(Editor's Note: Today's guest writer is Tom McDonald, III (Ret. Army Colonel). Tom is retired from the U.S. Army, is a friend of AFA, and has a blog site that you can visit HERE)
Had not scores of pastors and hundreds, even thousands, of members of their churches in the 1700s become vigilantly, vocally, vibrantly, virulently, viably, even violently involved in the politics of their day, there probably would not be a United States of America today.
Many pastors were vigilant to know and tell their people what the British were up to. They did not think their only role was to preach the vital gospel. They were vivid and vibrant in vocally using their pulpits to call out the British for their oppressive rule of the colonies. Their virulent and viable stances garnered them the name “The Black Robe Regiment.” Some pastors became “violent” in their political involvement, by taking off their black robe and donning a Continental Army Officer’s uniform. Several pastors proceeded to form their own company, battalion, or regiment. The members of such units were predominantly men of their own congregations – and then their pastor led them into combat against the British Army.
So, there is ample evidence in our history and in Scripture that the Christian church, her leaders and members, are to be ardently and winsomely involved in their culture and in politics, especially when the existing government is going counter to God’s Word and God’s way. To claim otherwise is to deny the Christian church’s proper, beneficial effect upon the culture – to be salt and light.
There are two sides in this battle between good and evil. If one side doesn’t show up for the fight, it is obvious who the victor will be, unless the Lord Himself intervenes.
So, now the Questions: As a Christ-following American patriot…
- Are you personally involved in bringing goodness and light into our culture?
- Are you vocal in exposing evil?
- Are you sharing the gospel regularly?
- Are you faithfully praying for God’s help in all this (Proverbs 16:9)?
