Gospel of God vs Gospel of Man

"We cannot escape our destiny nor should we try to do so.  The leadership of the free world was thrust upon us two centuries ago in that little hall of Philadelphia.  In the days following World War II, when the economic strength and power of America was all that stood between the world and the return to the Dark Ages, Pope Pius XII said, "The American people have a genius for splendid and unselfish actions.  Into the hands of America God has placed the destinies of an afflicted mankind."  We are indeed, we are today, the last best hope of man on earth."
-- Ronald Reagan, The Shining City Upon a Hill, 01/24/74

How many times have we heard lines like the one above from U.S. Presidents?  I remember the first time it really struck me.  I was sitting on the couch in my shared apartment in Silver Spring, MD during the 2000 presidential election season.  I heard George W. Bush say something like, "America is the greatest force for good in the world".  My friend who I was living with at the time was not a Christian, nor was he a U.S. citizen.  It struck him as a bold comment to make.  I was wondering, "Isn't the Church the greatest force for good in the world?"

But today, I'm pretty sure that both candidate Bush and I were wrong.  America isn't "the greatest force for good in the world".    Neither is the church.  Nor is it free elections, a laptop for every child, universal healthcare, reversing global warming, the free market, a return to traditional values, etc.  All modern U.S. presidents at one time or other have put forth some grand statement that puts individual freedom, international cooperation, or America itself as "the greatest force for good.  So what's the right answer?  It's the gospel.

But which one?

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son Who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of God in power the Spirit of holiness by His resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 1:1-4

We all know that the word gospel means, "good news" and many have heard that the Greek word itself is euangelion.  But what many don't realize is that the first century readers of the New Testament would have recognized euangelion or gospel from a completely different context: Roman imperialism.  Yes, the term was a familiar one that would have indicated any of the following among other things:

1.  Yet another victory for Caesar or his agent over a military enemy or new conquest
2.  The arrival of Caesar to your hometown or region
3.  The crowning of a new emperor which would mean that the previous Caesar was now divine

So the gospel of Rome was fully and firmly founded in the faith that her emperor was godlike and had power to not only preserve the empire, but to extend it.  And that extension was certainly for the greater glory of Rome to be sure.  However, it was also for the betterment of mankind.  You see, the Romans saw other peoples as barbarians and savages who needed to be conquered so that they could learn the ways of enlightened Rome.  Sound like anything you've heard over the years?

Caesar Augustus, who had one of the longest and most peaceful reigns over the empire had coins with his face and this inscriptions on those coins like:  The Savior of the World, Augustus- Son of God, Salvation is in no Other Name, etc.  When you compare this to Acts 4:12, you come to some shocking conclusions about the counter-cultural, in-your-face nature of the Apostles' preaching and teaching.

So this isn't just about Rome and the USA- but the truth is that every nation, has a "gospel".  The goals of every administration in government and the platform of every political party- all of them are announcing what they believe is good news for all people.  It's the gospel of the City of Man- humans and the nations they build are exalted above and independent of the sovereign God- the only true God.  They may never say so openly, but what else can we conclude when national leaders point to their country as "the greatest force for good"?  Oh yes, be assured that the City of Man speaks of god, but it's a god who helps them, serves their purposes, and never rebukes but always rewards the City of Man with divine "blessings".

But Paul brought forth a totally different gospel.  It's not the gospel of Rome, not Caesar's gospel, not the gospel of Athens and Greek wisdom, not even the gospel of Moses and the law- but the gospel of God.  And that gospel is not without a King.  It is completely consumed with Christ- the true Israel and thus, the true Son of God.  Eternally existing in the form of God but born as a man and now revealed as divine via resurrection.  This King also conquered-- not by killing others, but by dying to self and denying His rights.  He was glorious but lived for the glory of another- His Father.  He was ruler of all but came not to be served, but to serve for the benefit of His servants.

That's good news!

The gospel in our Christian usage has simply swallowed up the Roman version of it.  And no wonder, for it is the Father's announcement entrusted to believers to declare the rulership of Christ over sin and death via the cross and now among His people/Bride, through the Holy Spirit.  Think about what kind of boldness was necessary for Paul to write a letter to believers living in Rome- the very heart of the empire- announcing the gospel of God, not the gospel of Caesar.  What are the implications for believers... especially those living in capital cities today?

In closing, I know it's Election Day 2012.  And I'm not here to diminish what goodness there is in the relatively peaceful transition of power that takes place every four years in this country.  It is, in fact, something to celebrate.  As one who has lived overseas, I have a very special appreciation for this aspect of American living.  But I do want to encourage you to consider how important it is not to be deceived into embracing Americanism, one-world globalism, the world is getting better through scientific advancement-ism, we can solve our problems by working together-ism, etc. as the "gospel" of what will make the world better.  The promises (electoral or otherwise) made by the City of Man may be well-intended but are ultimately empty and doomed to failure.  It is the City of God that we look to as the "best hope of man on earth".  

Why Politics Still Matter For Non-Political Christians

"So far, I don’t see evangelical Christians being very shrewd about the political world, shrewd enough to protect their own interests with a candidate who can’t win without them. And that’s the reality. Romney can’t win without you; it’s not that you can’t win without Romney. May we never forget the order of things! And may we never stop thinking carefully about what “winning” is. Winning isn’t the election of a Republican. Winning is the advancement of the gospel, the sewing of a biblical vision of the ‘good life’ in American life and culture, the strengthening and spread of the cause of Christ through His Church, a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and holiness. That’s a far loftier goal than either electing Romney or defeating Obama, and it doesn’t depend on who “wins” the election when neither candidate really represents you."

--Thabiti Anyabwile 

I am truly grateful to Brother Tyrell Samuels who let me know about the wonderful article where the above quotation is found.  I'm also grateful and encouraged that Pastor Anyabwile, while somewhat disgruntled at the selection between the major political parties, wasn't endorsing a total retreat from politics altogether.  Instead, he confessed his own need for a "new political sojourn".  Many Christians are  feeling a lot like a certain 4 year old girl who has gotten a lot of press lately-- we're all tired of President Obama and Gov. Romney's campaign.  But hopefully you'll find a few reasons to stay engaged with the process during AND between elections.

1.  A nation's politics reflects a nation's respect for the truth.  Think about it.  Would we be seeing half-baked commercials if either major party actually respected the public?  The American voter has been treated to two major distortions that have a smattering of truth in them: A) President Obama doesn't think entrepreneurs "built" their own companies  B) Gov. Romney was lumping/mingling war veterans and the mentally disabled in with his statement about "the 47 percent".  

But we live the time of "gotcha" politics-- it's not about discovering what a person really means in context.  Politics is about how to snatch your opponents words to make them fit YOUR narrative.  This means that the politicians and their handlers know that most citizens are either too lazy, distracted, disinterested, etc. to research a claim for themselves.  Or, it could mean that they are certain they don't have to convince "the base" with truth.  Just give them reminders of what they're already indoctrinated to believe (Republicans will kill old people and love the rich, Democrats will make us look weak in Foreign Affairs and destroy business, etc).   

As Christians, we dare not be deceived into thinking that this kind of problem is self-contained in politics.  When people totally mangle the Scriptures because they've always heard but never read "judge not, lest you be judged" for themselves, it's the same disease but in a different realm.  A fever at work is a fever at home too.  Therefore, if we're willing to stand for truth in our churches, demanding contextual accuracy in the pulpit, we ought to demand it from public officials as well.

2.  National politics is a main contributor to the use and abuse of language.  "A woman's right to choose".  "All military options are on the table".  "Government shouldn't choose who you should or shouldn't love".  "Perhaps I misspoke."  We could go on and on.  There are dozens of phrases that are now "political-speak" and Christians had better be aware of those statements.  If nothing else, the disciple of Christ who is hoping to broaden their influence for Christ needs to stay on top of these mind-bending statements so that they know how to counter them.  For example...

One of my least favorite among the jargon is the statement, "A woman has a right to do as she pleases with her body."  This is political-speak for, "If a woman wants to end the human life in her womb, she has a right to do so."  But the earlier statement is used because of the implications for the so-called "pro-life" position.  If you're against elective abortions (an elective abortion means that the abortion procedure is  not necessary to save the life of the mother), it means you want to control a woman's body and think that she shouldn't have a say over her own body.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

As a "pro-life" libertarian-leaning individual, I firmly support a woman's right to do what she wants with her body.  I'm against that woman harming the body of another- specifically the human body that is naturally housed within her as a result of sexual relations.  I don't need a Bible verse to prove that a fetus (which is the Latin word for "infant")  is alive-- that's why they have to kill him/her.  I don't need a pastor to know that the baby is a human (human parents can't make anything else).  So unless someone can produce evidence that an unborn child committed a capital offense, they shouldn't be executed- especially without due process.

I'll mention this in passing:  I am equally displeased with the idea that a candidate can be "pro-life" and at the same time endorse preemptive military strikes.  The kind of carnage produced by unnecessary, unconstitutional wars (no declaration of war by congress), doesn't come from a truly pro-life perspective.

3. Political images are carefully chosen to make arguments that could not be won with words.  If you live in Maryland like me, you've recently been flooded with flyers regarding Question 6 and "marriage equality".  My wife and I had noted how the first flyers were simply beautiful pictures of the First Family and some quotations about "the freedoms we hold dear".  No actual content on the issues, just pictures and the imperative: Vote  Yes on Question 6!

But then I saw a more recent flyer.  It had a picture of newborn twins and presumably the same twins as children.  The two pictures talking about how much the same they are being born minutes apart and that the law should treat them equally.  But then, the twins are adults in the third and final picture.  It is then that we are told one of them is denied her dream and because she's a lesbian, the laws are unfair for her.  Therefore, we should vote "yes" for question 6.    

It's a stroke of genius because what's said in pictures could not be successfully argued with words.  The photos in that arrangement with that narrative backdrop implies that the lesbian was "born that way".  And so, through no fault of her own, her behavior and choices already locked in, she needs my vote to set her free to marry.  When you have a good photographer and a decent writer, you don't need a scientist.  

Remember the Zeitgeist movie?  Much of the power in that presentation was the similarity of imagery between mystery religions and early symbols associated with Christianity.  In modern America, images aren't merely evidence.  Pictures are proof.  I know Zeitgeist is already considered old, but trust me, there's another documentary coming that will go viral and shake many.  

So as I see it, the political realm is a crucial one for Christians to participate in because it's a barometer for where the nation is and is headed.  I'm going to vote because God could have given me Haitian parents who were in Haiti at the time of my birth.  But He didn't.  He gave me Haitian parents who lived in NYC so I know I'm a U.S. citizen by His sovereign choice.  I don't think He made me a citizen so that I wouldn't vote.  That's my conviction.

The vote is a public expression of a private opinion.  So, if you choose not to vote and have good reasons, I would urge you not to keep those reasons to yourself.  Have the courage to influence the various circles you are in and be willing to both speak and listen.  If you are a Christian determined to vote, I challenge you to worship God (not the government) with your vote.  Honor Him by having a free conscience, being assured that the platform of the candidate you choose is as close to God-honoring, biblical principles as possible.  Don't worry about which candidate wins, make it your aim to vote to the glory of God.