A Covenant of Civility or Covenant of Compromise?
By Brannon S. Howse
Then there is “A Covenant of Civility,” which, according to the website of Jim Wallis, was signed by neo-evangelicals, members of the New Religious Right, New Apostolic Reformation associates, and Emergent Church leaders, such as:
Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals;
Chuck Colson, Founder, Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview;
Paul Cedar, Chairman, Mission America Coalition;
William Hamel, President, Evangelical Free Church of America;
Jim Wallis, President and CEO, Sojourners;
Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President, Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference;
Lynne Hybels, Author and Advocate for Global Engagement;
Tony Campolo, Founder and President, Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education;
Bart Campolo, Minister, The Walnut Hills Fellowship;
Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor, Northland – A Church Distributed.
I fear the American Church is following in the steps of “German Christians” who eliminated their denominations and abandoned doctrinal purity in order to unite under the “Reich Bishop” in order to “save” their country. Nationalism, ecumenical patriotism, mysticism, and a lack of biblical discernment—all of which leads to tolerance of false teaching—are growing at an alarming rate in America.
In April 2011, I wrote an article entitled, “Christians that Partner with False Teachers and Think They Are Defending Liberty for the Sake of the Gospel Are Compromising the Gospel for the Sake of Liberty.” I warned then, as I do now, that the mixing of evangelicals with false prophets for the sake of the culture war is an offense to the Gospel. God does not need us to violate biblical principles in order to restore righteousness. How can we hope to restore biblical principles in government when we have violated biblical principles within the Church? How can God bless the Church in America and our nation when Christians and Christian leaders are in direct disobedience to God’s Word? How can Christians and Christian leaders repent of sin while participating in events that are themselves something for which to repent? The end absolutely does not justify the means. When Christians compromise the Gospel and unite with false teachers in spiritual and political enterprises, regardless of the political outcome, we have lost.
Copyright 2012 ©Brannon Howse. This content is for Situation Room members and is not to be duplicated in any form or uploaded to other websites without the express written permission of Brannon Howse or his legally authorized representative.
