Partisan Christianity

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

In the next week or two the United States Congress will vote on by all accounts the most partisan legislation in the history of America.

The word partisan as a noun refers to a member of a political party. It also is used as an adjective describing a zealous member of a political party.

Today America is on the verge of economic and moral collapse. Government is racking up trillions of dollars in debt that can never be repaid. Our homes are being shattered by an over 50% divorce rate. Every 24 hours, 3000 children see their parents’ divorce. The price society pays is that every 24 hours, 1,629 children are put in adult jail. 3228 children run away from home. 1512 children drop out of school and 7,742 teens become sexually active.

According to the North American Mission board, 200 million people in America do not know Christ as their savior. That is far from being a 'Christian Nation'. Society is looking for answers. What they need to see is partisan Christianity. Society is longing to see the life transforming power that comes from living a sold out Christian life. Half hearted Christianity is a turn off. The sad truth is many professed Christians are being molded by the culture instead of influencing it! Christians have the answers to make society what God intended it to be yet many times our lives speak compromise not conviction.

Whether we like it or not Christianity is a partisan belief system. The claims of its founder Jesus Christ are exclusive to those who believe and obey Him. Society is crying out for help. Unfortunately one of the last places they look is the Church.

Post-modern Christianity has turned away from the absolute claims of Scripture. Christians flounder in the gutter of worldliness. Many of our pulpits no longer thunder with, ‘thus says the Lord’. The modern message is a combination of pop psychology, social activism and by-partisan theology.

This may be the reason why the modern church has to schedule revival instead of spreading it! Many churches go months even years without a single soul accepting Christ. Christian workers are burning out under the heavy load of programs, bloated budgets and busy work. Little time is spent being real before God and each other.

The message of the Gospel is partisan not inclusive! When Christians stop trying to appease men and begin to please God, the world will take notice that we have been with Jesus!

When the judge demanded Polycarp to denounce his God, he said,

"Eighty and six years have I now served Christ, and he has never done me the least wrong: How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?

When the judge threatened to have wild beasts attack him, his answer,

"Call for them then: For we Christians are fixed in our minds not to change from good to evil; But for me it will be good to be changed from Evil, to Good."

Then the judge threatened Polycarp with death by burning at the sake he replied,

"You threaten me with Fire which burns for an hour, and so is extinguished; but you do know not the Fire of the Future Judgment, and of that Eternal Punishment, which is reserved for the Ungodly. What are you waiting for? Do what you must."

Now that is partisan Christianity!

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Dr. Henry,
Thank you for this forum. It is a wonderful resource for pastors and Christian leaders. It is great to be able to interact with God's precious servants and be able to speak the truth in love. The fellowship and comradery is priceless. Blessings

[Dr. Henry, President of the AOCI]

Dr. Shanlin, thank you for this "straight forward" blog. I believe we must start with the "leadership" within the body of Christ. Change starts at the top then flows down to the bottom....sorta like gravity...LOL.. Christianity is inclusive and shoudl remain like that but unfortunetly it will never happen. Why? Because Jesus said it best when he said that "false prophets will arise"..."many will be decieved"...etc, etc. Of course, Jesus does not intend for this to happen and yet it is unavoidable. "Many are called but FEW are chosen"...I believe this blog calls all of us "ministers" to accountability as to what we teach and preach. Only then can we truly see the cultural change (especially in the church) from partisan to inclusive. God bless you, your family, and your ministry. Keep the blogs coming!

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Amen Christopher!
My technology struggle is spending to much time on the computer. I love to write on several blogs. But I feel like I am reaching many people by posting online. Everyone has a cross to carry!

[Christopher R. Dockrey]

"Our lives are full of activities that distract us from meditation, reflection and rejuvenation found in God's Word...Many of today's believers have little or no connection with other believers outside the church. What interaction they do have usually involves entertainment or recreation. Digging deeper into the word, sharing struggles and victories with each another is not part of the agenda. They are self absorbed and only give lip service to discipleship and sacrifice."

I wish this weren't true, but it is. Brother Alonzoe' wrote a great article about Biblical illiteracy called Et Facta Est Lux. I encourage you to read it, Dr. Shanlian.

But one thing I differed with him somewhat about (respectively, of course) is that biblical illiteracy is an ecclesiastical problem rather a cultural one. I see it as both; this may be mostly semantics, but I think it is a cultural problem in the sense that it mirrors the dumbing down taking place in the broader culture. To the extent that this trend affects Christians, it contributes to [voluntary] biblical illiteracy.

So what does that have to do with Dr.Shainlian's quote? Though the problem of the dumbing down of Americans is complex, it is to an extent linked to these activities mentioned that distract us from deeper devotion. It is as if the culture of constant entertainment, information on demand without much meaningful content, cell phones, email, text messages, etc. etc. has contributed to a devaluation of spiritual life and self-centered religion. (This isn't an anti-technology comment, but a comment recognizing the consequences of this technology and its propensity toward carnality.) Certainly everything, materially speaking, that one would need to educate himself spiritually is more available than ever before. But it has become cheap in terms of its priority amidst all the other things vying for our attention. Its really like Brave New World. People are, in a sense, slaves to their base lifestyles, but they love their slavery and they don't know they are slaves. Therefore they will not revolt.

Thanks for another great article, Dr. Shanlian!

[Alonzo E Thornton, D.Min.]

Much Grace and Peace to you, My Brother in Messiah!

[Michael Shanlian Ph.D.]

Alonzoe',
You have hit on the answer. We need to return to our roots. The first century Christians provide a model that is still good for today. Acts 2:44-47 shows the intensity of their faith. The first and second century believers paid a huge price in society to be identified with the "followers of the way." Many lost jobs, family, social standing and many were martyred.

Twenty first century Christianity in America revolves around the Sunday morning service. Christianity is what you do one day a week, and not about who you are becoming. Our lives are full of activities that distract us from meditation, reflection and rejuvenation found in God's Word.

The first century believers without a Bible listened to the Apostles, rabbis and other teachers reciting OT Scripture from memory and quoting the sayings of Jesus and the accounts of His ministry. They worshiped daily together. This bonded them in true Christian unity which gave them boldness.

Many of today's believers have little or no connection with other believers outside the church. What interaction they do have usually involves entertainment or recreation. Digging deeper into the word, sharing struggles and victories with each another is not part of the agenda. They are self absorbed and only give lip service to discipleship and sacrifice.

I believe that America is setting itself up for a great financial collapse that will make the Great Depression look like a day at Disney World. When all Hell breaks loose the real Christians will rise to the top and live out Acts 2. The pretenders will denounce their faith and resort to survival at any cost. Jesus illustration about the wide and narrow gate reminds us that living a fully devoted Christian life is chosen by the few. The majority of humans enter the wide gate offering many choices but in the end leads to heart break and eternal separation from God.

Christians like yourself who actually take the time to "work out their own salvation" will help lead the way for the Church to return to its Spiritual roots. We must reacquaint ourselves with the great hero's of our faith like Polycarp. We must surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Someone said the difference between the first century church and twenty-first century church is, if the Holy Spirit were removed from the first century church most activity would cease. If the Holy Spirit were removed from the twenty-first century church most activity would continue.

God bless you my brother. Continue your journey of faith. Never let the devil steal your commitment to soar like an eagle for Christ!

[Alonzo E Thornton, D.Min.]

Dr. Shanlian,
I have read your post a couple of times over in order to feel your deep-rooted love for The Faith that has during our lifetime has departed further from the Root system of its origin. The lack of Moral Absoluteness, the institutionalization of the Faith, and the cohabitation of the Faith with an amoral culture all combined produces a very poor example of Morality that is commanded by the Father, lived out by Messiah and was granted to those who are regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God completely. I would like to humblely as you one question in regard of perhaps shining some light upon these problems:
In your opinion, what can ministers do in a practical manner to impact our culture for Christ in wake of these and other forces working against the Body of Christ? Also, what practical things can ministries do to remain faithful to its call to be the Light and Salt in a sinful culture that is more faithful in doing evil, than the church is in displaying moral behavior as the model?
Respectfully,
Brother Alonzoe'