When I became a Christian during my sophomore year of college, a lot of things changed in my life – praise be to God! About a year after trusting in Jesus, I began to think a lot about the kind of woman I would want to marry and began to desire getting married, particularly after I met and got to know my amazing wife-to-be. Truly, of all the things I wanted most in a future wife, genuine faith in Jesus Christ was the most important. Growing Christian faith was a non-negotiable for me, as I had no desire to marry someone who did not believe what I believed and was not committed to following Jesus.
Do you know what never even entered the equation? Politics. Never once did I consider political parties or voting history when having the initial conversations I had with Marsha about our future.
Yes, there are certainly plenty of times when faith and politics intersect, but because Marsha and I both desire to follow Jesus and live according to His Word, we completely agree on those “political” issues that are what we believe to be important (i.e. protecting the lives of the unborn, preserving traditional marriage and the family, religious liberty, caring for the vulnerable, etc.).
“Are you Democrat, Republican, or Independent?“, though, was never a question we asked one another. Foreign and economic policy are not issues we discussed, not because I did not or do not enjoy talking about politics. I do enjoy it.
Faith, not politics, though, is the foundation of our unity, and I praise God for Marsha’s enduring faith in Him. I want to plead with you too, Christ-follower, to make sure faith, not politics is your reason for unity… our reason for unity.
Faith in Jesus, not politics, transcends culture and religion to form a foundation that cannot be shaken (by the grace, mercy, and power of God).
Faith in Jesus, not politics, creates a unity that is eternal (when our hearts are set on Him and not giving in to sinful temptation and division).
Faith in Jesus, not politics, is our source of hope and peace (if we have trusted the gospel).
Faith in Jesus, not politics, is our reason for joy and contentment (as we continue to trust in the gospel).
Faith in Jesus, not politics, is what unites and sustains a biblical church.
On Sunday morning, Lord willing, I am going to finish our short “political” sermon series – The Red and The Blue – and preach through 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 on “Unity in Jesus, Not in Politics.” Unity in Jesus is unity we ought to long for and unity we ought to sincerely seek.
How about you? Is Christian unity something you value and prioritize? Or, are you allowing lesser things to control your time and energy? Do not settle for less than Jesus has for you. Trust and follow Him, and let faith, not politics (or anything else), be your foundational source of unity.
DrakeCity 