Words for the Church in these Post-Election Days by p.j. tibayan
I was asked, “What will you say to your church after the election?” That’s a great question, and I have a short answer and an expanded answer. My short answer in one word: Jesus. To expand as briefly as possible, my message to my church family is Jesus Christ: over all, in us, through us, and to us. Let me explain these four phrases.
Jesus Over Us
Jesus is Lord of all. Jesus said all authority in heaven and on earth is given to him (Matt 28:18). Whether people realize it or not, he is their Lord. He has authority over them. And one day, they will all bow the knee and confess that Jesus is Lord (Phil 2:9-11). Jesus is Lord over the United States of America and North America. He is Lord over Central and South America. He is Lord over all the nations in Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe. He is Lord over all their leaders. He is Lord over Democrats and Republicans and all government leaders. He is Lord over those who aren’t Christian. Most obviously, Jesus is Lord over us Christians, and we happily acknowledge this Lordship in the fellowship of our local church. Jesus rules over us and over all.
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Jesus In Us
Jesus is our Lord and dwells in our hearts (Eph 3:17). Jesus is in us, and we are in him (John 17:21-23). Therefore, our oneness is in Jesus. We are one body, a unity. Our unity with true Christians worldwide and in this country is in Christ, the Spirit, and the gospel — not our partisan preference. Our unity as a church is further defined in our confession of faith, church covenant, and our mutual effort in the great commission — not whom we voted for president. However, our unity in Christ doesn’t destroy our diversity as Christians. Our unity is not uniformity. We may disagree on international diplomacy and policy, economic philosophy, or the appropriate size and scope of our government. Still, we agree in (1) the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death, (2) the image of God in all ethnicities and opposing ethnocentric oppression wherever it exists, and (3) that the biblical definition of marriage, sexuality, and gender is good for all society including those who disagree with us. We are one body. When one part of the body hurts, we hurt. When one member of our church body rejoices, we rejoice (1 Cor 12:26). Our two-fold challenge is to empathize and serve those who are discouraged by this election and to share in the righteous joy of those who are encouraged by this election at the same time. So let
