The Only True Rescue for America

August 1, 2024 / by Matt Hughes

One of the most powerful economic minds of our generation is Thomas Sowell, who’s now in his 90’s and still writing with eloquence and enthusiasm. Sowell said “It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.”

Even as believers in Christ, we tend to fall back on our own ignorance when we expect or rely on human political leaders or institutions of government to offer any real hope for mankind.

While some of us might rightly argue the size of government is morbidly obese, we deceive ourselves if we believe that smaller, less intrusive government offers the means to heal what’s profoundly wrong with humankind. We must recognize the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true rescue option for America and the world.

We should be deeply thankful we live in a federal constitutional republic, immensely grateful for the blood that was spilled to found it and still being spilled to preserve it, and thoroughly appreciative that we don’t live under tyranny of Rome like the apostle Paul, or worse, anarchy. The government is “God’s servant for your good” (Romans 13:4). But Christ’s earthly kingdom will not be established by legislation, and efforts to spiritually impact society via political means is a road littered with failed “Christian” politicians.

This is not to say that we, as voters, should not strive to promote and advocate for laws protecting the life of the unborn, laws restraining evil and punishing evildoers, and other laws which strive to promote Biblical morality in civil society. But most laws are not so black and white and we usually have to accept bills of diminished capacity and effectiveness to get them passed.

And when we vote for a candidate, we are almost never in 100% agreement of all that candidate’s policy positions. Is there a moral culpability we bear and implicitly condone when we vote for someone whose positions or lifestyle don’t all align with the word of God? Or is it just a matter of selecting a candidate whose positions align with the majority of our own core beliefs, recognizing that no candidate is perfect? Or perhaps your goal when voting is to select the candidate who will do the least irreversible damage to the country’s founding ideals.

Regardless of our approach to voting, in every election and political battle we must remember that the Gospel, not law, is what changes sinful hearts. Our citizenship is not of this world (Philippians 3:20-21) and that should free us from being consumed by the outcome of an election or being personally consumed by a particular legislative initiative. So, get out there and vote. But when it comes to the Great Commission and politics, remember which one offers the prescription Christ said the world really needs.

Matt has been attending East White Oak since 1991 when he transferred to ISU. He met his wonderful wife, Amy, at the church and they were married in 1996. They have three children—Jacob, Levi, & Maggie. He has served in a number of roles during his time at East White Oak and has a heart to assist international ministry partners in accomplishing the mission of Christ.