A few posts back I mused about one of the church’s great purposes: to be a place where God’s people use their gifts to serve one another, to love their neighbors as themselves.
There’s an even greater purpose, to which that one contributes. The church is to be, as the theologians say, doxological; it is to bring glory to God, to incite praise.
How does it do this? Well, when the church gathers, we praise God in worship, and that’s certainly part of it. And as we use our gifts to nurture growth in others and help them become more like Christ, that’s part of it too. But there’s another way; it’s described in Ephesians 3.
The church is God’s creation, not ours. He is the one who envisioned and then brought into being an organization—an organism—that is not limited by bloodline or geographical boundary, like OT Israel. It consists of Jews and Gentiles (Eph 3.6), from all over the globe, who are brought together in unified worship of God.
And what is his purpose in doing that? Take a look at verse 10:
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God.
That is, that the heavenly beings (“principalities and powers”) might look at what God has done in the church and recognize the rich wisdom of the God who did it.
What does it take to impress someone who goes to work in heaven every day?
And why would the unity of God’s diverse peoples be so impressive? Because Jews and Gentiles are supposed to be enemies, not friends. If natural enemies are gathered together, united in worship to God and in loving care for one another, there’s no earthly reason for it. Only God could do that.
And now to explain this post’s title.
Since the days of Jerry Falwell Sr.’s Moral Majority—and long before that—some Christians have listened to the siren song of political influence. They have chosen to position themselves publicly as the political enemies of the very people God has called them to reach, to draw into this inexplicably unified body. And for any number of reasons—fear of loss of earthly freedom or comforts, discomfort with or even disdain for people who are radically different from them, even perhaps the desire for power—they have devoted their energies to increasing the divide rather than tapping into the divine power that brings people together in one body, in Christ, despite those differences.
But those other people are so different! They’re so wrong about so many things!
Yes. Precisely. Only God could bring us together, by changing us—all of us—from the inside out. But he can and will do that. So why add to the momentum in the other direction? Why oppose his cause?
Why tweak the political opposition for the lapses in logic of their political positions, when the cause—the real cause, the eternal one—is so much greater and so much more worthy of your limited effort? Do you really think that if you zing that leftist, he’ll be inclined to come to you for guidance to the grace that is truly greater than all his sin? Or do you not care whether he does at all?
To whom have you shown such grace today? You know, the kind of grace God has shown you?
There is a woman in my church who recommitted herself to Christ late in life. She comes whenever she can, despite significant physical obstacles. She asks me questions if something I’ve taught hasn’t been clear. And when she gets home, she downloads the Sunday school and sermon notes from the church website and pores over them, line by line, with her Bible open on her lap, filling her mind and her heart with the promises and commands of God.
And she voted for Obama.
Twice.
And though I didn’t (even once!), I’m OK with that. Because she’s a reminder that the grace of God that has brought us together is greater than the forces that appear to be great enough to drive us apart—even to drive this great country to the brink of civil war.
May her tribe increase. May our churches be filled with people who disagree with me and you about really important things—politics, lifestyles, culture, food and drink, medical approaches, whatever—and who are drawn together as one body by the far more powerful grace of the God we are all determined to love more than anyone or anything else.
May people in our community who are angry, embittered, frustrated, frightened, hopeless see in our church clear evidence that there is a power that unites us that is infinitely greater than the nonsense around us—that our hope for today and tomorrow, as well as for eternity, is not in a president or a Congress or a Supreme Court, or even in violent confrontation in the streets, but in the one in whom we live and move and have our being—in the one whose will is done just as certainly on earth as it is in heaven.
When we mock political opponents, when we add to the national polarization, when we speak passionately about this world more than the next, we make the mighty grace of God look weak and even inconsequential. And then we wonder why our countrymen mock him.
God reigns. Why do so many of his people behave as though he doesn’t?
Andrea Burch says
Thank you for this reminder. As I drag myself through a massively left leaning textbook, I find myself getting angry and frustrated. But, in light of eternity and souls yet to be won, it should not matter so much to me. Great reminder
Tom Baker says
This is so very convicting. What a gracious reminder of the gracious character of the God of the universe. In a world of increasing vitriolic partisanship, the Church is well serve by the reminder that It testifies to this gracious character. May we make it an accurate testimony. Thank you for your wisdom.
Sharon says
Thank you so very much! I have often sat near other Christians, and you’d think that Fox News was operated by St Paul, as it’s commentators are quoted as if they were writing Scripture! How awful to hear insults and slander coming from them over political points. I have been a Christian a long time, but, it seems with the advent of Talk Radio, this has gotten worse. It’s a good time to examine ourselves. To Whom are we listening more? The Holy Spirit and His Word, or some Talk Radio host?
Blessings!
Tom Stultz says
Great article Dan. God used it to bring conviction and provide direction. I’ve often felt the same way while at the same time being guilty as charged. Thanks for the two-by-four to my head, and hopefully my heart.
Mike Bryant says
Thought-provoking. Thanks, Dan.
Royce says
Helpful insights and something that certain divisions within the Church struggle with greatly. I would challenge you to consider changing your statement of purpose for the church from “to be a place where God’s people use their gifts to serve one another, to love their neighbors as themselves” to “to be a people who use their spiritual gifts to serve one another, to love their neighbors as themselves.” I realize that this may come across as semantics but I think people have a great misconception about what the church is and think that choosing words carefully can help to eliminate this error.
Dan Olinger says
Point well taken. Thanks.
Henry Shirah says
I have read this piece several times and I still do not get it. Rev. Falwell did embrace politics but does that make him or any other brother in Christ wrong to work with those who have authority over us? O My former pastor reminded me that God ordained government to control the passions of men and in that sense we have a political stake in defending our faith. The leftist would gladly see all conservative churches closed and their properties seized. They would gladly force churches to hire all manner of people whose lives are dedicated to hating Christianity. You want to embrace those who are different and who believe differently. I think you do that outside your church and when/if conversion is real, confirmed, then you bring them into the church. In Vietnam we were very careful who we allowed inside our wire. It only takes one enemy to wreak havoc. If anything, a church should be more careful today about their membership and true conversions. Perhaps I have misunderstood your point. If so, I apologize for my error. I am not suggesting living a combative life but defending the faith is required.
Dan Olinger says
Thanks for the comment. In large part I agree with you; I’m not suggesting that we shouldn’t be politically active. I’m just suggesting that we shouldn’t be jerks in the process. :-)
I also believe strongly that the church should consist of only regenerate members and that believers who refuse to repent of persistent sin should be disciplined, eventually out of the church if necessary.
But with all that said, God’s plan for the church is to bring people together whose unity should be genuinely surprising. It’s no surprise when the church is an enclave of like-minded people in political lockstep. We need to do better.
Thanks again for joining the conversation. Best wishes.
Clifton Dawley says
Point taken but does this mean we are back to unity at all cost?
Dan Olinger says
I would hope no one would take the post that way. Biblically we have unity in the truth (1Pt 1.22; 2Jn 1) while accepting one another despite differences that do not affect the clear teaching of Scripture (Rom 14). My point is that many in the church are allowing disagreements of relative unimportance–specifically over political policy–to divide present and future brethren.
JoyBeth McCarnan says
Yes to this! Thank you for your post. Praise God for bringing people to Himself like the woman you mentioned.
Heather Wilkinson says
Wonderful! Thank you, Dr. Olinger!
Nina says
Great dialogue going on here . . . thanks for the insight. It is helpful to be reminded of just how much we need balance as we seek to be “in the world but not of it.” Doing my best to figure it all out, just trying not to collapse under the weight of one more thing to feel guilty about, though. Grace . . . for all, including those of us who get it wrong occasionally on our journey through this messy adventure of life.
Dan Olinger says
Nicely put. Thanks.