於2010-08-24發佈
有時我會收到來自知名、政治上偏向自由派之基督徒的請求,希望我與其他保守派基督徒對歐巴馬總統的批評有所節制,甚至有一位稱這樣的批評『非基督徒所為』。我回應這樣的請求是假冒為善。不可否認,有一些保守派的評論已經越線,或是過於偏激,我相信已經扭曲了。即便如此,若自由派當時對保守派布希總統的批評有所節制的話,自由派基督徒要求保守派基督徒節制的請求會顯得更為真誠。然而,我們確實有讓真理的靈成真的義務,那也必須成為我們的決心。     

顯然許多自由派認為他們對布希的偏激批評是合理的,因為他的政策使批評有理;因此,他們可能是很真誠的。然而,為何他們認為保守派這樣做就是錯的─他們也很真誠,怎麼就成為『非基督徒所為』了?正如我曾說的,倘若當時自由派要求自己同夥對保守派的批評有所節制,這也難怪保守派會將自由派這樣的懇求視為沈重負擔。然而,在這裡並不是為任何一方辯護。這跟我們站在哪一邊無關,我們的觀點真的以事實與真理為依據嗎? 

在自由派的媒體中,他們對保守派極端者的那些批評,同樣出現在自由派的極端者身上,他們要不是沒有看見,就是不認為自由派這樣做有何不對,因為他們認同自己的議程。你是否留意到,那些最要求別人包容的人,往往成為最無法包容他們所不認同的人?不管我們的政治立場如何,假冒為善的還是假冒為善。 

保守派媒體對自由派也是如此。雙方都有極端份子,常常不正確地渲染我們不認同人。倘若雙方都需要減少虛誇的言詞,這可能是給保守派佔優勢開始這樣做的機會。倘若此真發生了,可能不會有許多人注意到,但我們不應該在乎是否有人注意,乃是在乎神的注意。我們在這裡是為了行祂的旨意。 

我並不是藉此提倡妥協我們的信念,或是說這些持反對觀點者的議程有多偏激與危險。要這樣做的方式在於不將他人妖魔化,而是針對他們的議程或立場。正如以弗所書六章12節告訴我們: 

因我們並不是與屬血氣的爭戰,乃是與那些執政的、掌權的、管轄這幽暗世界的,以及天空屬靈氣的惡魔爭戰。 

我們最大的得勝不單是贏得爭論或贏得選舉,因為我們已經說服更多人認同我們的政治觀,我們必須贏得人心。我們絕不能忘記此,我們蒙召彼此相愛超越一切事物。耶穌的真門徒會以他們對彼此的愛而聞名,真正順服耶穌的人甚至會照祂所吩咐我們的來愛仇敵。 

曾有人說,而且說的很誠懇:神才是我們最需要愛與合一的對象,我們主要的考量應該是我們是否有冒犯神。目前在美國發生的事是神在聖經中的審判,其會臨到任何開始稱惡為善,稱善為惡』的國家─他們尊榮卑鄙之人,羞辱尊榮之人(參考以賽亞書5)。臨到這樣背離神道路國家的第一個審判就是神給予他們不成熟、無能,而且/或是邪惡的領導階層。這不就是現在發生在美國的景況嗎? 

邪惡就是神稱為惡的,良善則是神稱為善的。藉由聖經對善惡的定義,我們現在不僅擁有邪惡的領導階層,而且還異常地不成熟與無能。因為這些是從神來的審判,贏得選舉與百姓對我們觀點的認同,不若我們在神面前謙卑、悔改、祈求祂的恩典回到我們國家來得重要。 

我已經信主四十年了,大部分時間都致力於尋求認識祂,好讓我可以事奉祂。祂最令我驚訝的兩個特性出現在啟示錄一書中;一個是:為何祂要站在祂自己教會外面敲門呢?(參考啟示錄321),另一個則是:為何祂給耶洗別『悔改的機會』呢?(參考啟示錄221)藉此,我們必須斷定,至少在這世代,祂不會到任何拒絕祂的地方,甚至是祂自己的教會。我們也必須斷定,祂愛世人,甚至是最邪惡的人,祂對他們的耐心無法測度,只盼望他們會悔改。 
 
事奉祂的目標應該是與祂的道路與行動達成一致。憐憫確實向審判誇勝,但會有一些時候祂的審判就是祂的憐憫。在聖經中有許多種類的審判,只有一種是譴責,只有一種是毀滅,其他都是主對祂所愛之人的管教。正如希伯來書十二章告訴我們,最可怕的事莫過於沒有經歷祂的管教,那反而表示我們不是祂的。事實上美國現在正經歷神的管教,此正是祂還沒放棄我們的證據。 

即使我們可以經歷神的審判以許多不同方式臨到美國,那也是令人鼓舞的證據顯示神還沒有放棄美國。倘若我們會悔改與回轉向祂,最好的日子真的在前面等著我們。然而,我們必須瞭解時候;我們必須瞭解祂的目的;我們也必須與這些事物連結在一起─不要抵擋它們,否則我們國家也可能滅亡。神與祂的目的遠大過美國,祂可以興起、使用最小的國家,倘若祂選擇這樣做的話。讓我們定意讓結局不至於此。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 32, 2010)

Prepared for the Times, Part 32
Week 32, 2010 

I sometimes receive appeals from well-known, politically liberal Christians who want me and other conservatives to refrain from our criticism of President Obama, with one even calling this criticism “unchristian.” I responded by calling this request hypocritical. Admittedly, some criticism by conservatives has crossed a line or been too extreme, and I believe distorted. Even so, this appeal by liberal Christians for conservative Christians to be more restrained would seem more genuine if they had been more restrained in their criticisms of the more conservative President Bush, and advocated this restraint by their fellow liberals at that time. However, we do have an obligation to the Spirit of truth to be true, and that must be our resolve.

Obviously, many liberals think that their extreme criticism of Bush was warranted because his policies warranted it, and therefore, they may have been very sincere. However, why do they think that the same could not be true of conservatives—that they were very sincere, rather than being “unchristian?” As I said, no doubt that conservatives might take this kind of appeal by liberals with serious weight if they had called for restraint by their fellow liberals in criticizing conservatives. However, this does not justify what either side is doing. It is not about which side we take. Are we really basing our perspective on the facts, on the truth? 

In the liberal media, the extremes they highlight with conservatives are found just as much and just as extreme with liberals. They either do not see this, or do not think it is wrong for liberals to be that way, because they agree with their agenda. Have you noticed that those who are demanding the most tolerance from others tend to be the most intolerant of those who disagree with them? Hypocrisy is still hypocrisy regardless of which side we are on politically.

The same is true of the conservative media in relation to liberals. We both have extremes that often wrongly color those we disagree with. If it is true that the rhetoric needs to be dialed down on both sides, there does seem to be an opportunity for conservatives to take the high ground and start the process. If this were to happen, it is not likely that many would even notice it, but we should not care whether men notice it or not, but that God does. We are here to do His will. 

By this I am not advocating compromising our convictions, or even speaking out about the extremes and dangers we may see in the agenda of those who have opposing views, but to do it in such a way that we do not demonize people, but rather their agenda or positions. As we are told in  Ephesians 6:12:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Our greatest victory is not to just win the debate, or to win elections, because we have persuaded more people to take our political views, but it must be to win people. We must never forget this. Above all things, we are called to love each other. The true disciples of Jesus will be known by their love for one another, and the ones who truly obey Jesus will even love their enemies as He has instructed us. 

This having been said, and said sincerely, the main One we need to love, and be in unity with is God. Our main concern should be if we have offended God. What is now happening in America are the biblical judgments of God, which come upon any nation that begins to “call evil good, and good evil—that honors the dishonorable, and dishonors the honorable” (read Isaiah 5). The first judgment of God upon such a nation that has turned in this way is to give them immature, incompetent, and/or evil leadership. Could there be any doubt this is what is happening in America now?

Evil is what God calls evil, and good is what He calls good. By the definitions of these in Scripture, we not only now have evil leadership, but leadership that has proven astonishingly immature and incompetent. Because these are judgments from God, winning elections and winning people to our view should not be as important as humbling ourselves before God, repenting to Him, and asking for His grace to come back upon our nation. 

I have now been a believer for forty years, and the majority of my time is devoted to seeking to know Him so that I can serve Him. Two of His characteristics that are the most astonishing to me are found in the Book of Revelation. One is: Why would He stand outside of His own church and knock to come in? (see Revelation 3:21) The other is: Why did He give Jezebel “time to repent” even when she was seducing His servants? (see Revelation 2:21) By these, we must conclude that, in this age at least, He will not come into any place, even His own church, where He is not wanted. We must also conclude that He loves even the most evil people and has an incomprehensible patience toward them in the hope that they will repent. 

The goal of all who serve Him should be to be in harmony with His ways and His acts. Mercy does triumph over judgment, but there is a time when His judgments are His mercy. Many kinds of judgment are in Scripture, and only one is condemnation, and only one is destruction. The rest are the discipline of the Lord upon those He loves. As we are told in Hebrews 12, the scariest thing of all should be to not experience His discipline, which would only mean that we are not His. The fact that America is now experiencing the judgment of God is actually evidence that He has not given up on us yet. 

Even though we can witness the judgment of God coming upon America in many diverse ways, there is also encouraging evidence that God has not given up on America yet. If we will repent and return to Him, our best days can actually be ahead of us. However, we must understand the times; we must understand His purposes; and we must align ourselves with them—not against them, or we could also cease to exist as a nation. God and His purposes are far bigger than America, and He can raise up even the least of the nations to use if He so chooses. Let us resolve that this will not have to be the case.