How should Christian’s Vote: A Word on Faith and Politics
There are two things you must not talk about at family gatherings: Faith and Politics. Here, we are going to speak on both of those. George Barna, head of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University has said that 32 million Christians have said they will not vote. Factors include a lack of interest in politics, a dislike of all major candidates, and a belief that none of the candidates reflect their deeply held beliefs.
I can sympathize with those, however I do not believe that the Christian can and should take an apathetic approach to politics. Jesus in Matthew 5:13 and 14 calls believers to be salt of the earth and light of the world. Certainly, Christians and churches do that through the proclamation of the gospel. This is the first and foremost way that believers are salt and light, through shining the light of the gospel in the dark places.
But the aspects of salt and light influence what they are applied to. Christians are not to preach the gospel in their echo chambers within the walls of the church, but are to take their deeply held beliefs into the public square, where we can be salt and light. We ought to care about politics, especially when what is at the forefront of the political word intersects with our deeply held beliefs, such as the sanctity of marriage and the sanctity of life. We simply cannot sit by idly and do nothing while laws are enshrined that end the lives of unborn and distort God’s design for marriage.
Should Christians vote?
While many may debate this, I want to answer this, biblically, in the affirmative.
Romans 13 is perhaps the apostle Paul’s most definitive and declarative statement on the intersection of faith and politics. He admonishes the believers in Rome to be subject to the governing authorities. He notes that there is no authority except those from God and that are established by God.
Here we see that God has ordained government as an institution along with the family, and the church.
In Romans culture, the governing authority was the emperor and his governors. It was a top down authority structure. Neither Jesus, or Paul came to abolish government. While Christ as King was a political message, as Herod wanted to kill the baby who was born King of the Jews, Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world. In fact, all other rulers are to be in subjection to Him. Even so, Paul encourages believers to submit to governing authorities, because government functioning as God intended should exist to bring judgment on those who practice evil, and praise those who do good. (Romans 13:1-4)
Peter says similar things in 1 Peter 2:13-14, that we are to submit ourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors sent by him, for the punishment of evildoers, and the praise of those who do right.”
Submit to the governing authorities. Submit yourselves to every human institution. The question then is: Who is the governing authority in the United States of America? We have a very different government than the Roman Empire to which these to men were speaking. We are not led by an emperor in a top down authority structure. The USA is a constitutional republic, which means that the governing authority is the people, the citizens.
In submitting to the governing authority in the USA, we are submitting to the will of the collective people. How is that will known? Through voting. The people of the United States exercise their leadership as a member of the governing authority in this constitutional republic via voting. Just as a husband not leading is family is abdicating his leadership role, and as church elders failing to lead the church is an abdication of their roles and responsibilities according to God’s Word. Failing to vote and exercising your responsibility as a member of the governing authority is an abdication of leadership.
if 32 million Christians abdicate their leadership as a member of this governing authority in this constitutional republic, then we are leaving those decisions up to men and women who do not know Christ nor honor his Word.
Christians should vote. I believe Christians should vote, and failing to do so is a lack of submission to the governing authority.
How should Christians vote?
If one affirms that a Christian should vote, we are still left with the question, how should a Christian vote. I am not going to endorse a candidate here. First, let me speak to ballot measures. There are going to be some ballot measures that are not biblical issues. Whether or not we should have a portion of our sales tax allotted to transportation infrastructure is not a matter explicitly clear in God’s Word. Its a wisdom issue, and a financial issue, which we should care about. Is this the best way to spend money. If we don’t have this tax, are there other ways of improving and maintaining roadways? How you vote on ballot measures such as this one, there’s no biblical position here.
However, in Arizona as in many other states, there is a ballot measure that is not a partisan or political issue, but a Biblical one. As abortion is already legal in Arizona up to 15 weeks, Proposition 139 would make abortion a fundamental right in the state constitution. It would allow abortion for all 9 weeks of pregnancy, and it would remove the need for parental consent for a minor seeking an abortion, this protecting abusers and child molesters.
Psalm 139:13-16 says, For you formed my inward parts, you wove me in my mothers womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in your book were all written the days that were ordained from me, when as yet there were none of them.”
Life begins in the womb. Scientifically at conception, we receive an XX or XY chromosome from our parents, which means when the egg is fertilized, it is not an “it” but a he or a she. A person is conceived. This is the miracle of child birth described in Psalm 139, when the Lord takes our unformed substance and skillfully forms us in the womb.
How should Christians vote on ballot measures like this? This one is easy. Vote to protect life in the womb. In Arizona, we should vote no on Proposition 139. Other states have similar ballot measures, and should also vote to protect the lives of the unborn. We can’t say we are pro life and then “sit this one out” when unborn lives are at stake.
But how should one vote when it comes to individuals whether that be the president, a state representative, a senator, or whatever. In order to think through this biblically, we need to think about the purpose of government. This is not a popularity contest. I believe in this election we have two presidential candidates with significant character flaws. I do not believe either of them are regenerate, true, genuine Christians. One is more certainly favorable towards people of faith than the other, but even this is not a deciding factor.
Government exists biblically to punish those who do evil, and commend those who do right? Which candidate will best to do this? This is what we have to think about. Currently, we have a president in place who praises the murder of unborn children, and locks up those who speak up for them. Our current president and Vice President, and presidential candidate praise those who do evil, and punish those who do right. They have gotten it backwards. They also refuse to punish those who violate our countries immigration laws. Laws are set by the people. The people are the governing authority, and our president and Vice President are not submitting to the will of the people when they allow for illegal immigration. In fact, those who cross illegally are often given extraordinary benefits from the tax dollars of those who are here legally and working to make this country what it is. Again, they punish the tax payers, and praise those who have broken the law.
Who should you vote for? I’m not going to tell you that. But I am asking you to filter this not with who you like and don’t like. There are things about both candidates I don’t like. In fact, both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are pro choice. I disagree with both of them on the issue of abortion, and neither of them reject my deeply held values as a Christian. But “sitting this one out” is not an option. We are a member of the governing authority, and we must do our part in leading this country, and the lives of the unborn are at stake in many states. And when you put the two candidates side by side and ask, who will best punish those who do evil, and who will commend those who do right? I believe you will have a biblical guided principle to make the best choice in the voting booth.
