Truth vs. Tradition

Tradition: The Christian can change the world through Political Activism
Truth: The Christian can change the world through Personal Witnessing

Although both of the above statements appear to be true, the Truth as found in Scripture is definitely on the side of Personal Witnessing, however, Tradition has taken the priority in many Christian’s lives who have opted for Political Activism instead of the Biblically mandated Personal Witnessing. After all, we who are born-again the Bible way have been given the command from the Lord of Glory Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ to ’Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature’ (Mark 16:15).

In addition to this commission, by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach and witness to the lost world in the Gospel of Mark, there are four other commissions to the born-again Christian in the New Testament! Yes, the number one priority of the child of God, after his personal relationship with the Lord, is to be a witness for the Lord!

Matthew 28:18-20 is known by most Bible-believers as the Great Commission, but, there is the commission in Luke 24:27,48; and the one in John 15:16; and also Acts 1:8, so there are a total of five Great Commissions in the New Testament emphasizing the importance of preaching, teaching and witnessing for the child of God!

Unfortunately, there has been a marked movement away from proclaiming the Gospel to the lost, and instead the more palatable way of showing concern for conditions in our country has been Political Activism. ’Get out and vote’, ’Stop this and that corrupt practice’, ’End abortion’ etc. and the list continues.

But, none of these efforts of reformation will change the heart of the lost soul, no, reformation can never save anybody, and even more importantly, it was never a Biblical mandate! Reformation was never practiced or preached in the New Testament, only regeneration, the transformation of the lost soul by the power of the Gospel is the only answer!

This movement away from Personal Witnessing to Political Activism has increased rapidly during the last four decades as the Coming of the Lord draws near. Just as in the Days of Lot as prophesied by the Lord in Luke 17 it is the ’Business as Usual’ attitude of the people including the people of God who are unaware of the nearness of Coming of the Lord to rescue his own from His wrath.

Lot ’sat in the gate of Sodom’ in the day that the two angels of God came to take him out of Sodom and Gomorrah. His position of political authority in this wicked and devastatingly corrupt city is a likely evidence of the thoroughly backslidden condition of his heart. His testimony with his own family was destroyed as he tried to convince them of the coming judgment of God proving that he also was not capable of being a Personal Witness to those who didn’t know of the saving grace of God for salvation.

Although not every Political Activist of today has the same heart condition as Lot, the illustration provides us with a glimpse of the results of focusing our efforts on the wrong priorities. We, who have this ’treasure in earthen vessels’, must, with all the power God gives us through His Spirit, reach our generation for the Lord Jesus Christ and not allow the Tradition of Political Activity to take the priority in our lives, for changing the world can