Mark Twain once said, “In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination.” Let this never be said God’s people; but let us resolve to become informed about those running for public office and their platforms, and make wise, Christ-honoring decisions when Election Day arrives. It has been stated that religion and politics don’t mix; but in reality, they actually go hand-in-hand. You can’t separate the two; and the place at which they meet is in the election of government officials.
Some people will say that Christians shouldn’t become involved in politics because God is the one who appoints our leaders; and they base this on Romans 13:1b: “For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God” (NKJV). The belief is that the Lord will take care of everything; and therefore, all we have to do is sit back, relax and watch the show. This reasoning is for those who wish to take the easy way out on Election Day. It is for those who are too apathetic to vote, or who think their vote won’t count, or who are confused about which candidate is the best choice.
The Lord certainly does appoint our leaders; however, they must be servants of God. Romans 13:6b says, “For the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing” (NIV). Before these public servants can be “appointed” as leaders, they must first be “selected.” Whose job is it to do the selecting? Deuteronomy 1:13 instructs, “Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you” (NKJV). God wants us, or His people, to “choose” godly leaders; however, He is the one who actually does the “appointing.” This tells us that we have a role to play, and a responsibility in deciding who is elected into public office.
The choice concerning our leadership is up to us, and this selection process is performed through what is called an “election.” God expects us to stand up for our Christians beliefs, and to select godly men (or women) to govern over us; therefore, we must make an effort to show up at the polls and vote on Election Day. How do we choose the candidate who will best honor the Lord, and be a true servant to both God and fellow citizens? There are two main points that we must remember when we go to the polls: 1.) choose a man of godly character; and 2.) vote the Bible before political party.
The candidate who will best honor the Lord will be a man (or woman) of godly character. The Bible says, “He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3, NKJV). In Jethro’s advice given to Moses, we read this: “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Exodus 18:21, NKJV). What Jethro described was similar to an election.
As Christians, every person for whom vote should be expected to have the following four biblical prerequisites: 1.) “an able man” – he has strength, efficiency and wisdom; 2.) “fears God” – he knows the Lord, and is reverent of God; 3.) “a man of truth” – he is reliable, stable, faithful, and having true doctrine; and 4.) “hating covetousness” – he is a despiser of unjust gain, bribes and other fraud. (These same qualities can be applied in voting for female candidates as well).
In the primaries we have a choice of voting for the “best man” (or woman). The primary election is where our vote matters the most, because at that time we can select a man who most adheres to godly principles. However, Christians often fail to show up at the polls; and therefore, the “best man” is often pushed aside, leaving us with two “lesser men” from which to choose. What happens when a candidate doesn’t have all the biblical qualities that we expect to find, but has just a few of them? Should we abstain altogether from voting on Election Day? Some people don’t agree with the statement I am about to share, but it’s an idiom that makes a tremendous point: “We should vote for the lesser of two evils.”
In electing the candidate who will best honor the Lord, we must vote the Bible before political party. All too often we enter the voting booth, punch a straight ticket for one particular party, and then quickly make our exit. This happens for one of two reasons: 1.) we are zealously loyal to a certain party; or 2.) we haven’t done our research on what the candidates believe; and therefore, we feel safer in voting a straight ticket. Just as I said earlier, we need to do our homework before we show up at the polls, so that we can make Christ-honoring decisions and choose the best man (or woman), who will sincerely serve the Lord and the citizens of this great nation.
Independent Party member and pastor, Rick Warren, who leads Saddleback Church in Southern California, says there are three non-negotiables for Christians when it comes to politics: they are life, sex, and marriage. He says that while believers may disagree on the economy or health care, what they must be firm about is protecting the unborn, viewing sex as holy, and protecting traditional marriage. Warren continues to encourage, “You don’t need to apologize for voting for a Christian worldview which stands up for the sanctity of life, the sanctity of sex and the sanctity of marriage. You don’t need to apologize for that because everybody votes what they believe.”
Democratic Party member and lawyer David Kennedy, in his book You Voted for Who?, states, “I am a firm believer that your vote is often an act of your discipleship, regardless of what is worn on your sleeve. God knows what is worn on your heart. He knows your motivation for the vote; and something as mundane as casting a vote will tell Him an awful lot on whether you are on mission in discipleship as He directed you.” He continues to say, “I just encourage Christians to read their Bible and pray about the candidates they choose to vote for. We need to vote the Bible, not a party platform.”
Dr. Ken Hutcherson, pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in Redmond, Washington, tells Christians to look to the Word of God before they consider presidential candidates this coming election year; and he advises, “Christians should not support those who go against biblical teachings.” He shared with the Christian Post his suggestion for those who are on the fence about what to do, saying that people should not see it as a choice between two candidates; but rather, as a choice of who will best represent biblical values and what the Bible has to say. Therefore, in the upcoming presidential election in November, be certain to vote for the candidate who best upholds Christian values.