to the gospel, For the love of everything holy, stop being stupid. Timothy says hi.”

Another one is the a video where it’s the Blue’s Clues song, where they sing, “… we just got a letter, wonder who it’s from,” to which the video changes and it’s a screaming marmot with the word Paul over its head. 

This is the idea of what Paul is about. Always yelling, or trying to fix situations because people are stupid. When in reality, Paul’s desire is for Christians to follow Christ ever closer. And this is why Paul writes to Philemon. So if you have your Bibles, we’re going to go back to Philemon and pick it up in verse 8 of the letter. 

As we jump back into Philemon verse 8, for our second week, let’s talk about last week. 

In our first week in the letter to Philemon, we talked about how Paul sent out two letters to the Colossian Church. The first was the general letter to the church, that included theology about Christ, and practical application. We also talked about how Paul mentioned Onesimus, who was a slave of Philemon, who had runway. Following this, a second letter, the letter that was specifically addressed to Philemon was most likely read right after the first, because it too addressed the general church. 

Paul did this to challenge Philemon in a public matter on issues that were brought up in the general letter to the church. 

This is why Paul begins the letter by recognizing all the work God had done through Philemon. Philemon had given the church a place to meet, and he had been a refreshment to the believers. This showed us how we should approach people. Instead of seeing all the bad they have done, we need to view them first and foremost and Christ sees people: as image bears of God. If they are unbelievers, that image is marred by sin and they are lost, we need to love them as Christ does, and his loved led him to die for sinners while they are still in their sin. For believers, we are saved but still falter in sin, so we need to remember that we are all growing in our relationship with Christ, and we need to extend grace to others. 

That’s what we see Paul doing with Philemon. Even though Philemon had been growing in his love of God and love of people, there’s something that is hindering his faith being shared from being truly effective. Paul’s desire here is that this area of Philemon’s life will be transformed, and this is why he writes.

So let’s read together Philemon verses 8 through 21.

8 Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

Every believer has a realm of authority that Christ has placed them over. Most of us it’s first our own lives, followed by the people we interact with. In cases of Christian leadership, it’s the ministries that God has called us to be over. For me and the other elders, it’s this local congregation. So there is a sense of submission that has to happen within those who choose to be in the congregation.

But just because someone is given authority in an area, it doesn’t mean that they are allowed to be harsh with that authority. That’s one of the lessons we learned in both 2nd Corinthians and Titus. Here, Paul gives us a glimpse of how to apply the authority Christ has given us.

Paul says he could command Philemon to do what he is going to ask of him, because of the position Paul holds in Christ, subtlety pointing to his apostleship. Yet, to command someone to do something they are unwilling to do, is religion without grace, which leads to seeds of bitterness. So instead, Paul makes an appeal. That word means to encourage, invite, even beg. Paul is inviting and encouraging Philemon putting into practice, what has been said in places like Micah 6:8, Mark 12:29-31, and his own letter to the Colossians that was just read. 

So what is it? What’s the problem? From what can be gathered, Onesimus was Philemon’s slave or a better word is bondservant, which will discuss next week. Onesimus ran away from Philemon to Rome, where a lot of slaves would flee to, because they could get lost in the metropolis. But while there, through God’s grace, Onesimus found Paul and accept Jesus as Savior.

Onesimus was apparently unproductive for Philemon, most likely because slaves  would despise their master. Yet after coming to Christ, Onesimus became productive. So productive it seems, that Paul wanted to keep him because of how useful he was. 

Yet because Paul wanted to do everything right, the first thing that had to happen was for Onesimus to restore his relationship with his master, Philemon. Who, just so happened, was a brother in Christ to Paul.

Paul then sends his two letters, with the intention of putting Philemon into the mindset that Onesimus isn’t just a slave, but a fellow brother in Christ. This harkens back to Paul’s words in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Paul is giving real world application for the idea that, though there are roles we live, in this case master and slave, we should recognize that when we accept Christ, those distinctions matter less, than the love we are to show towards each other.

Paul could have brow beaten Philemon and ordered him to be restored to Onesimus, he had the authority to do so, but instead, Paul seeks Philemon to willfully put into practice the words of Christ, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (Matthew 12:50)” Onesimus, though had runaway, had come to Christ and now the relationship needed to be mended, because restoration of relationships is Christ’s desire. 

All of this has to be done in Christian love and cannot be forced. 

It’s here in verse fifteen, that Paul sees God’s hand in working all of this out. Paul sees how Onesimus running away led him to being saved. This was done by God for two purposes. First, that a lost one would be found; which is the very reason Jesus came (Luke 19:10). Second, that Onesimus would then return to bring a greater work in Philemon that he might grow in his faith and become a greater witness for Christ. And through these two, the Church at Colossia, would have a greater impact in their community. This is the real world application of Romans 8:28, where Paul previously wrote, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Paul loved God and was called according to his purpose. Philemon loved God and was called to his purposes. Now Onesimus loved God and was called according to his purpose. All three are now in a position where they have to trust that God will work things out for good. Paul is sending back Onesimus hoping that God will restore the relationship. Onesimus returns to his master hoping he would be restored. 

To put it in perceptive, Onesimus was returning to an unknown consequence. He and Paul were hoping for a godly outcome, but it could have turned out that Philemon exercised his Roman right to beat, brand, amputate a limb, increase the work load, sold to gladiator games, or put Onesimus to death. This wasn’t just another awkward situation were you have to say, “I’m sorry.” The ramifications of an unrestored relationship here meant that Onesimus would be in a worse position than before.

It’s because of this that Paul brings the debt to himself. Paul’s final appeal, if not of the sake of Christ, is then for the sake of the one who brought Christ to Philemon. Though Philemon doesn’t owe Paul, if there is a debt Paul wants it to come from him and not Onesimus. Paul would take on the debt of Onesimus if it meant that was the only hurdle to overcome for Philemon to accept him as a brother in Christ. How much is one soul worth? How much cost is the restoration of a relationship worth? Paul is basically saying, he would put himself on the hook for Onesimus, because the temporary physical bondage is worth the spiritual freedom of restored relationship. 

This is what God is calling us to. To desire restored relationships above even our own temporary hurts. Forgiveness, both to seek it and to give it are hard things to do. It’s hard to forgive someone who has done us wrong, because we are in our right to hold a grudge and to get what we deserve. 

Yet Paul writes in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Jesus speaks in Mark 11:25, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” 

Extending forgiveness to people is hard, yet it is a sign of maturing faith in Christ. If our Lord forgave us while we were still in sin, then how, if we confess to follow him, do any less?

On the other side, it’s hard to seek forgiveness too. By doing so, we have to first recognize our wrong, and then humble ourselves in front of the person we harmed. We have to trust that whatever the situation, our love for God and his purposeful call to seek forgiveness, will be worked out by his grace. The fear of what could happen, should not stop us from doing what is godly. Is the consequence of our sin greater than what could have happened to Onesimus? 

My challenge for you this week is that you divided a paper into two: Those who I need to forgive on one side, and those to whom I need to ask forgiveness from on the other side. You might only write on one side, that’s okay, seek the Lord in to working things out for good, because of your love for him, and your desire to walk in his purposes. If you don’t have either, then praise God, and pray for your brothers and sisters as they walk in seeking or extending forgiveness.

God is a forgiving God, who’s forgiveness knowns no bounds. So let us be his people who experience that forgiveness and extend it to the world around us. Amen.

Philemon Series Week 1: Looking at the Image Bearer

  Since the advent of the newspaper, cartoons have been a way to communicate the political landscape in an exaggerated form. It could be a picture of General Jackson slaying the monster with many heads of his day. It could be a commentary on the British swallowing up other countries like Egypt. Or it could communicate the fear of foreigner immigrants taking over the U.S.A.

These political cartoons are draw in such a way as to distort the look of an individual or idea with the purpose of dramatic commentary. But it’s that purposeful distortion that we’re going to talk about today, as we open up to the letter of Philemon. So if you have you’re Bibles we’re going to open up to the first verse of the letter to Philemon which has only 1 chapter. 

As we do, let me give you a little background to it.

The letter to Philemon is the third shortest book in the Bible, clocking in at about 335 words. The letter is written by Paul as he sits in Rome under guard awaiting his trial. It’s a personal and universal letter that was most likely sent at the same time as the letter to the Colossians, because their destinations, and some of the information within both letters, reference the same congregation.

So let’s read the first seven verses of Philemon.

1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house: 3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

v.1-3

From Paul’s opening we can glean a couple of things. First, Philemon is wealthy enough to be able to provide a big enough home for the church in the city meet. Secondly, if we were to read Colossians with this letter, we would see that Archippus is being given a place of honor in the greeting, while in the Colossian letter, he’s being encouraged to fulfill the ministry that God had given him. This overlap shows us that the two letters are connected. Finally, we’re given Paul’s desire for the Church in general: grace and peace. 

Over this past summer, we’ve made our way through both 2nd Corinthians and the letter to Titus. We have seen Paul’s desire for grace and peace to be poured out on the Church. In 2nd Corinthians that meant that grace and peace happened when we confront bad situations and move forward in our Christian walk. In Titus we saw that when there are godly elders, and we all strive to have godly character, grace and peace can be experienced in more ways.

Here, as Paul sends this personal letter to Philemon, again, his desire is that through the situation he’s going to address, the grace and peace of God will be experienced. 

Now to put the letter in it’s intended context. Picture with me if you will. Tychicus (tick-a-kiss) arrives to the Church gathering in Philemon’s house, holding two letters from Paul. The first is a letter to the whole Church, what we now call the letter to the Colossians. The second is a letter for Philemon himself. However, because the greeting of Philemon’s letter includes “the church in your house” both are going to be read in front of the congregation. The first letter and general letter is written with Paul’s thanksgiving and praise for the Colossians’ Church. Paul gives deep theology about how Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, and that through Jesus all things were made. Paul calls the Colossians to be rooted and built up by Jesus as they walk with him. They do this by rejecting the philosophy, traditions, and spiritual ideas of the world. He encourages them to not let things like food and drink get in the way of their relationship with Jesus, but instead put on the new self. Reject sexual immorality, impurities, passions, evil desires, and covetousness. And instead walk in kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Paul calls everyone in the Church to be bound together in harmony for the sake of Jesus who dwells within each believer. 

Within the Colossians’ letter, at this point, where Paul switches to how that harmony looks in relationships. Wives submitting to their husbands, husbands loving their wives. Children obeying their parents, while fathers are called to not provoke their children. Slaves are to obey their earthy masters and masters to be just and fair. All this is done under the Lordship of Jesus, that all things might be in harmony with the influence of the believers’ life.

Finally, Paul calls the Church to be in prayer and walk in wisdom among those outside the Church. Having their speech be gracious as to give answers to people about the Faith. Then Paul ends his letter as he usually does, with encouragement and calls for helping others.
However as the letter is read, one name stands out among the rest. As the Colossians listened to the reading this is what they would hear. “8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. (Colossians 4:8-9)”

The Church would have recognized that name, Onesimus. He was the slave of Philemon who stole and ran off, and yet, he’s back, and Paul is calling him “faithful and beloved brother.” What do you think the feeling in the room was?

Then, more than likely, after the first letter’s reading, Tychicus would have taken out the second letter, the one that was written primarily to Philemon, but the whole congregation was about to hear as well. 

Knowing that the public reading of the general letter to the Colossians proceeded the reading of the more personal letter to Philemon, as being the most likely course of events, you can feel the uneasiness in the moment, and the way in which Paul seeks to address the needs of both the congregation as a whole and individuals in particular.

Let’s unpack the first seven verses.

v.5-7

As the letter is read, they hear Paul’s usual greeting to the Church, but then the opening turns very specific. Paul talks about Philemon. Paul thanks God for him, for Paul specifically prays for this wealthy man who allows the Church to meet in his home every week. Paul communicates that he hears great things about Philemon’s love and faithfulness towards Jesus and to the believers. 

Paul also hears that Philemon shares his faith with unbelievers, so Paul’s prayer is that that sharing would become effective as Philemon grows into full knowledge of the good things of Jesus. This fuller knowledge is what the rest of the letter is about.

Then Paul gets even more personal. The example of Philemon gives Paul joy and comfort, because through him the other believers are refreshed. Because of this, Paul calls Philemon his brother.

From here, Paul’s going to address the elephant in the room, which is the return of Onesimus. But for now, let’s just understand Paul’s approach to the situation. When dealing with difficult situations, we can have a tendency to create a bad guy. We do this because, it’s easier to deal with someone who had ill intentions, than to deal with someone who’s just like us. 

In war, we turn the enemy into caricatures of who they are. We give them exaggerated features, or depict them in dark and non-detailed colors to make them less human. A lot of time when people are leaving each other, they pick a fight to make the parting easier. Then there are those times when people hurt us in some way and we infer bad motivations behind the action.

But going into dealing with a hard situation, Paul recognizes all the good things of Philemon. In a sense, he gives the man the benefit of the doubt. For the most part, this man does all the right things for the Church, and even more so than other believers. Yet, he hasn’t gotten to the full knowledge of Christ in everything, and needs some instruction. Paul is giving the Colossians, and Philemon specifically, an opportunity to put into practice the very words they just heard through the letter addressed to them. But he starts it with a desire for grace and peace to prevail, and recognizing the good that God is doing in their midst at the moment. 

God is calling us to the same approach when dealing with people. We are called to look at them as Christ does. People are image bearers of God first and foremost. That image might be marred because of sin, but people, no matter their ethnicity, their social standing, their appearance, their political affiliation, or their past actions, they are a bearer of God’s holy image. We degrade that image by purposely or un-thoughtfully overlooking the good things they do. By doing this, we will hamper the work of Christ in their lives. 

This doesn’t mean we gloss over things, and not deal with evil, or bad deeds, but we always remember why we deal with those things. We stand against evil, correct bad conduct, argue for Christ, not because that person is worthless, but because they were worth enough to God for him come down from his throne and die upon a cross for them. 

We are called to speak to goodness, though we might have to search far and wide to find something worth speaking good about. We must recognize when things are in a position that God wants them, so that we might have an opportunity to call out to the evil of this world, and actually be heard.

We see this in Jesus’ words to the seven churches of Revelation, where he speaks kindness to the majority before addressing their issue. Paul told the Colossians this when we wrote, “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt…(4:6)” 

As we step into this letter that addresses the topics of slavery and reconciliation, let us first realize, that we are to treat people as image bears of God. That at the bare minimum Christ’s loves them and desires for them to know him as Savior. Our words and actions need to reflect that reality as we deal with the evil of this world. For Paul would write to the Ephesians, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (6:12)” Out battle is not against the image bears of God who are lost to sin, so let us not treat them in such a way that would hamper our opportunities to speak the life giving message of Christ.

My challenge for you this week, is to find someone that you don’t really care for; who’s mere presence infuriates you. First, begin to pray for your heart to be soften to them. Then, write a list of things that they do well. Finally, seek God to give you an opportunity to do something kind for them.

Whatever they have done, if they were to turn to Jesus, he would forgive them. We need to come to a fuller knowledge of Christ that if they were to ask for the forgiveness of God, we would be ecstatic that we get to praise Jesus alongside them in eternity. That’s Jesus’ righteous desire, and since we are his people, it should be our desire as well. Amen.

A Political Sermon

 In 1994, the Pew Researcher Center found that about 64% of Republicans identified as consistently conservative. In 2004, that number grew to 70%. In 2014 it grew again to 92%. During the same period of time, 70% of Democrats identified as consistently liberal in 1994. In 2004 it was 68%, and in 2014 it was 94%. The divide in the US between those who are consistently liberal and consistently conservative in their politics has widen to the point that there is very little common ground between the two. And it shows the big picture as to why the political arena feels like it cannot be fixed. Take a look at the Pew Research Center’s animation that shows how drastic this shift is (https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/feature/political-polarization-1994-2017/). 

This shifting is what the world does. When there is no solid foundation on which to move forward, reaction to desire is all that’s left. When one group wants secure boarders, because they say it allows criminals to walk into the country, and the other group wants open boarders because they believe boarders are restrictive to a global community, both desires conflict and turmoil ensues. James 1:14-15 says it this way, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” This is what we are seeing in our society. Desire is luring us into temptation and temptation is then bringing forth sin and death. Isaiah 24:20 speaks of the world as, “The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.” The world is swaying back and forth into sin, it’s what it does. Why? Because it doesn’t have a firm foundation.

However, as Christians we are not to be swayed like the world, but rather hold firm to Jesus. Jesus said it this way in Luke 6:47-49, “47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Paul wrote this in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Where the world is swayed by desire, led into temptation and thereby experiencing death, we as Christians are to firm ourselves on Christ and his word. Conforming to it and nothing else. 

Before I accepted Jesus, I held to many views that I no longer do. I did not change these views because I was persuaded by intellectual, political, or ideological arguments. My views have changed because the more I read God’s word, the more the Holy Spirit moves in me, the more I conform my life to what he says, the more my views change to be aligned with God’s. 

This brings us to the first point we must understand, if we say we have accepted Jesus as Savior, if we say we are Christians, then our lives are his. 

Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Isaiah would write it like this his 45th chapter, verse 9, “Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’?”

Paul picks up this idea in Romans 9:20-21, “20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ 21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?”

We do not get to decide by wants or desire, or by comfort, how we vote. We have to vote inline with God’s will, because he is the Potter, the Master, the Author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Everything we are is his, that includes our voting.

Secondly, if you haven’t noticed yet, we’re going to rely heavily on what the Scriptures say, because it is the plumb line, or the rule for our lives. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:18-19, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

When Paul writes to Timothy he writes this, “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (1 Timothy, 3:16-17)”

God’s word is the first and last authority as to where we stand on political issues. Our allegiance doesn’t stand with a party, or a person. Our allegiance doesn’t even stand on our own preferences and desires. It stands with God and his word. If we’re not doing that, we’re in rebellion against God and not walking in his light.

This brings us to the call of walking in God’s light. 1st John 1:5-7 reads, “5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We are to walk in God’s light, and as Paul states in Galatians 5:25, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

So if we want to walk in God’s light, and keep in step with the Spirit’s leading, what does that look like?

To the prophet Micah, as Israel was doing all sorts of horrible things in God’s sight, God said this, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)”

To walk in God’s light is to act justly, to seek kindness, and to be humble in how we deal with people. 

With all this in mind, now, we have two options when talking about politics. Either we engage, or disengage; we are to either to vote or not vote. In Jesus’ high priestly prayer of John 17, he says this in verse 15, “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.”

Paul says it like this in 1st Corinthians 5:9-10, “9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.”

God doesn’t want us out of the world, he wants us to be godly in the world. So we cannot disengage from the politics, we must stand for biblical principles and vote. So Christian, if you’re not voting because you feel like you shouldn’t engage, you are missing an opportunity to stand for Christ. How great an honor, when throughout the first 1,800 years of Church history our brothers and sisters never had the opportunity to stand on biblical principles in such a way. What would they say to us now, who can voice God’s will into the choosing of those who represent us?

So now that we know we’re not ours but God’s, and we know that it’s on his word that we base everything on, and we know that we are to walk in God’s light, and we know that we are to engage in voting to bring about godly work, we must understand what the goal in our voting should be. Are we to make America great? Or is there something else?

Let’s see what Jesus’ focus was. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus’ first words are, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. (1:15)”

In John 15:19, Jesus tells the disciples, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commissions the disciples, “19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When asked a political question about Pilate killing some Galileans in Luke 13, Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (13:2-3)”

Jesus’ focus is the Kingdom of God, everything is submissive to that focus. When talking about politics our first question should be, is how I’m voting submissive to the goal of kingdom purpose? We’ll get into more of that when we talk about applying these principles. But for now, the kingdom is Jesus’ focus, so it is to be our focus as well.

So now we know we’re not our own, we know God’s word is the basis for our politics, we know we are to walk in his light, and that we are to engage in the political realm with our focus being kingdom advancement Now let’s do some application.

Now just a head’s up, we’re not covering every political issue, but giving general principles in which to apply what we know.

And as we do, we have to recognize just how blessed we are even to get a vote. When Jesus sent out the disciples into the world, the vast majority of them had no rights. They weren’t citizens of the Roman Empire and so had very little in the way of political engagement. This is why Peter writes, “13 Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. 18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps (1 Peter 2:13-21).”

The Church was birthed and thrived in a culture of oppression, cruelty and under a dictatorship. So we are blessed even to be able to voice biblical principles through our vote.

Secondly, we need to understand the role of government as God ordains it. From Peter’s writing, we can already tell one role is to punish those who do evil. This is important when we go to vote, and we’re looking at candidates who do or do not seek to punish evil.

Then there’s what Paul writes in Romans 13:1-7, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

From this passage we can glean a couple of things in regard to the government’s role. The government “bears the sword” in verse 4. That means it’s the governments job to protect it citizens, from outside threats and inside threats. We can also see that governments job is to work for the good on behalf of all people not just a selection of them. The Final role, is the one we all would not desire, but it is the right of the government to impose taxes.

In seeing these things, our vote would be cast in such a way that it supports those representatives who would best bring about justice and protection for the citizenry. Coupling this with a kingdom focus, we are to be utilizing our vote to support representatives who would best allow us to live out our Christian mandate to share Jesus with the world. 

In application we should do something like this: Ask the question, “What political parties are there?” The big two are the Democratic and Republican parties. The other three that are recognized in at least ten states are the Libertarian party, Green Party and the Constitution Party. Out of these five, four are on the ballot in Arizona.

Step 1: What do these parties say they believe? That means we need to look at their stated platforms. We need to look at each party and see if they hold to biblical principles or not. I printed off these five political parties’ platforms. We need to see which one seeks to bring the most justice to our society, and who would allow Christians the most freedom to share Jesus.

Hear what I’m not saying: I am not saying to vote for Harris, Oliver, Stein, Terry, or Trump. I am saying to vote with biblical focus. However, I will say this, as I have read through the platforms of the Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, and Republican parties, the closet help to the Christian lands primarily in the Constitution party, with the Republicans being second. Whereas the Democratic, Green, and Libertarian parties have some major beaks with biblical principles. But you must do your godly duty and research these things for yourself. With a Bible in one hand and the platforms in the other. Praying to God, what principles do these parties have and do not have?

Step 2: While in office, how have these platforms performed? I’m going to give you one example, because if I went through every issue, we’d be late into the night. So let’s look at the government’s job to bring about justice. 

This becomes tricky because in the last few years, crime reporting procedures have changed. There are about 18,917 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. In 2022 44% fully participated in reporting their crime date; these were mostly in more rural areas. 24% of agencies submitted some of their data; these ranged from all types of areas. 32% of agencies did not submit any data; these were primarily metropolitan areas like Phoenix PD, LAPD, and New York PD (https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/07/13/fbi-crime-rates-data-gap-nibrs).

Because of this we don’t know how we’re doing. The last thing we truly know is that crimes like homicides skyrocketed by 30% in 2020, then rose again in 2021 by 7%; dropped by 6% by 2022. And then dropped by 13%. Giving a net positive of 18% increase in murders across our nation since 2020 (https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-mid-year-2024-update/#:~:text=By the end of 2020,%, from 2022 to 2023) 

But since about 1/3 of law enforcement isn’t giving any data on crimes, the drop is most likely happening because so many agencies are not reporting the statistics, instead of the crime rate actually going. 

Another wrinkle in this is that, in 2022 Police clearance rates, or how many crimes police agencies officially closed, overall has deceased (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-data-says-about-crime-in-the-us/). 

For more egregious crimes: closing murder cases are down 9.8%, aggravated assaults are down 16.3%, and closing of rape cases are down 14.5%. And that’s just from those agencies that are reporting, what about those who don’t?

In just this area of justice, we have to ask, who are representatives that are in charge of those agencies who are not reporting, and are the policies of their platforms leading to these issues?

This process of taking time and looking at statics, finding out who are those behind the policies and then seeing if biblical principles are being implemented or not. This is time consuming and frustrating. Yet, as Christians we must be diligent in this, because if our representatives are not acting in ways that bring about the most justice, then we are complacent in propping up injustices. This will be an issue that we have to report on to God on judgment day. For God said to the Israelites through the prophet Ezekiel, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The Lord has forsaken the land, and the Lord does not see.’10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads. (Ezekiel 9:9-10)” And God said later to the same prophet, “When the righteous turns from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it. (Ezekiel 33:18)”

Injustice whether to the poor or to the rich, whether to the citizen or the alien, is something that God stands heavily against, and will not let go unpunished. 

Every issue, every platform position has to be taken before the Lord and his word. We must cast our vote to the candidate who best seeks justice to happen, and will maximize our ability to share the Gospel. To not cast our vote is to take away godly light to government. An opportunity that few Christians throughout the history of the Church have ever had the ability to do. 

Finally, if you haven’t been upset yet, let’s make sure you are now. Voting is one aspect in living under government. We can cast our vote as God leads us, and once it is cast, we must then live under the repercussions of not just our vote, but other’s as well. And this is where it gets difficult. 

Again, I’m going to give you one example, the boarder situation. It is true that a highly regulated boarder brings in less people and less drugs (https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2024/0416/biden-trump-immigration-border-crossings). Since we have the ability to see who’s border policies let in more or less people, we can see that under Trump, there were less boarder encounters than under Biden. Either way, what is the job of the Christian after whoever gets into office when faced with some who is here illegally. 

We have two options, to turn them, which would be a lawful thing to do. After all, we are called to follow the laws of the land. And we have passages like Deuteronomy 28:43-44 which reads, “43 The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.” And we could apply this to an illegal alien coming into the country. Yet this passage is the result of Israel not following God. In the context, God states in verse 15, “But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.” Within the context of Israel’s covenant relationship with God, if they failed to follow him, then they would be overrun by those who were not a part of the covenant. One could make a case that when we, who made a covenant with God through our declaration of Independence, do not follow biblical principles on which our nation was founded, then any problems we face can be traced back to breaking that covenantal decree. 

But let’e make this issue a little more muddled. Earlier in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 10:17-20, God tells the Israelites, “17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. 18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. 20 You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.” So to the same sojourner that might overtake Israel, the Israelites are to give him food, and clothing. What implication does that have on us as Christians, who’s first loyalty is to God? 

These are the harder issues. What if my government isn’t doing it’s job? It’s not holding up justice, it’s not allowing Christinas the freedom to speak the Gospel. What shall we do now? We live in accordance with Christ. We follow him. We seek justice in the spheres of influence we have. We cast our vote of the candidate, not necessarily the one who is the perfect godly one, because God can use pagan kings like Nebuchadnezzar and Darius to do his will. No, we cast our vote for the ones that bring about the greatest justice, and the most opportunity for the Christian message to be able to be shared. 

We take every issue, before the Lord and ask him, what he wants and we conform to his will. Then we look at the candidate and say, which one of you will best allow for the will of God to be done in this country, and we cast our vote in that direction. To not do so, is to relinquish our light to those who seek injustice.

But no matter the outcome, our citizenship is in heaven, and so we live out heavenly intentions now. 

Now, my challenge for you is this: stop what you’re doing in the political realm for a moment. Go before God and be open to his leading. Every thought you have of who is right for the job, who is the best, what the media says, all of it bring before the Lord and drop at his feet. Then humbly request his will in the matter. Take up the platforms of at least the two major parties and walk through them with then intention of asking, is this biblical or not? The closest to the biblical truth is where your vote should be cast.

That means you might not like the candidate, and think their a jerk, but your vote isn’t about one person, it’s about the cause of Christ. Will the message of the Gospel be more freely proclaimed, is the central question each of us should be asking. Because we’re not here to build America, we’re here to build the Kingdom. Anything else, is Satan’s work to shift our focus from King Jesus.

And if you were offended at any point today, that wasn’t my intention, but each of us needs to get our eyes off of the things of this world, because none of it will save us. Instead, we need our eyes on Jesus because he alone saves. Because at the ballot box there’s only one animal that we should be checking off, and that’s the Lamb. Amen.