2:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Another translation says that we are "aliens and strangers." We are not of this world, just as Jesus was and is not of this world. But, because of His great love, He came into our world, into human flesh, lived in this world, showed us how to live, and now, by virtue of His death and resurrection, lives in the hearts of His people, empowering us to follow Him and reflect His glory - that's the message of Christmas. He, the Prince of Peace, brought us peace with God, and commissioned us to invite others into that wonderful relationship.
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We continue our journey through Europe in our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure on Faith Radio. Yesterday, France was the focus; today, Germany is the country from which we reflect on a Christmas tradition. We are going through the Advent Guide, available free at FaithRadio.org or in the Faith Radio Ministry Magazine, which is called, Around the World in 25 Days! And, today, in the Advent Guide, we discover the origins of the Advent Calendar - from Germany. According to the website, German-Way.com, the Advent Calendar, counting down 24 days until Christmas Eve, features “windows,” behind which were originally small Christmas scenes. Now, chocolates or candy are found behind the windows.
The observance of Advent has within it a sense of anticipation - of the coming of Jesus, which was
foretold throughout the Old Testament, including in Isaiah chapter 9:
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Jesus has come to bring peace, as the Prince of Peace: reconciliation with God, certainly, as well as peace with one another. In a turbulent world, we need to reflect on how Jesus and His truth can unite us as we embrace it in His love.
A Washington Examiner piece shares this information from a month and a half ago:
Partisan political division and the resulting incivility has reached a low in America, with 67% believing that the nation is nearing civil war, according to a new national survey.This is from, ironically enough, Georgetown's Battleground Poll, and describes a political battleground that perhaps will continue to exacerbate. Elleithee is quoted as saying that this poll, "paints a scenario, a picture of a highly negative campaign that will continue to exacerbate the incivility in our public discourse." And, this is an apparent subset of the Battleground Poll called the Civility Poll, which is a paradox.
“The majority of Americans believe that we are two-thirds of the way to being on the edge of civil war. That to me is a very pessimistic place,” said Mo Elleithee, the executive director of Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service.
The Examiner article points out this paradox:
While it found that 87% are frustrated with the rudeness in politics today, it also revealed that the public really isn’t interested in traditional compromise. For example, a nearly equal 84% said that they are “tired of leaders compromising [their] values and ideals.”Furthermore, the poll found "84% believe that 'behavior that used to be seen as unacceptable is now accepted as normal behavior.'" Seemingly at the same time, citizens and voters are calling for civility and compromise, but also want their politicians to stand with conviction.
These really aren't that paradoxical, though, when you think about it. Your convictions are what you believe and are consistent with who you are. We should all possess convictions, and in Christ, deep ones. That doesn't mean you can't be civil toward those with whom you disagree.
Compromise can be a double-edge sword - sometimes it's necessary to get things done. But, if you compromise your ideals and values that are rooted in God's Word, then that can lead to an erosion of morality.
That's where we are today. I would encourage you to go to the Front Room blog post that I did back in October after Pastor Jeffress had made reference to a "civil war." I actually entitled the post, A War of Bullet Points. That comment was made in the context of the impeachment of the President, which has turned out to be incredibly divisive, with significant numbers of Americans on either side of the issue. The latest Quinnipiac poll, shows, according to SeattlePI.com:
The survey, taken as impeachment hearings in Congress were televised to the country, shows 45% in favor of impeachment and removal, while 51% of Americans do not believe he should be impeached. The pro-impeachment figure had remained the same from a poll last month, while opposition has climbed by 3%.The article also shows head-to-head matchups for the Presidency between Trump and leading Democratic candidates, in which the President is running behind in a national vote. Of course, as it has been pointed out, that these "national" polls would be consistent with a popular vote, not an Electoral College vote. Axios reports on polling data from three significant states: Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The report on the survey by Firehouse Strategies, with Optimus, states:
Trump won by an average of six percentage points in hypothetical match-ups against all current Democratic candidates, including Joe Biden, who was performing well in head-to-head contests against Trump in polling conducted earlier in the year.The article adds, "The poll found that a majority of likely 2020 voters surveyed do not support impeaching and removing Trump from office."
As I was perusing the Seattle website, a pop-up ad appeared, in which the Poarch Creek Indians are promising the citizens of Alabama a "billion dollars," which would come from gambling revenue and grant their empire a monopoly on gambling operations in the state, including piece of the action in a state lottery. The expansion of gambling has proven to be a divisive issue in the state Legislature, and represents a stark difference between adherence to Biblical principles and a thirst for income; which studies show do not generally meet the expectations over time.
But, there are many issues in which Biblical morality and the philosophies of this world come into stark contrast, and about which people are deeply divided. In my previous blog post, I cited some examples. Here are 10:
- Sanctity of life vs. abortion on demand
- God's view of sexuality vs. the LGBT agenda
- Identity in Christ vs. identity politics
- Social justice vs. mercy and forgiveness
- Limited government vs. government intrusion
- Freedom of religion vs. "freedom of worship"
- Freedom of Conscience vs. Forced Submission
- Surrender to God's Law vs. Redefinition of God's Law
- Support for Israel vs. Opposition to Israel
And, perhaps what drives it all...Belief in God vs. Belief in Humanity.
There is a divide, a chasm, and while there are ways our lawmakers can work to get things done, such as the recently-passed trade agreement and the passage of budgets to keep the government going, there are issues that have become so polarizing - I would submit due to the dramatic departures from Scriptural principles - that even to embrace a middle ground would be to violate the teachings of the Scripture. In this culture, we can continue to be people who do not compromise, but through our compassion, show and share that His principles are applicable and effective for our world. Through the Prince of Peace, we can pursue peace with others while still maintaining our convictions that flow from peace with God.
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