by Frank Turk
This is not a reprint of my very fine essay from April of this year. This is a brief note to you all about what just happened in the United States. Sorry to bore our international friends.
There were no surprises last night, least of all to God. This seems like a really hackneyed point of God's sovereignty, but I think that those thinking that are not really thinking very hard.
See: when Barack Obama was elected president, God wasn't surprised. His plan wasn't sent into a tailspin -- not for the U.S., and not for the grand scheme to glorify himself and save people. But many of our dear friends were very undone by the election of President Obama -- and today I think we will see many of them overdone about the giant changes in store now that President Obama's election may be moot at best.
That doesn't mean it doesn't matter how you voted or how you should vote. What it does mean is that we cannot trust in salvation through politics. We also cannot trust in salvation through our nation.
We have to trust in a salvation which actually addresses our danger, a salvation which saves us from what we are actually dying from. This is what God is working on.
And those are the election results we should be focused on.
This is not a reprint of my very fine essay from April of this year. This is a brief note to you all about what just happened in the United States. Sorry to bore our international friends.
There were no surprises last night, least of all to God. This seems like a really hackneyed point of God's sovereignty, but I think that those thinking that are not really thinking very hard.
See: when Barack Obama was elected president, God wasn't surprised. His plan wasn't sent into a tailspin -- not for the U.S., and not for the grand scheme to glorify himself and save people. But many of our dear friends were very undone by the election of President Obama -- and today I think we will see many of them overdone about the giant changes in store now that President Obama's election may be moot at best.
That doesn't mean it doesn't matter how you voted or how you should vote. What it does mean is that we cannot trust in salvation through politics. We also cannot trust in salvation through our nation.
We have to trust in a salvation which actually addresses our danger, a salvation which saves us from what we are actually dying from. This is what God is working on.
And those are the election results we should be focused on.
31 comments:
Well, speaking as an international, I'm not so much bored as apathetic. I cannot do anything about Obama and that whole "democracy" thing isn't working too well for the US now...
...which is why we never adopted it.
Okay, okay. Our constitutional monarchy is a gong-show of the unrighteous too.
What's that bell mean?
Prorogue again till 2011? DANG!
Help me out. The REP's got the house but not the senate?
It means that trifecta of a Democrat controlled house, senate, and white house is broken, and the fillibuster-proof majority is gone from the senate. The government may actually have to start listening to the people now - but don't hold your breath.
Frank, thanks for the reminder that we put our trust in God and not in men:
“it is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” (Ps 118:8 NAS95)
I'd also add that we shouldn't get too caught up in the nation being able to do anything to earn God's favor. There is only one covenant nation that I know of in the Bible.
Amen. The Gospel is the power, not congress.
I do pray God will have mercy on our nation, and allow this country to have some decent leaders, who love Christ, and have good principles for leading a nation under God. And I pray for Barak, that he would come to Christ, and kneel and trust in Christ alone, with his wife. And for all members of Congress who are dead in their sins to come to Jesus Christ for forgiveness of their sins. Amen.
1st Tim 2:1-4:
"I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."
@donsands re: 1 Tim. 2:1-4 - I just posted that to my FB status. What I keep finding remarkable about this exhortation is the context in which it was written -- to Christians living under 1st century Roman rule. We (21st century American Christians) have no idea of the vast implications of this to them.
Compare with Rom. 13:1-7, and 1 Peter 2:9-17 too.
And as we survey the whole bible, Godly men served ungodly kings (Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah) and did it well! We also see Godly people living Godly lives in all of these circumstances.
This all just astounds me every time I think about it.
Scott Ferguson
"That doesn't mean it doesn't matter how you voted or how you should vote. What it does mean is that we cannot trust in salvation through politics. We also cannot trust in salvation through our nation."
Wish I'd said that. I thought it, but couldn't put it into words. The challenge of being right-brained.
...we cannot trust in salvation through politics. We also cannot trust in salvation through our nation.
We have to trust in a salvation which actually addresses our danger, a salvation which saves us from what we are actually dying from. This is what God is working on.
Amen, and thank God.
We do have to rely on flawed human politics to save us from really bad politics, though. That was the importance of this election.
It might sound callous, but, in the end every nation falls BUT ONE. I used to get into politics and the whole bit until I realized that, if the people in office are not believers, those who are REALLY running the country do not change, right? All in all, it comes back down to 1 Tim. 2.--praying for those who are in office, whatever office they may hold and whatever their views are while they are in office.
@mennoknight: apathy is why we are where we are. Liberalism is fueled by hate. Hate is a motivation that gets you to work night and day for a cause. So liberals have worked day and night for generations while conservative and Christians looked away too apathetic to do anything but remain busy in their daily lives. And now we wake up and wonder why there are barbarians trying to break down our castle walls.
@Robert: I'm not sure I entirely agree. Sure, we as a country can't earn merit with God. And we certainly aren't Israel. But Scripturally speaking, God has dealt pretty harshly with nations who hated him and spared those that repented. And an important note about Israel. The believers like Daniel and his three friends were still carried off in exile too.
@Strategem: I view politics as a symptom of our health. When we are well, our politics are well. When we are sick, our politics are sick. If you are a doctor, you can only fix the symptoms for a while until the sickness wins out. On the other hand, when you address the sickness you still need to address the symptoms. Otherwise, you might end up ill all over again.
Our politics are a symptom of our health? You mean our spiritual health will improve politics?
Who let Doug Wilson in here? And why is he posting as "Sir Aaron"?
I know my "election results." Can't wait to see the final fulfillment of them.
Well played Mr. Turk.
Frank,
Correct. It's not difficult. E.g., if everyone in Congress was a Christian, what effect would that have on the laws they pass. It would have a tremendous positive effect.
Well said.
LOL, Frank.
Yeah, I'd agree with that sentiment mostly. I think it's obvious that a spiritually healthy people will take political positions that are more in alignment with Biblical principles.
@Aaron: I guess I'd say that I know that eventually there will be one nation standing and it isn't the US. And while I encourage good government and pray for our leaders to be wise and for God to turn their hearts towards Him, I know that God is the One who sustains countries. I know that the Spirit preserves the saints. And this is all done according to the predetrmined will of God. I'm not being fatalistic, but I am just saying that I don't get too hung up on politics (Most of the time) because I know in the end only one nation will be left standing. I do admit, though, that it puzzles me how people voted some of these guys into office (wasn't Jerry Brown bad enough the first time, California?)
I'm glad that Christians became interested in politics in the early 19th century and abolished slavery in the USA, rather than just deciding that politics isn't important and letting it continue.
@ Sir Aaron -
For some reason, I cannot post as mennoknight. Old Blogger ID.
Thanks for the lecture. I live in CANADA. You know, the guys on the opposite side of Mexico who invented basketball and gave you Justin Bieber?
You're welcome to keep both, but we'd like all our doctors back.
What do you propose I do to combat the political machinations of Darth Obama, being neither a US citizen nor resident?
You can encourage Christians here to do the right thing. You can speak up about the ills facing your country and warn us to avoid them.
would you like me to continue?
Oh you guys were voting to be saved through politics? Really? Wow, I like totally missed that.
See I was voting for my government to stop spending us into oblivion, taxing us to death, end abortion, and get the heck out of my life.
Salvation? Boy howdy, you guys need to read your Bible, it's right there in John 14:6.
Funny thing is though, Frank, I don't remember anyone in any venue say they were voting to be saved. I seem to remember some stupid reasons, but not to be saved from their sins.
But, hey what do I know, I guess you're right. You blogged it, after all, so there must have been like a ton of Christians out there casting their votes and then walking up to the poll workers all "Do I get to go to heaven now? I voted straight Republican and Everything! Sooooo, we're good on that whole avoiding hell thing, right?"
Me? Boy did I miss the boat! I thought it was all about political stuff and junk.
I must ask... how can you be SURE Barack Obama isn't a Christian since you're not omniscient.Personally I think he's either a liberal Christian or agnostic/atheist but I do not claim to speak with certainty. Also before everyone bashes liberals remember that Charles Spurgeon was a "liberal" for his day in the classical sense and voted Whig.I disagree with liberals but I can see
Horace:
Why do we need to be sure?
What I'm saying is that its better to pray something like "Dear Lord, let our President come to Christ and if already he is let him grow in his faith".
Horace, when you look at a tree that has apples growing on it, do you ask yourself how you can be sure that it's an apple tree? Do you accuse your friends of claiming omniscience when they speak confidently and matter-of-factly about the tree as if it's actually an apple tree?
We could pass out Gospel tracts at our polling places next time.
Anyone tempted to think this election means anything significant in the grand scheme of things need only look at the fact that Barney Frank retained his Senate seat. Nothing sends as clear a signal both of the moral vacuousness of this country and of the lack of intelligence among a majority of American voters as their inability to oust one of the prime malefactors responsible for the housing/mortgage crisis that was a large part (and a causal factor) of this economic downturn.
Even so, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" - Psalm 20:7
Maybe we should be thanking God for having President Obama as a leader. I keep thinking of all the great Christian heroes of the faith and most had to deal with severe hardship, health, and or persecution. Maybe some of the greatest Christians that walked the earth no human has ever heard of because they lived in places like the Sudan, China or India.
It could be that some hardship in this country is really what we need to set us on fire for Christ? Obama is certainly the best thing that ever happened to the Republican party.
Frank, this is exceptional.
Frank's on the road, so I took it on myself to delete a series of ravings and responses.
Rule 5 is still in force. Drop it.
Fair enough.
If Sir Aaron wishes to continue he can email me directly at protoprotestant@gmail.com or visit my website www.proto-protestantism.blogspot.com
I will be happy to continue the discussion.
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