Niemöller ended up in the concentration camp at Dachau because no one was left to stand up for him.
We must stand for Christ in our generation and preach Christ to our government. This pulpit is not Republican, Democrat, or otherwise. But as the church, we are called by God to speak to the authority of the government and to our people to oppose the immorality and immoral policies which defy the law of God.
In Pastor Neimoller’s day, it was the loss of human freedom through the persecution of human beings in his nation. In our day, we must stand for truth in an age of relativism. The church must preach that there is truth and Jesus is truth and to follow Him will lead to freedom for all. Marriage is sacred to a man and a woman. That is not just Christian; that is what it means to be human according to God. It is His institution, not ours. Abortion is wrong because God says so; therefore, it’s wrong in public policy. If truth is truth, it cannot be compartmentalized. When there is a loss of life and the family gives consent, organ donation and tissue donation for stem cell research does not violate biblical ethics and is a noble act; but killing unborn children and then harvesting stem cells would be an inhumane practice that must be opposed by all Bible-believing people. If that sounds political, so be it. I don’t respect No Trespassing signs where God has spoken. We must preach the truth. We must defend the lives of the most vulnerable in our society, and that includes the unborn, the aged, the handicapped, and the poor. Anything that devalues any one life threatens all human life.
Advertisement
More than anything, the church should remain free from politics so that we can say these things. The kingdom of God has come into this world through Jesus Christ; and we have come — like John the Baptist, like Paul, and like our Lord — announcing to the public and to the government leaders of our nation that we must repent of our sins, repent of a man-centered way of thinking, and turn to the God we know is there and who has now spoken through His Son Jesus Christ, who has come that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
Politics and religion may not mix, but biblical faith and government must because God says it must. We have seen from God’s Word that it is summed up in four words:
Dominion — Bring the gospel to bear in every area of life, including government.
Submission — Honor God by honoring His ordained authorities, which includes government.
Prayer — Orderly government provides a platform for the great commission.
Preaching — We must preach Christ and His gospel to government leaders and call them to accountability.
When Governor Reagan was running for office, he came to Chattanooga. One of our elders rode with then Governor Reagan from the airport to where he was to speak. During that time, my friend asked Governor Reagan about the Lord Jesus. His aides didn’t like it — the world never likes it that we bring up Jesus — but Reagan answered. He said that he not only believed in Jesus Christ, but he had no idea how anyone could live without Him. On another occasion, in the White House, our elder again asked President Reagan the same question and got the same answer. Now, you can disagree with that president’s policies or philosophy of governing, but we who know the Lord, loved his answer. That president’s administration, his government, is ended. His life is over. Human government — and all human authorities — will one day end, but there is a government that will never end. It is the government called the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
Your greatest decision will not be made this Tuesday. It may be today. The greatest vote you will ever cast will not be for a president, but for the Savior of your soul. Have you cast your vote for Him by repenting and receiving Him personally as Lord and Savior? Early voting begins…right now.
________________
Michael Milton is Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, TN.
________________
NOTES:
1. See http://www.peopleforlife.org/francis.html.
2. So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother’s wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison (Luke 3:18-20).
3. http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/niemoeller.html
