At the time of the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, I belonged to an online discussion group frequented by believers who had followed the Holy Spirit’s call to come out of man’s religious system unto Jesus who is outside the camp of men (Hebrews 13:12-14, Revelation 3:20, et al). Several members were a great encouragement to me as I sought to untangle from tradition and rule-bound religion to embrace my freedom in the Spirit. Sadly, following the attack on the WTC the faith of many became a prideful amalgam of politics and religion, often expressed with lust for vengeance. My spirit was sickened by the abrupt and toxic turn from fellowship of the Spirit to fellowship rooted in the bastard child Christian Nationalism that emerged in virulent form immediately after that tragic event.

The experience caused me to reflect on my political views, some of which were shaped through my former employer: Boeing. My support of several Department of Defense projects was brief and peripheral since I worked mostly in the space and computing divisions. Nevertheless, my income was subsidized by the military industrial complex whose influence was inescapable in the work place. That is, until the day the Lord called me to resign and devote myself to the work He had for me. In the years that followed, the Lord gave me an eyeful of the world by holding it up to His Word which proved life changing for me. Where once I would say with confidence “I’m a Presbyterian and a Conservative”, there is no apt description of what Jesus has made me, unless it’s to say “I’m a follower of The Way” (Acts 9:2, et al).

So how do I describe myself in a world of mixture that insists we declare our political and religious affiliations? The answer began to take shape when the Lord called me to adult baptism in the 1980s. One friend who did the same said it was “in the tradition of the Anabaptists”. Ever the eloquent scholarly type, I asked him “what’s that?” His simple answer was a believer who asserts their personal decision to follow Christ through adult baptism and thereby reject the rule of man’s institutional church over their life and salvation. One brief description of Anabaptists was especially affirming, for it loosely describes the changes in me these last 45 years of following Jesus in personal relationship.

An Anabaptist is a member of a Radical Reformation Christian movement from the 16th century known for adult believer’s baptism, pacifism, and separation of church and state. The name, meaning “re-baptizer,” was given to them by opponents because they rejected infant baptism and re-baptized consenting adults to signify a conscious decision to follow Christ. Key contemporary Anabaptist groups include Mennonites, Amish, and Hutterites, who continue to emphasize Christian discipleship, simple living, and community.

It’s oddly comforting to know that others have come this way before and their experience has been no different than mine as often as nonconformity invites persecution. Odder still, are the German roots of my family who settled among the Pennsylvania Dutch, where the Anabaptists settled upon arrival from Europe. That I’m aware, religious persecution was not a factor in our migration from Das Vaterland. Still, I embrace many ideals of the Anabaptists. To that end, several scriptures stand out in my Spirit that my wife and I aspire to live by:

Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together? How can Christ and the Devil agree? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? How can God’s temple come to terms with pagan idols? For we are the temple of the living God! As God himself has said, “I will make my home with my people and live among them; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” And so the Lord says, “You must leave them and separate yourselves from them. Have nothing to do with what is unclean, and I will accept you. I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2Co 6:14-18)

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: … to keep oneself unstained from the world. (Jas 1:27)

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
(Jas 4:4)

Stop associating with any so-called brother if he is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunk, or a robber. You must even stop eating with someone like that. (1 Co 5:11)

Make it your goal to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you (1 Th 4:11)

Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it. (Heb 12:14 GNB)

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said to them, Occupy till I come. (Most versions say “trade” or “do business” (go about my affairs), not “occupy”). (Luk 19:13)

If I were to combine the passages above into one precept to live by, it would be “Come away from sin, unbelievers and falsehood, live quietly and at peace while going about the Lord’s business.”

To that end, I see no Biblical basis for believers to engage in politics and thereby labor in vain to build an earthly kingdom or try to advance the government of Christ through legislation (see Who do you Choose). If a believer would give it sober thought, that’s the root of Judas’ sin; attempting to drag Jesus into his political fight and thereby establish a kingdom on earth. It may well have been a rebuke of Judas and for our benefit when Jesus said to Pilate “my kingdom is NOT of this world”. Surely His words are a warning for the rest of us who have political aspirations in pursuit of earthly kingdom building.

Recently, in reading the book of Revelation and looking through old journal notes from nearly 30 years ago where the Lord encouraged me to “come out of Babylon”, He spoke a word of wisdom that affirmed what I’ve come to believe and practice concerning my involvement in the operation of Babylon:

“The world has labored to create Babylon since the beginning (Genesis 11). Believers who get involved hope to influence for good that which the world has made for evil, but in reality succeed only in whitewashing Babylon.”

So why would any genuine Jesus-following believer dive headlong into the world when we’re supposed to come away from the world and the wicked? After all, we’re in the world, but not of it (Joh 17:14-16, Joh 15:19, 1 Joh 2:15). Yes we pray for, interact with and love people of the world in the day to day, but not to the point of partnership and compromise thereby subjecting ourselves and the Body of Christ to corruption.

It’s true that the word tells us to “do business” with what the Lord has given us until He returns, that He might reap a harvest from investing in us. But I don’t think that refers to commerce with the world which can only result in a harvest of material things. What would be the point of that when the Father already owns everything (Ps 24:1)?

The tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes… (1Pe 1:7)

In the past, I’ve tended to think that it’s the number of souls we’ve helped to save that is the measure of successful investment of the talents He has entrusted to us. However, in considering the scriptures above and the clear message of coming apart from the world, I’ve come to believe that the return on investment the Father is looking for has more to do with our revelation – learning – maturation – producing fruit – from the seed He’s planted within us. In particular, I believe the harvest He is looking for is the increase of our faith (Heb 11:6). Especially where faith (Gal 5:22-23) is the result of obeying Him and His word. That’s what the whole of Hebrews 11 is about – to trust and obey the Father and thereby, grow our faith in Him. To our Father who is spirit (Joh 4:24) and who seeks the salvation and growth of our spirits through making us sons and heirs of Christ, surely the proof of our fruitful investment is how much we’ve come to resemble the image of His Son (Isa 49:16, Rom 8:29, Rev 22:4).

How I hope the Father finds that I’ve invested wisely and that He’s pleased with what His talents have produced for Him. I just can’t imagine that my “treasures in heaven” amounts to buying back what God already owns in this world and intends one day to destroy by fire (2 Pet 3:7-13). No, I believe He’s after the one and only thing He truly wants, children who love Him by choice.