The Lausanne Legacy: Danish Evangelicals Seek Political Influence

http://evangelicalfocus.com/europe/4821/God_is_at_work_with_politicians_and_culturally_engaged_people

This is yet another example of the Lausanne mindset on display. Somehow getting legislators into church on Sunday morning is deemed a great victory or accomplishment.

Of course what sort of churches are they attending? And how, in the Danish governmental system will they exercise their faith? The Scandinavian social contract is deeply rooted in conformity and dissidents are subject to penalty and ostracisation. It's hard enough for Christians to live under such a system, but how will professing Christians function as legislators within it? How will they do this without gross compromise?

This of course assumes that Christians should even be in government. Denmark's system while perhaps preferable when compared to some is rooted in ideas and concepts antithetical to a Christian profession. Indeed government in principle, while necessary and providentially tasked in a fallen world is opposed to Christian ethics. This is the Apostle Paul's point in his Romans 12-13 discourse. Likewise this is at the heart of Christ's meaning in Mark 12 when he tells us to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's." Again, Paul enjoins to pray for those in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

In other words to quote the good Rabbi in Fiddler on the Roof, "May the Lord bless and keep the Tsar... far away from us."

Or as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "For what have I to do to judge them that are without? .... But them that are without God judgeth."

The New Testament assumption is that Christians will not be seeking or holding political office. Because to do so is to subvert and contradict not only our Christian witness but our very mission. We cannot evangelise the world sword in hand. The sword or magistrate serves a purpose, a mission for this passing age. It's not for us to seek. Let the Babylonians build Babylon. Let the dead bury their dead. We bear witness to the heavenly Kingdom. The servants of Christ don't take up the sword, they don't fight using carnal weapons.

Christian politicking is a repudiation of New Testament teaching.

The Lausanne Movement would see compromised worldly Christians in government attempt to tweak legislation and make paltry political gains for the cause of political Christianity and cultural transformation. Refusing to stand against the many anti-Christian pillars in our society, such as feminism, the movement is willing to redefine terms and work hand-in-hand with the wicked in order to score largely meaningless token victories which in all actuality do nothing to advance the Kingdom... but do much to undermine and certainly distract the Church.

In other words they actually do much more harm than good.

Why legislators? Why not plumbers? Why not fisherman? Cashiers?

The reason is obvious. Lausanne's commitment to Dominion Theology means it wishes to focus primarily on the cultural movers and shakers. While it pays lip service to the supposedly 'sanctified' labours of the common man, the movement has always had a strong elitist strain. They're after the people at the top of the pyramid because what they would really like to see is a top-down movement... legislation, which means coercion. But you won't hear that from them. It would destroy the smiling narrative. It's ironic because the Evangelical movement moved away from the Magisterial aspect of the Reformation during the 19^th century but over the course of the 20^th century, through the efforts of Kuyper, Schaeffer and figures like Billy Graham, they re-embraced it albeit in modified form and with a world-friendly, world-affirming style. As the proverb says, the dog returns to its vomit again.

And just who are these Christian politicians and journalists this activist has met with? Are these people who are part of the apostate State-Lutheran Church?

And just what have these lobbyists and activists accomplished? They've threatened lawsuits in order to keep tax exemptions. They've earned government sanction for things the Church should never ask permission to do anyway. I don't really see a lot to celebrate here.

Listen to the politicians. They see this as humanitarianism, an educational experience, a social welfare resource, a party-festival environment, a kind of cathartic experience, therapy on a grand scale... but there was something important missing.

The Gospel.

The Gospel that transforms, that lost people consider an offense. A Gospel that challenges people, confronts them, breaks them. A thing derided as foolish, distasteful and subversive to the worldly order.

These politicians attended the Lausanne style Free Church and came away smiling, at peace and affirmed. They did not think it strange that the FriKirke folks weren't running to the same excess of riot. No, they admired the show.

Not one mentioned Christ, the Cross, the Blood, the realisation that Christ is coming again. There was no one who spoke of repentance or faith, of the Church and its claims... of the Kingdom.

Dominionists love to talk about the Kingdom but for them it's something the apostate sodomite State Church can help them build, something that can be expanded through legislation, art, academics and culture.

In the end, I'm left baffled. I'm not sure what they mean by saying 'God is at work with politicians and culturally engaged people.'

God is of course at work everywhere but we know what they mean. They mean the Kingdom is being built and advanced by politicians and culturally engaged people.

But I don't see it and I'm left wondering what they mean by terms such as 'God' or 'at work', because I don't think these things have been defined in Biblical terms.