Choir Boy Wisdom
“If you wean pups on fight, all they know how to do is fight.” These words, spoken by one of my favorite professors, Dr. J.W. MacGorman, proved prophetic not only for my denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention but for our nation. It was 1984, and the SBC was embroiled in a great controversy that came to be known by many as the “Battle for the Bible.”
That “battle” split our denomination, and we have been in decline ever since. Of course, we are not the only denomination or Christian tradition in the United States experiencing decline. Empty, ailing, and dying churches are the norm these days. And the polarization between Christians and others in our society is as great as it’s ever been in my lifetime. Sadly, this polarization is fueled, in large part, by an unhealthy alliance between church and politics.
“My kingdom is not of this world.”1 This was Jesus’s response to the Roman Governor, Pilate, when asked about his role as Israel’s King and Messiah. “Give unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give unto God what belongs to God”2 was the answer our Lord gave to the religious leaders when they asked him about paying taxes to Rome.
Let’s look at these two responses of Jesus and the implications and message they have for us today as we seek to follow him. And I’m going to break this post down over the next few days.
Before his public ministry ever began, Christ was tempted to take a worldly path to power, earthly power. We read about the Devil’s offer in Matthew, chapter four: “Bow down and worship me, and I will give you ALL the kingdoms of this world.”3 I don’t think most of us understand what the worship of Satan entailed for Jesus. We have a bad habit of making Scripture so literal that we miss the message. And the message in this offer of the Devil was more along the lines of “Do it my way. Seize the moment. Play hardball politics. You’re a good man; you could do so much good with the power you stand to gain over the kingdoms of this world if you will just follow worldly wisdom and ways.”
In other words, THE MEANS JUSTIFY THE END. Take hold of the reins of worldly power and use them for good. Follow the path of worldly wisdom. As one prominent pastor has said, “We’re not electing choir boys.” Worldly wisdom.
The apostle Paul warns against those who “think that we live by the standards of this world.”4 He makes it clear that as followers of Jesus, “we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.” Instead, he tells us that “we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.”5 (Bold italics, mine.)
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”6
This wisdom, written by a godly and deeply spiritual follower of Jesus, flies in the face of “choir boy wisdom.” It exposes it for what it is - arguments and pretensions that set themselves against the knowledge of God.
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of worldly wisdom. Easy because God’s wisdom and ways appear foolish compared to the logic and reason of the world. The Greek word Paul uses for “arguments” gives us our English word “logic.” And it is essential that we stop following the logic of the world and start following the ways of Christ Jesus. After all, has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?7
But to follow the ways of Christ Jesus demands something greatly lacking in the lives of many Christians and churches today - faith. Faith looks beyond human logic and reason, beyond the kingdoms of this world, and looks to the Kingdom of God, which is here among us, just as Jesus assured us it is.8 Faith demands saying no, like Jesus, to the promise of the Devil to give us worldly power by doing things his way. And make no mistake about it, doing things Satan’s way is bowing down to him.
When I wrote Prophets or Patriots: How Evangelicals are Giving to Caesar What Belongs to God, I was not promoting one political party or candidate above another. In fact, I clearly state in that book that sometimes, as Christians, when it comes to our choice of worldly leaders, we must “hold our noses and vote.”9 I also make it clear that “I can’t tell you what to do or how to do it”10
What I was seeking to do through the book was challenge the path many evangelicals are taking through their blind and zealous support of morally and ethically questionable political candidates. This fanatical, passionate support is nothing less than misplaced faith. The prophet Isaiah learned this lesson the hard way. Isaiah supported King Uzziah. But this one-time, godly leader, corrupted by earthy power and success usurped the role of the priests and was afflicted by God with leprosy. Uzziah lived out the rest of his days secluded, cut off, and alone.
After King Uzziah’s death, his son Jotham became king. But as Jotham sat upon Israel’s throne, Isaiah experienced a life-changing vision. He would no longer look to earthly leaders. His eyes and heart would forever be focused on the King of Kings. Listen to his words, recorded when Uzziah died, and Jotham succeeded him -
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and exalted, seated on a throne.”11
Isaiah goes on to warn us about trusting in human leaders, saying, “Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils; why hold them in esteem?”12
The answer to what is the clear moral decline of our nation is not found in the voting booth. It’s not found in court decisions or legislation passed by Congress. It is found in Christ and Christ alone.
The words of the old hymn are calling Christians back to the only foundation that is secure, stable, and will never fail -
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.13
We must never shirk our duty as citizens. We are called, at times, to make difficult decisions when it comes to the candidates, politics, and legislation we choose to support. But we must never forget that our hope does not rest in these things. Our hope rests in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Our hope rests in Jesus.
In Christ,
Dan
Check out my podcasts from Church on the Edge and my books on Kindle.
You can listen to my weekly messages at Embrace Church, High Point.
John 18:36.
Matthew 22:21.
Matthew 4:9.
2 Corinthians 10:2.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5.
Ephesians 10:12.
I Corinthians 1:20
Luke 17:21.
Prophets or Patriots: How Evangelicals Are Giving to Caesar What Belongs to God, p.49.
Ibid. p.40.
Isaiah 6:1.
Isaiah 2:22.
William Bradbury, 1863.