The Leaven of Contempt

A believer should always strive to imitate our Lord, Jesus Christ, in both thoughts and actions. We should be known for our compassion and forgiveness in our relationships with one another (Gal 6:10) and toward nonbelievers in a lost world. This can be challenging due to our daily battles with our sinful nature and with the secular forces of our post-modern societies.

Furthermore, our political discourse in America has negatively impacted the church. Scripture cautions against trusting in human governments to save or provide true fulfillment in this life (cf. Jn 6:15). Our Lord’s kingdom is not of this world (Jn 18:36), and as a result, Christians are citizens of heaven (and we need to act like it). The Bible declares that our earthly lives are temporary…” a vapor”…and that this world is passing away (2 Pt 3:10; 1 Jn 2:15-17). We are to place no saving hope in this world or this life. At the same time, the socio-political structures of our earthly life do matter, as they can affect us in both positive and negative ways. In light of our heavenly hope, how should Christians engage in political discourse and civic obligations?

To start, we should live out the second greatest commandment: “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” This commandment should be at the forefront of our thinking and all relational engagements. If we examine ourselves first…and every political position we so boldly affirm…through the lens of this commandment, our opinions will be filtered by the mercy and compassion we have received in Christ Jesus.

Let’s tell the truth: Too often, we resemble the twelve disciples in Samaria, asking Jesus to call down fire from heaven to destroy those who oppose us (Lk 9:51-55). Jesus did not come to destroy but to save. He died for God’s enemies, which we all were before salvation (Eph 2:1-3). God does not desire the sacrifices we deem appropriate to offer Him, which only make us appear righteous before men. Instead, we should cultivate (with the Spirit’s help) a core disposition of empathy and compassion, especially toward those with whom we disagree, revealing the heart of God through Christ. Jesus exhorts His disciples (Lk 6:35-36): “…love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

An important guiding principle for Christians in our discourse with others is found in James 1:19: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” This is a vital biblical truth because, in our societies, no one listens to each other. This is especially true on social media, where we are primarily concerned with being heard and being right. We often surround ourselves with people who only agree with us, creating a pride-fortified echo chamber.

The virtue of listening is a lost art. If you strive to be understanding and show gentleness to those whose views you disagree with, you may be labeled a sellout by those deceived by their own ideological bigotry. Worse, in political debates, people are no longer seen as created in the image of God, but rather as objects of our disdain and resentment. You might observe people’s binary way of thinking who say within their own hearts, “So-and-so said this or stands for that, which I disagree with; therefore, I will give them what they deserve! It’s us against them!”

Did our Heavenly Father take that posture against rebels like us? What if He decided to keep His precious Son in heaven and never sent Him to save us? What if He held us…who by nature are hostile to His Gospel and His Son in contempt? We would all be doomed! We should pause and think very carefully about this.

Instead, the Bible boldly declares that while we were still sinners…children of wrath and enemies of God deserving His righteous judgment…Jesus was sent and died for us anyway! (Rom 5:6-8) Through grace, mercy, and truth, we are saved!

The Bible commands Christians to emulate Christ’s love for us and extend it to others. Such exhortation makes no distinction between people we like and dislike. We are encouraged, through the leading of His Spirit, to speak and live in a redemptive way, thus giving grace and mercy to others we have so abundantly received in Jesus. Remember, the Pharisees failed to understand this, and factionalism is the fruit of such a mindset if it prevails within the universal church. We desperately need God’s help to change our hearts.