Posted on 11/07/2012 6:39:28 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The American people have decided that Barack Obama should have a second term. And, behind them, in the mystery of providence, God has decided that Barack Obama would be re-elected. So how should Christians respond to our once and future President?
Many of us have some disagreements with the President. As a conservative Christian, I believe unborn children have certain inalienable rights, including the right to life, and I wish President Obama would work to protect them. I believe freedom of conscience is the preeminent right in a civil society, and the Administration's incursions on religious liberty are troubling. I don't plan to back down one bit on these matters, even as our forefathers Isaac Backus and John Leland relentlessly stood up to the founding generation of leaders on behalf of religious freedom and human dignity.
We are going to disagree with the President on some (important) things; there will be other areas where we can work with the President. But whether in agreement or disagreement, we can honor. Honor doesn't mean blanket endorsement.
I am always amazed by those Christians who will dispute the command to honor, arguing that "kings" in our system are the people, and therefore we're called to honor the Constitution but not elected officials. But the Scripture doesn't command honor simply for the ultimate authority (which is, of course, ultimately God, in any case).
Humanly speaking, the ultimate political authority in the New Testament context was the Emperor. And yet, the Apostle Peter specifically calls the people of Christ not only to show submission to the emperor "as supreme" but also to "governors" (1 Pet. 2:13-14). The Apostle Paul calls on the churches to pray and to show thanksgiving for "kings" (plural) and for "all who are in high positions" (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
Paul imitated this when he showed due respect to the governor Felix, referring to him with the honorific title "his Excellency, the governor" (Acts 23:26) and "most excellent Felix" (Acts 24:2), even as he appealed his way up through the political process of the Roman Empire of his time. Paul showed thanksgiving for Felix, despite his part in a system with which Paul disagreed at some important points, for his "reforms" for the common good (24:3).
Behind that is a more general command to "honor everyone" (1 Pet. 2:17), to pray for "all people" (1 Tim. 2:1). We are to not only pay our taxes but give "respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed" (Rom. 13:7).
Christians, above all people, should pray for and show respect for our President and all of our elected officials. After all, unlike those who see politics as ultimate, we recognize that our political structures are important, but temporal, before an inbreaking kingdom of Christ. We don't then need to be fomented into the kind of faux outrage that passes for much of contemporary political discourse. And, unlike those who see history as impersonal or capricious, we see behind everything a God who is sovereign over his universe.
So let's pray for President Obama. Let's not give ourselves to terms of disrespect, or every crazy conspiracy theory that floats across the Internet.
That doesn't mean slavish obedience. In a democratic republic, the President and the Congress govern by the consent of the governed. We appeal to our elected officials, and lobby them for the common good, expressing disagreement when we must. But we do this, as Paul does before Felix and Agrippa, with respect and honor, even as he seeks to persuade them of the need for religious liberty and as he preaches "righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment" (Acts 24:25).
However we voted in the election, let's pray for God to bless our President. We can pray for him to be granted wisdom and health. We can pray that God would prosper his good ideas, and change his mind on his bad ideas. Moreover, we can teach our children to respect our President, starting with referring to him as "President Obama" or "Our President," not as "Obama" or "the guy our parents voted against" or what have you.
There's a time to vote. There's a time to campaign. And there's a time to petition. But, through it all, let's be the people who, even as we speak with conviction, are marked by kindness and respect. When we have to differ with President Obama, let's do that, with backbone. But let's make sure we do all this with honor, with respect, with prayer, and, most of all, with love.
Let's render unto Caesar, as free people with natural rights. Because we know as believers that we will eternally say "Jesus is Lord," we can as citizens temporally say, "Hail to the chief."
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Dr. Russell D. Moore is the Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice-President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also serves as a preaching pastor at Highview Baptist Church, where he ministers weekly at the congregation's Fegenbush location. Dr. Moore is the author of The Kingdom of Christ and Adopted for Life.
Well, it seems God tried to speak to us with that storm, but either Christians weren’t listening, have diminished in numbers so much that there aren’t enough of them, are there are enough and they voted for Obama. Either way, we are left without providence, so I see our nation in great danger.
Worth repeating!!!!!
Prepare for martyrdom.
How should we respond? Realize we are now in the minority. As Brit Hume said last night, we are no longer a center right country. Truth is we are now leftist.
The truth is in the heart and mind. We as conservatives have decided that we should rule as we say the Democrats do, by dictatorship. We say there shouldn’t be abortion, gay marriage, and such. But all of these things are of the heart. Just because there is a law that says someone can have an abortion doesn’t mean we have to use it. The heart and mind will decide this issue, not a law. Same for gay marriage. If a person wanting to find out about conservatism and how we think, would be appalled at how some of the conservatives on this site talk about others. We have become just as we see liberals. That girl at the Chick-Filet window showed us how we should respond to those who differ from us in thought. She changed his heart, in regards to her anyway, by her actions. We truly need to be that girl in the world to change the hearts and minds of this nation. We do not want to become the dictators, we want to be as Christ and have love and compassion for all. We don’t need to change our values, we need to change our communication methods. Be the change you want to see in the world.
“Christians” can take a hike. (My original urge was to suggest they take flight in the direction of a circular pastry.) They didn’t show up for the election because they wouldn’t support a pagan Mormon. So-called evangelicals were conspicuous by their absence in this election.
Now we have a commie atheist who thinks he’s got a mandate. Have fun living in the world you helped create.
Yeah, go ahead, zot me. Fools.
I truly believe that some things become inevitable. Israel now stands alone and I believe that is on sign that the end may be near according to scripture. But time will tell. One gal I spoke with who’s father is retired army says he will not be surprised if Israel bombs Iran in the next few months. We’ll see.
Am I surprised about the results of this election, no, there was to much fraud being openly committed and the majority doesn’t give a rats a—.
So I think I’ll go and check out the legacy seed packs and such. I guess I may need to actually plant a serious garden in a few years. Probably buy a new canner and more lids and jar rings. I do think it will probably get worse before it gets better.
We do not have to honor an illegal usurper and traitor. There was voter fraud last night and this guy is unconstitutional. We owe it in our society to observe the rule of law and expose him.
Does he know that the affirmation “Jesus is Lord,” was fighting words back in biblical times? The opposite affirmation was “Caesar is Lord.” Honoring, respecting, even praying for Caesar is one thing. Affirming Caesar as the “Lord” he wants to be is something else. That’s where we are now.
we can as citizens temporally say, “Hail to the chief.”
Apparently he would have been in the front row shouting “Heil Hitler”.
The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost..
They caught the last train for the coast..
The day the music died."
If I had a Chevy that wasn't a government owned entity, I'd drive it to the levy right now..
As I always told my friends and family I believe God put Obama there for a reason. Either:
1) Obama will help usher in the AntiChrist
or
2) God is showing how people will react with the AntiChrist. They will blindly follow like the Germans did with Hitler.
No doubt Obama was placed there to fulfill God’s prophecy. However, the blood and the spirit of our Political Forefathers runs deep in a Patriot Veins. God will pour his wrath upon this nation. I am upset but hell I am not going to surrender this beautiful nation over to communist.
WOLVERINES!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
No zot from me. You nailed it.
No zot from me. You nailed it.
Read your Bible. Pray. If you go to a church that preaches the ‘social gospel’ instead of the cross and repentance, run and don’t return. If you attend an ‘emergent’ or ‘emerging’ and/or mega-church preaching the prosperity gospel, run and don’t return. If you’re luke warm, turn up the heat.
Prepare yourself spiritually for what is about to come because you’re going to have to be as strong as you possibly can be in the faith to endure. Prepare for persecution and concentrate of finishing the race. Encourage other Christians and try to spread the gospel.
“Respect” for authorities is not the same think as “liking” authorities. Many OT kings were bad kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord. Being a ruler isn’t a free pass on evil.
You can respect an authority while still wanting to secede from it. Moore’s reading of the Bible must lead him to believe that the American Revolution was wrong, or the break-up of the Soviet Union was wrong, or ousting Hitler from power was wrong.
When we want to split off from the rest of the country, in a sense a new baby government is born and THAT is an authority.
This is a recipe for defeat. Honor? What honor does the Left show when it steals elections? (Have you read the myriad stories of voter fraud during this election?) Respect? I'd be a fool to respect anyone on the Left. You don't fight leftists by being sweet. You think 2016 is going to be easier if we sprinkle a little sugar around in the meantime?
As a Christian, I 100% agree with you.
I am seriously thinking of finding another church to attend. Basing it on skin color and comments alone, I estimate 75% of my church voted for the devil Obama.
Christians brought this on themselves, either by not voting for Romney or by voting for the devil Obama.
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