How You Can Accept Barak Obama As President

Christ and culture will always be at war until Christ returns as judge to restore all things. Nowhere is this more evident than in the words of Jesus in John 3:19, "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil." Since culture influences people, and people become governors, all systems of man-led government will move further into corruption as it's people become more wicked. Paul also emphasizes the contrast between culture and Christ when he commands believers not to be conformed to this world (Romans 12:2). Finally, John provides a strict word to followers of Christ imploring them not to love "the world nor the things in the world," which he says is evidence that the love of the Father is not present (John 2:15).

But are we then simply to always rebel against culture and the governmental systems of this world? The answer is no. Here lies the paradox. A believer is to submit to the government whenever it is possible, whether that government is good or evil, and to submit to it's leaders as if they were God's representatives. God is no less restricted in His ability to use wicked rulers than He is good and just leaders. Indeed He even calls Nebuchadnezzar, a wicked and idolatrous king, "My servant" (Jeremiah 25:9; 27:6). However, at the same time a believer's ultimate allegiance is not to the king, the judge, or this world but to Christ. So then, anything that forces a believer to violate the Law of God is to be opposed (Acts 4:1-31). Such is the picture that is presented in the book of Acts. Believers did not try to have the laws changed to allow them freedom, they simply obeyed God whenever there was a conflict and accepted the consequences as good citizens.

If such is the case, then why is the church so concerned over, and devoting so much time to who is elected and what laws are passed? Can God not work around unbelievers just as much as through believers? Is His plan any less accomplished with Barak Obama as President than it would be with John McCain or Mike Huckabee? Further, how is it that it has become a normative practice in the church to force biblical principles and laws upon a lost nation? I am amazed at how believers complain about the law and say it is unfair that many laws are imposed upon them by a lost world but will quickly turn around and impose their law upon the lost (i.e. abolition, or the closing of stores on Sunday). Yet God has given every man the right to choose Him or deny Him. So then why is the church comitted to forcing men to obey Him who have chosen to deny Him? For most the answer is that America is a Christian nation founded upon Christian principles which must be reinstated. Let me make something very clear, this nation has never been a Christian nation. This nation was founded upon the principle that there would be no official religion or established religion, but that everyone would be free to worship based upon their choice. So then, attempting to make this nation "Christian" is contrary both to the right of free choice that God has given to each man and to the intentions of the founding fathers.

That said, here is the point of all of these posts. I believe and am convinced, based upon the Word of God, that as believers we must pray for, support, encourage, and accept Barak Obama as God's appointed leader of this nation just as we would have any other man. We must not complain if laws are passed which hinder our religious freedom because ultimately our allegiance is to God and we must serve Him first. In such cases we must disobey any law that hinders our obedience to the Law of God (I do not mean any law we do not agree with, but rather any law which forces us not to obey one of God's laws) and accept the consequences of our actions. We must strive to set a faithful witness not as people who are constantly complaining about the woes of society, but as people who faithfully obey the government and serve God. After all, our ultimate responsibility is not to change the state of this world, but to lead the people of this world to Christ. Once we understand that, who is elected and what laws are passed will seem inconsequential to us because we realize that this is not our home, this is not our world, these are not our rulers, and we ultimately belong to and serve a God who transcends everything that we see.