Fuss Over Politicization

It's been newsy for the past 30-40 years that ethical issues for our everday living have become politicized. The Supreme Court and Capitol Hill are the sole gatekeepers of right and wrong, and therefore, unjust actions by the powers that be leave Christians without recourse and hope. Politicization, we are told, gives muscle and leverage for the agenda of the unfaithful professing church, the unbelieving media outlets and the wrong-headed legislation on the part of those at the state and federal levels. I fail to see the concern over this. It's only showing us what the Bible affirms. Issues and practice are made law (legislative and judicial government) and reported on (media) and therefore, matters are politicized very naturally because life falls out of, stems from, God's image in man. Dogs bark and cats meow. Man bears the imago religio, the mark and image of being a religious creature. Man cannot help but name (Genesis 2:19), decree (Daniel 3:1-7) and legislate (John 19:1-7). And it's always plainly and inescapably done morally, religiously. The fact that the realms of corporate ethics, federalism, education, and bio-medical research and practice, to name a few, snatch and use the state-craft and political activity of proposed, evaluated, debated, and eventually regulated law only makes the line in the sand clear. Everything is politics, but politics is not everything. We're being shown once again that God is good to provide His restraint so that man does not go his full way into sin, via God's providential watch care and the conscience of man, and at the same time, we're seeing that our God is good, showing us the commission to preach, teach and evangelize. The executive, legislative and judicial branches of public office in the USA need to be confronted with Jesus Christ and Him crucified. If anything, the politicization of issues gives leverage to the Christian. The line in the sand is telling: enmity, division, morality, man's autonomy, God's law, and the gospel. Put me in coach, I'm ready to play. Man is either for Jesus or against Him. Politicization of issues reminds us of the church's primary calling: God's worship, preaching His Word and administering the Sacraments. We either bow to God or we bow to Satan and unbelieving man.

G. Mark Sumpter