Christ and Politics: Gospel Witness Supersedes Political Alignment

When God called me into ministry and stirred my heart to plant a church, I had vision and passion, but not much else. I didn’t have the money to rub two pennies together. That’s what led me to the General Baptist Convention of Texas office in Fort Worth. I was 25, with no pastoral experience and not a single sermon preached to a real church, hoping to convince a committee to support this wild call God had put on my life.

As I sat in the waiting room, nervous and probably looking every bit the part, an older woman sat across from me. Her face was lined with years of life and wisdom, the kind of woman who feared the Lord and had seen more than most. She studied me for a minute and finally said, 

“You want to plant a church?”

“Yes ma’am,” I answered, quietly and honestly.

She looked straight at me and said, “You better not pussyfoot around the gospel.”

I wasn’t sure if she had insulted me, challenged me, or ordained me on the spot, but I knew exactly what she meant. She was warning me not to dodge the only message that saves. Not to get swept up in lesser things. Not to turn the pulpit into a stage for culture wars instead of a platform for Christ.

Her words landed with weight because she was speaking from experience. She had watched pastors drift over the years, some becoming political commentators, some making temporal issues central, some neglecting the eternal for the urgent. And in that moment, it was as if God pressed into my heart: “Make the main thing the main thing. Preach Christ. I alone can save!”

That conviction has stayed with me:

“The aim of pastoral faithfulness is gospel witness, not political victory, not cultural takeover. Faithfulness, not alignment, is the point of the spear.” J.D. Greear

Two Callings: The Church Organically and Organizationally

This is where Abraham Kuyper gives us a helpful distinction. He talks about the difference between the church as an organism and the church as an organization, and this framework helps keep us grounded when everything around us feels politicized.

1. The Church Organically

This is the church scattered, believers living out their faith in everyday life as parents, teachers, coaches, business owners, students, civil servants, neighbors.

As the church organically, Christians absolutely should engage the world. We bring Scripture-shaped wisdom into every sphere: education, law, business, sports, family life, community leadership. We seek justice, truth, mercy, and excellence. We love our neighbors. We vote. We participate. We bring the aroma of Christ into real places with real needs.

This is a good and necessary calling. We want our people to show up as salt and light wherever God has placed them.

2. The Church Organizationally

But the institutional church – the local church gathered, the one with pastors and sermons and sacraments – has a much narrower assignment.

The church organizationally is called to:

• Proclaim the gospel.

• Teach all that Jesus commanded.

• Shepherd the flock.

• Guard the truth.

• Equip the saints for their work in the world.

• Keep its witness centered on Christ.

When pastors speak publicly, people assume God is speaking. That’s why we must be slow to attach the authority of Jesus to political positions, candidates, or policy debates that Scripture does not clearly address. The Bible speaks directly and authoritatively about many things: justice, sexuality, dignity, sanctity of life, marriage, truth, righteousness, and the image of God to name a few. But it does not give detailed instructions on tax strategy, border policy, gun legislation, zoning laws, or which candidate is “God’s choice.” Faithful Christians can disagree on these matters in good conscience.

So while our people should engage the world in all its complexity, the role of the church’s leadership is to stay tied tightly to the text of Scripture and the message of Christ. When we confuse our political preferences, no matter how strongly held, with gospel proclamation, we blur the very message we are called to guard.

We compromise the mission when we trade the eternal for the temporary. We indeed are treading on pussyfooting around the gospel. 

Here is a helpful resource that inspired this blog and gives more detail on The Church and Politics. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/faithfulness-amid-culture-war/

Christ is all,

Scott Brooks