Idolizing Our Laws and "Rights"

This point may get me in trouble with some, but it can be the case that we put an idolatrous focus on the Constitution and Bill of Rights. There may be many clues, that if we se them in our lives, that we may be guilty of idolatry in this are. 

First, there are some Christians that are much more vocal about how our representatives or our President are abusing the constitution and interpreting it incorrectly than how there are so many in our country and churches that pervert scripture. Does this describe you? Are you more likely to make sure you make your opinions and complaints known about constitutional abuses than abuses of scripture on social media and in your discussions with others?

Second, there are also some Christians who I have talked to who seem more passionate and vocal to others about their man-given American rights than teaching the word of God to someone. I do believe there are many who idolize their rights so much that they become rebellious in their attitude toward their authorities and dishonor their authorities, which are BOTH sins in scripture. You may have heard a brother or sister in Christ say something along the lines of, “if the government wants to take my guns, they will have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands!” Seriously? I like to think they are joking when they say this, but at least those who I have heard say these kind of things sure do seem pretty serious. I also have seen some Christians complain about our governing authorities on Facebook, even putting what they type in all caps so everyone can know that they are yelling at their authorities about the laws they are passing that take away previous freedoms; laws which the majority of the time God does not give His opinion on in His word. My response: such attitudes displayed in these kind of comments are sinful, and they show that we often idolize our rights. It is dishonoring to your authorities and to the God who placed our authorities over us.

Some also idolize the constitution and their rights in saying that they are given by God when many of them are not even mentioned in the word of God! Now I don’t want to be misunderstood. I believe that the constitution and the Bill of Rights are great documents. I have a lot of respect for those who were involved in their creation. I would prefer that they stay exactly the way they are and be interpreted based on what our founding fathers had in mind when they were written! But let me tell you this, and this may come as a surprise to you, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights did not fall out of Heaven. They are not inspired by God. Our constitution and our “rights” are not “God-given” as so many cry out. It is a document that was created by men and, unfortunately, can be changed or done away with by men. If our leadership changed/amended, or even did away with the Bill of Rights or the constitution, what would your response be? If the government did make it a law that we could no longer own or possess firearms, how would you respond? Would you respond by saying, “You have to tear them out of my cold, dead hands?” or yell from the rooftops, “It is my God-given right to own and carry a gun?” The Biblical response (and non-idolatrous response) would be to submit to our authorities. Guns are not the only weapons we as Americans can use to defend ourselves.

Sometimes it seems that the worldview and beliefs of some Christians are based more on FOX News and conservative talk radio than they are the word of God. What is our authority? What is it that gives us our direction and hope in life? It is NOT our laws and our rights. “Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” No matter what comes of our rights and our constitution, we already have all that we need to live godly in Christ. We have our standard. We have our King. No matter what may happen with the laws of this nation, we need to be faithful to Christ. What laws our nation has or whatever our rights may be, we need to use them to serve and glorify God as lights in this world. And no matter what the situation may be in this country, we need to get the gospel out. We need to set our minds on higher things and not get so distracted and consumed by the things of this world that we give too much love to.

"You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Timothy 2:3-4).