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HopeLives365

Mark Finley

How Should Christians Respond to Donald Trump’s Trial?

On Thursday, May 30th, the nation waited anxiously and nervously for the jury's decision in the Donald J.

CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and other news outlets across America, ABC, NBC, CBS, were carrying the story of that trial for weeks.

And when the jury returned their guilty verdict on all 34 counts, many people were extremely pleased, other people were extremely upset.

The nation really is divided over that issue.

There are those that feel that the jury's decision was unjust.

They feel that the court was biased in favor of the prosecution.

There are others that feel that the decision of the jury was very just, that no 1 is above the law, and that democracy played out in that decision.

The interesting thing to me is that there are Christians on either side of that question.

There are those that feel that the decision was very unjust, and there are those that feel that justice was served.

Now the point of this video is not to take either side.

Let me make that abundantly plain from the beginning.

But I want to raise the question, what is the Christian response to this situation in America at a time of such uncertainty, in a time when the nation is polarized?

What biblical principles can guide us, whatever position we take on this issue, what biblical principles can guide us in these uncertain and troubleless times?

I think there are 3 that relate to this trial that relate to each of us as Christians.

The first is this, in times of crisis and uncertainty, we hear a call to prayer.

Let me give you 2 specific examples, 1 from the Old Testament, 1 from the New Testament.

Let's go back to the days of ancient Babylon.

Daniel was taken captive, unjustly so, brought to a foreign nation.

He was in a foreign empire under a despotic, ruthless, pleasure-loving, pleasure-seeking ruler, Nebuchadnezzar.

But yet Daniel had a positive witness in that empire.

He prayed earnestly for Nebuchadnezzar, interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dreams.

In Daniel chapter 4, Verse 37, we read these words.

You remember after the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great tree and Nebuchadnezzar's bout with insanity, wandering around like a animal for 7 years, Nebuchadnezzar looks to heaven.

And in Daniel 4, verse 37, we read, "'Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth and his ways justice and those who walk in pride, he's able to abase." Here, through Daniel's witness and through the intervention of God and through Daniel's prayers, Nebuchadnezzar, ruthless, brutal, king of Babylon, is converted to the true God and we may very well see Nebuchadnezzar in heaven 1 day.

It teaches us that prayer and an exemplatory character and a righteous approach to Conflict can lead others to the salvation of the true God.

Or think of the second example of the apostle Paul.

Paul's unjustly imprisoned by the Roman empire.

Paul writes to Timothy and gives counsel to that young man.

You'll find it in 1 Timothy 2, verse 1 and 2.

How do we relate in times of uncertainty?

How do we relate in times that are quite challenging?

1 Timothy, you're looking there at chapter 2, verse 1.

The apostle Paul says, "'Therefore I exhort, ' that is I urge, I encourage, first of all, that supplications, prayers, and intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in godliness and reverence.

Here, the Apostle Paul is in prison and he urges Timothy to encourage fellow believers to pray for the kings in those that had authority over them.

Why do you think the Apostle Paul would pray that way?

I mean, these political leaders were evil, brutal, and corrupt.

First, Paul believed that intercessory prayer was absolutely vital and that God opens doors of opportunity for witness as we pray.

He was in prison, but according to Scripture, some of Caesar's household became Christians.

But I think there's a second reason here.

But as he encouraged Timothy to pray, he encouraged him to follow secondly this lesson, that God calls us to pray for those that treat us unjustly, because through our intercession, the Holy Spirit works upon their heart and touches their minds.

In times of uncertainty, in times of political turmoil, God calls us to pray for the nation.

God calls us to pray for political leaders, whether they are on 1 side of the political aisle or the other.

During a time of crisis in America, namely the Civil War in the mid 1800s, Abraham Lincoln gave a speech to the nation.

And in that speech, Lincoln talked about the encouragement that he got from knowing that people were praying for him.

He says, "'It's most cheering and encouraging for me to know that in the efforts which I have made and am making for the restoration of a righteous peace in our country, I am upheld and sustained by the good wishes and prayers of God's people.

No 1 is more deeply than myself aware that without his favor, our highest wisdom is but foolishness and that our most strenuous efforts would fail nothing in the shadow of his displeasure." Now notice what Lincoln says.

He says, I am upheld and sustained by the prayers of God's people.

Whether political leaders know it or not, when Christians gather to pray, when we seek God, when we come together in unity and pour out our hearts to God for our political leaders.

As Lincoln says, they're sustained by those prayers.

So what is a Christian response to what's going on in the nation today?

With a government so divided, with conflicts in political arena.

Well, what is a Christian response to that?

The first aspect of the Christian response is deep, earnest, heartfelt prayer for political leaders and for the nation.

There's another aspect, and this is a second principle.

Although civil courts have a role to play in secular society, as Christians, we leave final judgment to God.

You know, there are so many armchair pundits that are making comments on what happened in court on May 30th.

And you know, Jesus is very clear in Matthew 7, verse 1 and 2, he says, judge not that you be not judged.

For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged.

And with the same measure you use, it'll be measured back to you again." In other words, our background of situations, our knowledge of those situations, is very limited.

We often don't have all the information to make adequate decisions about the conduct of another person.

We have our own biases, our own thinking processes, our own failures and frailties.

Rather than judge others, Jesus invites us to treat them charitably and humbly look at our own hearts to see if there's any root of sin there that create within us a critical fault-finding spirit rather than the attitude of Jesus.

Now there are 2 enlightening statements that I find from the writings of Ellen White that can guide us here.

The first is in a compilation called Help in Daily Living, page 35.

The very act of looking for evil in others develops evil in those who look.

By dwelling upon the faults of others, we are changed into the same image.

By beholding Jesus, talking of his love and perfection of character, we become changed into his image by contemplating the lofty ideal he's placed before us.

We shall be uplifted into a pure and holy atmosphere, even the presence of God." Our lives are transformed and changed by what we contemplate, what we look at.

As we criticize others, as we are fault finding of others, when we don't have the background, we don't have all the facts, The looking for evil in others develops evil in those that look.

But when we look to Jesus, and we've all judgment to Him when it comes to these issues, when we reach out in loving kindness to people around us.

You know, this is a lesson not only for the Donald J.

Trump trial, but it's a lesson in local churches.

There's nothing that can divide a church like criticism and fault finding.

You know, when a church is critical, when a church is fault-finding, it fails to accomplish its mission.

God has called the church to unify around the great principles of the Word of God.

He's called His people to unify about a last-day, end-time message to prepare people for the coming of Jesus and to share the gospel with the world.

The second statement that I think is significant from the writings of Ellen White is found in Ministry of Healing page 463.

I've alluded to the concept, but let's carefully look at the statement.

It's found in Ministry of Healing, page 463.

We differ so widely in disposition, habits, and education that our ways of looking at things vary.

You know, we come from different backgrounds, we have different dispositions, different characters, different habits, and we look at things differently.

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How Should Christians Respond to Donald Trump’s Trial?

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