Rise Up and Redeem!

I do not believe that politics offers hope for our world. I believe the Church is the Hope for our world, as ordained by God. The Church preaches the Good News of Jesus which is God’s plan of salvation.

While we are instructed in scripture to honor our leaders (Romans 13) and pray for those in authority (I Timothy 2:1-4), the Bible never instructs us to place our faith in politicians. But these days, many Christ followers are staunch proponents of political ideology, one side or the other. Is it possible that God wants us to change the world rather than believing that politicians will change the world? Is it possible that the church has abdicated our responsibility as redeemers of the culture?

I believe that it is time for Christians to arise and redeem! Redeem means to “compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something).” (dictionary.com) It means to turn something bad into something good. Throughout the ages, God has appointed His people to be redeemers in their contexts. Let’s look at Joseph as an example. (See Genesis 37f) He struggled mightily with his family. His brothers rejected him for being a dreamer. But, in the middle of his crisis, at just the right time, God called him into action. He was utilized to speak to those in political authority. Joseph redeemed a horrible situation. He gave solid godly advice to a leader who was desperate. And his advice saved an entire nation!

Regardless of your political persuasion, you have to admit that the world is in a mess. Up to now, our government has failed at providing the kind of solutions for which we hope. Perhaps we Christians should start praying and positioning ourselves to be redeemers of our culture. If God speaks to us as He spoke to Joseph, we will be able to provide real answers, like Joseph did. But, we won’t be called upon unless we are prepared to say something of value. It would be a shame if, in the middle of a crisis, we are asked about solutions, and we have none to share.

Let’s not wait for our government to fix things. Of course, don’t stop praying for our leaders. And certainly we should vote and express our opinions. But more importantly, let’s hear from the Holy Spirit and share the solutions that our confused world needs.

Let’s rise up and redeem!