HOW can Christian principles be brought to bear upon political life? The question is one that demands an answer, for we are being continually exhorted to attend to this as one of our Christian duties.
The principles of the Christian life are, Repentance and confession of sin, and faith in Jesus Christ. The power of God operating through faith, produces in the life of the believer the “fruits of the Spirit,” which are, “Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Galatians 5:22, 23. In the Christian life the ever present, overshadowing fact in each case is, “I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20); and Christ living in the believer conforms the life perectly [sic.] to God’s standard of righteousness, the Ten Commandments.
This is Christianity; and we are told that this must be brought to bear upon politics. It is built entirely upon repentance, and faith in the Word of God. And we have never yet discovered any principle of politics which necessitate confession of sin, while it is certainly obvious that faith in Jesus Christ may be exercised by persons of any and all political parties, without affecting their political views in the least, save as it may lead them to give up politics altogether.
Every principle of Christianity grows out of faith in Christ as the Saviour of man from sin; every step in Christian life must be taken by faith in Christ. But of this faith politics knows nothing.