Camping On Quicksand

The 2016 election is mercifully over. It is now President-elect Donald Trump. I extend genuine congratulations to both the President-elect and all his passionate voters. As I have consistently said, God is sovereign and as mysterious as sovereignty and man’s liberty can be on occasion, I accept the fact that the Lord will perform His Will according to Romans 8:28, in the life of His people. Whether it be judgment or blessing, His Will be done. Like most of you, there is no disappointment watching the amoral and criminal Clinton machine sent to the political junkyard. And while I am still highly skeptical that Trump will be that “Cyrus, Jehu, Samson, or David”, it costs me nothing to be optimistic and pray that the Lord will indeed direct Mr. Trump’s heart as a river and turn it as He (the Lord) pleases (Proverbs 21:1).

Is it too soon for post-election analysis from a biblical worldview perspective? I’m not sure. Apparently the media pundits do not think it is too soon to analyze things from their secular perch. However, I have no interest in rehashing the pre-election passions and vitriol. My political perspective obviously lost and I accept the fact that the church at large is at a different place than I am when it comes to an election strategy. In fact, the church at large is at a totally different place than I am when it comes to reformation strategy. The secular political analysts are now using the term coined by some “prophets” to describe Mr. Trump as the “wrecking ball”. They state clearly that Trump has completely destroyed both political parties. He has completely eviscerated the entrenched Washington establishment with the wrecking ball of American populism. Undoubtedly, this will be a good thing with regards to civic government. What analysts may not see, however, is that the wrecking ball also revealed and exposed some issues in the evangelical church which has changed the spiritual landscape as well.

While evangelicals dance and rejoice over Mr. Trump like he is the next Constantine, it might be wise to pause and examine what it is we have empowered beyond a president-elect. As the Body of Christ, we made some decisions in helping to hand the keys of the nation to Mr. Trump. These are not just political calculations, but important theological considerations. And even if Mr. Trump fulfills our highest aspirations and hopes as believers, these considerations are not going away. Hear me clearly…I will pray, engage the process of public policy, and endeavor to hold civic officials accountable. I will maintain all optimism that Mr. Trump will lead in our concerns. But the Church has “camped” itself in a precarious place that left unaddressed will become quicksand to our credibility. I have used the acronym, CAMP, to outline those considerations which in my view are theological quicksand.

C – Compartmentalization

This election cycle revealed the gap that for vast numbers of Christians their politics is disconnected from any biblical counsel. Their spiritual life and road map (Bible) has nothing to do with their political (candidate) preferences. To many, the Bible has zero to do with this arena of life. We are seeing that Christians are as committed to a secular worldview as are relativists. Biblical worldview (and its ultimate authority) and its application is sorely missing from evangelical Christianity. We have hermetically sealed off the directives of its commands and wisdom from any practical use in the political arena.

A – Antinomianism

This word literally means, “no law” or lawless. The Church has not resolved nor does it understand the place of the “law” with regards to our faith. We convolute and conflate the place of redemption with leadership qualification. Evangelicals are rejecting direct commands of God which have not been absolved by the Cross for our own political preferences. There is vast ignorance concerning Old Testament / New Testament continuity and discontinuity. These are not some intellectual curiosities to be bantered in the hallowed halls of seminaries, but these are simple precepts which will ultimately lead this nation to blessing or cursing.

M – Mysticism

For many evangelicals, the authority of subjective prophecy is undermining the objective authority of the Scripture. I am a theological-continuationist. I have no inherent bias against a prophetic word, dream or vision as long as it is subject to the consistency and authority of the Bible. I can tell personal stories of the incredible blessing and impact personal prophecy has played in my life. However, it does not carry the same revelatory authority as the Scripture. This election cycle may seem to vindicate many of the prophetic words which were released for Mr. Trump, but the Church needs to review the place of these utterances and make sure we are not slipping into flattering divination. Some of the same prophets who prophesied a “victory” for Mr. Trump have also prophesied things which have not come to pass. We need to be sure the Church understands what its role is to be with regards to our obedience.

P – Pragmatism

Much has been said with regards to the practically of pragmatism and the idealism of precept. I understand that God’s Word has to be seen as practical, however, before application takes place we must first determine what question needs answered first…”What has God said?” -or- “What works?”. The old saying, “The end does not justify the means”, is the point. We can hold important biblical goals and values, but how those goals and values are implemented is tied to biblical principle and process too. Christians cannot be relativists. We cannot change our foundational principles in pursuit of some nebulous, political, “greater good”. This is what we are calling situational ethics or situational theology. We are looking inconsistent if not outright hypocritical.

We have “camped” on quicksand. The national voices of evangelical Christianity have a responsibility, in my humble opinion, to acknowledge where we have camped and offer some suggestions as to how we now get back to the solid ground of biblical orthodoxy and comprehensive Christianity. Bill Mahr, the high-priest of blasphemy, has already publicly critiqued some of these very points in an embarrassing and blasphemous way. We should not be so naïve to think that he isn’t speaking things that a lost world is already thinking.

The work now is not simply “Making America Great Again”, but also making the Church credible again. It starts by getting our tent off the quicksand.