Faithful Without Becoming Fire
Obedience, Discernment, and Following Christ Without Hiding Behind Religion
One of the significant challenges Christians face is figuring out how to stay true to Christ while also navigating earthly authority, without compromising their conscience or falling into reactive anger. In heated situations, particularly those related to law enforcement, immigration, and public policy, it can be easy to use religious language to back up our feelings, whether those feelings are anger, fear, apathy, or a desire for revenge. However, Scripture urges us to strive for something more challenging: faith that is obedient, peaceful, and discerning, which does not respond to hostility with hostility or hide behind the name of God.
God Rejects Religious Language That Replaces Obedience
The Bible is clear that God is not impressed by spiritual vocabulary disconnected from surrendered hearts.
“These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
— Isaiah 29:13
Isaiah is facing individuals who appeared religious yet were unwilling to change. Their faith was vocal, but lacked obedience. The problem for God wasn't that they recognized Him, but that they treated that recognition as a replacement for true faithfulness. Religion turns perilous when it gives us a sense of justification without leading to obedience.
Jesus Never Endorsed Chaos, Retaliation, or Moral Shortcuts
Jesus lived under an occupying government that was often unjust, heavy-handed, and corrupt. Yet He never called His followers to violent resistance or reactionary defiance.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 7:21
These folks aren't just rebels without a cause. They're calling on Jesus while behaving in ways that go against His true nature. Christ always turned down showy spirituality, faith that makes a lot of noise but only follows the rules when it suits them. Jesus didn't believe in fighting fire with fire. He also didn't stay silent in the face of injustice. Both are important.
Obedience to Law Is Biblical, So Is Moral Restraint
Scripture does not treat obedience to governing authorities lightly.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.”
— Romans 13:1
Christians aren't meant for chaos, lawlessness, or just reacting in defiance. Order is important. Stability is key. Obedience is essential. However, the Bible doesn't portray obedience as giving up on morality. Paul shares these thoughts fully aware that Roman authority had its flaws. Submitting didn't mean agreeing with every result, it was about not letting anger, fear, or revenge take control.
The Danger of Using Religion as Emotional Armor
During times of immigration enforcement and ICE operations, particularly in areas like Michigan and throughout the country, Christians encounter a genuine temptation from both angles: to rationalize indifference by leaning on the law or to rationalize hostility by invoking compassion without limits. Both of these mistakes misrepresent the gospel. When faith-based language is employed to stifle moral contemplation, or when Scripture is wielded to provoke anger instead of promoting restraint, religion shifts from nurturing disciples to merely safeguarding instincts.
The prophets warned against this posture:
“Is not the LORD in our midst?”
— Micah 3:11
This was said by leaders who thought that having God around made their actions okay. God completely dismissed that idea.
Grace Produces Self-Control, Not Escalation
One of the clearest evidences of gospel transformation is restraint.
“The grace of God has appeared… training us…”
— Titus 2:11–12
Grace doesn't ignite us. Grace keeps us grounded. Grace shows us how to react without turning into what we stand against. Christians aren't meant to counter force with force, anger with anger, or fear with fear. Responding to fire with fire might seem justified, but it seldom mirrors Christ.
Faith That Is Alive Looks Like Measured Obedience
James reminds us:
“Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
— James 2:17
A living faith is evident not just in our beliefs, but also in our actions when faced with challenges. This means: following the law turning away from violence not dehumanizing others staying away from faith driven by outrage opting for calm, Christlike reactions While dead faith hides behind catchy phrases, living faith is all about obedience, self-control, and humility.
We Represent Christ, Even When Emotions Run High
“We are ambassadors for Christ.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:20
Ambassadors aren't about escalating conflicts. They stand for another kingdom. This means that Christians should be the calmest voices around, not because we lack concern, but because we are part of a kingdom that isn't founded on power or fear.
Obedience Is Not Passivity, It Is Faithfulness
Jesus makes the connection unmistakable:
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15
Being obedient doesn't mean staying quiet. It doesn't mean being indifferent. And it definitely doesn't mean giving up our morals. It means we choose to uphold Christlike values, even when things get heated.
A Call to Be Faithful Without Becoming Fire
The Scriptures urge us to: follow the laws of our nation reject violence and revenge avoid religious hypocrisy stand against reactionary beliefs practice restraint influenced by grace The gospel doesn’t make us troublemakers or extremists. It transforms us into witnesses. Let’s strive to be a community that: follows the law without idolizing authority shows care without being explosive speaks with conviction while keeping Christ’s spirit in mind The world doesn’t need more loud religious chatter. It needs a more consistent Christian faith. A faith that obeys. A faith that exercises self-control. A faith that chooses not to retaliate, because it follows the One who triumphed through the cross, not through violence.
A Pastoral Word to Those Adding to the Chaos
If you say you follow Christ, and especially if you say you represent Him in public, this moment calls for more than just enthusiasm. It calls for genuine pastoral honesty. Having good intentions doesn’t make harmful actions okay. Strong beliefs don’t justify chaos. And just because we mention Jesus’ name doesn’t mean our actions are in line with His teachings.
Scripture is clear that zeal without wisdom can still do harm.
“For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.”
— Romans 10:2
When civil disobedience turns into a performance instead of a prophecy, when disruption takes the place of discernment, when religious language is twisted to justify escalation, defiance, or disorder, we're no longer witnessing Christ. We're just contributing to the chaos. Jesus never created chaos to showcase righteousness. He never stirred up crowds to show faithfulness. He never used belief as a shield to escape the consequences of His actions. The kingdom He announced was clearly distinct.
“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”
— 1 Corinthians 14:33
If our actions spread fear, chaos, hostility, or instability, we need to take a moment to ask ourselves a tough question: Are we following the Spirit of Christ, or just our own urgency and anger? Civil disobedience, when it’s justified by the Bible, is never reckless. It’s thoughtful. It comes with a price. It’s measured. And it never mixes showmanship with true faithfulness. The early church didn’t bring down empires through disorder, but through quiet obedience, clear morals, selfless love, and patient perseverance. They submitted when they could, resisted only when their conscience called for it, and accepted the consequences without any self-righteous drama. If you’re hiding behind your beliefs while your actions create division, escalate conflict, or ignore the law without a clear biblical reason, then Christ’s call to you isn’t for louder protests, it’s for repentance and a change of heart.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
— John 14:15
Obedience isn't a sign of weakness. Restraint doesn't mean compromise. Peace isn't about being passive. And humility, especially the readiness to step back, listen, and realign, doesn't equal defeat. It's about being a disciple. So, this is a warm invitation from a pastor, not a judgment: Let go of the need to appear righteous. Let go of the desire to justify chaos with strong beliefs. Let go of the temptation to use faith as a weapon. Come back to the slower, steadier, and tougher journey of following Jesus, the Jesus who turned down the sword, the Jesus who obeyed authority without giving up the truth, the Jesus who triumphed not through chaos, but through the cross. The world doesn't need Christians who shout louder than everyone else. It needs Christians who stand out in a clear way. May we be recognized not for adding to the chaos, but for living out the peace, order, and self-control that only the gospel can bring.
