I stumbled across a group on facebook with the title, “Christians for Obama”. As a Libertarian, I found my interest being peaked. I had to see what this group was all about. Here is a quote from their group information that I found rather interesting and mostly flawed.
” It is time that we as Christians got in touch with the True Gospel of Christ. God cares about the poor and the disenfranchised. God cares about the smallest, the most humble, and the weak. God is calling for a generation of people who will hear His call to “Feed His sheep!” Republicans have mobilized the middle and upper classes against the poor. They have perpetuated the utterly non-Christian notion of “every man for himself.” It is time that our country adopts or readopts policies that keep the Christian principles of “the least of these” in mind. Barack Obama seems to me to be the only candidate for the upcoming Presidential election who gets this.”
There are several things in this short paragraph that is flawed. I’d like to take a moment and address just some of the errors I see.
“It is time that we as Christians got in touch with the True Gospel of Christ. God cares about the poor and the disenfranchised. God cares about the smallest, the most humble, and the weak. God is calling for a generation of people who will hear His call to ‘Feed His sheep!’”
Now I want to be very clear. I don’t believe that God DOESN’T care about the poor. However, this is not the true gospel of Christ. The true gospel of Christ is that man is inherently sinful, that man is incapable of doing anything that can earn merit with God, and that Christ came as a perfect sacrifice to reconcile His people (the Church) to Himself. The Gospel (or good news) of Christ is that Christ made living what was dead (the regenerated soul). That there is a path away from damnation and that path is in Christ Jesus. This Christianity is 101 here. How seriously should we take a group of professing Christians if they can’t even get the Gospel right? If they can’t even identify what the true Gospel is? The true Gospel is not social justice rather it is salvation “In Christ Alone!”
I also find it ironic that they would quote “feed my sheep”. Who are Christ’s sheep? Only the Church can claim Christ as its shepherd. Christ is not commanding that we feed the world. He is commanding that we feed His sheep. How do we know who His sheep are? I would say that we need only look to our local Church congregation. If we see members of our church who are in need, it’s that church’s responsibility to feed Christ’s sheep. Perhaps these Christians would claim that all the world is Christ’s sheep? Possibly. However, their view ceases to be “Christian” and becomes “Universalism”. A good argument against the idea that all the world is Christ’s sheep are the words of Christ himself. Did he not say, “My sheep hear my voice”? Does the unregenerate person hear the voice of Christ and say, “you are my shepherd, I will follow you”?
It is time that our country adopts or readopts policies that keep the Christian principles of “the least of these” in mind.
Again another reference to a verse that is specifically referencing the care of God’s Church. Let’s take a look at the Scripture in its entire context. It comes from Matt. 25. The parable of the sheep and the goats (again support that Christ’s sheep are His Church, not the world universal). This line comes from Matt. 25:40:”The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
Unless you are willing to abandon orthodox Christianity and adopt a Universalistic view on who God’s people are, who Christ’s brothers are, then you must admit that this verse is again in reference to the Church and caring for God’s people in need.
One would be very far stretched to find a reference in Scripture where we are commanded to take care of the poor of the World. Surely no one will find a reference where we are to put the needs of society over the needs of the Church. It would appear as if this group would advocate a much larger and stronger centralized Government. One that they could even use to push a “Christian agenda” on the nation (why else bring up the “non Christian idea” of every man for themselves that Republicans supposedly push?). Their own pope as it were.
Can we as Christians take such groups seriously? They don’t understand what the “True Gospel of Jesus Christ” is. They don’t understand the very Scriptures they quote to support their views. How can we as the Church even consider the validity of such political groups as this group? Unfortunately, many many people are being misled by such teachings on “social justice”.
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I would have to imagine that the ‘least of these’ must by default include the unborn babies that Mr. Obama either calls mistakes or supports their destruction.
I wasn’t going to go there but um…feel free to friend!
Their semantic confusion in which they unfortunately substitute the word Gospel for Calling does demonstrate an incomplete knowledge of the gospel. The True Gospel, to steal their phrase, is as you said: the redemptive work of Christ as the good news to men unable to achieve their own salvation.
As to the calling of the Christian, we can agree that concern for others is a primary task given to us by the Lord. The trouble with those who associate their calling with political causes is that it requires an incredible willingness to look the other way when their selected candidate takes a position contrary to the standards of Christianity. Mr. Obama’s position on abortion is an example. How can a Christian look the other way as he condones the slaughter of the most innocent among us? We can go a step further and ask how his faith has affected him since he either feels that abortion is right and his understanding of the message of God as revealed in the Bible is flawed or incomplete or he is a supremely facile liar whose faith is simply for political expediency.
Good points. Also concerning social justice I think the Christian must always view it in terms of the great commission. What I mean is, what purpose would a Christian have in showing mercy and having concerns for those who have less, if it was only a temporary earthly concern? Isn’t our concern always for the eternal condition of mankind? Should social justice fall OUTSIDE of that concern? I don’t think so. Our purpose in showing grace and love to those less fortunate should be so that we may show them a very small piece of the love and grace that Christ showed us in redeeming us. So that in showing people grace, we may hope to expand His kingdom.
Why any Christian would want the government to be involved in that and even “run” it is beyond me.
I’m of two minds when it comes to social justice. For me personally, it is a huge component of my calling and my gifting. At the same time, I agree with your assertion that the eternal condition of mankind is of primary importance. It’s difficult to say that one is more important than the other but I believe that acts of social justice contribute to an environment in which the gospel can be heard. God uses many avenues to reach His people, wouldn’t you say. It might be my preaching one day and a street visit the next. Whatever He calls me to do, I’m ready as I suppose you are as well.
“Why any Christian would want the government to be involved in that and even “run” it is beyond me.” Because we’ve lost our sense of sacrifice and want someone else to shoulder the burden. We should ourselves if we are willing to go hungry in order to give our last piece of bread to someone else.