When Politics Becomes a Religion
When politics becomes a religion is no longer in the future; it has arrived. Notably, today’s leftist politics has replaced Almighty God with breathtaking speed, wielding power with a sledgehammer and seeking to destroy anything or anyone who gets in its way. For those who don’t yet see that the Left’s radical policies have become a secular religion of devoted believers, it is crucial that you understand the times we live in.
God created humans to worship and enjoy Him forever. And not that long ago, religion was universally defined as believing in and worshiping God. But when God is rejected, substitute worship must be found, one where people still come together around organized beliefs. However, these new values and standards for behavior are now humanistic, not revelations from God, because people have taken their Creator’s rightful place.
Subsequently, when the majority in a culture dismiss God, secular beliefs and unbiblical teaching become mainstream, even seeping into many churches. As a result, more sinister forces position to take over, like Communism and Marxism. Although these godless ideologies have killed millions to maintain power, America and countries around the world have been on the precipice of being overpowered by these evil forces.
Wherever atheism and secularism are on the ascendancy, there is a natural progression of evil as cities, states, and countries begin to use the unholy power of politics to unite and legislate their ideology. And this is how an anti-god world religion is born.
Why do the nations conspire and the people’s plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their shackles.” Psalm 2:1-3
How Did Politics Become a Religion
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21
How did secular politics become a worldwide religion for millions of people? The stage was set decades ago by relativism, whose doctrine states there are no absolutes and no universal moral framework. Relativism denies unchanging moral truths originating from a Holy God and revealed to man. So, for those with a relativistic mind, truth is viewed as subjective, something that constantly changes. Thus, relativism made political religion possible because without right or wrong, every viewpoint is equally valid.
Even though God becomes irrelevant, the vacuum to worship remains. So, the adherents of relativism remade God in their image according to the dictates of human imagination. Consequently, whenever people, not God, decide what is good and evil, right and wrong, it becomes a religion. Hence, millions today look for political solutions instead of seeking God for answers.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is forever praised. Amen. Romans 1:25
Secular Politics Has Become a Demonic Religion
The Spirit clearly says that in later times, some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. 1 Timothy 4:1-2
Satan is the enemy of God, the ruler of this world, and the demonic power orchestrating the spirit of the times we live in. It is Satan who suppresses the truth about God and His revealed Word by indoctrinating the culture daily with his atheistic ideology. And he does this through the power of political rhetoric and the megaphone of print, music, film, and academia. Hence, what the world believes and values is Satan’s assault against God and His Word of truth, the Bible.
Therefore, left-wing politics must wrap itself with religious overtones like “we are good, opponents are evil” to hide that it is actually divisive, corrupt, and demonic. And because the dogma is “the end justifies the means,” unscrupulous people wield political power as a weapon without conscience. Deceived, they claim to be righteous, yet slavishly work together politically to dethrone God and do what He hates.
The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4
Political Religion is Based on Legalism
All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly, no one is justified before God by the law because “The righteous will live by faith.” Galatians 3:10-11
Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, cloaking himself in legalism, a false religion that deceives those who do not know God or biblical truth. Legalism is the foundation of all false religions in the world because it teaches that doing good works, apart from faith in Jesus Christ, makes a person righteous and right with God based on merit.
Hence, the evidence that politics has become a religion is that it mimics the same legalism found in too many religious institutions. Only this time, legalism is dictated by authoritarian leaders with a political agenda, who prescribe a moralistic religion of human commandments for what is good, and they even determine who is evil. That is to say, they take the place of God. As a result, legalists produce self-righteous followers who live without the power of God in their lives.
No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law; rather, through the law, we become conscious of sin. Romans 3:20
The Politics of Religion is Punitive
In all legalistic religions, followers are kept in line for fear of being shamed or shunned. Likewise, in today’s liberal politics, there is zero mercy for those who stray from the party’s narrative (doctrine) because it alone dictates moral goodness. Hence, to maintain power, political leaders must target those opposed to their dogmas as evil and continually fan the flames of hatred and division, the favorite tool of the devil.
Furthermore, legalism focuses on self, not God, to achieve moral goodness, but this is impossible. Because self-focus only produces the cardinal sins of pride and Pharisaic self-righteousness that we see parading throughout the world today. Therefore, the Bible tells us to beware! Powerful and influential political leaders are akin to the religious Pharisees, whose pride and moral superiority Jesus spoke forcefully against. Jesus told the Pharisees they would certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus said, “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like white-washed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside, you appear to people as righteous, but on the inside, you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Matthew 23:27-28
The Religious Doctrines of Progressive Politics
All religions have doctrines that are absolute, and political religion is no different. The Left’s tenants of the faith are many, and all must be strictly followed. But to name a few, they believe in political correctness, DEI, Wokeism, social justice, and environmentalism, which worships creation instead of the Creator. And sadly, abortion on demand is their unholy sacrament and the hill they are willing to die on.
Indeed, God’s revelation of good and evil has been hijacked, replaced by the world’s constantly changing morality that incorrectly defines what constitutes a “good” person. Thankfully, only God never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and the Bible is God’s eternal word of truth.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:9
God’s Word warns that depending on yourself to follow religious rules or laws is a false, man-made religion that will never get you into heaven. This is because it focuses on what you can do through human effort and not on what God has already done through Jesus Christ to forgive your sins.
Political Religion Promotes Hypocrisy
Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Philippians 3:9
Hypocrites are phony imposters who put on a false appearance of moral superiority when, in reality, they are actors who cannot see themselves as God sees them. Hence, the devil, the father of lies, uses their pride to deceive them into thinking they are “good and virtuous people” who do not need a Savior, a deliverer from sin.
Be warned, any so-called religion that compels compliance and conformity of thought only creates pretenders who feel required to virtue signal their “righteousness.” And nothing brings out an outward performance more than the latest political cause. But the Bible says there is no one righteous, not even one!
The truth is that imposters can only virtue signal moral goodness they do not possess. Because “good” people do not display malicious hatred toward others who disagree with their religious ideology and then willingly use the politics of personal destruction against them. Nor do they distance themselves from family members who believe differently, thus proving their politics have become a religious cult.
Therefore, beware of intolerant legalists and moralists, especially political leaders, who believe the end justifies the means because, like the religious Pharisees, they will do anything to maintain power, even murder. They may appear righteous, but it is only an outward performance instead of an inward change that comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.
I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! Galatians 2:21
Religious Actors Need the Power of God
But understand this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, … having the appearance of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2 Timothy 3:1, 5
Those without Christ talk piously about peace and love, but they can deliver neither. And this is because Jesus said, “There is no one good except God alone.” Only when you believe what Jesus said will you recognize your need for a Savior, Jesus Christ. Thus, what religious actors need is to repent of their sins and seek a relationship with the one true God.
Indeed, you will always be good enough for an anti-God world, but consider this: The Bible teaches that anyone who thinks they are good enough for heaven will not be there!
God made Jesus, who had no sin, to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Only Cure for Political Religion
Repent and Believe in Jesus Christ
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Today’s left-wing politics has become a legalistic religion that offers no hope, grace, or mercy, only judgment for those who stray from its orthodoxy. But Jesus Christ, full of grace and truth, loved you enough to willingly shed His blood on the cross to save you from your sins.
Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5:32
The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” So, if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ for your salvation, ask Jesus to save you now. Repent of your sins, which come from living your life independently from God. And believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt of your sins and rose again on the third day. When you believe in Jesus, God forgives your sins and promises to give you eternal life with Him in Heaven.
May God bless all who believe in Jesus and receive Him as their Lord and Savior.
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4
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Week 1: Job 12:23-25; Psalms 1:1-6; 2:1-12; 11:1-7; 22:27-28; 33:6-15; 46:10; 52:1-9; 55:20-21; Proverbs 6:12-19, 23; 11:9-11, 21; 14:2, 9, 12, 16, 34; 16:2, 4-5, 18, 25; 17:4, 23; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Isaiah 5:20-24; 10:1-4; 13:4-13; 14:12, 26-27; 29:13-16, 20-21; 45:5, 22-25; Ezekiel 28:1-10
Week 2: Matthew 5:1-12; 6:1– 5, 14-15; 7:12-29; 15:7-9, 19-20; 23:13-14, 23-24, 27-28, 33; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 5:31-32; 6:31-36, 41-45; 11:37-46, 53-54; 16:13-15; 18:9-14; 20:45-47; John 3:16-21, 35-36; 6:28-29; 7:16-19; 8:12-13, 15, 23-24; 9:39-41; 14:6-7; 15:18-25; Acts 4:12
Week 3: Romans 1:16-32; 2:5-16; 3:9-31; 4:1-8; 5:1-2, 6-10; 6:23; 8:3-10; 10:1-4, 8-13; 12:1-2; 17-21; 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 1:20-21; 2:6-8, 12-14; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 5:15-21; 10:3-5; 11:3, 13-15; Galatians 1:3-5, 2:15-21; 3:10-14, 19-25; 4:1-7, 21-31; 5:4; Ephesians 2:1-10; 5:5-16; 6:11-12
Week 4: Philippians 3:7-9; Colossians 1:13-17, 21-23; 2:8-10, 20-23; 3:1-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:26-27; 2:5-11; 3:13-18; 4:4, 17; 2 Peter 2:1-22; 1 John 1:5-10; 2:1-6, 9, 15-17, 22-23; 3:4-10; 4:1-6; 5:19; 1 John 1:5-10; ; 3:4-24; Jude 1-25; Revelation 1:4-8
So true!