Christian Geopolitics; concerning Israel, Islam, China and Paganism

Christianity is waging a war on two fronts and doing poorly in both. Geopolitics is not unimportant to the life of the Church.

Theories of future raptures (dispensationalism) and of past judgements (preterism) are designed by the antiChrist to take our focus off the Gospel truth, that our times are set between His first coming (atonement) and His second coming (judgement), and that in the meanwhile His Church (the Elect) should be circumspect about the eternal significance of temporal signs, to watch carefully but not to be deceived by false "Christs." In other words, we are to live according to faith in His daily provision, not rely upon to our own senses, strengths, visions, intuitions, etc. At the same time we are not to ignore the His obvious provision of facts that enable us to distinguish between friend and enemy.

The first front, concerning Islam and Israel

Christians are supposed to believe that Jesus was "crucified under Pontius Pilate", a gentile, while he was attempting to justify himself by asking the crowd whom they would like to set free. In other words, we are supposed to look upon ourselves, the seed of Adam, as his executioners, not the Jews. Looking around the Church, it is apparent that self-justification by gentiles in respect to the crucifiction of Jesus continues to this day. It is ignorance and prejudice... and heresy in that it proposes a false enemy.

As for secular Israel, its interest lies in the defeat of Islam far more directly than the USA or the West generally. Indeed, we in the Enlightenment West are befuddled about our proper interests, that Islam is hell-bent on destroying Christianity. Israel by contrast has a laser-like focus that Westerners outside of Israel are incapable of performing. Yes, sometimes Israel goes too far, but let's remember that its objectives are compatible with our own (even if they are not the same). I'm not referring here to the USA, but rather to the Christian objective of protecting and preserving Christian witness in the dark Islamic places of this world. It doesn't matter that the secular state of Israel has no eternal or symbolic significance. The fact is that Israel is our friend because its enemy is our enemy. If we should not lose the war with Islam, it will be due in part to Israel. It certainly won't be because our leaders in Washington have the guts to stand up to Muslim terrorism and infiltration.

The reason we ought to be a friend to Israelis is NOT a special concern for their eternal salvation. No, it is a special concern for our mutual and temporal survival.  That's a huge difference. Consider also that the mandate given to Adam is still in force, that Christians are to tend and care for all of God's creation; every living thing as unto our neighbor, especially the weakest, most vulnerable and most threatened by bullies. Refusing to see help Israel is refusing the creation mandate even if it has nothing to do with the mandate to "love the brethren."

The second front, China and Paganism 

While Israel's objectives are compatible with ours, China's are NOT. China does everything it can to replace Christianity with Paganism, and is working every bit as hard as Islam, yet with the more subtle tactics of socialist materialism and espionage. Is it not true that the West already agrees with China's man-centered truth and its attitudes toward life and liberty? With respect to this second front, who on the outside is going to have the guts to do what we are unwilling to do? 

Conclusion; working with and on behalf of non-believers against enemies

These are spiritual, not national battles, and the enemies are real. Yet the far more dangerous enemy is the Christian in our own midst that sticks his head in the sand in the face of danger, or betrays the Church's allies while befriending those that would destroy us.

Again, geopolitics is important to the life of the Church.  God calls us to be engaged with the world even as He called Solomon, David, Job, Abraham, Jacob, Paul... and Jesus himself. They demonstrated clearly the value of dealing with outsiders for common objectives, trade and suppression of common enemies. Who in the Bible did the Will of God without engaging with non-believers? It is only the man who denies the sovereignty of God over His whole creation that refuses to see His hand in the lives of the non-Elect, and that God works out His purposes through them. 

We are made unclean not by what we take into our bodies but by what comes out from them. It is NOT necessarily unholy to have a conversation with a tax collector, or even with the Devil himself. Indeed, every time we engage with the world for our daily bread we are agreeing with it in some way, even if only as to the price. If God did not intend for us to engage with the world for our benefit and His Glory, He would have already removed us.