Does the Church Belong in Politics?

During this political season we are facing what many Americans believe to be the most important election in the history of this nation. If that’s true, as I believe it is, the question of the church’s role in the political process is extremely important.

But some pastors are reticent. They ask, “does politics have a place in the church?”

My answer would be, “No, politics does not belong in the church,” but I would quickly add, emphatically, that, “But the church does belong in politics!”

Jesus taught us to, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:21b). But He never said we should give to Caesar the things that belong to God.

When we think about all the unsavory characters in the media, Hollywood and the bowels of government today, it often seems as if the great truths and moral standards we’ve believed in for so long are suddenly “out of date.” The political left has been telling us for decades that our views are “too narrow.” They say people of faith are a tiny minority, all alone, a minor class of rustics, rubes and “deplorables,” and our numbers are too small to make much difference in the modern world. Well, I beg to differ.

I think of the prophet Elijah at a time that may have felt a lot like this one, sitting there under the juniper tree and complaining to God that he was the only faithful man in all of Israel—the only one who had not bowed the knee to the pagan god, Baal. He believed he was the only man in Israel who still respected the ways of God. But then to his surprise God spoke, informing him, “I have preserved seven thousand men in Israel for Myself, all of whose knees have not bowed to Baal” (1 Kings 19:18a).

Elijah’s complaints were unfounded, and understanding that truth transformed the prophet’s heart and renewed his calling. Our situation is much the same. No matter how besieged we may feel, we are not alone either. God cares, and He has prepared the hearts of millions who can make all the difference if we will listen and respond.

I am convinced we’re on the threshold of saving America from those who want to lead us down a path of destruction. This effort will be brought about by faithful Christians and other like-minded conservatives who have reached an emotional and cultural tipping point. We’ve reached an impasse with today’s so-called elites. So many of the men and women I meet as I travel and speak around the country are fed up with what the liberal media and the woke socialists are trying to do to America.

Americans love America too much to give it away to the radical Left.

Over the past three years we’ve seen dramatic evidence of what the left really thinks of our values. The president has been attacked and surrounded by an army of Lilliputians doing their best to tie him down, to impeach him and scare away his loyal army of supporters. So far, they’ve failed at everything they’ve tried, which only enrages his enemies more. It also makes us stronger every single day. We are Americans, and we will not be intimidated.

The truth is that our churches aren’t just the answer for the salvation of America’s souls, but also for the preservation of America’s values—values which have made us the freest country in the history of the world.

However, too often Christians don’t vote. My Faith Votes estimates as many as 25 million who are registered to vote simply don’t vote. As a result, they have no voice and no influence on where the nation is headed. With over 80,000 local and state elections taking place across the nation this year, it’s frightening to realize how close some of those state and local elections will be. A single church can make all the difference.

It’s time for pastors and church leaders to say, “we will be silent no longer.”

Why would we give away the greatest country in the world to godless socialists and anarchists?

Now, we will choose freedom, again, on Nov. 3. {eoa}

Dr. Richard Lee, founding pastor of First Redeemer church in metro Atlanta, is the speaker for the award-winning There’s Hope America TV series. He is widely recognized as a spokesman on the influence of America’s religious history and its impact upon today’s culture.