Gospel Centered Influence

Influence is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, and behavior of someone or something. As I reflect on the nature of influence, I think about those in civil government. They undoubtedly have an effect on the lives of everyone living in a country or nation, which brings us to the age-old problem... How does a “nobody” reach a “somebody” and affect them for change? Obviously, in the land of America, there is the effect of the ballot box, or voting. This seems to be the way that most Christians have engaged in influencing their government for decades. Does this have an effect? Certainly. However, what is the most important effect or change that can be wrought in a nation, a country, a government, and its leaders? When believers sincerely consider this, it is the effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I call this, “gospel-centered influence.” The following account illustrates this point.

I had been ministering in the capitol merely a few months when a legislator came to me about a great moral issue of the day that was pressing on him. He remarked, “You’re a pastor. I want to know what your opinion is and what the Bible says on this particular issue.” I responded that my opinion didn’t matter, but what the Bible said was paramount. As we spoke, I determined not to lobby him to vote a certain way. He was disinclined to vote for a Biblical position on the matter, and I didn’t need to attempt to “win” his vote. However, many times, a moral issue is simply a sin issue, and that was the case here. So, for the next hour and a half we talked about sin, how we are all in the sinking boat of sin, and how the only way out of this sinking ship is the lifeboat of Jesus Christ. I didn’t ask him how he was going to vote. That didn’t really matter. I was more concerned for his soul. Although he didn’t pray with me to accept Christ at that moment, the seeds of truth that God had allowed me to share worked a miracle in his heart that I later found out about.

Several days after this, I watched in surprise as this legislator voted for the Biblical side of the issue. Reporters gathered around him to ask why he had voted that way, and he responded that he had become a Christian. He began attending rallies for the same cause that he had previously been against. His entire perspective had changed because of the gospel. As he was going around promoting these new principles, he actually shared how a young man at the capitol had told him about Jesus and about salvation and that he had become a Christian. This was the true miracle. Sadly, within a few months, this legislator passed away unexpectedly. This really drove home the point of emphasis to me, as to why I should pray for my leaders, and why I should influence them - NOT for the cause of issues or politics, but for the cause of the gospel. Every believer needs to be cautious as he enters the political arena. Let us never set issues or politics above the Gospel. Let’s not make politics a stumbling block. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is offensive enough to the non-believer. We don’t want to be moralists, encouraging morality instead of salvation. Christ does not say, “Live right, walk right, talk right and maybe I’ll accept you.” In fact on the cross, He says, “It is finished.” Jesus has done all that needs to be done for our salvation.

How, then, do churches go about reaching government leaders with the cause of the Gospel? These next three articles will focus on three ways we can have gospel-centered influence on our leaders: prayer, practice and perception.