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Over the last several years of living in Africa, I’ve had a unique vantage point from which to see political influence and polarization, particularly within the Church, continue to develop and grow in my passport country of America. Living in a foreign culture can give you a way of objectively looking at your own culture that you can’t see from the inside. Moreover, moving from a Christian-majority context to a country that is less than 1% Christian has a way of lending a new perspective, namely an eternal perspective, and an urgency to spread the gospel.

During our first visit back to the U.S. after our first term serving overseas, a term that coincided with the COVID pandemic, I witnessed these changes up-close. The biggest change in the Church was the elevation of politics and social issues, seemingly above the gospel and, in some cases, Christ himself. Many Christians were more focused on converting others to their political party than to Christ. The life-saving, world-changing message that we had left comfort and country to spread around the world seemed to have taken a backseat to worldly pursuits and interests. The war for the kingdom of God and the very souls of every human being fell to a distant second behind the newly prioritized culture wars.

Now in 2024, with a fast-approaching election and polarization at its peak, righting the ship can feel like a lost cause. But for pastors and laity alike, we can learn from our spiritual forefathers how to engage with others during this difficult time despite our differences and ensure that Christ is elevated to his proper place on the throne of our lives and in our interactions with others.

In the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost, we see Peter and the apostles inspired and driven to confront the very people who murdered their friend and Savior.

Talk about dealing with difficult circumstances and people! Not long before this, Peter was slicing off ears to defend Jesus. But now, empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter does not confront them with hostility or anger or even attempt to prove Christ’s innocence. No, he rather confronts them with the good news so that they too may be saved. Apart from the Holy Spirit, Peter cut to the body with a sword to draw blood. With the Holy Spirit he “cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37) preaching the saving grace of the blood of Christ.

This is the approach we should have towards others, even our enemies. Our primary focus should not be to change their behavior or chastise them for their misdeeds. Our overwhelming focus should be on their salvation and acceptance of Christ as Lord of their life. Too often we meet opposition with force. It is an all-too-human response to seek to gain power over opposition to right their wrongs. But the model we see here is that when the Holy Spirit is leading the way, we meet opposition with love and the spiritual force of the gospel. This force alone, the gospel that is the power of God, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit, is the force by which we should confront opposition and enemies.

We should not seek primarily to argue and debate, though there may be occasion when this is appropriate. But too often this is our primary response above the gospel. Keep in mind, winning a debate or constructing a better argument is not the power of God for salvation. That mantle belongs to the gospel alone. When we come face-to-face with opposition or enemies, whether it be political or social or personal, we should release our white-knuckle grip on the reigns of self-justification and submit to the working of the Holy Spirit who seeks salvation of “the other” more than anything else. If salvation is the primary focus of the Spirit, it should be ours as well.   

This is difficult to do in our own power since arguments and opposition elicit our fight- or-flight response which inherently makes us less rational. Therefore, our “natural” instincts or reasoning in these situations are often not trustworthy. Let’s let the spirit do the thinking and reacting for us and speak to the only thing that eternally matters: the person standing in front of me or online is a beloved human that Christ died for and who is in need of a Savior. Their eternal destiny is more important than any human disagreement. Even a disagreement as big as the unjust murder of the innocent King of the Universe. If the Spirit can see past that to focus on the good news and salvation of “the other”, surely He can help us look past political differences or other disagreements that have no bearing on eternity.
       
Jesus says to love your neighbor, and Peter, in Acts 2:40 admonishes his hearers to save themselves from the corruption of the world. Unfortunately, rather than love our neighbor and save ourselves from the things of the world, all too often we are found loving this world and trying to save ourselves from our neighbors. We engage in the things of this world and fight the way the world does. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but the increasingly polarized culture of America today has even turned Christians on each other. Rather than being known by our love for each other (John 13:35), Christians are increasingly known by their love for themselves, their agendas, and their politics.

Wanting to influence society for the better is not inherently evil, but some Christians become so desirous to transform society and culture that they tend to forget that cultural transformation comes about as a result of lives transformed by the eternal gospel. By focusing on transforming society and neglecting the gospel, the eternal gets eclipsed by the temporal.

We invest more and more in things that matter less and less until we end up giving up everything for nothing. In Matthew 16:26, Jesus asked, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Likewise, I would ask, if we gain the whole world, convince everyone to adopt our opinions and way of living and vote the way we do, but we lose their souls, what good have we done?

We have an opportunity and privilege to bear witness to another way of life, an eternal life. We can be a signpost pointing people to the Kingdom of God and inviting them into communion with their loving Savior. But if we spend our life focused on things that will all pass away, it is an opportunity and a responsibility squandered. And it is those who never hear the gospel who pay the price. For eternity.

An eternal perspective shows us that we can either invest our lives in our temporary, or others’ eternity. The eternal destiny of others should be our guiding factor in all our interactions with the world. What would it look like for you and your church to embrace “eternal destiny,” as the guiding factor in all your interactions with the people around you? Would that change how you see and relate to the fallen people around you? Looking through this lens and pointing them to Jesus through sharing the gospel may be a challenge for your temporary life, but it could be their start on a path to eternal life.

Don’t let the world set your agenda for the day. Don’t let the talking heads on TV or the comments on social media steer your mind away from eternity. Our Lord has given us our agenda: to love our neighbors and make disciples. In this we no longer view others from the point of view of the world, but through the eyes of Christ. Looking through the eyes of Christ and growing in the love of Christ for others will enable us to deliberately substitute God’s perfect interests in other people for our selfish interests in them.

The emphasis on politics, and the corresponding de-emphasis on the gospel, reflects a deep-seated heart condition among the American church. Just as Christ healed the sick and raised the dead, He alone has the power to revive this particular heart condition. He has given us his Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us and give us all that we need. He is able to fill our gospel tanks so that we can live into the abundant gospel life He has for us. For the sake of the Kingdom of God and the billions of spiritual captives around the world, may it be so. Amen.

This article contains excerpts from the book Gospelsick: A Missionary Doctor’s Prescription for Church Revival published by Invite Press, 2024. Learn more here, or purchase a copy here.