When the Lord saved me around 12 years ago or so, I made a radical break from my political past. Whereas I had formerly been a postmodernist and, therefore, an advocate of ideas in line with critical race theory and social justicism, upon my conversion I understood that such ideas and their attendant practices were wicked. I wanted nothing to do with them, and thought I could quietly pass my time here without ever having to think through political issues.
In my view, being concerned about my rights as a citizen of the USA was a
foolish waste of time. After all, God is Sovereign. Why should I be
concerned about the sins of others, when my sins are so numerous? Is this
not a form of self-righteousness? Why should I be disseminating politically
relevant information, when I could be disseminating the Gospel? Was it not
just a waste of time to be concerned with political issues?
As
time passed, however, I began to understand several basic Scriptural truths
that changed my understanding of politics. One of the first ones that struck
me was that my duty to God was not to only pray and study the
Scriptures, but to pray and study the Scriptures so that I could
glorify God in all that I did.
Next, I came to understand the truth that not only was man created by God to live on earth and function as its custodian, but that this duty, despite the Fall and its attendant consequences, had never been abolished by God.
In fact, as I next understood, redeemed man's ability to live and function as custodian of God's creation was restored. I had been born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, and thereby empowered, however failingly (due to remaining indwelling sin), to do that for which God created me, namely to -
“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen 1:28)
Becoming a Christian did not make me exempt from these tasks, but restored me so that I could once again glorify God by doing those things.
What is more, I began to understand that because these tasks are all to be done to the glory of God (1st Cor 10:30), they are all to be governed not by the whimsical decrees of popes and magistrates, but by the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Over time, I went from thinking that my sanctification would result in me becoming something like a Medieval monk, to understanding my sanctification would result in me being like Christ - the Last Adam. As a son of Adam (cf. Luke 3:23-38), Christ's every day was to be one in which he did those things for which Adam had been created. If Jesus was not exempt from engaging in the affairs of the day, I certainly was not. If the Creator become flesh did not exempt himself from critiquing the wicked leaders of his day, then I was certainly not exempt from so doing.
Not a Distraction
To make a long story short - the Lord made it clear to me through his Word that my concerns about what is taking place in the world right now are not a distraction, but constitute an aspect of my daily life as a Christian seeking to serve him. Rather than viewing my concerns about tyrannical rulers seeking to stifle free speech, for instance, as unnecessary hindrances to me being "spiritual," I understood that doing so was part and parcel of my duty before God.
For if the magistrate's rightful duty is to function as a minister of God's justice - rewarding the good and punishing the evil who are under his jurisdiction - and if his deviation from that is sin, then I am in sin for not opposing his deviations from his God-given task. I am literally encouraging injustice not merely against men but against God. Is it a distraction to be concerned with seeing that men do not unjustly overstep their jurisdictional boundaries? Or is it merely part of my role as a man called to function as a lesser magistrate?
The same can be stated about my concerns about whether or not the medical industry, "experts," government, and media are telling people the truth about COVID-19, the experimental gene therapies, hospital overcrowding, available safe and effective treatments, and so on. While I am not a scientific or medical expert, I do have jurisdiction over my household. Consequently, I have not merely a right but an absolute duty before God to make sure that I am not allowing men in lab coats, government garments, or overpriced "power suits" on television to sinfully exert authority over domains over which they have no legitimate jurisdiction.
Once these men have overstepped their jurisdictional boundaries, they have ceased to function in a God-honoring and good manner. If I acquiesce to their demands then I am practically (i.e. by my practice) identifying God's Law as false, and submitting to the sinful pretensions of men. This is evil; and if the Lord is sanctifying me, then I will want nothing to do with this kind of evil. I could go on, but I think these examples are sufficient to drive the point home.
Because God is conforming my mind to his Word, I understand these issues very differently than I once did. Being politically aware is not a distraction. Being concerned about voter fraud is not a distraction. Being concerned about the alarming and obvious assault on individual liberties is not a distraction.
It is because Christians are heavenly minded that we can be of earthly good.
An Important Distinction
Does this mean that CRT and Social Justice activism, which is based on an assumed CRT ideology, are likewise legitimate?
Not at all.
CRT is a worldview unto itself, one whose foundational pillars are antithetically opposed to the Christian worldview. CRT's implied metaphysics, as well as its explicit understanding of anthropology, epistemology, ethics, sociology, and jurisprudence give rise to analyses of society as a whole, and the individual, resulting in the creation of values, as well the means whereby such values are to be upheld and disseminated in society, that are the opposite of what Scripture teaches.
To put the matter briefly:
One either views the world correctly through a Scriptural/ Biblical "lens' or one does not. Given that CRT is a worldview into itself, to view the world through it is to view it incorrectly, i.e. in contradiction to the truth. Injustice, poverty, abuses of power, etc. are to be examined and addressed not by an appeal to a Foucauldian understanding of power relations, or to a Freud-inspired concept of "sub-conscious" motivation, or Marx's concept of divided/dual consciousness, or Sartre's theory of "the gaze" of the other.
Rather, we are to have all of our thinking, and subsequent behavior, conform to all of the teaching of Scripture. All reasoning about political, social, economic, epistemic, etc. issues must take place within the categories explicitly and implicitly provided for us by God in his Word. When this occurs, We can think soundly about which social, political, etc. matters are legitimate matters of concern, which aren't, and what kind of thinking and acting is in accordance with God's Word.
We are not to be distracted by a godless worldview like CRT or secularism which call evil "good" and call good "evil." Instead, we are to be about our Lord's business. We are to be discerning of our times, of the evils that call for God's eschatological justice, and of our duties/good works, as salt and light, that adorn the Gospel and glorify God.
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