I’m midway through Fool’s Gold, a collection of essays by John MacArthur and other Christian authors on "discerning truth in an age of error".  While I agree with most of the principles set out in the book, how they are applied come across as rather dogmatic to me.

I read chapter 7 today and was surprised to find myself agreeing almost entirely with what the writer Phil Johnson says about Christianity and politics.  Johnson expounded on Matthew 5 : 16, where Jesus instructed His disciples to "let your light shine before men", and pointed out that - 

… our influence as Christians is most effective at the personal, grassroots level.  There’s no suggestion in our text that the church’s mission is to commandeer the apparatus of secular politics in order to wield our collective influence in society by legislative means.  If you have the idea that’s the best way (or main way) the church is supposed to make her presence felt in secular society, you have missed the point of the text …

To hear some Christians today talk, you might think that rampant sins … can be solved by legislation.  A hundred years ago the pet issue was prohibition, and mainstream evangelicalism embraced the notion that outlawing liquor in America would solve the problem of drunkenness forever.  It was a waste of time and energy, and I believe it was an unhealthy diversion for many in the church.  Listen to Paul : ‘If righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly’ (Galatians 2 :21).  ‘If a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the Law’ (Gal 3 : 21). 

(My comment : It is important to note that in the context of Galatians, Paul was referring to the Old Testament laws, but the same principle applies today - human law, just like the Old Testament laws, or perhaps even less than Old Testament laws, do not make people righteous).

We have the true and only answer to sins ….  It’s the glorious liberty of salvation in Christ.  It’s a message about the grace of God, which has accomplished what no law could ever do.  And we need to proclaim that message, befriending our neighbours, not taking a hostile stance against them, but letting the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shine unto them.

While Johnson was writing about Christianity and politics in America, what he says has lessons for the Singapore church as well. 

We live at a time when globalisation and, in particular, the un-policeable Internet, has allowed many negative influences to enter our once-sanitised state of Singapore.  As an example (if yesterday’s Sunday Times report is to be believed), you only need to look at the number of teens who are (oh the horror !) not only engaging in pre-marital sex, but video-camming themselves in the act.  ("Tammy", "Tammy NYP" and its other variations, by the way, are still the top search items on www.technorati.com after, what, more than a week ?  That goes to show that Singaporeans are anything but as moral as Christians would like to believe).

Christians hope to stem this tide of what it considers immorality by lobbying for the continued ban on "pornographic" or semi-pornographic magazines, films and performances, and against the decriminalisation of unnatural sex, the teaching of "safe" sex in schools, etc.  And when Christians fail in these efforts, which we do from time to time, we wring our hands in despair.

In so doing, we fail to realise that the church can only exert a limited influence on societal morals through the state and its laws.  And this limited influence diminishes even more as time passes, because of the pressures of globalisation on Singapore.  I think it is only a matter of time before Singapore "opens up".

However, what the world cannot take away from Christians is our freedom to exhibit God’s love and grace to others in our daily lives.  I believe that this is a greater counter-influence to negative influences that are permeating society, because while laws compel obedience through fear, God’s message of love and grace brings about obedience through changed hearts.  And so it will do the church well, if it is able to excel in grace and love, in even greater measure.