Sarah Palin -- Holy Spirit Boldness

By Dr. Charles McVety
President, Institute for Canadian Values

The election in the United States is proving to be historic.  On one hand Barak Obama’s run for President shatters the scourge of racism, with polls showing that 94% of Americans would vote for a qualified African-American candidate.  On the other hand, Sarah Palin’s run for Vice-President makes a dent in misogyny and deals a devastating blow to synthetic feminism and anti-Evangelicalism.   Regardless of the electoral outcome, history will be made and long standing societal prejudices will be nominalized.

In this modern age, the Prince of the Air dominates mass media. Right is now wrong, and wrong is now right.  One of the most admired Americans is a philanderer who had a 21-year-old intern perform sexual favours under the Oval Office desk, and then lied about it to the nation.  In contrast, one of the most hated Americans is a man that helped change millions of lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and built the largest Christian university in the world.  Good is considered evil, and evil is considered good.  Romans 1:22 says, “professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.”

As we attempt to navigate through this upside-down-world, it is often-times too easy to hide our faith in an effort to deflect vicious attacks from an intolerant, secular society.  Another tactic is to go through a makeover of Christianity, ignoring Christ’s commands, in an effort to make it palatable to unbelievers.  Our human drive, a desire to be accepted, wanted and admired by our friends, co-workers and society in general, causes us to rationalize our behavior as if the end justifies the means.  God demands better.

Jesus Christ warns us that, in the last days, we must expect that men “will speak all manner of evil against us, falsely”. The Gospel is an affront to unbelievers who desire to live as if there is no accountability for their actions, and as if there is no God.  As soon as they are confronted by a living example of conformity to God’s guidance, their own thoughts and ideals are challenged, and they hate that. Unbelievers know that their lives are without eternal meaning, and they suffer the anguish that accompanies hopelessness. The last thing a secular world wants to see is a committed Christian demonstrating an ambitious, successful, abundant life.

One demonstration of such a life, is the U.S. Vice-Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. She is an    unashamed, Holy Spirit-filled, Pentecostal Christian who has decided not to hide her light under a bushel, but to strive to achieve one of the highest offices in the world.  The secular world sees in Sarah Palin, a traditional woman who celebrates motherhood with five children, stands against abortion, but also succeeds in a career as a City Counsellor, Mayor, Governor, and now VP nominee.  In addition, they witness her belief in Jesus Christ, and how she follows God’s precepts.  Sarah is a life-sized example of abundant life that drives the secular mind crazy.   The immediate reaction of the secular media is vicious, unwavering, vitriolic, unabashed attacks.  The natural reaction of most of us, while under attack, is to run and hide, retreat from harm’s way and, in turn, miss the success God has chosen us for. 

God has given Sarah Palin a spirit of boldness to stand her course. In Ephesians 6:3, the Lord calls us to “take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”  God never wants us to run and hide, or back down from the visions and dreams that He has chosen for us to fulfill. This boldness to stand is presented to us numerous times in the New Testament alone.  The term, “boldness”, is used 31 times in Scripture, and the original Greek word is “parrhesia”.  It means, “to speak openly, frankly, with fearless confidence and cheerful courage”.  Such abilities could only come from God, as boldness is closely related to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

In Acts chapter four we read the account of Peter and John confronting the High Priest and the authorities.  Scripture records that “they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke with boldness”. This boldness was the trademark of Jesus Christ, so the authorities immediately recognized that they were with Jesus.  In Verse 31, Scripture attests, once again, that they were “filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.”  Peter knew what it was like to deny Christ and hide, as he did upon Christ’s arrest and crucifixion.  But this time, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, as he took a stand.  The result was that Peter and John went on to lead the first revival in history.

The Old Testament records several examples of God-given boldness.  Joseph was favoured by God, but was brutalized by his brothers; he was lied about by Potiphar’s wife and his prison mates.  Joseph maintained his bold commitment to God, and he was exalted as Prime Minister of Egypt.  Daniel boldly refused to pray to another god, and was placed in the lion’s den.  God delivered him, and made him the Prime Minister. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood ramrod-straight, and boldly refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar .  They were thrown into the furnace, and were delivered by the Lord Himself without the smell of smoke upon them.

Sarah Palin has been brutalized, lied about, and thrown into the “fiery furnace of the international media”.  The CBC lied about her newborn son, reporting that the boy with Down’s Syndrome was her grandson.  They also said that her selection as the U.S. VP nominee was a crass gesture to appease the “white trash”-base, and that her appearance was that of a porn actress. CNN glibly dismissed her 13 years of experience as if none of it mattered, and cast doubt on the ability of a mother of five to serve the country.  Newspapers around the world have attacked her belief in God, and her participation in Wasilla Assembly of God Church in Alaska. Internet news sources and blogs have posted 22 million articles, mostly attacking her with lies, false pictures, and untold profanity.  I suspect that very few people in history have been attacked more intensely, and her national career just started a few weeks ago!  Why do they hate her so much?  The attacks rarely mention her policies, and usually strike out at her personally. 

It is clear that a secular, unbelieving, media cannot tolerate a traditional, yet successful, Christian woman. In the name of feminism, women’s groups attack Sarah Palin relentlessly.  You would think that feminists would celebrate a fellow woman rising to such a level. However, due to the fact that Sarah is a Christian, a traditional mother who does not support the right to kill babies in the womb, feminists can’t help themselves.  The groups are “synthetic feminists”. They profess to fight for women’s rights but in fact only fight for leftist issues.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus Christ commands us to be the salt of the world:  “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matthew 5:13).  Sarah Palin is attempting be the salt of America, by giving the nation a flavour of righteousness.  By taking a stand against abortion and other forms of wickedness, she is trying to preserve the nation for another generation.  Salt is also analogous to loyalty. In Bible times, a local custom was to exchange salt granules from each others salt pouch symbolizing loyalty as they could never retrieve their salt that was mixed with another’s.Even though Governor Palin is being persecuted, she remains loyal to the Lord Jesus Christ and His calling.

Christ goes on to say in verse 14 of Matthew 5, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”  Governor Palin is quickly becoming one of the most recognized Christian women in the world, without hiding, or compromising her testimony, or remaking the teachings of Christ.  Even in the face of crushing political expediency, Sarah is unwilling to bow down to the media, as she stands ramrod-straight, refusing to pander after the world. 

Unfortunately, in Canada, our evangelical leaders have not stood the ground, and have decided to bend their knees.  Stephen Harper won the election in 2006 by promising to defend marriage and stand for good.  In his quest for a majority government he abandoned his previous commitments and friends.  In the previous 2006 election the Conservative war room forced some Christian candidates to run and hide, and not be seen in public.  Others have not been allowed to run again, simply for holding to Biblical principles.  He finished off marriage with a false motion in the House of Commons, ending the debate. In the Spring of this year, the Prime Minister voted for protecting “Unborn Victims of Crime”-- Bill C-484.  Just before the October election he abandoned his support, and vowed to stop the Conservative Bill.  Just 7 days before the election he pandered to pressure from the Arts and Entertainment industry, and announced that he will continue to fund offensive and pornographic films.  Stephen Harper won the election but lost his majority.  The Conservatives actually lost 168,000 votes over their 2006 total.  The base did not come out in 2008 as they did in 2006.

If we are to experience the blessings of God, then we must be willing to obey Him, even if we come under attack and persecution.  God is just, righteous, and loyal. He will always exalt those who trust in Him and obey His commands. The wrong way is never the right way.  The end result never justifies unrighteous means.  We live in days similar to that of Lot and Noah, where “right is wrong and wrong is right”. It is difficult to be the salt and light, taking a stand for righteousness. However, history is littered with the bones of those who bow to this world. Eternity is full of those who stand boldly against the whiles of the devil, and having done all, stand.