This series takes an ‘Evangelical Charismatic’ position, pitting itself against two extremes: a conservative defeatist view that essentially ignores the world and focuses on evangelism; and a triumphalist view that emphasises God’s power over death and disease and the world with no room for defeat.

Why read this study?

• You want to be resilient when defeat, disease and a lack of breakthrough dominate

• You want to know whether it can be fruitful to be involved in lobbying the government

• You want a way to connect social good with the gospel

• You want your evangelism to have more impact

• You want to explore the connections between Jesus’ life, death and resurrection

• You want to understand what it means to be a witness

• You want to perceive and break free of key religious blinkers

• You want to please and glorify God to the maximum potential

The theological background of this study is “Evangelical Charismatic”, which reaches into the rich history and active faith of conservative Evangelicalism, while acknowledging and embracing the reality of charismatic gifts for today.

Throughout this series, the term ‘political’ is used in a broad sense like “the body politic”—all the people of a particular country considered as a single group—rather than that specific sense of governance. This study is about what we should be doing—our mission—within the larger groupings of people that we find ourselves among—our culture—and includes but is much more than the government.

Parable of the deaf man

A conservative, Pentecostal and Jesus come to a deaf man in a Pentecostal church. The conservative offers to get the deaf person hearing aids, but they gesture “no”, and that they are looking to Jesus for their healing. The Pentecostal then prays for the man, claiming the promises of God, the blood of Jesus, and many words, but to no avail. The man remains deaf. Then Jesus prays to the Father, and the Father says, “I will use hearing aids”.

Jesus turns to the conservative, now feeling smug, and says, “Next time, I’ll use supernaturally expectant words”. To the confused Pentecostal, he consoles them by saying, “don’t assume I’ll work the same way every time and don’t try to control God. Just ask, and do what the Father freshly tells you.”

A new political theology

The Kingdom is not of this world?

There are some who are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. They talk much about heaven and the Spirit and spiritualise every issue. So they’ll pray for healing, which is good, but pressure you to not go to the doctor, which is dangerous. Tragically, there are many accounts of Pentecostal triumphalists who push and keep on pushing prayer for healing despite not hearing God’s call for it, resulting in the conclusion that the person lacks faith or is in sin.The reason they do anything is because they believe God speaks to them daily through his Spirit. This is an understanding shared by charismatics. However, in assuming for theological reasons that God will heal all the time, they don't necessarily seek God's guidance for healing. This is one reason they can be frustrated or go astray. Of course, God also heals non-Christians so this position is already tenuous. But it can and does result in many people rejecting their faith, or simply lacking any confidence so that they withdraw from the life of the church.

They’ll also pray hard for God’s financial provision, but then dismiss the opportunities to work for that provision which God graciously provided. Instead of constructing good laws they’d rather pray that non-Christians be trusted to make good laws themselves. At times, their prayers are answered because God uses prayer and rewards the diligent seeker. However, he also asks them to act in this world. Being too heavenly minded can leave a person immature in character, uncommitted, averse to using their God-given intellect, and the adage is true that these people are “too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good”.

This is the ‘triumphalist’ view.

The Kingdom is to be advanced by our efforts?

There is an equal but opposite political stance. These are the people who are too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good. Typically conservative and modernist, they scoff at any spiritual explanation of events. Instead, they pursue hard work, good character, and use logic and reason to work out God’s will from the Bible. All good things, mind you. When sickness comes they seek a doctor; when finances are tight they work a second job; when bad laws are being proposed they enlist in a political lobby group or in law or politics itself. Nothing will get done without their work behind it. Now, God does reward good behaviour and hard work, but, he asks us to trust in Him and not our own abilities. He asks us to follow His specific guidance, by the Spirit. This leading will be within the parameters of an objective understanding of the Word, but it is still being open to the Spirit’s subjective word to us. Some of those things the Spirit says may relate to people to talk to, miracles to perform, and be insights into good laws. All of that is rejected out of hand, leading to a good-natured but ultimately disconnected witness, like a ‘good atheist’. Ultimately, since God has been removed from all of these worldly endeavours, it is not viewed as bringing in the kingdom. The kingdom work we are to do is simply to lead others to Christ. That is the only way to expand the kingdom. This is highly reductionist.

This is the ‘defeatist’ view.

Finding coherence…

What is the best way forward? On the one hand, we know this is a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). We are in this world but not of it (John 17:14-16). We are to set our minds on things that are above (Colossians 3:2). On the other hand, we are clearly here for more than just to hand out tickets to heaven, being called to be a Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), to exemplify pure religion that cares for vulnerable and distressed (James 1:27), be a light (Matthew 5:16), and be witnesses to all that Jesus said and did (Acts 1:8; 4:20; 22:15).

Those who emphasise heaven too much, like many Pentecostals, appear unable to deal with disappointments, imperfections, silence from God, and other seasons of difficulties. But conservatives who emphasise our earthly existence too much appear unable to take God’s work in the world today seriously—his miraculous power, his supernatural tendencies, our spiritual battle and so on. Both would say they revere Scripture, and follow it 100%. Both work hard at pleasing God so let’s not uncharitably deride a view we disagree with.

The way forward is understanding Scripture from different perspectives, letting one side’s bias call out the other side’s to get as close to raw Scripture (without bias, tradition and religion) as possible, and then forming a single coherent view.

We find coherence…

…through biblical metaphor

We are witnesses

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

It’s interesting they’ll be witnesses only after the Holy Spirit has come on them in power, which we later find out are charismatic gifts.

What were they witnesses of?

“For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20)

—everything that Jesus said and did: his life, death and resurrection; and everything the Spirit is continuing to do through them.

“The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him” (Acts 5:30-32).

I can imagine them witnessing about so many things:

• Jesus’ miracles!

• Jesus’ resurrection from the dead!

• Jesus as the fulfilment of the whole (Old Testament) Scripture: the Messiah!

• His giving of the Holy Spirit to us, who now works through us in power, healings, exorcisms and supernatural jailbreaking!

We can see this witness when Peter explains the Spirit’s first move on the day of Pentecost, in Acts 2. He talks about the promised Spirit (2:14-18). He talks about miraculous signs (2:19-20, 22). He talks about the prophesied ‘day of the Lord’ (2:20) which then results in salvation (2:21) through the cross (2:23). He talks about Jesus’ resurrection (2:24-32), which they were all witnesses to. So the right response to all this is to repent and be baptised and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (2:37-39) and to walk in that new life (2:40).

So this is what it means to be a witness.

We reflect Christ’s glory as images of God

“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:49)

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

“And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” (Colossians 3:10)

“And to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24)

So when we be like God in that “true righteousness and holiness”, or “put on the new self”, “being transformed”, we “bear the image of the man of heaven”.

For example, as we bear witness to Christ’s love by loving others, we are reflecting Christ’s love and giving him glory.

This reflection or image is said to match, from one degree to another, Christ’s image. Such a correlation to Christ’s image is showing Christ to others, or bearing witness.

So this metaphor is another way of being witness, although showing and telling others—witnessing—is more active and being like God is more passive.

We are salt and light

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (John 8:12)

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:6)

Being a light on a hill speaks of the prophecy that God will raise up a mountain city that will draw all nations to its light because of its righteousness, purity, justice, and peace (Isaiah 2:1-5). By exhibiting to others these characteristics of God, others will be drawn to this light.

Being salty is bringing the flavour of God to others through good works. The Message puts the Matthew passage this way: “how will people taste godliness?” Pastor Scotty Smith also draws out the fact that salt only works when it’s out of the salt shaker! Much like the light, you don’t want to hide the salt; it changes a dull meal into a meal full of flavour and life.

We are ambassadors

Pray “that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly…” (Ephesians 6:19-20)

“…Entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20)

Being Christ’s ambassador, God makes an appeal through us to others, in the same way that we proclaim and demonstrate Christ through being a witness to others.

We are representatives of another kingdom, and as such, we are to “speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). Of course, this speech includes action, such as healing the lame man of 40 years in Acts 4, and continuing to preach and rejoice in Christ in prison (Ephesians). These actions represent Christ’s actions on earth, and as such they witness to him. Similarly, our words about Christ represent Christ’s beliefs and words, and therefore witness to him.

Summary and application

The metaphor of being Christ’s witness is a synonym for the metaphors of being made in God’s image, being salt and light, and being Christ’s ambassadors.

To adopt a defeatist view is to ignore the new culture that we must put on when we’re born again, hide our light, and witness to some select aspects of Christ. On the opposite end, a triumphalist position brings shame to Christ’s name every time they do not bring perfection, shines a hollow or tainted light, and proclaims a message that Christ did not preach—to put our hope in this world and not in the world to come. These positions should be rethought in light of these metaphors for who we are in Christ.

In contrast, we ought to relish the opportunity to witness to Christ’s healing power, and if that is not forthcoming, the opportunity to witness Christ’s character, and a further dependent attitude towards Christ. And if we can advocate for good laws that are beneficial for people, that is surely shining our light and salting the earth. Yet if they fail, they are not rejecting us, but Christ—and why should we expect anything different today? Yet that rejection of Christ will bring judgment, which also brings glory to God. Similarly, preaching the gospel may result in people being saved to God’s glory, or it may not. But if nobody listens to the preaching, we have still witnessed, and the message has been delivered to the glory of God (Ezekiel 33:1-6). Our job is simply to represent God in all his ways, and leave the results to God—sowing seeds but not causing the increase (Matthew 13; 1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Here’s my schema for thinking about these metaphors:

Next

Having explored what God says about who we are (a witness, salt and light, and so on), we need to try and see this in Scripture. Is this what the Great Commission is about? What did it look like for the disciples? Did the Israelites in the Old Testament have a different calling, or can we draw encouragement from them somehow?