The DNC.
The Democratic National Committee is the governing body of the United States Democratic Party. It organizes the Democratic National Convention held every four years to...
Blah. Blah. Blah.
It's going on right now. Or, so the headlines say. I haven't watched a minute of it.
Don't plan to.
But that's not the point today. There are many, many, many other things that I know nearly nothing about. Shows I've never watched. Books I'll never read. Songs I refuse to listen to. Places I have no desire to go.
In Romans 16:17-20 Paul wrote, "I beg you, brothers, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned; and AVOID them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and SIMPLE CONCERNING EVIL. And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
Be simple. Clarification: be simple when it comes to evil. Not naive; clean.
There are things that I am (and you are) better off NOT knowing.
One of my mentors told me about some pastors years ago who claimed to need a cursory knowledge of "everything," so they would expose themselves to just enough of the evil to be able to understand and speak intelligently about it. Including pornography.
Really?
Um. No.
We don't drink a little toilet water to teach ourselves that it isn't fit to drink.
Have you ever heard of THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL?
Innocence was superior. Ignorance of evil was superior.
Satan was the one who said, "Hey, you'll know more. Aren't you even curious? You'll be better off. You're missing out."
Liar.
So, whether it's "Game of Thrones" or the DNC, I really don't need to know, and frankly don't care to know.
Exposure can desensitize the conscience and normalize the despicable; the deplorable; the decadent; the disgusting - the diarrhea of our culture.
Pollution and perversion are better off left to politicians and perverts.
We should respect our leaders. Yes. But the DNC is not leading me anywhere or in any way. Their party platform includes the following sentence (which took me about 3 minutes to find on their website*): "Democrats applaud last year’s decision by the Supreme Court that recognized that LGBT people—like other Americans—have the right to marry the person they love."
No, thank you.
I didn't have to look hard either. I knew it would be there.
Christ died for Democrats. Yes. He died for all sinners. But as long as an individual (or group) embraces and defends sin, God's saving grace can (and will) have NO IMPACT on their relationship with our Maker.
So, change my mind. I see no point in listening to their lies and propaganda. I can tolerate propaganda if the propagators are standing for a "just cause" and have demonstrated at least some signs of decent character. But, best I can tell, the democratic party stands against just about everything I stand for.
So, again our apostle warns us, "Have NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a SHAME EVEN TO SPEAK of those things which are done of them in secret." (Ephesians 5:11-12)
James was clear. Maintaining pure religion requires that we keep ourselves "unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).
This had better not be about self-righteousness though. Moralism, legalism, pride, separation of self in will worship, and all other species of dead religion have done no Christians any favors. Ever. (See Jude 1:19 & Colossians 2:23).
This is about keeping a clear head. God said that Lot (Abraham's nephew) was a just man, but that he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with the unlawful deeds and the filthy lifestyle of the wicked Sodomites. He was a righteous man dwelling among them, and SEEING and HEARING was enough to do him in (2nd Peter 2:7-8).
I'll never be bitten by a shark if I stay miles from the water's edge. There's no temptation to play with a fire that's so hot you can't even get near it. And, I won't develop an appetite for dainties I never even taste.
But (you may say), how can we reach them if we avoid them? Honestly, I'm not sure. But we sure can't save them if we drown with them. Jude wrote, "On some we have compassion, and it makes a difference: and others we save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." (verses 22-23)
The answer may be as simple as this. Reach the reachable, and teach the teachable.** Beyond that, resist the devil. He will run away (James 4:7). So will his disciples.
They hate light. They hate truth. They will not come to it. (John 3:20)
I choose to be ignorant of evil.
They are choosing to be ignorant of truth (2nd Peter 3:5).
*as expected, going to their site earned me 5 tracking cookies on my computer. I have deleted them.
**a common statement, but I first heard it from a mentor (Tim Gelatt).
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