June 27, 2016 @ 10:30 AM
It greatly grieves me to see professed Christians in America desperately grasping for straws to shore up their vain hope that a spiritually reprobate America will return to its former Judeo-Christian foundation. Four years ago, the vast majority of American evangelicals went to the polls and punched their ballots for a cultist, as though voting into the White House a proponent of a false gospel would somehow return our nation to its Christian roots. Today, America's desperate evangelicals are lining up to cast their ballots in this year's upcoming presidential election for a charlatan, as though electing a Christian pretender will somehow restore our nation to its genuine Christian moorings.
Some time ago, Donald Trump publicly stated that he has never done what the Bible teaches one must do to become a Christian; namely, confess his sins to God and ask for God's forgiveness. When asked in an interview if he had ever asked God for forgiveness, Trump answered: "I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so." He later added that when he does do something wrong, which he claims he seldom does, he just tries to make it right, feeling no need to "bring God into [the] picture.”
When questions began to arise over how Trump could possibly be a Christian if he has never asked for the forgiveness of his sins provided for us all by God in Christ, Trump backpedaled by suggesting that his observance of church communion could be seen as him asking God for forgiveness of his sins. Speaking of the wine, which represents the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world, and the bread, which represents the torn body of Christ on the cross of Calvary for our salvation, Trump said, “When I drink my little wine – which is about the only wine I drink – and have my little cracker, I guess that’s a form of asking for forgiveness.”
In a recent interview with conservative talk show host and author Cal Thomas, Trump was questioned by Thomas about his previous public admission that he felt no need for personal forgiveness and repentance. When Thomas pointed out to Trump that the Bible teaches that repentance from sin and asking God for forgiveness of our sins “is a precondition to salvation,” Trump responded by saying, “I will be asking for forgiveness, but hopefully I won’t have to be asking for much forgiveness.” Does this sound to you like a man under the conviction of the Holy Spirit for his sins? It doesn’t to me; in fact, it sounds to me like a man proudly wrapping himself in the “filthy rags of his own righteousness” (Isaiah 64:6).
When Thomas pressed Trump further about his suspect Christian confession, Trump suggested that his evangelical support at the polls was evidence of the genuineness of his Christian faith. Then, cutting to the chase, Thomas said, “I ask you the question Jesus asked of Peter: Who do you say He is?” In response, Trump answered: “Jesus to me is somebody I can think about for security and confidence. Somebody I can revere in terms of bravery and in terms of courage and, because I consider the Christian religion so important, somebody I can totally rely on in my own mind.” Does this sound to you like a clear confession of the Lord Jesus? It doesn’t to me; in fact, it sounds to me like someone who refuses to confess Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior.
Long ago the Apostle John gave us an acid test to prove whether someone has the Spirit of God and is of God or whether someone has the spirit of antichrist and is of the devil (1 John 4:1-3). The proof of the spiritual pudding, according to the Apostle John, is whether or not that person is willing to confess Jesus Christ. If they are, they have the Spirit of God and are of God. If they are not, however, they have the spirit of antichrist and are of the devil. I know Trump’s evangelical supporters will balk at any suggestion that Donald Trump has the spirit of antichrist, but the Apostle John clearly teaches that anyone who refuses to confess Jesus Christ is an antichrist (1 John 2:22, 4:3; 2 John 1:7).
Last week, Charisma News reported, following Trump’s private meeting with evangelical leaders in New York City, that Dr. James Dobson emerged from that meeting declaring that Trump had just recently accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. According to Dobson, he doesn’t know exactly when it happened, but it happened fairly recently. Now, I find the original source of this report, Charisma News, most intriguing. The number one segment of American evangelicals who have climbed onto the Trump bandwagon is Charismatics, the preachers of the prosperity gospel. To many Charismatics, Trump is proven to be God's man by the mere fact that he is a billionaire.
When it comes to Dr. Dobson’s claim that Trump has just recently converted to Christianity, does it bother anyone besides myself that we are learning about it from a second-hand report on Charisma News as something privately known by a few folks who met with Trump behind closed doors? Why doesn’t Trump publicly profess it himself? Why doesn’t he proudly tell the world about his recent acceptance of Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior? What is he ashamed of? Do you remember what Jesus said about those who were ashamed of Him and refused to publicly acknowledge Him before men on this earth (Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26)? According to Jesus, He will be ashamed of them and refuse to acknowledge them when He returns to earth in His glory.
Folks, it’s high time evangelicals stopped desperately grasping for straws in a vain hope that our spiritually reprobate country can be saved. It’s time we faced the hard and harsh truth about our nation, a nation that has passed a point of no return with God. It’s also time we stopped trying to pitifully put together straw men for the presidency, whether they be cultists or charlatans. And finally, and most importantly, it’s high time Christians devoted themselves to Christ and the winning of God’s elect rather than to the likes of Donald Trump and the winning of elections!