The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism

by Tim Alberta

someone who believes the Bible is the inspired word of God and who takes seriously the charge to proclaim it to the world.

God has His own kingdom; no nation in this world can compare. God has His own power; no amount of political, cultural, or social influence can compare. God has His own glory; no exaltation of earthly beings can compare.

There’s a reason that scripture warns so often and so forcefully against fear: It is just as powerful as faith. But whereas faith keeps our eyes steadily fixed on the eternal, fear disrupts us, disorients us, drives us to prioritize the here and now. Faith is about preserving our place in the body of Christ; fear is about protecting our own flesh and blood. Peter was doing the impossible—walking on the Sea of Galilee, just like Jesus—until the wind started whipping around him. Then he got scared and immediately began to sink. “You of little faith,” Jesus said in that moment, grabbing Peter’s hand and pulling him up. “Why did you doubt?” No one should be surprised to see politicians and political hacks utilizing something so powerful in the name of winning an election. But it was disheartening all the same. Christians are called to transcend the patterns of this broken world; they also are called to be more perceptive than the nonbelieving person.

If Jesus warned us that what comes out of our mouths reveals what resides in our hearts, how can we shrug off lies and hate speech as mere political rhetoric? If Christians are called to reflect the awesome power of a God who renews minds and transforms hearts—who dwells within us, seeking our complete devotion to Him,

commanding us to lead lives of truth and love that might shine His light in a darkened world—how can there be a special exemption for politics?

Thomas considered his politics in the context of his faith.

belligerence that overshadows

those good deeds and in fact makes the possibility of them seem remote.