Council Grove Christian Church

11/11/26
Servants of God,
“They are not unbelievers but wrong believers.
 And whatever is not the truth that is in Jesus
 is a lie spun up by the prince of this world.”
-T.M. Moore
 
“…you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
-Jesus (John 8:32)
 
In his classic work The Everlasting Man, G. K. Chesterton addressed the issue of “comparative religions”. It helps to remember that he was writing just about one hundred years ago. Beliefs like Darwinian evolution and all the associated progressive ideas were winning the day. Chesterton pointed out that Christianity is not a religion to be compared. If we take it seriously, Christian faith has no peer. It is not one option among many others. It stands alone demanding total allegiance to the one true Lord. Any deviation from the truth is a false belief. Budda or Mohammed are not colleagues of Jesus. They are phony wannabes—enemies of truth. Christianity teaches us to love our enemies but it does not teach us to give false credibility to them.
 
Genuine Christians must understand that those outside of Christ are not unbelievers. They believe. It is impossible to be human and not believe something. What we call unbelievers are actually wrong believers. They believe some form of a false good news. The story of the gospel of Jesus is true information about God and humanity. Evangelical Christians once believed (and need to again) that there are only two ways to live: God’s way and man’s way. Before all the so called “Praise and Worship” music killed the hymn book, Christians sang about the urgent need to spread gospel truth. We believed we had a message that was essential for men and women to hear and believe. We believed the lost were wrong believers. Remember these lyrics? 
We've a story to tell to the nations
That shall turn their hearts to the right
A story of truth and mercy
A story of peace and light, a story of peace and light
For the darkness shall turn to dawning
And the dawning to noonday bright
And Christ's great kingdom shall come on earth
The kingdom of love and light
 
I have heard and read a lot of bemoaning the results of the recent mid-term elections. Given the results it is clear that millions of Americans are deeply dissatisfied. There are plenty of reasons for Christians to groan. That is what naturally happens when the wicked come to power (see Proverbs 29:2).
 
In our two—party system we have a binary choice. We get one or the other. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that getting rid of one party will usher in the answers to our national woes. The reality is that the American political system has become what one pundit labeled as “one bird with two rotten wings”. Because America has largely rejected the notion that human beings are created in the image of God and are accountable to God, we have allowed prosperity and affluence to make us drunk on our own pride. We are like a drunk stumbling down a dark alley toward a vicious ambush. The ancient prophet made it clear that God holds individuals responsible for their own sin (Ezekiel 18). Each  American bears individual responsibility for how we live—including how we vote. In the prophet’s day, God (through Ezekiel) made it clear that repentance is the key. America (Americans) must turn from our self-indulgence to God. We must humbly repent.
 
Repentance must begin with the body of Christ. Will the church repent? Will we admit that we have compromised with the enemy? Will we admit that we need a fresh dose of reality about the world around us and the God who reigns over us? If we do, we will find that true repentance means changed behavior. We must think, feel and act differently from those who are wrong believers. Our lives must be Godward even if no one agrees with us or joins us.
 
As I write it is Veterans’ Day. God bless all those who have served our nation honorably. Our military is necessary, but the political use of the military to bully and abuse other nations is a grave sin. Of course, life is very complicated but Christians must demand that military might and the police powers of the state be used righteously. Government services for roads and commerce are necessary but stewardship of God’s resources demands that costs be reasonable and the services rendered be of good quality. Government actions can reward disciplined work and responsible family life. Part of our responsibility as Christians is to vote for public servants who will foster good behaviors and sanction greed, sloth and fraud. These are hard truths, but it is the truth, not a wrong belief (however sincere) that will bring freedom from misuse and corruption. Only right belief leads to a rightly ordered society. Let us all work and pray for Christ’s great Kingdom to come to earth!
 
Blessings,
 
Pastor John
Coram Deo