Church, Sin, Politics, and Crime

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

By Tom McDonald

Reprinted from American Family Association

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal suggests there are two main reasons that pastors do not allow themselves to talk about what they consider to be political issues from the pulpit. One is their fear of being asked to leave. The second is their concern about people leaving the church or not wanting to join the church. Others are concerned about losing their tax exemption. Still, others believe their only mission is to spread the Gospel to the world. Most of us empathize with those concerns. However, those pastors who are loathe to call sin “sin” from the pulpit or in their community, must remember they are responsible to almighty God to preach and demonstrate His whole Word straight and true.

Based upon the increase in crime across America, we can make the case that all issues of life are in fact part of the body politic and therefore fair game for discussion if we are to care about returning to a more righteous society. Jesus Christ made it abundantly clear while He was with us and later in His Word, the Bible, that His followers, the church today, are to positively impact the culture to include our “governors and kings” for righteousness (Mt 10:18; Mk 13:9-11; 16:15; Lk 21:12,13). To that end, we had best get back to calling sin what it is, especially from the pulpits in every Bible-based church in America! Only then will church members be adequately equipped to deal correctly with sin in our culture and its ensuing crime.

Below we’ve listed some sins. Note that a few of these are “activities” that are “political.” Political they may be – but make no mistake, they are sins that the Christ-following churches must address as sin to their members – and with sufficient frequency so that they, the members, know how they are to live their lives according to God’s standard – and so they know to what standard they are to hold their families and their governing officials.

Abortion                 Adultery                  Fornication             Homosexuality

Bestiality                Pedophilia                Lying                     Murder

Assault                   Covetousness          Unforgiveness         Stealing

Bribery                   Cheating                 Drunkenness           Disobedience/Defiance

Blasphemy              IdolatrySlander       Tempting Others      Pride

Pornography            Not loving our neighbors

Marriage other than one man to one woman

Ignoring the Sabbath

Withholding the Tithe

If we don’t all increase our involvement in our society for good, much of the insanity of crime without punishment in a few metropolitan areas around the nation could spread to other areas. Such situations as government leaders: refusing to prosecute “minor” crimes; paying people not to work; reducing and/or defunding law enforcement; not stopping, even encouraging, violence in the streets; bringing in paid agitators to stir up division and strife; not accepting office visits from constituents; turning prison inmates loose in society. And then there is the larger national issue of edicts without legislation to cut off our national oil production, allow uncontrolled international border crossings, accept harmful treaties, encourage our enemies, foment strife between citizen groups, condemn protected speech, etc.

If you‘re a pastor, please consider helping your members to stand up for God’s righteousness in all corners of America, not just inside the church. And we Christ-following citizens must tell our elected and appointed officials we will insist on their righteous behavior while in office. If they fail us, we must replace them with people who will behave honorably and righteously. And we must do it or we shall lose America as she was founded – on faith and freedom.