“For while one saith, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?”                                                                                                                                  (1 Corinthians 3)

 

The context of the above passage deals with new believers, who were choosing camps based upon the identity of a preacher. The new believers were basing their foundation of faith upon the persons of Paul, Apollos, Peter, and Christ. This is a divisive dynamic. The dynamic would be something like this: “I came to the faith by Paul,” one might say, but another would say, “You came to the faith through Paul, that’s great, but I came to the faith through Christ, Himself.” The thought would be one is a better believer based upon the person they came to the faith by.

Paul charged them with carnality.  Paul’s meaning in this passage was the truth of the faith was based in the truth of God and upon the Work of Christ.  He was frustrated that these newer believers were already causing divisions based upon the preacher that preached the truths of God to them.  Paul condemned this way of thinking as it was carnal, divisive and destruction.

The same is true in the realm of worldly politics and todays Christ-ianity.  It is child-like how many individuals base their vote on the name of a political contender. This is made apparent when news pundits ask voters why they’re voting for a certain candidate and why specifically they oppose the other candidate.  Certainly the educated voter can answer this but so many others cannot.

It has been my view for a long time that a new system of voting should be adopted.  My system would be very simple.  The voter would walk into a voting booth, they would be given the political and moral views of the candidates. The candidate’s past voting record would be written in black on white and the voter would make a decision based on the information given.  The name of the candidate would not be given nor would the gender or race. This would shorten the political season and would eliminate voting for a name and not policies.  No one would be fooled by the candidates promises because his or her past voting record would be made available.

The problem with this, if a problem it would be, would be far less persons would cast a vote.  This would be a good thing, in my opinion and thinks me, my opinion is correct on this matter. This would eliminate voting for a person based upon gender and minorities voting on a candidate based on color or race. This would eliminate racists and men and women voting against a candidate that is of another gender or race. Another thing that would be eliminated is the divisiveness of politics.

Candidates would be voted for based upon their history, policies, and world views. Voters would not be distracted by identities of candidates or all the non essentials of current day politics.  It could also eliminate persons running for office that have ulterior motives. It would eliminate current politicians from running if they know their past voting records would be made bare.  In this system of voting politicians like Obama and others of his ilk would never have been voted into office. Trump, if his name and identity would have been kept from identity voters, he would have been voted in with a landslide, methinks.

The point is, a candidate should be voted in based upon record, character, world view and policies. The candidates policies would be compared and contrasted with their past voting record and this would also make clear the canidate’s character. The current political system is so foul and full of criminals and liars and this should not surprise the Christ-ian. The state of politics only gives veracity to our Scriptures. The current condition of American politics should make clear why we are told not to get entangled in the affairs of this world if we would be good soldiers of Christ, Who chose us to be just that, good soldiers.

The Christ-ian refusing to be entangled in the affairs of this world does not mean we should not be involved in the affairs of this world. Entangled and active are different. A Christ-ian should not get tied up in the affairs of this world or get tied into mental and moral knots by this world. The Christ-ian should vote as God would have them vote. The Christ-ian could comment on the state of politics as Christ did when He was on this earth. If the Christ-ian is going to be active in politics, s/he must be educated on the policies and not the identities.

One should vote for policies and records and not persons. One should stand for truth and right and not for party or persons. The Christ-ian is called upon and commanded to judge all things and to do so righteously. To vote based upon identity or personal likes is not judging righteously.

What is worse than the above is identity Christ-ianity.
I remember a little boy saying to an evangelist that the evangelist was his favourite preacher, the little boy’s father included. I can imagine how the little boy’s dad must have felt. The evangelist was quick to rebuke the child by saying one must not have favourites in the faith. Like in politics the preacher is not the draw but his doctrine, positions, and views are. I’m not saying the preacher and his person is not important, it is but his personality should not be the attraction.

For Catholics, the pope is the faith, for fundementalists, the preacher is the faith and the attraction in many cases. To prove my point, many persons leave a church when the leadership changes, though the doctrine remains similar. I can remember a church I was a part of many years ago blew up due to a charismatic element sneaking in and influencing and seducing the aged preacher, who had recently seen his wife exit her tabernacle.

The split was ugly to say the least. Expletives were flying and things came very, very close to physicality. In this breakdown there was a family that spent twenty-five (25) years in that church and this family left the church after the corruption of the charismatics came about.  This family not only left this local church but they left THe church altogether. Brethren, these things ought not to be. I know not the condition of that family today. God knoweth. This is an example of a person’s foundation being in the church or a preacher.

Churches like Osteen and other celebrity Christ-ian pastors is the attraction for many of their flock. This is bordering upon idolatry. Identity Christ-ianity works both ways. When some persons hear the names Calvin, Augustine, Luther, Lewis, etc. those persons stop listening.

I remember preaching all five (5) points of what is labeled Calvinism or TULIP in a fundementalist church. There in the front row were persons, good persons, that think Calvin and (s)atan are synonymous. However, as I preached the doctrines of grace, IE. Calvinism/TULIP the persons in the front row amen’d me many times. If I had identified my subject as Calvinism, these same persons would have put their heads down and prayed for me as they would see me as a heretick.

By the way, TULIP is an anagram for
T-otal depravity.
U-nconditional election of persons to salvation.
L-imited atonement; Christ lived, died and lives again solely for the elect.
I-rresistable grace.
P-erseverance of the saint.

I would be remiss if I did not address the cults in the guise of Christ-ianity. Cults such as Jehovah’s Witness, Mormonism, and Catholicism hold some truth but the false doctrines they push far out weighs whatever truth they hold forth. The false doctrines these cults or religions hold are dangerous to the soul, their doctrines have caused many to be damned.  I know, I know, sin is what causes the soul to be damned but the teaching and preaching of false doctrine is sin, is it not? This truth and their lies and damnable heresies is that which keeps these cults and religions out of bounds, in terms of fellowship.

I understand that denominations have become a necessary evil as there is so much religious ideology in this world. For instance, how does a Christ-ian family, that happens to be traveling on a Sunday, choose a place of worship? How does this family know what doctrine they are going to hear? Unfortunately by identity Christ-ianity. Due to the false teaching and preaching in this world, identity Christ-ianity has become necessary, but this identity Christ-ianity must not be founded upon a person. Paul tells us that false religions are needed so that the true faith might shine the more.

Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Christ and the Mormons say Christ and Lucifer are brothers and both cults deny the reality and eternality of Hell. These denials only cause the true doctrine of Christ’s deity and the doctrine of eternal hell all the more sound.

I suppose Christ-ianity could be considered a cult. However, true Christ-ianity is following the right and true God, the right and true God Who became flesh and dwelt among us in the very Person of Jesus Christ, Lord and Saviour. [SideNote: The word cult is short for culture, hence the cult or culture of Christ or Christ-ianity].

To summarize: The Christ-ian must not get entangled in identity politics or identity Christianity. Identity politics and identity Christ-ianity are for slow thinkers and group thinkers and not for independent, critical and Christ-like thinkers. The only Identity we should be enraptured by is Christ and never a preacher, teacher, or politician.

Godspeed.