Jesus Saves.
Yesterday, as I watched the frightening scene play out on the steps of Capitol Hill, something caught my eye. In the midst of all the banners and flags, someone was holding a yellow sign with the words “Jesus Saves” emblazoned in black. I know nothing about who was holding that sign or why. Was that person suggesting Jesus endorsed the riots? Was he there to silently speak out against them? Or, perhaps he was simply taking advantage of a moment of high visibility to offer an evangelistic call? I will never know what his motives were, but I do know those two words offered the only real moment of prophetic clarity for me in the midst of all the chaos. After everything was said and done yesterday, what still matters is that Jesus saves.
What we saw yesterday was a clear example of what happens when the world acts like the world. It doesn’t matter what your politics are. Antifa, BLM, MAGA, GOP, DNC, right, left, center – regardless of which label we attach to our social or political ideology, when we choose the world’s way of doing things, we will always get the same result. In Galatians 5:19-21, the Apostle Paul writes, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” What we saw yesterday certainly felt like a historically unique moment, but in reality, it was just the latest and next chapter in the ongoing story of a world that is hell-bent on destroying itself.
None of this is to suggest politics is irrelevant to our moral and spiritual lives. Some political ideas are dangerous and allow injustice and evil to flourish. Other ideas help set the conditions under which humans can live more freely. As believers we must exercise discernment and wisdom in choosing between them. Participating in the political process is (only) one of the ways we can seek the common good and the well-being of our neighbor. However, in the end we are not saved by having the right politics. That which is dead cannot make us alive. Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, the kingdom of God is not advanced by winning an election, and it is not deterred by losing one. The ultimate triumph of God’s kingdom was made visible the day He called Jesus out of the grave.
Where does this leave us as believers in the wake of yesterday’s events? A few thoughts come to mind. First, the Scriptures call us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4, Romans 13:1-5), and that call should never be felt more urgently than right now. It doesn’t matter who we voted for or who we oppose, we have an obligation to pray for those who have taken up the mantle of leadership in every branch of government. Pray for their wisdom and their protection. Pray for truth and goodness to win out in their deliberations and choices. Pray they can lead us back to a place of stability.
Second, the Scriptures call us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). This may seem like an obvious and easy thing to do, especially for those of us whose neighbors mostly look like us and believe like us and act like us, but the events of these past few months have revealed how deeply divided we are. Are we prepared to love those with whom we disagree? Jesus even went so far as to say we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5:44). That doesn’t mean I have to embrace the ideas and actions of those who I believe are wrong. Right is still right and wrong is still wrong, but the moment I allow contempt for another person to creep into my spirit, I have given way to a cancer that will eventually eat the life out of me (Matthew 5:21-22). At the very least, this means I should guard my thoughts closely and choose my words carefully. We must speak and act in ways that bring healing and light to the broken people around us.
Finally, we need to fling ourselves back onto that simple two-word message that was proclaimed from the steps of the Capital yesterday. Jesus saves. We must repent of our idolatrous efforts to find ultimate hope and satisfaction in anything other than Christ. This world is not our final home, so even if the political and social world we have come to know erodes out from under us, we still have a better land for which we are destined. Just as importantly, we must recommit ourselves to the ministry of proclaiming the gospel and calling people to faith in Christ. He is the only answer to our world’s brokenness. He is the only savior.
Late yesterday afternoon, as we were preparing for our regular Wednesday night ministries here at the church, a ministry teammate and I were talking about the challenge of trying to focus on our responsibilities for the evening with all that was unfolding in the news at that very moment. I said to him, “Well, if the ministries we are offering tonight don’t matter on a day like today, then I suppose they don’t really matter at all.” He nodded and said, “That’s right. Even today, we’ve still got good news.”
Jesus saves.
Chris Cadenhead
Pastor
Bonsack Baptist Church
Roanoke, VA