Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:10-21) Even when we know without a doubt that our position on a given political issue is absolutely correct and aligned with our understanding of Scripture (Proverbs 3:5-6), is it our opinion that has the power to change someone elses heart? Or, Scripturally speaking, is it only the Word of God that is able to change someones thinking by transforming and renewing the mind (Romans 12:2)? In fact, have we always been so brilliant and righteous ourselves? Or, was it the Word of God that opened our blind eyes once upon a time so that we now hold to the convictions that inform our political views? anointedwritenow Nothing gets love thrown out of a conversation quicker than a political discussion. It is for this reason, the inherent divisiveness of the topic, that renders politics unfit as a matter to be discussed in the pulpit. Preaching political views makes the speaker antithetical to any notion of answering the prayer Jesus prayed in John 17:11-26. As tempting as it is to bash those in authority (Romans 13:1-7), does doing so indicate that we are following Paul the apostle as he followed Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1)? Apart from the outward appearance of our posturing (1 Samuel 16:7), is it clear that we are servants of Christ Jesus set apart for the gospel of the living God (Romans 1:1) to be His bond servant? Does the fact that we fret over this law and that election (Psalm 37:1) indicate any real faith in the sovereignty of God? Do we not claim to wholly trust in the Lord for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11, John 6:35)? What does the will of God have to do with the headlines on CNN or Fox News today? How does my obsession with the news of current events glorify God? How does preaching any political view lift up the name of Jesus and accomplish anything of an evangelistic nature? Clearly, the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:20) simstem.blogspot/ John the apostle was inspired to write, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17) https://soundcloud/brian-l-hunter/sets/prayers-spoken-word Jesus prayer with which we began this post is also known as the Farewell Discourse, given to eleven of His disciples after the conclusion of the Last Supper in Jerusalem. Jesus prayed on this last night before His crucifixion that we, you and I, would be one united community of believers trusting wholly in His sovereign omnipotence. Therefore, participating both individually and collectively in the act of answering the prayer of Jesus in John 17:10-21 should prove to be a worthwhile endeavor for His disciples, an endeavor which can only be hindered by the preaching of partisan political views, whether right, wrong, or indifferent, in what Jesus said should be called a house of prayer as He cleansed the temple (Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17). I, chief among sinners saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), pray that more of us would meditate upon 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, cleanse our own temples, consider the log in our own eyes (Matthew 7:3-5), and bear fruit that remains (John 15:16, Galatians 5:22-23) rather than spreading seeds of discourse (Proverbs 6:16-6:19). Disclaimer: The views expressed on this Facebook page are personal journal entries of Brian Hunter and are in no way endorsed by any church or ministry with which Brian Hunter is affiliated officially or unofficially. The author has not sought to place any argument or opinion above Gods (Romans 3:4). Peaceful discourse is only possible where the fruit of the Spirit resides.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 13:30:16 +0000
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