Be Not Unequally Yoked – The Dangers of Political Pragmatism

This episode warns Christians about the dangers of equating the church with political conservatism and rushing into public alliances with people or movements that contradict biblical teaching. Using 2 Corinthians 6:14–16, it expands the "unequally yoked" warning beyond marriage to cultural and political partnerships.

It examines how the pursuit of political victory can lead believers to tolerate or endorse blatant sin among allies, highlights recent examples of problematic public figures, and stresses the need for discernment and public calls to repentance rather than unquestioning support.

The episode concludes with a call to prioritize the proclamation of the gospel, engage the culture faithfully, demand laws that honor God, and ultimately trust God's sovereignty rather than placing hope in political expedients.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Biblical Christianity often finds itself aligned with political conservatives when addressing social and cultural issues.

(00:07):
Biblical principles regarding the sanctity of life,
family and marriage,obedience to the law,and work ethics find similarities in conservative political platforms.
The culture at large regularly equates Christianity with political conservatism.
In other words,Christians are identified as being exactly the same as the conservative movement and agree or affirm all that the movement endorses.

(00:31):
In fact,the professing church at large rarely makes any public distinction between itself and politically conservative politicians,
pundits,or ideologies.
The church,however,should ask whether or not such a ready association is appropriate for believers.
Not because we do not want conservative policies enacted,

(00:51):
but because not everything that calls itself conservative is biblical.
In his second letter to the Corinthians,Paul makes a stark warning to the church about with whom they should partner.
He writes, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness?
Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

(01:12):
What accord has Christ with Belial?
Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
” (Second Corinthians 6, verses 14 to 16a).
While this passage is most often viewed by Christians as applying to Christians marrying unbelievers,

(01:32):
it has a much broader application.
In the previous verses,Paul commends the actions of himself and the other apostles who have so dutifully and joyfully served the Lord on their behalf,
regardless of the various afflictions they faced.
These men set themselves apart from the wicked world that they might be God’s instrument in bringing the gospel to the lost.

(01:53):
Thus,Paul calls on the Corinthians,and all believers everywhere,
to likewise be set apart because we all are “the temple of the living God” (verse 16b).
Therefore,they are called to not join in partnership with the very world that is at war with God through their wicked works.
Christians today must make that same commitment to being the living temple of God as we engage the culture around us.

(02:17):
Sociopolitical leftists and progressives embrace policies that utterly defy God—abortion,
gay marriage,transgender ideologies,and encouraging criminal behavior through the lessening or abandonment of penalties on perpetrators,
just to name a few—and Christians must stand in direct opposition to them.
This is done in a variety of ways,including political engagement and activism,

(02:41):
but more importantly,through the proclamation of the gospel and discipleship.
This leads us into cooperative efforts with political conservatives who often promote policies that oppose such wickedness.
Yet, political conservatives are not always Christians or hold to Christian ideals.
Their end goal is political victory,which may be based on beliefs and practices that are equally offensive to God.

(03:05):
Thus, Christians must be slow to offer public support and alignment with such persons or groups.
In recent history,certain political pundits have sought to insert themselves into the conservative movement and steer their ship in concerning directions.
Persons such as Tucker Carlson,Candace Owens,and Nick Fuentes have asserted they are conservatives while publicly affirming racist and antisemitic beliefs and practices.

(03:29):
Likewise,openly homosexual commentators such as Dave Rubin from the Daily Wire claim conservative ideals while living publicly in sexually depraved relationships.
Still more voices assert white nationalist and even sexist or misogynistic ideologies.
As the conservative movement seeks to outpace leftists and progressives,

(03:50):
it is rapidly ignoring these concerning trends while embracing these persons into its ranks.
Furthermore,voices previously believed to be trustworthy,
such as Matt Walsh (also of Daily Wire),have publicly chastised anyone for even suggesting that such matters are worthy of concern.
The overriding goal is winning a political victory over the left;

(04:12):
therefore, the argument is made that such “infighting” is detrimental and divisive.
Christians need to recognize the danger that public alliances with such persons represent.

The apostle Paul was clear on this matter (04:23):
Christians do not,
indeed cannot,be in partnership with persons and movements that openly defy God and his word.
While we can operate publicly in seeking to defeat leftist ideals,
acknowledge that other groups share similar goals with ourselves,
and can vote in conjunction with more politically conservative movements,

(04:46):
we cannot be too swift to give our public name and support to them.
If we ignore blatantly obvious sinful practices on their part,
if we appeal to political victory over Christian purity,
then we reveal a very concerning issue of our own hearts.
We show that we believe that temporal victory is more important than honoring and glorifying the name of God.

(05:08):
We demonstrate that we do not believe that God is capable of accomplishing good on the earth apart from compromise and partnership with evil.
And it shows that we believe there can never be a time when God is glorified on the earth unless a particular form of conservative political victory is accomplished.
Such a belief is foolish.
God is honored in every culture at every time in history, whether good or evil.

(05:32):
When man was evil beyond measure,God was glorified by saving eight people in an ark and judging the rest of humanity in a flood.
When man later refused to go forth and populate the earth,
choosing instead to build a tower in their own effort to reach heaven,
God was glorified to judge them by confounding their language and dispersing them.

(05:52):
When Sodom and Gomorrah built cities dedicated to sexual depravity,
God was glorified in saving one family while destroying the cities by fire.
God also decreed that the descendants of Jacob would be enslaved by the Egyptians and tormented that he might be glorified when he brought them out again as a nation.
Over and over again,God decreed and permitted evil nations to rise that he might be glorified by his own works.

(06:17):
In fact,the most grievous evil to ever occur,the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,
was by God’s own decree when an idolatrous Israel and a pagan Rome killed him on a tree.
And yet,God was most highly glorified by raising Christ to life that salvation might be freely given to sinful men who deserve death.
Christians who fall prey to the belief that we must compromise with unbelieving conservatives to achieve political victory should consider the words of David,

(06:45):
“Some trust in chariots and some in horses,but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright” (Psalm 20, verses 7 and 8).
Like Israel of old, fearful of its enemies, such Christians look to earthly allies to find victory.
Instead of trusting in God and looking to obey his word in all things,

(07:08):
even in cultural warfare,they think political alliances with those who do not follow Christ will bring them earthly gain.
Yet,the words of the prophet Isaiah should ring in our ears,
“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses,
who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong,

(07:28):
but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!
” (Isaiah 31, verse 1).
This passage is a dire warning to all who claim to follow God.
The glory of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, is of paramount importance.
When we embrace those persons and ideologies that stand opposed to God,

(07:50):
just as the Egyptians did,we proclaim to God that we trust in men over trusting in him alone.
When we decide that political victory means ignoring gross and deliberate sin among those with whom we are aligned,
we are telling God that his word is insufficient to accomplish the goals we have in mind.
We furthermore declare that we believe that God is incapable of bringing good out of evil or that he will glorify his own name if we do anything less than destroy our political opposition.

(08:17):
If we hold to such practices,we may find ourselves facing the same kind of judgment from God as did Israel.
Christians,live out your faith in all areas of your life,
including the political and cultural sphere.
Engage those who believe sin against God is earthly virtue.
Call it out and proclaim repentance and faith in Christ.

(08:39):
Be active voters and demand that political leaders create laws and policies that honor God above all.
We can even openly acknowledge those conservative leaders and pundits who get it right when they support practices that agree with Scripture.
But we cannot,we must not,embrace them as our own when they align themselves with or engage in that which is evil.

(08:59):
Furthermore,we must publicly call them to repentance before God,
for their eternal souls matter more than what we may achieve for their fifteen minutes of fame.
Lastly, we must trust in the absolute sovereignty of God over all things.
If God has decreed temporal victory,it will happen whether or not we ally ourselves with wicked men.

(09:19):
If he has decreed political loss,it will happen regardless of how many groups we unite under one umbrella.
Our trust is not in the horses and chariots of political pragmatism,
but in the God who is in control over all.
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