Christians Must Support Samson – I Mean, Donald Trump
Did God choose Donald Trump – certainly a very unlikely prospect – to help lead the United States of America back in a Godly direction? Such discussions reveal more about people's ideas and misunderstandings about Christianity.
Donald Trump is like today’s version of Samson. Samson was a drunkard, a womanizer, crude, rude, and unrefined.
God chose Samson to "save" Israel (in practical terms of war). Why? Why would God associate with such a bad example of immorality? Because no one else would do the job. The story of Samson is really about the good, "moral" Israelites who ignored God's call.
Why did God choose Samson, an immoral drunkard and womanizer? He didn't. First God called others. But those others wouldn't do the job. That left Samson by default.
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Like Samson, God called Donald Trump because God couldn't persuade superficial, morally-posturing, 'Christian' politicians to do their job. All these years, 'moral' Republicans lusted over the approval of men rather than helping real struggling people in their actual lives.
God cares about those struggling people whether they are Christians or not. God had to cross everyone else off His list and turn to Trump.
"You shall know them by their fruits" Jesus taught us in Matthew 7:16-20:
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Politicians who posture like 'Central Casting' typecasts of Christians utterly failed to improve the lives of our citizens. Donald Trump, imperfect in outward appearance, is bearing fruit where "respectable" Republicans only talked. (This author personally tried to urge publicly-Christian conservative legislators in Virginia to pass amendments tweaking laws, and found they had little interest in helping real people.)
Jesus taught us about two sons in Matthew 21:28-32: One son told his father he would do what the father commanded him. But the son didn't do it. The second son told his father he would not do what the father commanded. Then he changed his mind and actually did what the father wanted him to do. Jesus asked the crowd which son did the will of the Father? The son who said he would do the Father's will but did not? Or the son who said he would not do it, but then did?
Early in his life Trump was certainly not a moral person. He was not a Christian in any sense. Trump was the prodigal son. But 'moral' Republicans never did as they promised. Now, late in life, Donald Trump is actually doing what 'moral' Republicans promised.
But the 'moral' Republicans are furious. Revealing who they are by their fruit, they are not delighted that what they promised to do is now getting done. Is this jealousy?
We discover that many Christians don't understand Christianity. Erick Erickson (who himself was famous for his own harsh comments similar to Trump's) slipped into the frequent mistake: "They’re also right that evangelicals willing to defend everything this President does are harming evangelicalism in the United States."
No. The harm is to a false gospel. True Christianity is this: "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst." – Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15.
Christianity is not about being morally superior to your neighbor. Christianity is about falling on your face before a holy God and pouring out your broken heart in genuine sorrow for your many sins.
Those who worry about whether Christians are "lookin' good" in public do damage to Christianity. Cheering a man doing a good job despite his moral imperfections does credit to Christianity. Too many are spreading a false gospel of moral superiority, boasting of one's own goodness. That's the teaching of the Pharisees, the ones who put Jesus Christ to death because Jesus didn't meet their standards.
Remember how God chose David. All of the men who looked like kings were brought before the assembly. The Prophet Samuel dismissed them all. Samuel instead anointed as king an unlikely, unremarkable, ruddy teenage shepherd boy whom no one considered to be in the running. "For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” – 1 Samuel 16:7.
Is Donald Trump called by God? Everyone is called by God. A good, honest car mechanic is called by God. Most people never find or fulfill God's call on their lives, mostly out of lack of interest in doing God's will. Being called by God does not necessarily say anything about a man or a woman being more important, godly, moral, etc. A calling is only an opportunity, never a guarantee.
Trump is not perfect. Yet "to his own master must a servant stand or fall." Do not reach out your hand against God's anointed. If Trump is imperfect, he must answer to God for that. But when God is moving, stay out of the way.
Jonathon Moseley is a frequent writer of news analysis and political commentator, who is a leading member of the Northern Virginia Tea Party, and Executive Director of American Border Control. He has worked with dozens of election campaigns, including serving as campaign manager and treasurer for Christine O’Donnell’s 2008 nomination contest for the United States Senate from Delaware. He has a law degree from George Mason University.
