When Christians Get it Wrong

What should we be doing?

My bishop called for 40 days of fasting and prayer in the weeks preceding the election. She is a self-described “radical leftist” who is openly critical of Trump and a supporter of the Democrat party.

Several of my church friends are staunchly pro-Trump, believing that his stance on issues such as abortion and his championship of conservative causes and a strict interpretation of the constitution mean he will take the country in the right direction. They are praying for him daily.

Believing politics will save us

While we might differ in our political opinions, I agree with both the bishop and my friends on the issue of prayer. We need to pray for our country’s leaders and the direction of the country. But Christians get it wrong when they believe the salvation of our country lies on a particular side of he political spectrum. No president or political party is going to be our salvation.

In a Christ-follower’s view, the only source of salvation should be Jesus. When we place too much emphasis on a political party or a political candidate, we are doubting God’s ability to work through all parties and all candidates.

So what should we be doing? There is great power in prayer, and we need to pray, even for those who express political views diametrically opposed to what we believe. Jesus said it best:

“You’re familiar with the old written law, Love your friend, and its unwritten compation, Hate your enemy. I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out he best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out your true selves, your God-created selves.” (Matthew 5:43–47)

We also need to be peacemakers. This means not responding to hatred with hatred; refusing to levy harsh judgments against those who differ; not using words to incite division and hostility.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

Believing we can change a culture by changing laws

Another thing Christians get wrong is trying to change culture through laws without changing hearts through personal example. This is something the Pharisees got wrong, too. They weighted people down with laws designed to make them righteous, and it only led to harsher punishments and a religion that devolved into pettiness and judgmentalism.

Laws are a reflection of the culture that exists. Those who have a different world view will not understand the Christian world view, and vice versa. To push for laws that conflict with a particular world view is a breeding ground for division.

This doesn’t mean Christians shouldn’t advocate for what we believe or take part in the political process. But we should do this in the context of love and service rather than moral superiority and judgment. Then, when culture conflicts with personal values and beliefs, Christians work to change hearts and minds through personal witness.

An example of Christians working within the context of cultural values they disapproved occurred in ancient Rome when a fledgling Christianity was just beginning to take root and spread. Children were considered property, of little value, and so it was acceptable to abandon newborn babies to die. This was called Exposure, and it allowed poor people to get rid of extra mouths to feed, especially the mouths of baby girls who were also a dowry liability. Children who were imperfect or whose paternity was unclear were also left to die. (N.S. Gill, History and Culture)

Jesus introduced the radical new idea that all life was valuable, so Christians rescued exposed infants and raised them in their own families. These early Christians didn’t attempt to change a law that was so firmly entrenched, but rather, acted on Jesus’s teachings by responding in ways that were legal and compassionate.

Some Christians today believe in abortion and some don’t, but if the culture supports and legalizes abortion, Christians can choose to mentor and assist hurting, traumatized mothers, care for or adopt unwanted infants, advocate for better access to birth control; whichever course of action they feel spiritually and emotionally equipped to follow.

Rejecting those who don’t share our views

Another thing Christians get wrong is rejecting or condemning those who don’t share our views. This was also something the Pharisees did, but Christ invited everyone to the table. In scripture we read the story of Jesus eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers. A lot of “disreputable” characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw Jesus keeping company with these people, they confronted Jesus. What kind of religious example are you setting, keeping company with this riffraff?

Jesus shot back, I’m after mercy, not religion. I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders. (fMatthew 9:12, The Message)

People make a mistake rejecting people, because Christ never rejects anyone who comes to him. Even Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham’s daughter) was rejected by her church. She writes:

“As hurt as I was by the church’s rejection, my relationship with God was strong enough and my understanding of His Word thorough enough to know that being rejected by the church did not mean being rejected by Him. As we walked away from the church that had been our home for over fifteen years, I had the overwhelming awareness that God walked with us. Our tears were on His face, and He bore our shame and disgrace too God understands how it feels to be rejected by His own people.” (Rejected by Them But Not Him, by Anne Graham Lotz)

Believing faith should make us rich and comfortable

Christians get it wrong when we think Christianity is supposed to give us a comfortable lifestyle instead of a radically transformed lifestyle. This is called the prosperity gospel, a religious belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are the will of God for the faithful, and that faith, positivity, and giving money to church will increase our own financial well-being.

All we need to do is look at Jesus’ disciples to realize this isn’t true. Nowhere does scripture indicate they got rich because of their faith. On the contrary, they were persecuted, sometimes to the point of death.

Christians don’t have to be poor and we don’t have to be rich to be faithful believers. But the problem with viewing religious belief as a pathway to financial blessings is the tendency to view those who are less financially blessed as somehow less faithful. What we are told, instead, is to use financial blessings for the good of others.

“If you pour out yourself for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness.” (Isaiah 58:10)

“Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none and whoever has food is to do likewise.” (Luke 3:11)

Christians who spend their time striving for material wealth at the expense of radical transformation of the inner person are helping create a society characterized by greed and selfishness. Wealth in and of itself isn’t bad, but its potential for corrupting the spirit is what Jesus warns us against.

A focus on material comfort and wealth eventually leaves Christians wanting to do anything to preserve the status quo. But Jesus never said anything about preserving the status quo. There is a world of suffering that we ignore at our spiritual peril.

Not dispensing the gift of grace

Last on my list of things Christians get wrong is something that encompasses everything else. We refuse to dispense the grace we have been given through Christ’s sacrifice.

I am in need of that grace all the time. As I look back over this article, I think of how arrogant I sound in writing a story titled When Christians Get it Wrong. Who am I to tell anyone else they are getting it wrong, when I get things wrong so much of the time?

Yet in leaning on God’s grace, I accept that I have in the past and will continue in the future to “get it wrong” at times. Every day I have selfish thoughts, I am self-indulgent, and I’m not the witness for Christ that I should be. Yet I accept and cherish God’s forgiving grace, which frees me each day to move forward forgiven, joyful and free.

But there is a cost to that all-encompassing and unearned grace. I am called to dispense it as well as to receive it! What this grace looks like played out in the arena of my worldly existence is that I am to be generous, compassionate, tolerant and kind. I am not to envy, but rather, to support and love. Instead of hoarding my treasures, whatever they may be, I am called to give them away.

Do I do this? Sometimes. Not always. But there is always God’s grace, in the doing and in the not doing. And the more of this grace I receive, the more I am compelled to give away.

So maybe my title to this article isn’t so arrogant after all, because I, too, admit to falling short. And by admitting, it, I am opening the door for God to begin a new work in me.

Each day is both a gift and a challenge: the gift of new opportunity, and the challenge to make use of it. And this is where Christianity gets it right; we can move forward forgiven and loved. This should give us all the strength and resolve we need to forgive and love others.