One of the paradoxes I see in today’s American church is this: many Christians who passionately identify with the MAGA movement are far more eager to control the culture than proclaim the gospel. They fight political battles with relentless energy, convinced that America must be forced back to their false biblical morality. But this raises an uncomfortable question: if one truly trusts in Christ for his salvation, why is he so fearful that faith depends upon winning political power?

The NT presents a very different picture of the Christian life. Jesus never instructed His followers to seize control of governments or compel unbelievers to behave like Christians. Instead, He commanded His disciples to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, care for the poor, welcome the stranger, and faithfully proclaim the good news of God’s kingdom.

Salvation rests in Christ—not in elections, legislation, or cultural dominance.

When so-called believers wield faith to enable false leaders who unrepentantly behave in opposition to God’s will, they send the message that Christianity is primarily about power rather than grace. Anger replaces compassion. Condemnation replaces mercy. Political victories become more important than transformed hearts.

Such hypocrisy undermines the Lord’s Great Commission. Many non-Christians reject the church before they have even heard the gospel. They do not see people whose confidence rests in Christ. They don’t see grace. They don’t see mercy. They don’t see humility. They don’t see love. Instead, they see fear, outrage, and hostility directed toward those who think or live differently.

If we genuinely believe that Jesus has conquered sin and death, we should not be driven by panic or fear. Confidence in salvation produces humility because we recognize that we ourselves are saved by grace, not by moral superiority. It produces patience because God’s kingdom advances through changed hearts, not coercion. It produces love because Christ loved us while we were still sinners.

None of this means Christians should abandon moral convictions or withdraw from public life. We should stand for truth. But Scripture consistently teaches that truth must be spoken in love. When political identity overshadows our identity in Christ, we risk becoming disciples of a movement rather than disciples of Jesus.

Every Christian should ask themselves a difficult question: Does my life make people more curious about Jesus, or more convinced that Christianity is simply another political tribe?

If our words and actions consistently communicate anger, contempt, and fear, perhaps the issue is not the state of the culture. Perhaps it is whether we truly trust the Savior we claim to follow.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7