As we who are Christians come to understand and appreciate the blessings that God has bestowed upon us, the position in which He has placed us in this world, and the hope that we have for all eternity, I believe we will come to the realization that God has not called us to get involved in the politics of the world.

“Our conversation [or citizenship] is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). If we are citizens of the United States, we do not go to Canada, Switzerland, Kenya, or any other country to vote in the elections of those countries. By analogy, if we are citizens of heaven, it is inappropriate for us to take part in government elections on earth. We are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor. 5:20).

The blessings that we possess as Christians are in heaven. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: … and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:3; 2:4-6).

Further, we are enjoined by the Lord Jesus, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth … but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, … for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19-21). The reason we want to have our hearts centered in heaven is

that Christ Himself is there: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [or mind] on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-4).

  Finally, our whole future for the ages of eternity lies in heaven. “I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3). “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shot, … and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16,17).

Thus, our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Our blessings are in heaven, not on earth. Our treasure is to be laid up in heaven, not on earth. Our mind is to be set on things above, not on things on the earth. And our dwelling place for eternity will be in heaven, not on earth. Do not these simple truths speak volumes to us as to our involvement in earthly causes and politics?

In all things we have Christ as our example for our walk here on earth (1 Pet. 2:21;1 John 2:3-6). If we study His life and walk here on earth, as described in the Gospels, we will find that He was not occupied with trying to influence government officials, alter the laws of the land, or bring about a change in government in His native country. Rather, He was occupied with showing the people their lost, sinful condition (Matt. 18:11; 22:12,13; Luke 5:32; 13:3; 15:1-31; 16:19-31; 19:10) and what they must do to be saved (John 3:16; 3:36; 5:24; 6:35,51; 10:9). He said of His disciples, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:16).

The apostle Paul as well, with all of his zeal and energy, directed that energy totally toward bringing the good news of salvation to the world and toward building up the saints in Christ. He taught that we should “be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1). He also enjoined that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for … kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Tim. 2:1-3). Thus, instead of trying to bring in a change in our nation’s leaders and officials and lawmakers, we are enjoined to be subject to them and pray for them.

Now taking a stand of not voting and not getting involved in our nation’s politics on the ground that we are citizens of heaven caries with it some weighty implications that we do well to consider:

1. We will accept without complaint the fact that some of our public officials are morally corrupt or dishonest or apathetic or incompetent (Dan. 4:17). Instead of complaining about them we will pray for them.

2. We will accept without complaint any legislation passed, including that favoring abortion, permitting pornography, enhancing gay rights, etc., and we won’t seek to influence legislation by signing petitions that are aimed at preserving Christian freedoms and maintaining some semblance of national morality. Rather, we will pray for our legislators and seek ways to show the love and compassion of Christ to those involved in and affected by these evils.

3. We will accept without complaint high taxes and poor public services (such as the quality of public education, condition of roads, speed of mail delivery, etc.). We will be so occupied with the things of the Lord and with leading others out of earthly darkness into heavenly light that we will not be bothered about how our tax money is being spent.

4. We will accept without complaint increasing lawlessness, crime, and persecution of the righteous in our country. Rather we will allow these adversities to cast us all the more wholly upon the Lord and upon our fellow-Christians (see Matt. 5:10-12). Also, we will seek ways of showing the love of Christ to the victims, and criminals and prisoners.

If we are heavenly-minded to the extent that we do not get mixed up with the politics of the world, neither will we have any interest in indulging in the pleasures the world has to offer. We will not be seeking to be entertained at the world’s theaters, pool halls, night clubs, rock concerts, etc., nor by ungodly television programs, videos, and internet sites in our homes. Neither will we be laying up treasures upon earth (Matt. 6:19), nor ambitiously seeking fame, fortune, promotion, and reputation in this world through our jobs, social circles, club memberships, and the like.

“Ye are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:13), the Lord told His disciples. Salt here is symbolic of a preservative, and some take this as warranting Christians being active in trying to preserve our nation from the evil forces of atheism, secular humanism, pornography, etc. But, as we mentioned earlier, we find neither the Lord nor His apostles engaged in this kind of preservative work. We can only go so far in legislating morality.  The only way to be a lasting influence for good in one’s community and nation is to be helping our fellow citizens to receive Christ as their Savior, and helping and encouraging our fellow-Christians to be obedient to “be followers [or imitators] of God” (Eph. 5:1), and “love not the world” (1 John 2:15).

The Scripture says that “in the last days … men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, … fierce, despisers of those that are good. … Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:1-13). I do not believe it is possible by any political means to stem the tide of wickedness described in these verses. If one kind of evil is eliminated through legislation or swift execution of justice, the void will quickly be replaced by another kind of evil. What this world needs is changed lives more than changed laws. So may we who have the light of Christ in our lives be faithful to proclaim Christ to the world and show forth in our lives His love and light to those about us. “Ye are the light of the world. … Let your light [that is, Christ] so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:14-16).

In conclusion, consider Abraham’s nephew, Lot. When the angels came to Sodom to rescue Lot and his family from the judgment that was about to fall upon that wicked city, where did they find him? “Lot sat in the gate of Sodom” (Gen. 19:1), meaning that he had a place of leadership and authority there. While sitting in the gate of a fundamentally law-abiding people (as in Exod. 8:13 and Prov. 31:23) may be a positive thing, Lot was “vexed with the filthy conversation [or behavior] of the wicked (2 Pet. 2:7,8). But instead of separating himself and his family from the wickedness, he seemingly allied himself with the unbelievers by becoming one of those authorities who “sat in the gate.” He may have thought he could change the tide of lawlessness and immorality in Sodom by his influence there at the gate, but we sadly see just the opposite effect.

Not only was the entire city destroyed by “brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven” (Gen. 19:24), thus attesting to Lot’s total failure in influencing the city for good, but we find failure in influencing his own family for good, and indeed failure in his own relationship with Jehovah. When he went out to warn his sons-in-law to flee, “he seemed as one that mocked” unto them (vs 14). Lot himself lingered so long that the angels had to practically drag him and his wife and daughters out of the city (vs 16). 

What a solemn warning this gives us to separate ourselves from this “present evil world” (Gal. 1:4) rather than joining any effort with the goal of improving the world which is soon going to be judged by God. May we be more heavenly-minded, having Christ as our one object. May we strive to “be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom [we] shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15).

“No events can touch Christ.”

However high the waves may rise, there is no drowning of His love and thoughts towards us. The test is to our faith. The question is, Have we that faith which so realizes Christ’s presence as to keep us as calm and composed in the rough sea as the smooth? It was not really a question of the rough or the smooth sea when Peter was sinking in the water, for he would have sunk without Christ, just as much in the smooth as in the rough sea. The fact was, the eye was off Jesus on the wave, and that made him sink. If we go on with Christ, we shall get into all kinds of difficulty, many a boisterous sea; but being one with Him, His safety is ours. The eye should be off events, although they be ever so solemn, and surely they are so at this present time, and I feel them to be so; for none perhaps has a deeper sense than I of the growth of evil, and of the solemn state of things; but I know all is as settled and secure as if the whole world were favorable. I quite dread the way many dear saints are looking at events, and not looking at Christ and for Christ. The Lord Himself is the security of His people, and, let the world go on as it may, no events can touch Christ. We are safe on the sea if only we have the eye off the waves, with the heart concentrated on Christ and on the interests of Christ. Then the devil himself cannot touch us.

—J.N. Darby

We are here this Lord’s day morning to remember our Lord in His death for us. The Lord Jesus requested us to do this in Luke 22:19,20, “This do in remembrance of Me.” We are reminded of this again in 1 Corinthians 11:23-34 where we learn that this remembrance meeting is a vital part of the life of the local assembly. Acts 20:7 shows that the early church did this weekly.

We are happy you are here this morning to witness this special privilege of Christians. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, we trust you will be able to join in the singing and to add your Amen to the prayers of praise and thanksgiving unto the Lord.

You may wonder why the bread and wine are not passed to you to partake of in remembrance of the Lord. This is because we believe that the Bible teaches the following:

1. The breaking of bread is not an isolated act. It involves fellowship with others. In 1 Corinthians 10:16 we read, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, Is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

Communion has the thought of fellowship—a sharing together. When you break bread with us you are not only remembering the Lord with us, but you are also expressing fellowship with us in our teachings and position as gathered out to the Lord alone—apart from man-made denominations and gatherings. It would not be right for you to express fellowship with us in the breaking of bread unless you are convinced that the way we gather and what we teach is according to the Bible, and you are willing to walk in the same position with us.

2. Although the breaking of bread is the privilege of every Christian, it is very clear that this privilege can be forfeited by sin in a believer’s life or by association with evil (anything contrary to the Word of God). The Christians at Corinth were told to excommunicate a brother who was living in sin (1 Cor. 5:11-13).

We are told in 1 Timothy 5:22, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partakers of other men’s sins.” The laying on of hands is an expression of fellowship. If we were to accept someone into fellowship with us whom we did not know very well, we could very easily associate ourselves with sin. “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” (1 Cor. 5:6). For fellowship to be genuine, you must be well know by the assembly and vice versa. We hope that there will be opportunity for us to become better acquainted and to have more fellowship together.

3. In a local assembly the brothers and sisters are responsible to care for each other (1 Cor. 12:25). If someone is habitually absent from the gathering or falls into some sin, the Bible teaches that the assembly is to seek to restore such an one to the Lord (Gal. 6:1,2; 1 Cor. 5:5).

In order to restore someone to fellowship with the Lord and with the Lord’s people, the assembly is to take steps of correction depending on the individual case (1 Thess. 5:14, 1 Cor. 5:11, etc.).

It would be impossible to practice this truth of godly care and discipline if a Christian breaks bread with us one Lord’s day, then goes to a denomination or some other group to break bread another Lord’s day, and sometime later comes back to break bread with us.

4. It is the assembly which receives or excommunicates (Matt. 18:15-20). If you feel that you have been led by the Word of God to identify yourself with us in the breaking of bread, then you should express your desire to someone in the assembly. A short time would be allowed for any in the assembly to visit with you. Providing that there is nothing in your life and associations that would prevent you from breaking bread with us, you would gladly be received to break bread with us each Lord’s day. Of course you would also be received to break bread in any of the assemblies associated with us in various places by a letter of commendation (2 Cor. 3:1).

We would ask you to prayerfully search the Scriptures to see if what we have stated above is true. Should you desire, we would be happy too discuss this further with you.

WE’RE GLAD YOU CAME AND TRUST YOU WILL BE BLESSED!

(1 Corinthians 2:13)

Many Christians fully believe that the very words of Scripture are inspired; that is, that not simply the sense of Scripture was directly from God, leaving various writers to choose very much their own words, but that also caused the writers to use His own words.

Without entering at any length into the question of inspiration, it may be well to just quote a few passages that bear upon the verbal inspiration of Scripture.

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Mark 13:31). “The words I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:36). “He that is of God heareth the words of God” (John 8:47). “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled” (Matt. 5:18). “Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth” (1 Cor. 2:13). These passages may suffice, when taken with the passages usually quoted for the inspiration of the whole of Scripture.

But those who disbelieve in the inspiration of the words of Scripture, say, “Of what use is your belief in verbal inspiration, when we are not sure that we have the very words God caused to be written? The hundreds and thousands of variations in the manuscripts destroy your theory, or render it useless.”

Now, in the first place, we must insist upon it that there are two separate and distinct questions to be considered—questions which should not be allowed to interfere with one another.

The first question is—Did God so control the writers of the Scriptures that they wrote His words? We say, Yes. We have quoted some passages that speak of “words;” and we must hold this truth firmly. To give it up is to allow the thin edge of the wedge of skepticism to come in between us and God as to His Word. What distinct thought can we have, in speaking of a jot or tittle of the law not failing, if it is sufficient to consider its general sense? And how are we to arrive at the sense of Scripture except through the words used? We consider that a Christian must hold to “verbal” inspiration, or he virtually gives up inspiration altogether—at least in a way that is at all worthy of God, in giving us an infallible guide amid the surrounding darkness and error.

Now, if this point is once settled, it greatly simplifies the other, namely, “Have we a correct copy of that which God caused to be written?” Suppose for a moment I am obliged to say, “No, we have not a correct copy;” that in no way touches the other point, namely, that there were correct copies once. And if I believe that there were such, I naturally say, “I wish I had a correct copy.” But, on the other hand, I have nothing to wish for if I deny that there ever were copies of “the words of God.” If Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John gave only the sense of what God intended them to write, I have that in almost any Greek copy: why search any more? Why spend years of labor, and thousands of dollars, to get at that which never existed, namely, “the words of God”? I may labor diligently to get accurately what Paul wrote; but of what use is it, if, when I have arrived at it, I have PAUL, and not God, except as to the general sense? This I have already in the common Greek text, and in the Authorized Version.

Thus we see that by believing in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures is given the impetus to search after a correct text; but it surely is not worth the time and labor, if I have nothing to gain but the words of those who were merely the instruments. It is because God caused the writers to use His words that gives us the earnest desire to have a correct copy of these very words.

Now, with this desire before us, we must candidly admit that we may not have every word God caused to be written; that is what desire and labor are for. But if we have not every one, we have nearly all; there are places where we have not yet been able to say with certainty that we have the exact words. In some places the weight of evidence for two or more readings is so nearly balanced, that it is not for anyone to dogmatically say what it was in the original.

As we have seen, the various readings do not touch one of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. These all stand out in their full lustre, as they came from the finger of God. But because it is the word of God, we want to know the words He used in every place. We do know them in the main; in thousands of passages there are no variations worth speaking of, nothing to disturb the commonly received version which has been in use in the church for so long. With the exceptions that have been named, we have the “words of God” as given in the New Testament. On these we hang our souls’ salvation, and in these is the hope set before us, of so seeing our blessed Lord, and being with Him, and like Him, forever.

This is “Our Father’s Will”: let us receive it devoutly; believe every word of it; and seek to obey it in all things.

(From “Our Father’s Will”—A Short History of the Text of the New Testament.)