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Transcript 197C
Should Christians Campaign Publically Against Evil?
CALLER: I was wondering, how far are Christians to speak out against evil, and so forth? I know we're supposed to take a stand for what's right and wrong. But, for example, how far are we to carry this in a case like a Christian running for public office? Are we to carry on a campaign for him? Or, let's say the entertainment standards of the community aren't what we consider to be proper. Are we to go out and take a stand against these things? Or are we to just more or less live our lives the best way we can, in obedience to God, and then let the chips fall where they may? Do you understand my question? Maybe you could treat that on the air, and I'd appreciate that.
HC: All right. Fine. The question was raised concerning the Christian's stance against evil in his community. And that's a very contemporary question, a very fine question, actually, because we all wonder, what does the Bible say about this?
First of all, let's carry this to its logical conclusion. Let's say that I decide, based on what I think I can find in the Bible, that my role is to put down evil wherever I can find it. First of all, I'm not going to have trouble finding evil. The Bible indicates that this is the generation of evil. Wickedness is everywhere. The greatest proportion of all mankind are slaves of Satan. So I don't have to look far at all to find evil.
I'm going to find evil in my neighbor, I'm going to find evil in my community, I'm going to find evil in the political arena, I'm going to find evil in the magazines I read. I'll find evil everywhere. In fact, I only have to look at my own heart to see that there's still sin that I have to be troubled with. I don't have to look far at all to find evil.
Now if I'm going to make my life a crusade against evil, will I win? Will I win? Well, the Bible teaches no, you won't win. The Bible says that as we approach the end, wickedness will multiply. This is God's decree. Satan is going to be loosed. He is going to be allowed to make this world more wicked that it has ever been before.
And so with all of my efforts, with all of my efforts, I'm going to lose. The Bible says so. More than that, if I would spend all my time in putting down evil wherever I thought I could, what a convenient way to neutralize me for the real task. Now what is the real task?
Well, the Bible says, in I Peter 2:9,10 that we are a holy nation, God's own people, a royal priesthood, "that we may declare forth the marvelous excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light." We are His ambassadors, Christ as it were making His appeal through us. We are His witnesses. We are to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. These are just a few of the phrases that the Bible uses in speaking about the task of the believers. We are to complete the sufferings of Christ, as we read in Colossians 1. We are to expect to be persecuted and maligned and slandered, and what have you, as we faithfully present the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
What about evil? Well, you see, as we present the Gospel, and there are those who become born again (and they can be in high political office, they can be at the corner grocery store, they can be wherever mankind are), then they are a new creature, and their lives will begin to show the fragrance of the cross, and evil will have been conquered. And only in this way is evil really conquered.
Actually, if we want to develop a vendetta against evil, it ought to be the evil in our own lives. We are to crucify the flesh. We are to put to death that which is lustful within us. This is where the battleground is.
The world is sold under sin. The world is enslaved to Satan. And things are going to go from bad to worse. Now we can take part in causes to try to stop this and try to stop that. And we can really feel like we're winning something. But it's only very temporary. The next turn of the wheel, we'll lose anyway.
Now is this suggesting then that we are not to take part in any of these causes? We're never to sign any kind of petition? I don't think we have to go that far. I think we're citizens of this land, and we can make our voice heard by signing petitions. I think that as long as it's all legal and proper, and it's not taking our time from being an ambassador of Christ as we witness, well and good.
But the moment it becomes the kind of a thing where we are taking time from the major task of sharing the Gospel with our physical means, that is, with our property, with our energies, then we are doing something that goes against the Bible.
Even when we bring the Gospel, we don't get on the air and try to talk about this denomination and that denomination, this sect and that cult. That isn't the real role of the born again believer. The real role of the born again believer is to positively dec1are what the Bible says. And the Sword of the Spirit will be active in the lives of those who listen. And they will make their own appraisals of where they stand with relationship to the true Gospel.
This, I believe, is what the Bible teaches concerning this particular question.