Selling our Souls; Selling the Church

Proximity to power corrupts. Charles Colson wrote about how, when in the Nixon White House, the Administration manipulated Christian evangelical leaders – they were so easily intoxicated by proximity to power.

I wonder what Colson would say today? How little it takes for us to sell our souls and the church, how little it takes for us to bow down before the altar of power and limelight.

The Kingdom of God is not of this world and the Church cannot speak into the world if it is of the world.

The choice must not be between one candidate or another, it must be between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world – the Gospel must take precedence over political expediency and over the false hope that there is hope in any name other than Jesus Christ. Psalm 2 and Daniel 2 and Matthew 28:16 – 20 must inform our thinking or we will complete the descending journey we are on…that of being salt that has lost it saltiness.

There may come a time in history when there is a U.S. presidential election in which the Church has one last opportunity to articulate the Gospel and the Kingdom of God, to set itself apart from the kingdoms of this world; how sad it will be should we fail to do that.

While I would never say this because I would not want to offend others, I can image an Old Testament prophet saying, “The leaders of my people have sold their people into promiscuity, into prostitution; the leaders are intoxicated with proximity to political power and fame and are casting their votes, and their souls, for the kingdoms of the age rather than the Kingdom of God.”