What Would Jesus or Reagan Do? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
By Brannon S. Howse
 
The last few weeks all of us in the pro-family, pro-life cause have been debating who the best candidate would be for President of the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />United States. The debate has been heated and based on deep convictions on my part and that of those that agree with me as well as disagree with me. However, I have to ask the question: What if I and others in the pro-family, pro-life cause were as convicted about sharing the good news of salvation with the lost on a daily basis as we are to organize, campaign and debate for a presidential candidate?
Whenever I use my radio program to talk about politics the phone lines light up. Whenever I write a column on politics, politicians and the pro-family leaders that support certain politicians, the feedback button on my website is hit hundreds of times. People leave passionate feedback agreeing and disagreeing with my columns on politics.      
            However, whenever I have written columns on using the moral law to evangelize the lost, the importance of training the hearts and minds of our children with Biblical truth, and the importance of teaching and defending Biblical doctrine, the article views and feedback have been much smaller.  
            It is clear to me that the disparity between the passion and zeal for politicians, policy makers and pundits verses for Biblical evangelism, Biblical discipleship, Biblical parenting and Biblical worldview training is why the country, the church and families are in such a mess.
            Just check the amount of the feedback on this article and the article views at the bottom of the page and compare it to the page views and feedback to my recent column on "When Hillary and Obama Win the White House You Can Thank Pro-Family Leaders for not Being Leaders". The feedback and page views will be much less.
Why? Because I and others like me, care more about politics and the culture war than we do evangelism. Why is that? It is because it does not take any guts or great skill to share your opinion about a political candidate and his policies. If it did there would be far viewer talk show hosts, people calling into talk radio programs, and people debating on the internet. It is also because we are selfish and when we fight for a particular candidate we are helping ourselves whether we admit it or not. Who does not want to help elect a guy that is going to keep your taxes low and keep the nation secure so we can live the American dream?  Sure, we care about the life of the unborn but sadly most Christians are not that committed to the pro-life cause. Most people fight for a particular candidate for selfish reasons and if we are honest we will admit that.
            Witnessing to the lost is scary and requires thinking about that person's soul and not about myself and how uncomfortable it makes me.  
            Maybe this election year instead of asking "what would Ronald Reagan do" we should ask "what did Jesus do".
             If we want to evangelize like Jesus Christ, then we must learn to use the moral law as He did. That means we cannot be afraid to use the word "sin." According to 1 John 3:4, sin is the transgression of the law. According to Romans, the moral law is written on the heart and mind of every person-thus the conscience ("con" means with and "science" means knowledge). Because of the conscience, every time people sin or rebel against God, they know it is wrong. Romans 7:7 assures us that the law convicts people of their sin.
Through the Word of God we come to understand that we don't murder fellow human beings because murder goes against the character of God. Neither are we to lie, steal, or break any of the other Ten Commandments because doing so would go against who God is.
Romans 1:21 reminds us, "although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened." And Romans 2:15 points out that people "show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them."
Everyone has broken the law. No one can claim to warrant entry into heaven because they have "lived a good enough life." God's standard is that people must keep the complete moral law, and no one has done that. The purpose of the law is not to save us. It is to condemn us, to show us our true state, to reveal our sin, and to show us we deserve God's wrath. Romans 3:20 explains that purpose of the law is to get people to stop justifying their sin.             Oswald Chambers offers a perspective on the kind of things many of us are doing right now; being too consumed by things other than fulfilling the Great Commission:
 
"Satan's great aim is to deflect us from the center. He will allow us to be devoted to the death to any cause, any enterprise, to anything but the Lord Jesus."[1] Hebrews 13:9 instructs us to not be carried away by all sorts of strange teachings (deflected from the center) but sadly, that is exactly what is happening for many.            
 
This election year, and every year, instead of asking, "what would Ronald Reagan do", ask yourself, "what would did Jesus do", then use the moral law when daily sharing with a lost person. 
 
 

[1] George Grant, The Family Under Siege (Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 1994), p. 44.