Study Version - FAFO - Let Them Find Out What the Love of Christ Looks Like!
When the World Says “You Deserve What You Got,” the Body of Christ Should Be Saying, “You Are Still Worthy of Love! Introduction
There is an acronym circulating throughout social media that has become increasingly familiar in our politically divided nation.
FAFO!
It is frequently used to ridicule people who voted for Donald Trump and are now experiencing hardship, disappointment, fear, or financial consequences associated with policies they once supported.
The underlying message is unmistakable, “You voted for this! Now suffer the consequences!”
And while I certainly understand the frustration of those who have watched people support policies that hurt others, only to become outraged when those same policies begin affecting them personally, I believe the Body of Christ needs to examine something far more important than political hypocrisy.
WHAT DOES OUR RESPONSE TO THEIR SUFFERING SAY ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST?
Because somewhere along the way, some of us have confused exposing hypocrisy with celebrating suffering.
We have confused holding people accountable with humiliating them.
And perhaps most dangerously, we have confused being politically correct in our own eyes with being spiritually obedient in the eyes of God!
Let me establish something immediately.
I AM NOT ADVOCATING THAT WE IGNORE INJUSTICE, EXCUSE HARMFUL POLITICAL DECISIONS, OR PRETEND THAT ELECTIONS DO NOT HAVE CONSEQUENCES!
Choices, votes, and policies matter. The consequences of those decisions can affect families, communities, and generations to come.
Yet the question confronting believers is not whether people should be held accountable.
The question is whether we have been given permission by Jesus Christ to rejoice when those people suffer!
And I submit to you that the answer is an unequivocal NO!
In my Dominion Short narrative, “FAFO - Let Them Find Out What the Love of Christ Looks Like!”, I challenged believers to reconsider what that acronym could represent.
Instead of using FAFO as a declaration of ridicule, I suggested we give it a different meaning:
FAFO — FIND AND FEEL OUT!
Find out who Jesus Christ really is, and feel His love demonstrated through those who genuinely follow Him!
Because when someone who expected hatred encounters compassion, when someone who expected ridicule encounters mercy, and when someone who expected rejection encounters the love of Jesus Christ, something powerful can happen.
THEY MAY FINALLY BEGIN TO SEE THE SAVIOR WE HAVE BEEN CLAIMING TO REPRESENT!
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously taught that darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that, and hatred cannot drive out hatred; only love can do that.
That truth should challenge every believer who has allowed political frustration to turn into personal contempt.
CHURCH, WE CANNOT CLAIM TO BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD WHILE DELIBERATELY ADDING MORE DARKNESS TO IT!
And that brings us directly to the Word of God!
Now Let's Eat Some Meat!
Luke 6:27–36 (AMPC) “But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you and pursue you with hatred, Invoke blessings upon and pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God's blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you]. To the one who strikes you on the jaw or cheek, offer the other jaw or cheek also; and from him who takes away your outer garment, do not withhold your undergarment as well. Give away to everyone who begs of you [who is in want of necessities], and of him who takes away from you your goods, do not demand or require them back again. And as you would like and desire that men would do to you, do exactly so to them. If you [merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them). And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same. And if you lend money at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again. But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these].”
Jesus is speaking directly to His followers, and His instructions leave absolutely no room for selective obedience.
He commands us to love our enemies.
He commands us to do good to those who hate us.
He commands us to bless those who curse us.
And He commands us to pray for those who mistreat us.
Now notice something!
JESUS NEVER SAID THAT WE SHOULD LOVE OUR ENEMIES ONLY AFTER THEY APOLOGIZE, CHANGE THEIR POLITICAL AFFILIATION, OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE WERE RIGHT!
His commandment does not depend upon their behavior, it depends upon our obedience.
And that is where this teaching becomes extremely uncomfortable for many believers.
Because it is easy to love people who agree with us.
It is easy to demonstrate kindness toward someone who supports our political positions.
It is easy to pray for someone whose opinions reinforce our own.
HOWEVER, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PERSON IN NEED IS SOMEONE WHO PREVIOUSLY SUPPORTED POLICIES THAT HARMED YOU OR YOUR FAMILY?
What happens when the person suffering is someone who dismissed your warnings?
What happens when the individual asking for assistance previously ridiculed the struggles of people in your community?
Does the commandment of Jesus suddenly become optional?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Jesus challenges the limited nature of ordinary human affection.
He asks what distinguishes His followers when they love only those who already love them.
And He calls us to something greater.
A love that confronts wrongdoing without abandoning compassion.
A love that demands accountability without surrendering to cruelty.
A love that recognizes the consequences of someone's decisions without celebrating their pain.
THAT IS THE LOVE OF CHRIST!
And let me make another distinction.
Loving someone does not mean approving of everything they do.
Showing mercy does not mean abandoning justice.
Forgiveness does not require pretending that wrongdoing never occurred.
WE CAN CONFRONT THE WRONG AND STILL LOVE THE PERSON WHO COMMITTED IT!
That is the spiritual maturity Jesus is demanding. The Context of This Teaching
Jesus delivered these instructions within a society experiencing political, religious, and economic tensions.
The Jewish people lived under Roman imperial authority.
Roman taxation, military power, and political control were realities of everyday life.
Different groups held differing opinions about how to respond to Roman rule.
Some favored resistance.
Others sought accommodation.
Still others focused upon preserving religious identity and practice.
The political environment was complex, and its consequences were deeply personal.
Jesus was not speaking to people who had never experienced injustice.
He was speaking to people who understood oppression, humiliation, and political hostility.
Yet He instructed His followers to love their enemies.
NOT BECAUSE INJUSTICE WAS ACCEPTABLE!
NOT BECAUSE OPPRESSION SHOULD BE IGNORED!
AND CERTAINLY NOT BECAUSE WRONGDOING SHOULD ESCAPE ACCOUNTABILITY!
He commanded them to love because their conduct was to reflect the character of their heavenly Father.
That distinction remains essential today.
The commandment to love enemies must never become an excuse for protecting abusive behavior, silencing victims, or preventing the pursuit of justice.
Jesus is confronting the hatred that can take root within the believer.
He is not granting immunity to those who perpetrate injustice.
The early Church would face persecution, rejection, and hostility.
And throughout the apostolic teachings, believers were continually instructed to demonstrate mercy, patience, forgiveness, truth, and love.
Why?
BECAUSE THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BECOME ANOTHER POLITICAL FACTION COMPETING FOR THE RIGHT TO HATE ITS ENEMIES!
The Kingdom of God exists under the authority of Jesus Christ.
And His character must be reflected in those who claim to belong to Him. Relevance to Today's Believers
We are living in a nation where political affiliation has increasingly become a dividing line between families, neighbors, churches, and even fellow believers.
People who once worshiped together now question one another's salvation because of political differences.
Families have fractured over elections.
Friendships have ended over candidates.
And social media has created an environment where another person's misfortune can become entertainment simply because that person belongs to an opposing political camp. And even more, social media has made ridiculing profitable!
CHURCH, SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG WITH THAT PICTURE!
There are people who supported Donald Trump because they genuinely believed his policies would improve their lives.
There are others who supported his policies while dismissing warnings about the harm those policies might cause vulnerable communities.
There are people who now regret their decisions.
There are others who remain firmly committed to them.
And there are people who are suffering because of political decisions they never supported in the first place.
We must not pretend that every person in any political group thinks alike, acts alike, or carries the same motives.
AND WE CERTAINLY MUST NOT ASSUME THAT EVERY PERSON WHO DISAGREES WITH US IS OUR ENEMY!
Political rhetoric frequently encourages people to fear those who are different.
It encourages suspicion across racial, economic, religious, and political lines.
And when that rhetoric becomes embedded in the thinking of believers, the Church risks allowing political identity to replace spiritual identity.
WHEN YOUR POLITICAL IDENTITY DETERMINES WHO DESERVES YOUR COMPASSION, YOU HAVE ALLOWED POLITICS TO EXERCISE AUTHORITY THAT BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST!
I am not suggesting that Christians must abandon political convictions.
I am saying that those convictions must remain subject to the teachings of Christ.
We should speak against injustice.
We should oppose policies that harm vulnerable people.
We should demand accountability from elected officials.
We should defend the dignity of those who are marginalized.
And we should do those things without turning hatred into a spiritual virtue.
Consider the family whose food assistance has been reduced.
Consider the retired person who fears losing access to necessary medical care.
Consider the worker whose livelihood has been disrupted.
Consider the family whose economic circumstances have suddenly deteriorated.
If they voted for policies that contributed to their hardship, does that somehow make their hunger less real?
Does their political affiliation make their children's needs less urgent?
Does their previous support for a politician mean that their suffering is now something Christians should celebrate?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Accountability may require an honest conversation about the decisions that produced those consequences.
Love may require telling someone the truth they previously refused to hear.
Yet when a person is hungry, our first responsibility is not to determine whether their voter registration makes them eligible for compassion.
OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO REMEMBER THAT THEY ARE A HUMAN BEING CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD!
And to those who have been taught to fear people because of their race, political affiliation, economic circumstances, or cultural background, I want to say something plainly.
WE ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY!
We may disagree with your politics.
We may challenge your assumptions.
We may confront harmful beliefs.
We may stand against policies that threaten our neighbors.
AND WE CAN STILL LOVE YOU WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST!
We are not required to become enemies simply because political leaders or commentators tell us that we are.
Our disagreement does not cancel our shared humanity.
And our shared humanity creates opportunities for the love of Christ to be demonstrated in ways that political hostility never could. Supporting Scriptures
John 13:34-35 (AMPC) - Love Is the Identifying Mark of Christ's Disciples
“I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].”
Notice what Jesus did not identify as the distinguishing characteristic of His followers.
He did not say the world would recognize His disciples by their political affiliation.
He did not say their preferred government officials would identify them.
He did not say their economic status, racial identity, or cultural background would serve as the ultimate evidence of their relationship with Him.
HE SAID LOVE!
And the standard was not merely ordinary human affection.
It was the love He Himself had demonstrated.
A sacrificial love.
A patient love.
A truthful love.
A love that continued serving even when betrayal and suffering were approaching.
Now ask yourself something.
When unbelievers observe Christians interacting with political opponents, what do they see?
Do they see patience?
Do they see compassion?
Do they see a willingness to serve?
Or do they see the same insults, ridicule, contempt, and bitterness that dominate the surrounding culture?
IF THE WORLD CANNOT DISTINGUISH OUR CONDUCT FROM ITS OWN HATRED, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE DEMONSTRATING ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?
Our witness must extend beyond what we proclaim from pulpits and post on social media.
Our behavior must confirm our testimony.
Because the world is watching.
And our lives are speaking even when our mouths are closed.
Romans 12:14-21 (AMPC) - Overcome Evil With Good
“Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others' joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others' grief]. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God's] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord. But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head. Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.”
This scripture strikes directly at the heart of political retaliation.
Paul does not deny that evil exists.
He does not pretend that persecution is harmless.
He does not suggest that injustice should be ignored.
He addresses the question of how believers should respond when confronted by wrongdoing.
DO NOT ALLOW EVIL TO DETERMINE THE CHARACTER OF YOUR RESPONSE!
Think about that.
Someone may have treated you with contempt.
Someone may have supported a decision that harmed you.
Someone may have mocked your suffering.
And now that person is experiencing hardship.
The temptation is to return exactly what they gave you.
Yet Paul warns that when we allow evil to control our response, we risk becoming overcome by the very thing we oppose.
YOU CANNOT DEFEAT THE SPIRIT OF CRUELTY BY ALLOWING CRUELTY TO TAKE ROOT IN YOUR OWN HEART!
Notice also that Paul describes practical acts of compassion.
Feeding the hungry.
Giving water to the thirsty.
Meeting human needs.
This is not sentimental religion.
It is active obedience.
And that is what I want believers to understand about FAFO.
Let them find out that the people they were taught to fear are willing to feed them.
Let them find out that the people they were encouraged to despise are willing to pray for them.
Let them find out that those they regarded as enemies are capable of showing them mercy.
LET THEM FIND OUT THAT THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS STRONGER THAN THE HATRED THEY WERE TAUGHT TO BELIEVE!
Matthew 5:43-48 (AMPC) - Love Beyond Those Who Love You
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy; But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike]. For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that? And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that? You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Here Jesus confronts selective compassion.
He challenges the assumption that love should be distributed according to whether people deserve it.
And He points directly to the example of our heavenly Father.
God provides sunlight and rain without limiting those provisions exclusively to people who already obey Him.
The lesson is not that righteousness and wickedness are morally equivalent.
The lesson is that God's goodness is not restricted to those who have already earned His approval.
Now consider the implications.
If God continues demonstrating goodness toward people who reject Him, what gives us permission to withhold ordinary human compassion from people who reject our political opinions?
WHEN DID DISAGREEING WITH YOU BECOME A GREATER OFFENSE THAN REBELLING AGAINST GOD?
That question should humble every one of us!
Jesus calls believers beyond ordinary reciprocity.
Beyond loving only those who love us.
Beyond greeting only those who belong to our group.
He calls us to reflect the character of our Father.
AND THAT MEANS OUR LOVE MUST BE GREATER THAN OUR POLITICAL TRIBALISM!
Proverbs 24:17-18 (AMPC) - Do Not Celebrate Another Person's Downfall
“Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown, Lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender].”
I want every believer who enjoys posting mocking comments about political opponents to examine this scripture carefully.
The warning is not simply against physically harming an enemy.
It confronts what happens inside our hearts when an enemy experiences trouble.
DOES THEIR SUFFERING BRING YOU SATISFACTION?
Does their financial hardship make you smile?
Does their humiliation become something you eagerly share?
Do you secretly enjoy watching them experience the consequences of decisions you warned them against?
Now understand the distinction.
Recognizing that someone's decisions produced harmful consequences is not the same as celebrating their pain.
Explaining those consequences is not necessarily unloving.
Demanding that they acknowledge the harm they helped cause is not contrary to Christian compassion.
THE SPIRITUAL DANGER BEGINS WHEN THEIR SUFFERING BECOMES YOUR ENTERTAINMENT!
We must be especially careful when the language of justice begins concealing a desire for revenge.
God sees beyond our public explanations.
He sees the condition of our hearts.
And He knows whether we are seeking righteousness or simply enjoying retaliation.
James 2:1-9 (AMPC) - Faith Must Not Practice Favoritism
“MY BRETHREN, pay no servile regard to people [show no prejudice, no partiality]. Do not [attempt to] hold and practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ [the Lord] of glory [together with snobbery]! For if a person comes into your congregation whose hands are adorned with gold rings and who is wearing splendid apparel, and also a poor [man] in shabby clothes comes in, And you pay special attention to the one who wears the splendid clothes and say to him, Sit here in this preferable seat! while you tell the poor [man], Stand there! or, Sit there on the floor at my feet! Are you not discriminating among your own and becoming critics and judges with wrong motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and in their position as believers and to inherit the kingdom which He has promised to those who love Him? But you [in contrast] have insulted (humiliated, dishonored, and shown your contempt for) the poor. Is it not the rich who domineer over you? Is it not they who drag you into the law courts? Is it not they who slander and blaspheme that precious name by which you are distinguished and called [the name of Christ invoked in baptism]? If indeed you [really] fulfill the royal Law in accordance with the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as [you love] yourself, you do well. But if you show servile regard (prejudice, favoritism) for people, you commit sin and are rebuked and convicted by the Law as violators and offenders."
James specifically addresses economic favoritism, especially the temptation to honor the wealthy while humiliating the poor.
The underlying principle exposes a broader danger.
WE CANNOT CLAIM TO FOLLOW CHRIST WHILE DECIDING WHO DESERVES DIGNITY ACCORDING TO HUMAN STATUS!
In the modern Church, favoritism can appear in numerous forms.
We may show compassion toward someone who belongs to our preferred political party while withholding it from someone who belongs to another.
We may sympathize with hardship in our own community while dismissing the suffering of people outside it.
We may become outraged when injustice affects people who look like us and remain strangely silent when it affects people who do not.
Beloved, that is not the impartial love we are called to demonstrate.
The person in need may be Republican.
The person in need may be Democrat.
The person in need may be wealthy, poor, Black, White, immigrant, citizen, conservative, progressive, or politically unaffiliated.
HUMAN NEED DOES NOT BECOME LESS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE PERSON EXPERIENCING IT BELONGS TO A DIFFERENT GROUP!
James forces us to confront whether our professed faith is being corrupted by favoritism.
And that examination must begin with ourselves.
1 John 3:16-18 (AMPC) - Love Must Become Action
“By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him]. But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory orin speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).”
This is where Christian love must move beyond speeches and social media posts.
It is easy to write about compassion.
It is easy to quote scripture concerning love.
It is easy to declare that Christians should help those who are suffering.
THE REAL TEST COMES WHEN SOMEONE YOU DISAGREE WITH ACTUALLY NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Will you open your hand?
Will you share your resources?
Will you offer assistance?
Will you help someone access food, shelter, transportation, or necessary care?
Or will you begin explaining why that person deserves the situation they are experiencing?
John challenges the contradiction between claiming to possess God's love and deliberately closing our hearts against those in need.
And while the immediate context emphasizes love among believers, the wider teaching of scripture also commands compassion toward neighbors and enemies.
The Body of Christ must never become a community that speaks beautifully about love while practicing indifference.
OUR LOVE MUST BE VISIBLE, TANGIBLE, AND COSTLY ENOUGH TO REQUIRE SOMETHING FROM US!
7. Galatians 5:22-23 (AMPC) - The Fruit of the Spirit Must Govern Our Conduct
“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].”
Now let us examine ourselves.
Where is the love in humiliating someone who is suffering?
Where is the kindness in mocking a family facing financial hardship?
Where is the gentleness in deliberately dehumanizing someone because of their political affiliation?
Where is the self-control in allowing anger to dictate everything we post online?
BELOVED, THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT DOES NOT STOP GROWING EVERY FOUR YEARS DURING AN ELECTION!
The Holy Spirit does not cease being our guide when political tensions rise.
And we do not receive a temporary exemption from Christian character because someone voted for a candidate we oppose.
In fact, difficult circumstances reveal whether the fruit we claim to possess is genuinely being cultivated.
Anyone can appear patient when no one is testing their patience.
Anyone can appear gentle when everyone agrees with them.
Anyone can appear loving when surrounded exclusively by people who love them.
THE TEST OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY IS WHAT COMES OUT OF US WHEN OUR FLESH HAS EVERY REASON TO REACT!
The question is not simply whether our political opinions are justified.
The question is whether our responses are being governed by the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (AMPC) - Refuse Bitterness and Practice Forgiveness
“Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.”
This scripture confronts something that has become disturbingly common in our political culture.
Bitterness has become entertainment.
Anger has become identity.
Contempt has become a substitute for conviction.
And slander is frequently excused whenever the target belongs to an opposing political group.
HOWEVER, THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD DO NOT CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE POLITICAL AFFILIATION OF THE PERSON WE ARE DISCUSSING!
We are not authorized to practice malice simply because we believe our cause is righteous.
We are not authorized to spread falsehoods because the person being discussed holds offensive political opinions.
And we are not authorized to abandon kindness because someone has previously behaved unkindly toward us.
Forgiveness does not eliminate accountability.
It does not require immediate reconciliation where repentance, honesty, and restored trust are absent.
It does not require vulnerable people to remain exposed to mistreatment.
It means refusing to allow bitterness to become the governing authority of our hearts.
IF CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN US, WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO TREAT OUR OWN NEED FOR MERCY AS GREATER THAN EVERYONE ELSE'S!
Micah 6:8 (AMPC) - Justice, Mercy, and Humility Belong Together
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, and to love kindness and mercy, and to humble yourself and walk humbly with your God?”
This scripture is especially important because some people mistakenly assume that mercy requires abandoning justice.
Others act as though pursuing justice requires abandoning mercy.
SCRIPTURE REQUIRES BOTH!
Justice without mercy can become merciless retaliation.
Mercy without justice can become an excuse for continued wrongdoing.
And both can become corrupted when humility disappears.
We must not use love as an excuse to remain silent when people are being harmed.
We must not use compassion as an excuse to ignore the consequences of destructive political decisions.
We must not use forgiveness to demand that victims pretend they were never injured.
At the same time, we must not use justice as permission to dehumanize those responsible.
RIGHTEOUSNESS DEMANDS THAT WE CONFRONT THE WRONG WHILE REMEMBERING THE HUMANITY OF THE WRONGDOER!
That is not weakness.
That is moral discipline under the authority of God.
Matthew 25:34-40 (AMPC) - Christ Takes Our Treatment of the Vulnerable Seriously
“Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.”
Notice the practical nature of the needs Jesus identifies.
Food.
Water.
Clothing.
Hospitality.
Care for the sick.
Visiting the imprisoned.
These are not abstract theological concepts.
These are real human needs.
And Jesus makes the treatment of vulnerable people a matter of extraordinary spiritual significance.
Now imagine a believer standing before someone who is hungry and beginning the conversation with:
“WHO DID YOU VOTE FOR?”
Imagine someone needing assistance with medication and being told:
“YOU SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT BEFORE THE ELECTION!”
Imagine a family struggling to survive and Christians deciding that political disagreement disqualifies them from compassion.
Church, where in the teachings of Jesus do we find permission for that kind of response?
THE HUNGRY PERSON DOES NOT NEED A POLITICAL LECTURE BEFORE RECEIVING A MEAL!
There may be an appropriate time to discuss the decisions and policies that contributed to the hardship.
There may be an appropriate time to demand accountability.
Yet when a human being is suffering, the Body of Christ should be recognized by its willingness to demonstrate compassion.
OUR MINISTRY TO THE VULNERABLE MUST NEVER BECOME A REWARD SYSTEM FOR POLITICAL AGREEMENT! Reflection and Spiritual Insight
I want us to examine something that is easy to overlook.
Sometimes our greatest spiritual danger is not the hatred we openly express.
IT IS THE HATRED WE HAVE LEARNED TO JUSTIFY!
We convince ourselves that our anger is righteous.
We explain that our contempt is deserved.
We insist that our harshness is simply telling the truth.
And gradually, without recognizing what has happened, we begin allowing our political convictions to excuse attitudes that Jesus explicitly commanded us to reject.
Let me ask you something.
If you were suffering because of a terrible decision you made, would you want everyone around you to celebrate?
Would you want people to ridicule your family?
Would you want your children to experience contempt because of your choices?
Would you want the Body of Christ to conclude that your suffering made you unworthy of compassion?
Of course not!
We all desire mercy when we are the ones in need.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE SOMETIMES WANT MERCY FOR OURSELVES AND CONSEQUENCES WITHOUT COMPASSION FOR EVERYONE ELSE!
And that is a dangerous spiritual contradiction.
Consider the mercy God has extended toward us.
How many times have we made decisions contrary to His Word?
How many times have we ignored His warnings?
How many times have we experienced painful consequences because we insisted upon doing things our own way?
And how many times did we cry out to Him for mercy?
NOW IMAGINE IF GOD HAD RESPONDED TO OUR REPENTANCE WITH THE SAME MOCKERY WE SOMETIMES DIRECT TOWARD OTHERS!
Think about that!
We have received mercy we did not earn.
We have experienced forgiveness we could never purchase.
We have been offered grace through Jesus Christ while still being sinners.
And now some of us want to decide that another person has forfeited the right to be treated with compassion because of a political decision.
Church, we need to repent of that thinking.
I am not asking believers to stop speaking the truth.
I AM ASKING WHETHER WE HAVE BECOME SO DETERMINED TO PROVE OURSELVES RIGHT THAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW TO REPRESENT CHRIST!
And I want to address something else.
There are people who have spent years hearing that those who differ from them racially, culturally, economically, or politically are threats to their way of life.
They have been taught suspicion.
They have been encouraged to fear.
And some have embraced rhetoric that portrays entire communities as enemies.
Now suppose one of those individuals experiences hardship.
Suppose someone they were taught to fear becomes the person who helps them.
Suppose a family they previously dismissed provides a meal.
Suppose a Christian they previously insulted offers prayer.
Suppose someone they regarded as an enemy demonstrates genuine compassion without demanding political agreement in return.
WHAT A TESTIMONY THAT COULD BECOME!
Not because kindness guarantees a changed political opinion.
Not because every act of compassion produces repentance.
Not because people will necessarily acknowledge the wrong they have done.
WE LOVE BECAUSE CHRIST COMMANDED US TO LOVE, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE GUARANTEED A FAVORABLE RESPONSE!
And that distinction matters.
Christian love is not manipulation.
We should never help someone merely to win a political argument or gain a convert.
We help because Christ has taught us to value human life and demonstrate mercy.
If that love opens a door for someone to reconsider their assumptions, praise God!
If it creates an opportunity to share the Gospel, praise God!
If it simply relieves another human being's suffering, we have still acted in obedience.
THE SUCCESS OF OUR COMPASSION IS NOT DETERMINED BY WHETHER THE RECIPIENT AGREES WITH US AFTERWARD!
It is determined by whether we have faithfully obeyed Christ. Application to Modern Faith
Stop Making Political Agreement a Requirement for Compassion
Believers must learn to separate moral conviction from personal cruelty.
We can oppose a person's political position without refusing to recognize their human dignity.
We can challenge their decisions without celebrating their suffering.
We can insist upon accountability while still demonstrating mercy.
DO NOT MAKE SOMEONE'S POLITICAL AFFILIATION THE MEASURING STICK FOR YOUR CHRISTIAN LOVE!
Examine Your Social Media Witness
Before posting that mocking comment, sharing that humiliating video, or celebrating someone's hardship, ask yourself whether your conduct reflects the character of Jesus Christ.
Would you be comfortable explaining that post as an expression of Christian love?
Does it expose wrongdoing constructively, or does it simply humiliate someone?
Does it advance truth, or does it feed contempt?
YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT DOES NOT EXIST OUTSIDE THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST!
Your testimony follows you into every comment section.
Practice Compassion Without Abandoning Truth
Christian love does not mean remaining silent about injustice.
If a policy harms vulnerable people, speak against it.
If a political leader promotes harmful conduct, confront it.
If someone refuses to acknowledge the consequences of their decisions, tell the truth.
And do so without allowing hatred to become your motivation.
THE TRUTH DOES NOT BECOME MORE RIGHTEOUS SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DELIVER IT WITH CONTEMPT!
Let the Church Become a Place of Practical Assistance
The Body of Christ should be known for helping people.
Feeding the hungry.
Supporting struggling families.
Assisting those who are sick.
Comforting those who are grieving.
Providing encouragement to those who are frightened.
Offering prayer to those who are overwhelmed.
And doing these things without asking people to prove that they belong to the correct political group.
LET OUR MINISTRIES BECOME PLACES WHERE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THE LOVE OF CHRIST BEFORE THEY EVER HEAR OUR POLITICAL OPINIONS!
Refuse to Allow Political Leaders to Define Your Enemies
Christians must exercise spiritual discernment when political rhetoric encourages them to fear or despise entire groups of people.
Not every disagreement makes someone an enemy.
Not every difference represents a threat.
And even when someone genuinely acts as an enemy, Jesus has already instructed us how to respond.
NO POLITICIAN HAS THE AUTHORITY TO OVERRIDE THE COMMANDMENTS OF JESUS CHRIST!
Our ultimate allegiance belongs to Him.
Confront the Darkness Within Your Own Heart
It is easy to identify hatred in someone else.
It is far more difficult to acknowledge it within ourselves.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal where resentment, pride, contempt, or bitterness has taken root.
Do not excuse those attitudes simply because you believe your political position is correct.
YOU CAN BE RIGHT ABOUT A POLITICAL ISSUE AND STILL BE WRONG IN YOUR SPIRIT!
And God is concerned with both. Five Checkpoints for Every Believer
Is My Love Conditional Upon Political Agreement?
Luke 6:32-36 (AMPC) “If you [merely] love those who love you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the [very] sinners love their lovers (those who love them). And if you are kind and good and do favors to and benefit those who are kind and good and do favors to and benefit you, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? For even the preeminently sinful do the same. And if you lend money at interest to those from whom you hope to receive, what quality of credit and thanks is that to you? Even notorious sinners lend money at interest to sinners, so as to recover as much again. But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked. So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these].”
Ask yourself whether you are willing to show compassion toward someone whose political opinions you strongly oppose.
Would you help that person if they were hungry?
Would you pray for them if they were sick?
Would you offer assistance if their family were suffering?
Or would you first determine whether they deserved your kindness?
IF YOUR COMPASSION DISAPPEARS WHEN SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOU, YOUR LOVE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST!
Am I Celebrating Justice or Enjoying Someone's Suffering?
Proverbs 24:17-18 (AMPC) “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles or is overthrown, Lest the Lord see it and it be evil in His eyes and displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him [to expend it upon you, the worse offender].”
There is a difference between recognizing consequences and enjoying pain.
You can acknowledge that someone made a harmful decision.
You can explain why the consequences were foreseeable.
You can demand accountability.
Yet if their suffering brings you personal delight, examine your heart.
JUSTICE SEEKS TO ADDRESS WRONGDOING. VENGEANCE SEEKS SATISFACTION IN ANOTHER PERSON'S PAIN!
Do not confuse the two.
Does My Conduct Reflect the Fruit of the Holy Spirit?
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMPC) “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].”
Examine how you speak when political disagreements become intense.
Are your words controlled?
Are your responses truthful?
Are you patient?
Do you demonstrate kindness?
Or does your behavior become indistinguishable from the anger and hostility surrounding you?
THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT LOSE AUTHORITY OVER YOUR CONDUCT BECAUSE THE SUBJECT CHANGES TO POLITICS!
Spiritual maturity must be visible in difficult conversations, not merely comfortable ones.
Am I Willing to Demonstrate Love Through Action?
1 John 3:16-18 (AMPC) “By this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the [essential] love: that He laid down His [own] life for us; and we ought to lay [our] lives down for [those who are our] brothers [in Him]. But if anyone has this world's goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him? Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory orin speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).”
It is one thing to declare that Christians should love everyone.
It is another thing to help someone who has treated you unfairly.
It is another thing to feed someone whose political decisions have offended you.
It is another thing to pray sincerely for someone who has mocked you.
LOVE THAT NEVER MOVES BEYOND WORDS HAS NOT YET DEMONSTRATED THE FULL OBEDIENCE SCRIPTURE REQUIRES!
Ask yourself what practical action you can take to demonstrate Christ's love to someone outside your circle of agreement.
Am I Representing Jesus Christ or My Political Allegiance?
John 13:34-35 (AMPC) “I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].”
This may be the most convicting checkpoint of all.
When people encounter you, what do they recognize first?
Your political anger?
Your party loyalty?
Your contempt for opposing viewpoints?
Or the character of Jesus Christ?
There is nothing inherently wrong with participating in political life.
There is nothing wrong with advocating for policies you believe are just.
There is nothing wrong with confronting leaders whose actions violate your convictions.
THE PROBLEM BEGINS WHEN YOUR POLITICAL IDENTITY BECOMES MORE VISIBLE THAN YOUR CHRISTIAN IDENTITY!
We must never allow loyalty to a candidate, party, or movement to become greater than obedience to Christ.
Because political affiliations are earthly.
OUR ALLEGIANCE TO JESUS CHRIST IS ETERNAL!
A Pastor's Warning - Stop Baptizing Hatred in the Language of Justice!
I want to speak directly to the Body of Christ.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Enough of the selective compassion!
Enough of the political cruelty!
Enough of the religious language being used to excuse behavior that directly contradicts the teachings of Jesus Christ!
And enough of pretending that being on the correct side of a political argument automatically means we are on the correct side of God's commandments!
YOU CAN BE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF SOMEONE'S POLITICAL DECISION AND ABSOLUTELY WRONG ABOUT HOW YOU TREAT THEM WHEN THOSE CONSEQUENCES ARRIVE!
Do not miss that!
Some of us have become so comfortable condemning the hatred of others that we no longer recognize hatred when it appears in our own hearts.
We call it accountability.
We call it righteous anger.
We call it consequences.
And sometimes those descriptions are entirely appropriate.
YET WHEN WE BEGIN CELEBRATING HUMAN SUFFERING, WE NEED TO STOP HIDING BEHIND THOSE WORDS AND EXAMINE WHAT IS ACTUALLY MOTIVATING US!
Jesus did not command us to love only those who voted correctly.
He did not command us to show mercy only to those who acknowledged our warnings.
He did not command us to demonstrate kindness exclusively toward people who already agree with us.
HE COMMANDED US TO LOVE OUR ENEMIES!
And if we are unwilling to obey that commandment, we need to stop pretending that our political righteousness excuses our spiritual disobedience.
Let me go even further.
If you are a Christian who supported policies that harmed others, your responsibility does not end with demanding compassion now that you are experiencing hardship yourself.
You must also be willing to examine the harm those policies caused.
You must be willing to acknowledge suffering that you previously dismissed.
You must be willing to reconsider attitudes that caused you to treat other people as enemies.
REPENTANCE REQUIRES MORE THAN WANTING RELIEF FROM CONSEQUENCES. IT REQUIRES A WILLINGNESS TO TURN AWAY FROM WRONGDOING!
And if you are a Christian who opposed those policies, your responsibility does not end with having been correct about the consequences.
You must examine your own heart.
You must confront any pleasure you take in another person's pain.
You must refuse to become cruel simply because cruelty was previously directed toward you.
BOTH SIDES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO SUBMIT THEIR CONDUCT TO JESUS CHRIST!
No political party can save your soul.
No elected official can substitute for the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.
No election victory can produce the righteousness that comes through Christ.
And no political grievance gives you permission to abandon His commandments.
CHURCH, STOP ASKING GOD TO JUDGE EVERYONE ELSE WHILE REFUSING TO LET HIM EXAMINE YOU!
A Call to Repentance - Let the Change Begin With Us!
I want to make this personal.
Not simply for Republicans.
Not simply for Democrats.
Not simply for conservatives or progressives.
FOR EVERY ONE OF US WHO CLAIMS TO BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST!
Have you allowed political anger to become bitterness?
Have you allowed justified frustration to become personal hatred?
Have you laughed at someone else's suffering?
Have you withheld compassion because someone supported a politician you despise?
Have you treated an entire group of people as though they were beyond the reach of God's mercy?
Then do not simply dismiss this teaching as something meant for someone else.
REPENT!
Ask the Holy Spirit to expose what has taken root in your heart.
Confess the bitterness.
Confess the pride.
Confess the contempt.
Confess the times when your desire to be right became stronger than your desire to represent Christ.
And then demonstrate the change through your conduct.
Speak truth without cruelty.
Confront injustice without hatred.
Hold people accountable without stripping them of their humanity.
Pray for those who oppose you.
Serve those who are suffering.
And remember that you were once someone in desperate need of the mercy of God.
DO NOT BECOME SO CONVINCED OF YOUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT YOU FORGET HOW MUCH GRACE IT TOOK TO SAVE YOU! Summary
The message of this teaching is not that elections do not matter. They do.
Political decisions have real consequences.
Public policies can protect human dignity or threaten it.
Government decisions can strengthen communities or cause extraordinary hardship.
And Christians have a responsibility to pursue justice, defend the vulnerable, and speak truth concerning those decisions.
YET NONE OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES CANCELS OUR OBLIGATION TO LOVE!
In our earlier short narrative, we challenged believers to transform the meaning of FAFO.
Rather than allowing it to remain an expression of ridicule toward people experiencing the consequences of their political choices, we called upon the Body of Christ to demonstrate something greater.
FAFO — FIND AND FEEL OUT!
Find out who Jesus Christ really is.
Feel His love demonstrated through people who genuinely belong to Him.
Let those who expected hatred encounter compassion.
Let those who expected ridicule encounter mercy.
Let those who expected rejection encounter someone willing to help.
Let those who have been taught to fear people of different races, political affiliations, or economic circumstances discover that those very people may be willing to stand beside them in their hour of need.
LET THEM FIND OUT THAT WE ARE NOT THEIR ENEMY!
And let those who have been harmed by injustice see that Christian compassion does not require silence concerning wrongdoing.
We can demand accountability.
We can pursue justice.
We can defend the oppressed.
We can speak truth boldly.
And we can do all of those things while refusing to allow hatred to govern our hearts.
The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that hatred cannot accomplish the work of love.
Jesus Christ demonstrated that truth through His life, His ministry, His sacrifice, and His resurrection.
And now the responsibility rests upon those who claim to follow Him.
BELOVED, THE WORLD DOES NOT NEED ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO KNOW HOW TO HATE THEIR ENEMIES!
It already has plenty of those.
THE WORLD NEEDS TO SEE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SO TRANSFORMED BY JESUS CHRIST THAT THEY CAN CONFRONT EVIL WITHOUT BECOMING EVIL, DEMAND JUSTICE WITHOUT ABANDONING MERCY, AND LOVE PEOPLE EVEN WHEN THOSE PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN THEM EVERY HUMAN REASON NOT TO!
So the next time someone says FAFO, perhaps we should respond with something they never expected.
Not ridicule.
Not contempt.
Not hatred.
LOVE!
And not simply love spoken.
LOVE DEMONSTRATED!
Because when the world says, “YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GOT!”
The Body of Christ should be willing to say, “YOUR DECISIONS MAY HAVE CONSEQUENCES, AND WE WILL NOT PRETEND OTHERWISE. YET YOUR HUMANITY HAS NOT DISAPPEARED, AND THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN WITHDRAWN FROM YOU!”
That is not political weakness.
That is Christian obedience.
AND IT IS TIME FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST TO START ACTING LIKE THE BODY OF CHRIST!
Question For Today
When someone whose politics you despise begins suffering from the very policies they supported, will you celebrate their pain and say “FAFO,” or will you demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ so powerfully that they FINALLY FIND OUT WHO HE REALLY IS?
And here is a second question that may cut even deeper:
IF THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOW YOU TREAT YOUR POLITICAL ENEMIES AND HOW THE WORLD TREATS THEIRS IS THAT YOU QUOTE SCRIPTURE WHILE DOING IT, WHAT EXACTLY ABOUT YOUR CONDUCT PROVES THAT JESUS CHRIST IS LORD OF YOUR LIFE?
If You Have Ears to Hear, Then Hear It!
I pray for you each and every day.
All God's Best!
Karl McKinnie
If you enjoy and learn from us, we have over 700 Bible-based narratives available at www.buymeacoffee.com/drministries/posts. As always, every narrative is completely FREE. The voluntary support option simply helps us continue sharing God's Word around the world.
Dominion Renaissance Ministries - www.dominionrenaissanceministries.church