Bride or Mistress?
Bride or Mistress?
Have we the Church the humility to wait patiently and be married to the King of kings? Or will we (as has been the case for centuries) continue to play the harlot by being prepared to jump into bed with anyone who promises us the tiniest perch on one of this world's flimsy thrones?
The Church’s giving of herself to political parties, processes and causes will always end in her diminishment rather than her empowerment; her humiliation rather than her glorification.
"Can wicked rulers be allied with You (Lord), those who contrive mischief by statute." (Psalm 94.20)
This is nothing new. Whenever ancient Israel sought to aggrandize herself through political alliances, she never ever became a "wife", but by the word of the Lord, a "harlot".
"How the faithful city (Zion) has become a harlot." (Isaiah 1.21.)
Sadly, this was recently demonstrated yet again in the United States. A former deputy director of the current Administration’s Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, has just published a book called, "Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction".
In this, Mr David Kuo states that Evangelical Christians were embraced for political gain at the White House, but derided privately as "nuts", "ridiculous" and "goofy". In other words, they were regarded as necessary to help win elections, but ridiculed behind the scenes.
Similarly tragic are the stance and the activities of those New Zealand Christian leaders who have been seduced by heretical "Dominion Theology", with its lure of parliamentary power and authority. It is a devilish mirage, which will dissolve in their own hands. I am especially offended by and concerned for those who have proclaimed during recent general elections that they have an "apostolic mandate" to overthrow the current Labour-led coalition Government.
It is difficult to see how these people can now avoid the full and weighty consequences of the word of God.
"They sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind." (Hosea 8.7)
"Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves." (Romans 13.1-2)
God has determined secular governments will be mirrors of our societies’ moral and spiritual conditions. When the mirror's message upsets or repulses the Church, it is not time to try and create an image (government) more to our religious liking. In fact, it is time for Christians of all political and theological persuasions to get off our blessed assurances. It's time to get up and go to work by the power of the Gospel and the Spirit of Christ and transform our nations along Biblical lines.
When our countries please God better, then we may have governments more to our own satisfaction.
Note: In case you mistakenly read this as some kind of party political broadcast, think again. As far as I can "see", no party at present in Parliament is deserving of the Treasury Benches so far as God is concerned.
