Political Rhetoric or Scripture

     The political climate gearing up for the November 2016 presidential election is very divisive.  Such divisiveness confirms Jesus’ words to the multitude.

     “Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.”  Luke 12:51

     Not only are the political parties vastly divided, there is extreme division within each party.

     Several colorful terms the candidates are using to describe their competitors include backbiters, proud, boasters, and untrustworthy.

     The ‘boasters’ present themselves to be above the others while the ‘proud’ profess they can provide cures for the nation’s ills.

     The ‘backbiters’ slander their competitors while the ‘untrustworthy’ simply do not abide in the truth, i.e. they will blatantly misrepresent the facts, or their position on issues will ‘evolve’ based on current polls.

     The four descriptive terms listed do have one significant thing in common, i.e. they are all found in a single passage in Scripture.

     “...they are…backbiters…proud, boasters…untrustworthy…who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”  Romans 1:29b-32

     Three points:  First, there are more characteristics included in these verses; however, those listed are more subtle and are not recognized as sin by many.  The verses should be read in total in order to grasp more of God’s standard of righteousness.

     Secondly, the phrase ‘those who practice such things’ describe those who do such things as a way of life with no intention of abandoning them.  And ‘deserving of death’ means simply to miss the kingdom of God and spending eternity apart from Him.

     Third, it is equally significant that those who do such things also approve of those who practice them.

     One of the practices included in the above verses, but not mentioned in this current column is ‘murder,’ defined as slaughter, or cutting to pieces.  That practice was covered in a recent column relative to the slaying of unborn children and selling their body parts for profit.

     Nearly all of the candidates are involved with pride which, as has been defined, is claiming to have answers to cure this nation’s woes.

     Every candidate has a plan to ‘make America great again,’ or to make the American dream available to everyone, or bring equality to every citizen.

     Several are claiming the government should provide everything free to every citizen.  That, they say, will provide equality and save America.

     Very seldom is the real, and only, solution mentioned that will have any lasting effect, and that, according to the Bible, is to return to God’s standard of righteousness and justice.

     There are candidates who claim that with the proper leadership America’s best days lie right around the corner.  Those candidates like to use the term ‘I will’ profusely. 

     Granted, many have good intentions; however, there are few absolutes the citizenry can rely on.  One such absolute follows:

     “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained…”  Acts 17:30-31

     God has been gracious not to judge the world up to this time, giving the world an opportunity to repent, i.e. return to His standard of righteousness.  Such is not happening so judgment is inevitable and imminent.

     Many ideological issues are not even recognized as sin with this nation’s progressive viewpoint.  Only three of the original 10 commandments are part of our judicial system.

     The following commandments are not part of our judicial system. 

     “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

    

     “You shall not commit adultery.”

     “You shall not covet…”

    

     Breaking these is an accepted way of life for the majority. 

     And then consider those commandments that are part of our legal system, but are subject to quick abuse.

     “You shall not murder.”

     “You shall not bear false witness…”

     Abortion has been legalized and has accounted for more than 57 million murders since Roe v. Wade.

     A person needn’t worry about bearing false witness by legally invoking the 5^th amendment.

     You decide, is America still a Christian nation?    

     Share your thoughts walt.thrun@gmail.com