Matt Bevin,
the Governor of Kentucky, is unashamed about his Southern Baptist beliefs. Governor
Bevin lists Corrie ten Boom and Billy Graham as two of the people that have
inspired him the most. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is also unashamed
of its love for Governor Bevin. Its most global outpost, The Bevin Center for
Missions Mobilization, bears his family’s name.
With such
an apparent zeal for the gospel, one would think that Governor Bevin would see
himself as first and foremost a missionary for the kingdom of heaven. But is that
the case?
Recently,
Governor Bevin gave a speech where he challenged the true patriots of America
to not let freedoms that the founders of the USA fought for go to waste, should
Hillary Clinton become president. Here is an excerpt:
“I would challenge you in each of
your respective walks of life, do not be silent sheep being led to the
slaughter. You will be led. Don’t allow it to happen. … What it takes for evil
to prevail is for good men to do nothing. … This great privilege we have is the
greatness of America. The freedom of America. This was purchased at an
extraordinary price. … America is worth fighting for. … The roots of the tree of liberty are watered by what? The blood of
who? The tyrants, to be sure. But who else? The patriots. Whose blood will be
shed?”
Let’s take a moment and think about
a few things that Governor Bevin, a missions-minded Christian, just said.
First, he cited
Edmund Burke who famously said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of
evil is for good men to do nothing.” I wonder, Governor Bevin, is loving our
enemies ‘doing nothing’? Is fasting and praying for the lost ‘doing nothing’?
Is making disciples of Jesus ‘doing nothing’? Is the Holy Spirit bringing new
birth and regeneration into a man or woman ‘doing nothing’?
Second,
Governor Bevin quoted Thomas Jefferson who once wrote, “The tree of liberty
must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” But
should Christians really be turning to Thomas Jefferson as their guide for
making life and death decisions? Thomas Jefferson rejected Jesus as God. As the
author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson also viewed the millions
of Native Americans in the USA as savages who weren’t worthy of having
constitutional rights afforded to them. Should a Christian pro-life Governor
really be turning to man with such a sketchy moral compass to influence other Christians?
Third,
Governor Bevin pled with us to not be like silent sheep being led to the
slaughter. Did you catch what he just quoted? It’s the Bible, and the passage
is about Jesus… the One he calls his Lord. Christian American patriot Governor
Bevin told us to not follow in the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Acts 8, Philip, one of the first
deacons of the Church, encountered an Ethiopian on the road to Gaza reading Isaiah 53. The portion he was reading
said, “He was led as a sheep to
slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He does not open His
mouth. In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who will relate His generation?
For His life is removed from the earth.” Starting with that very passage,
Philip preached the gospel of Jesus to him and the man was baptized on the
spot.
I would
imagine that Governor Bevin heard a similar Gospel message day he chose to give
his life to Jesus. Yet, it seems that though Jesus is good enough to be the
Savior of our souls, Governor Bevin does not view Him as good enough to be our
day-to-day role model.
It
doesn’t seem like Governor Bevin views Jesus’ command to love our enemies as
pragmatic, does it? It doesn’t seem like Governor Bevin believes that Jesus’
command to do good to those who hate us is a sound strategy, does it?
I
understand the feeling inside us that wants to tell Jesus that He’s a good
teacher and all, but He doesn’t understand the way the real world works.
However, Jesus is God, not simply a good teacher. And as God, He demands that
we take Him and His words seriously.
Jesus
said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me,
he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. … For whoever is
ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of
Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with
the holy angels.” – Mark 8:34, 38
Is Governor Bevin ashamed of Jesus’
words? Are you?
It is written, “You cannot serve two
masters.” He has served an earthly master in that … he has been more obedient
to a human authority than to God. … Christ says in His precepts, “Whosoever
shall be ashamed of Me, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed.” And does he
think that he is a Christian, who is either ashamed or afraid to be a
Christian? How can he be one with Christ, who either blushes or fears to belong
to Christ?” –
Cyprian 250CE Volume 5, p. 778-779 [CD-ROM]
Governor Bevin
is challenging people to not be afraid to boldly kill for the protection of
America. Jesus challenges His disciples to not be afraid to boldly die so that enemies
of the gospel can enter the kingdom of God. As an American Christian, one of
those statements is probably going to make you shake your head in
embarrassment. The country you identify with the most will determine whose
words ring true in your heart and whose words you live by.
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