In this Time Capsule, I will address what is most disconcerting to me about the phenomenal candidacy of Donald Trump for the presidency. It is the fact that his candidacy is being supported by the majority of modern-day evangelicals.
The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Donald Trump says he is a Christian, despite the fact he never remembers asking God for forgiveness. How can Trump be a Christian if he has never confessed his sins to God? Is the Bible wrong? Has God made an exception for Donald Trump?
Donald Trump’s professed beliefs and public behavior belie his Christian confession. He left his first wife for his second wife and his second wife for his third and current wife. If elected president, his current wife will become the first First Lady of the United States to have posed nude in a pornographic publication. In addition to all of this, Trump has publicly boasted of his own sexual exploits, bragging that he has had sex with many of the world’s most beautiful women. According to the Bible, such sinful behavior should not be bragged about, but not even mentioned among the saints (Ephesians 5:3).
In addition to his sexual immorality, Donald Trump has made a fortune building casinos, gambling establishments. At least one of which houses a popular strip bar. His business practices are well known to have bankrupted other companies and cost thousands of people their jobs and livelihoods. However, Trump excuses as good business any suffering his business dealings have caused others. To the Donald, whatever suffering his actions cause others is justifiable as long as it proves in the end to be personally profitable to him.
Now, Trump supporters, especially evangelicals, which Trump has the lion’s share of according to recent polls, will argue that I’m talking about Trump’s past sins and indiscretions. He, according to them, has been forgiven of his sins and become a Christian. Yet, as we’ve already pointed out, Trump denies having ever done what one must do to be forgiven by God and become a Christian; namely, confess his sins to God and ask God for forgiveness.
I guess it doesn’t matter to the lion’s share of modern-day evangelicals what God says. What matters to them is what Trump says. They are willing to take Trump’s word over God’s Word and believe that Trump is a Christian, simply because Trump says so. They don’t care if Trump’s testimony contradicts the teaching of Scripture. Having made up their minds what they want to believe about Donald Trump, they don’t want anybody confusing them with biblical truth.
Evangelical support of Donald Trump’s candidacy for the presidency is a sad testimony on the contemporary church in America. It is proof positive that the contemporary church has discarded the Bible as our sole authority for faith and practice. Just as folks flock to the contemporary church for an entertaining show rather than to be spiritually edified by sound doctrine, these same folks are flocking to Donald Trump in order to vote themselves a showman rather than a statesman into the White House.