“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.””
I feel good right now! Though, I must admit, I do find my joy a little peculiar. I didn’t expect I’d be so elated to finally have Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. and Kamala Devi Harris-Ermhoff as leaders of our nation...and the free world. As I watched the swearing in ceremony during the inauguration, I found myself rolling my eyes and sucking my teeth as each took oaths to “faithfully preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States” so help them God.
So help them…God. Ha! Mmcht!
If their policy positions hold true during their term, they’re about to rip the U.S. Constitution to absolute shreds!
And yet, here I am, typing up this article filled to the brim with peace and joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, the Holy Spirit MUST be at work in my heart. He truly does give us peace that surpasses all understanding. Though, if the Lord would allow me, I will attempt to explain how my unexpected jubilation came to be.
Counting it All Joy (James 1:2-4)
Needless to say, I did not vote for, nor do I want a Biden-Harris presidency. But in accepting God’s sovereignty in allowing it to prevail, it occurred to me how this will be a good thing for the Church. This administration, flanked by a Democratic-majority House and Senate, won’t likely be too kind to Biblical Christianity. If they would be hostile toward former President Trump, who simply championed/defended Christian principles, we must know those who actually stand on God’s Word or even profess Christ’s name won’t have many friends over the next four years. If the Biden-Harris platform bears out, soon we will see our faith tested like never before in the American public square. Yet, we must count it all joy, for these tests will be for the perfecting of our faith.
Christ is returning for a Church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27), yet the American Church is in desperate need of a wash and press. As much as we’ve enjoyed the comforts to which we’ve grown accustomed, these things have also hindered our collective sanctification.
Enter Joe, Kamala, Nancy, and ‘nem, whose politics Satan will mean for our harm. Yet, the Lord will use them to strengthen us, His Church. Indeed, a Biden-Harris presidency will help us...
Trust in God Alone (Psalm 146)
If I’m honest, it was easy to get a bit comfortable with President Trump at the helm. I began rather skeptical of the guy, but his tenacity for championing Judeo-Christian policies earned my support in the latter years of his presidency. Most Christ followers had also discerned God raised up Trump as a buffer between us and the persecution we knew would come under those who hold ungodly policy positions. Other professing Christians simply looked to Trump to preserve the American way, which includes our freedoms of speech and religion. Whatever our spiritual or practical reasons for supporting him, some of us seemed to think Trump was necessary for us to boldly live out our faith.
While I remain convinced God was using him, we erred if we ever presumed that we needed Trump, and the policies he would endorse or protect, to stand for Christ. With Trump no longer in office, it removes the temptation to lean on or look to him in this way. Moreover, with Biden-Harris now in office, we not only have an administration with which we morally/politically disagree, it’s understandable if many of us don’t trust them to look out for our welfare. This presents yet another opportunity for us to look to Christ. Indeed, we are in a precarious predicament if we look at these things in the natural. But this is all the more reason we should place our full hope in Christ, lean on His promises and take up our cross and follow Him. In this, we remain in the will of the Father and can trust that all things will work together for our good, despite the evil will of those who rule over us (ref: Romans 8:28).
“Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” (Psalm 62:8).
Become Perfected in Love (1 Corinthians 13:13)
During His sermon on the Mount, Jesus challenges us to demonstrate love in the midst of opposition and even bless those who would mock, revile, and persecute us. As previously stated, a Biden-Harris administration, along with a democratic-majority Congress, isn’t likely to play nice with Christians who hold to God’s Word, and they will pass legislation that offends God and, as a result, us. In fact, with their newfound power, they might even be poised to get “revenge” on their political opponents. Yet, God still requires us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:2). He still requires us to seek the welfare of the city (Jeremiah 29:7). He still commands us to submit to our governing authorities, where they don’t cause us to disobey Him, of course (Romans 13:1; Acts 5:29). As tempting as it would be to unrighteously rebel against this administration, we have to bear in mind whose Administration we are ultimately here to represent.
Of course, most of us had no problems with praying for President Trump, who proved to be friendly towards us, and some of us even rightly rebuked “woke” Christians who balked at our efforts. But now that the shoe is on the other foot, I pray we would not go the way of the hypocrite. I pray we would also recognize that we don’t get to withhold prayer or kindness toward this administration because they and/or their policies are “too wicked”. That’s all the more reason they require our prayers. And if the Lord would use His kindness to draw souls to repentance (Romans 2:4; Matthew 5:44), who are we to withhold ours? Does this mean we should be silent about sin and unrighteousness? No! Does it mean we should become friends with the world? Absolutely not! It simply means we don’t go looking for unnecessary trouble, and that we seek ways to do (godly) good and show (Biblical) love toward our enemies, especially in the face of unfair or unjust treatment (Romans 12:18; Luke 6:28). This applies to how we engage our government and the citizenry, even as they might be emboldened now to overtly sin against us. Even as iniquity abounds, may our love never grow cold (ref: Matthew 24:12), and may we be perfect for our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:46).
Suffer Well (1 Peter 4:12-13)
In addition to being indwelled by the Holy Spirit, a great sign that we will share in Christ’s glory is when we share in His sufferings (1 Peter 4:13; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:14). As Paul notes, “...all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). While it’s typical for us in the States to scoff at even minor slights for the cause of Christ, Scripture tells us to rejoice when we suffer in any way, and we might well suffer more than we are used to under Biden-Harris. Granted, I don’t foresee anyone getting their heads chopped off within the next four years, but there will be precedents established that will normalize more overt opposition towards us. There will likely be some sincere pushback against our freedom to gather for worship, voicing our faith in the public square, refusing to adopt shifts in language concerning sexual identity, refusing to adapt to cultural shifts that deny elemental truths, and, of course, all out rejecting that Christians and non-Christians worship the “same God”.
And yet, we have no reason to fear these things. Trouble is not only guaranteed in this life (John 16:33), Peter says we aren’t to count it strange when we experience trial for Christ’s sake (1 Peter 4:12). The Lord was gracious enough to tell us in advance that, indeed, standing on His Word will win us enemies, so they should be expected as we speak and live counter to ungodly policies and practices (John 7:7,15:18; Matthew 10:22). Again, the temptation might be to respond to mistreatment via the flesh, but, again, such a reaction isn’t approved by Christ’s Administration. May none of us suffer justly as an evildoer or a meddler, but unjustly as one innocent before the Lord.
“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled” (1 Peter 3:14).
Share the Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20)
While we can expect our trials to come through this administration’s policies, we should also anticipate the mocking and reviling of those who support them. I don’t happen to buy into the notion that one who votes/voted Democrat is automatically a false Christian, but it is fair to say that any Believers who did so (unwittingly) helped deliver us up to persecution. If their faith be true, indeed they will repent, and they will share in our sufferings. For most others, however, we should expect their ire, or at least their hand in causing our afflictions. Again, our response should be godly love and to suffer well because, in our afflictions, God will grant us ample opportunities for the Gospel.
“You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles,” Jesus tells His disciples. “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you” (Matthew 10:18-20). We see this prophecy begin to unfold with early Christians, who preached the Gospel to their persecutors and in the midst of their persecution. Stephen shared the Gospel with a hostile crowd of Jews who would soon after stone him to death (Acts 7:54-60). Paul and Silas shared the Gospel with their jailer, who received their message and converted to Christ (Acts 16:25-40). Paul, while under house arrest, shared the Gospel with the dignitaries who came to him. Some believed, others didn’t, but the witness of Christ went forth (Acts 28:23-30). Peter and other Apostles preached the Gospel, were beaten for it and ordered to stop doing so, then joyfully continued preaching it anyway (Acts 5:40-42).
These experiences, which were instrumental in building the early Church, weren’t meant to be unique to new testament Believers, however. Jesus not only tells us that His Church will endure widespread persecution in the last days before His return, He also says the end of the age would come after the Gospel was preached to all nations. Given that the end of the age has not yet come, it’s safe to say we’ve still got work to do! We, too, are in the “last days” before Christ returns - even closer to that Day than the Apostles were, in fact. So as we find ourselves sued, arrested, fined, imprisoned and the like for standing on the truth of God, may we remember these things are necessary for the furtherance of the Gospel, and that the Holy Spirit will help us speak as we ought.
“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,” (2 Timothy 1:8).
I said all of this to say…
My goal hasn’t been to suggest that the American Church’s sanctification is beginning or will end with Biden-Harris in office. This is simply encouraging Believers in the U.S. to consider the grace the Lord is granting us to be refined and rooted in Him under an administration primed for overt and broad opposition of the things of God. We can certainly lament, and it might be tempting to lose heart. We can protest it all according to American patriotism and human wisdom. Perhaps we could stage another single-day riot at the Capitol or, worse, we could spend the next four years in consistently aggressive, hostile and even violent resistance to this administration, just as Trump’s detractors did his entire term (and even now).
But the Lord has given us a more excellent way and a far better use of our time. By trusting solely in Him, loving our enemies, letting patience have her perfect work and spreading the Gospel, we will practice peace with all men as much as it depends on us (Romans 12:18). And where we run counter to government policies, it will only be for the sincere sake of righteousness and good conscience. Whatever the next four years have in store for us, may we rest in knowing Christ will keep us. Even as we might face severe trials, they aren’t to be compared to the glory to be revealed in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:18). So may we love and suffer well with complete confidence and joy in our Lord and King as we patiently await His Administration. Amen.
~ Veritéetfeu
