The Already and Not Yet: Developing a Christian Perspective on Politics
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Another presidential election is on the horizon in the United States, and fear of the future is high for many people. One of the ways we can respond to fear is by looking to mankind, a political party, or anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ as the answer. King David, while waiting on God to help in time of trouble taught us, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God” (Ps. 20:7). I am not saying to completely remove ourselves from politics, although there may be times for that, but I am saying politics and government are not the supreme places for our hope and trust.
If God were to peel back the layers of our minds and hearts, I think one thing that the light would uncover is an unfounded hope that a certain political party or candidate will bring heaven to earth. This is known as an over-realized eschatology. It is the error of trying to lasso future realities and wrestle them into the present. I am currently living in the age of my seventh president. As a kid I listened to family members speak about their candidate as if it were a life and death decision. Today, it’s the same. People think this is the end of the world—again. There is nothing new under the sun.
Many Christians have a deep longing to bring perfect justice to an imperfect period of the world.
Many followers of Jesus believe if we can somehow bring justice in its fullness here and now, we will be better as a country. This again is over-realized eschatology. It is a longing to bring perfect justice into an imperfect world. Yes, as followers of Jesus we are to pursue justice, but we must also have an understanding of the already-not-yet. This means that abortion, racism, and sexual identity are issues to which we must speak with the truth of Scripture in love and gentleness, but it also means there will continue to be injustices we witness and experience. In those moments the Scriptures command us to look to God, not man—to wait on God, not man (Ps. 27:14; Isa. 40:31; Rom. 8:23; 1 Thess. 1:10).
“Yes, as followers of Jesus we are to pursue justice, but we must also have an understanding of the already-not-yet.”
Part of the problem is that we want our preferred presidential candidates to be the promise-keeper and the hero of the story. We believe they will bring heaven to earth here and now. We don’t like to wait. We don’t like fear. And due to these things, we have forgotten who God is, what he has done, and what he has promised to do. In this time of waiting, we need to keep our allegiance to the Lamb, not to an elephant or a donkey.
The true solution is the eternal ruler whose name is God Almighty.
By the 700s B.C. the people of God had experienced a host of political turmoil. They had experienced both the joy of good kings and the terror of evil kings. Part of the problem with the evil kings was that Israel followed them in that evil. Isaiah 1-5 is characterizing the people of God as an evil and adulterous people. In Isaiah 6, God raises up the prophet Isaiah, who is aware that he himself is evil and needs to be cleansed (Isa. 6:5). And after God graciously cleanses Isaiah, he sends Isaiah to preach the gospel to the people of Israel (Isa. 6:8).
A few chapters later we get an incredible promise about a good King who would be born to this world centuries later. We read of this King in Isaiah 9:6-7:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
The longing we have to bring heaven to earth was initiated when God took on flesh and was born into this world (Isa. 9:6). Jesus came with a kingdom that had an already-not-yet aspect. The kingdom of heaven had truly broken into this world (Mark 1:15), but not in its fullness (1 Cor. 15:50-54). Stooping down into this world, the Lord Jesus Christ walked a life of humility. He had opinions about Caesar, but he was far more concerned with people knowing him and his eternal authority over all rulers and kingdoms. As he stooped low, he had to bend beneath the sins of his people. He had to endure the death penalty sin deserved, especially the sin of allegiance to anyone other than him. Then, in his resurrection he ushered forth the first fruits of his new creation. As C.S. Lewis said, “He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him.”[1]
“We must remind one another that King Jesus’ throne will not be abdicated to someone else in another four to eight years. Jesus will reign forever. ”
Jesus truly is the King of the world. In his death and resurrection Jesus was establishing his eternal government (Isa. 9:6-7). This government is upon his shoulders, and this kingdom is his to rule and reign over. For those in Isaiah’s day, they never saw Jesus face-to-face. In Christ’s day, people got a taste of this government as Jesus began to restore the order of the new creation. He healed the deaf, blind, and dead. He truly brought new life, and many trusted in him.
We need to accept that we are living in the already and not yet right now.
The good news about Jesus’ government is that he will bring justice once and for all (Isa. 9:6-7). If you read the whole book of Isaiah, you will find that Isaiah’s picture of justice is primarily looking forward to the day when Christ establishes the new heavens and new earth (Isa. 42, Isa. 60-66). Christ’s justice is about the healing of the nations and consummating a new creation and glorious kingdom. All will be done to God’s glory.
When fear rises up within us, we must remind one another that King Jesus’ throne will not be abdicated to someone else in another four to eight years. Jesus will reign forever. We can wait upon Christ’s return knowing that it is not our political allegiance that makes him known, but it is instead our love for one another that will proclaim to others that we are his disciples (John 13:34-35).
Can we wait patiently during this time between the inauguration of Christ’s kingdom and its future consummation when his kingdom comes in its complete fullness? Can we trust the King who sovereignly puts all kinds of presidents in office? (Rom. 13:1) Can we, in our moments of great fear, trust the Prince of Peace? My prayer is that we would be honest before God and confess that we are no different than previous generations who have wrongfully put their allegiance in man. May we rest in God’s sovereign plan, which is infinitely better that any designs or schemes of our own doing.
Related Articles:
Heaven Bound: 2 Important Things to Remember to Develop an Eternal Mind-Set
3 Reasons to Be Excited Right Now about Jesus' Second Coming
Recommended:
Revelation: Worthy is the Lamb! (Teleios Academy) by Wes Van Fleet
Notes:
[1] C.S. Lewis, Miracles, in The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (New York: HarperOne, 2002), 401.
