For a better life and a better eternity
I know, I know, you’re shocked to see such a blog title on the page of such a confirmed and convicted Christian. But the concept of “Christian Nation” is a myth. It is bogus. It is wrong. We shouldn’t endorse it. We shouldn’t keep passing it around. I’m convinced Satan is using the concept to divide the church.
Please, keep reading if you want to find out why I say all of this.
I’m really bothered by all the political banter I’m hearing among Christians, especially since last week’s vote about healthcare. Now don’t misunderstand me. I have political opinions. I’m happy for others to have them, even if they disagree with me. I’m not one of these guys who thinks just because someone expresses a political opinion they must not be properly centered spiritually. What bothers me, however, is how many Christians and religious people are beginning to accept the lead of the religious right that says one of the church’s main goals is to get to Washington and enact “Christian legislation.” I’m very bothered by the number of Christians that seem to think their political opinions are bible opinions and judge those who disagree as not quite as spiritual as they are.
Let me share with you some principles that help me keep my balance about politics and my relationship with God. I know this is not the normal position for today’s Christian. I simply ask that you give me a fair hearing before you start judging me as having lost my mind.
Christians everywhere are upset because President Obama told somebody America is not a Christian nation. I don’t know what he meant by it and I don’t know what you mean by it, all I know is God never asked for Christian nations. So why get stressed about it?
In Hebrews 12:26-29, the Hebrew writer claims God was going to shake out the Old Covenant kingdom so we could receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Why would we want to stress having another kingdom that can be shaken out of the way (and eventually will, no matter how much we love our country) when God is giving us a kingdom that can’t be shaken? Is God’s kingdom so trivial to us that we have to boost it with our earthly kingdom as well?
In John 18:36, Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. Why then do we get bent out of shape when we learn that a kingdom of this world is not Christ’s kingdom? Jesus said if His kingdom were of this world, His disciples would stand up and fight by earthly means. But they weren’t fighting because that wasn’t what His kingdom was about. Yet today, His disciples are completely caught up in an earthly fight through political means to somehow preserve a Christian Nation that God didn’t establish.
God has His kingdom. According to I Peter 2:9, we are part of that kingdom because we are in Christ, not because we are in America. The fact is there are Russians that are part of God’s nation, there are Mexicans, Canadians, French, South African, Nigerian, Italian, British, and all other nationalities of people in Christ’s kingdom and it has nothing to do with their national citizenship. I love America. My Dad’s life was devoted to defending America. My brother is devoting his life to the same cause. I have good friends who have done the same. I’m proud of their patriotism and their sacrifice to defend our nation. But I have to keep very clear that defending America is not the same as defending Christ’s holy nation.
God worked through an earthly nation during His old covenant, but He has moved on from that now. He has a spiritual kingdom. If He wanted a Christian nation, He could have revealed through the apostles how to get Rome to be His nation, but He didn’t. Why are we getting all bent out of shape about that now? What passage would we go to to tell us how to establish the Christian nation God supposedly wants?
In 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, Paul makes it clear that we don’t use earthly, fleshly means to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. They weren’t under a democracy. They wouldn’t vote. They would take up arms and revolt. But Paul said that wasn’t what they were about. They weren’t concerned with overthrowing the Roman government in order to make it a Christian one. They didn’t go to Caesar and try to get him to pass Christian friendly laws. Why on earth would we think our job is to spread the gospel through political means?
In Matthew 28:18-19, Jesus didn’t say go make Christian nations. He said to make Christians within every nation. In Mark 16:15-16, Jesus didn’t say to go and turn every nation into a democracy. He didn’t say, go and make sure all the nations have Christian laws. He said go and make disciples all over the world. In Romans 10:15, Paul didn’t write how beautiful are the feet of those with certain political opinions or who vote for certain laws. He said the feet of those who preach the gospel are beautiful. In II Timothy 2:2, when Paul was concerned with Timothy leaving behind a legacy for Christ and preparing the way for another generation of Christians, he didn’t tell Timothy to go to Rome and appeal to Caesar for better laws. He told Timothy to teach faithful men who would in their turn teach other faithful men to teach.
Somehow, we’ve bought into the distraction of the religious right that getting a law against abortion or homosexuality ratified in our Constitution will actually be some kind of major victory for Christ. Bologna. Let’s face it, not one single person has been saved because of anyone’s vote for any candidate or for any law. The victory that Christ wants is not to outlaw abortion or homosexuality. The victory Christ wants is for us to carry the message of His saving death to new people whose lives will be changed so they won’t have abortions or commit homosexuality anymore no matter what the national law is. If righteousness could come by a law, then the Old Covenant law of Israel would have done it. Why do we think if we get American law to correspond with the New Testament teaching that it will produce righteousness among Americans? Only the message of faith in Jesus is going to accomplish that and Jesus doesn’t need a national law to back Him up for it to work.
We need to remember that immorality and idolatry were rampant in the days of the New Testament, but God didn’t once ask anyone to try to get the emperor to pass any laws against all that. He simply asked His children to spread His soul saving gospel.
I love the Constitution. I think it is one of the greatest political documents of all time. I have strong feelings about how it should be read and interpreted. I have many concerns that it is not being interpreted properly by our government today. I am concerned about what that means for our nation’s future. However, those are political opinions, not spiritual ones. I have to remember that the Constitution is not divine or divinely inspired. We don’t have the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Constitution Testament.
I can get into all kinds of arguments about defending the Constitution, but that is not the same as defending God’s word or God’s will. The fact is, the Bible never says anything about how to read the Constitution. It never even says anything about whether or not the Constitution is the right way to govern a nation. The Bible never says anything about whether or not a nation even needs a Constitution like ours. It just isn’t there. Yet, Christians nationwide act like they are defending the Bible when they defend their interpretation of the Constitution.
I’ve heard people claim that we need to protect our “God-given rights.” We have these rights by the providence of God because Romans 13:1 says the government is established by God. That is not an accurate view of that verse or our American rights. Our rights to free speech, practice religion as we want, assemble, bear arms, speedy trial by a jury of our peers, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not God-given rights. Please, if you are convinced that they are, find the passage in Scripture that claims we have any of those rights? These are government-given rights. I’m very happy to live in a nation whose government claims we have these rights and I will gladly stand up to fight for these rights. But, again, that is a political opinion, not a spiritual one. It is not a Bible opinion.
Romans 13:1 isn’t talking about democracies. It isn’t talking about American government. It is talking about all governments. It is talking about Nero’s government, Hitler’s government, Stalin’s governments. The point behind Romans 13:1 is not that what a government established by God does is the right thing to do and we as Christians must defend it like it is the same as the Bible. Rather, it simply means we must submit to our governing authorities (unless, of course, they ask us to disobey God; Acts 5:29).
When I’m defending my opinions about the Constitution, I’m not defending God’s will. When I’m defending America, I’m not defending Christ’s nation. The Constitution is not the Bible, part 2, and I must not trivialize God’s real word by trying to somehow equate a document of men with it.
There are a bajillion political issues out there. We can argue about taxes, healthcare, marriage, abortion, immigration, the environment, defense, homeland security, our President’s birthplace and on and on and on the list goes. To my knowledge, God did not express a political opinion on any one of these issues. We need to realize that all of these issues were present in the Roman world. They dealt with taxes. They dealt with defense and security. Abortion was going on. They even killed children after they were born. Homosexuality was commonplace. Idolatry was rampant. But God never once said anything political about any of these things.
1 Timothy 2:2 is the only political opinion expressed in the New Testament that I know of. Paul didn’t tell the Christians to get up in political arms about the bad laws governing the Roman empire. All he asked was for the Christians to pray that their government would allow them to lead peaceful, quiet, godly lives. We should still be asking for that. Right now, God is granting that request. We are allowed to lead peaceful, quiet, godly lives. I know some people pitch a fit about it. I know some people don’t like it. But right now, we are allowed to serve God as we wish, practice obedience as we wish, assemble as we wish. Nobody has stopped that. Maybe they will one day, but they aren’t stopping it right now. Maybe instead of complaining like we don’t have these freedoms, we should spend more time thanking God that we do have these freedoms and asking Him to continue them. Then maybe we can go talk to our neighbors about God’s saving Gospel and it might change their lives so they don’t practice homosexuality or get an abortion.
I love being in a democracy, but I’m increasingly convinced it may not be the best situation for Christians. Why? Because democracy came on the scene and Christians have been dividing over politics ever since. Maybe it was better when there was no vote under the Roman Empire and Christians just accepted what they were given and did the best they could to live godly lives in the situation they were given.
I’m often astounded by the conglomeration of people Jesus pooled together to form His group of apostles. I’m most astounded by the coming together of Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. I wonder what kind of political discussions they had around the fire at night. A tax collector was a Roman sympathizer, not only did he not have a problem with Roman occupation, he used it to make money. A Zealot hated Roman occupation and tried any means to get them out, even insurrection at times. These two were complete polar opposites politically. But there is no indication they had to change their politics to serve Jesus. Matthew didn’t have to become a Zealot to be among the 12 and Simon didn’t have to become a Roman sympathizer. Jesus expected them to unite around something greater than politics.
Satan will use anything he can to get us to divide among ourselves. Politics seems to be the big thing right now. I’ve even heard of some Christians defriending each other on Facebook over the political opinions surrounding the healthcare vote. How sad is that?
Jesus did not die to form the Republican party. Jesus did not die to form the Democrat party. Jesus didn’t even die to start democracies. We do need to remember that neither Jesus nor any of the apostles were believers in democracy. There wasn’t democracy in their day. We need to understand that someone can have completely different political opinions from us and still be a good Christian, just like the apostles were.
Jesus did not die to make sure healthcare was privatized or nationalized. In fact, I’m guessing Jesus doesn’t care how we get healthcare. Jesus died so our souls could be cared for eternally. He expects us to unite around the eternal principles of salvation in Him and not divide around temporal political concerns about nations.
Here is what I try to remember. If I really want to do something good in God’s eyes for my nation, instead of worrying about everyone else’s political opinions, I need to talk to someone about Jesus. He didn’t die to make Christian nations. He died to make Christians in every nation. If I’m going to keep my proper spiritual perspective, I’ve got to understand that political opinions are just that. They are political opinions. I’m allowed to have them. You are allowed to have them. If we disagree, we can discuss them. But we must not let them divide us. We must not think a political discussion is a biblical discussion. God never intended that.
Let’s remember that the most important thing that happened last Sunday was not the vote on healthcare. The most important thing is the gospel was preached to millions. The death of Jesus was remembered by multitudes. Some were added to the Lord through baptism into Christ. What happened in Washington was neither a victory or a defeat for Jesus or His people. Rather, Jesus was once again victorious in a multitude of ways because His people gathered and proclaimed Him as He asked. We’ll continue doing that no matter what happens in Washington.
Please, remember, God’s way works and God’s ways are not political.
A Bit of a Rant
I know this is not a normal day for a springboard for your life. I just wanted to take this little day off and rant a little bit.
I’ve received lots of kudos and also lots of nay saying since I preached my sermon “For Whom Should a Christian Vote?” and then posted it on the web. I had no idea it would make the rounds as it has. I guess it just goes to show how brainwashed Christians are today thinking that who we vote for actually matters to God as if God is watching over our shoulders in the ballot box to see if we vote for His candidate. As intense as so many are about this, I’m kind of surprised we don’t ever see people struck down with fire from heaven right there inside the voting booth.
We all know Republican Christians believe Christians have to vote Republican because of the issues of abortion and homosexuality. We all know Democrat Christians think Christians have to vote Democrat because of the issues of poverty and compassion for the poor. Here is my question: Why would God pick one or two issues out of the whole Bible and expect us to vote based on them? Why wouldn’t He expect us to vote on every issue? Let’s face it Christians, the Bible teaches that if people are going to be saved they need to go through Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that the one true religion that all are supposed to follow today is Christianity. Should we Christians really vote for a candidate who believes in freedom of religion? Or should we find one that wants to outlaw all religions but Christianity? (Personally, I’ll vote for the freedom of religion guy every time. Does that make me less of a Christian than you?)
Whoa there! Don’t act like this is a moot point. If God really has demanded that we vote for a candidate based on biblical issues, which biblical issues should we pick? Should we only pick those that our culture is willing to argue about or should we demand that all the biblical issues be addressed? The fact is I have yet to meet anyone who is truly honest about this whole voting and Christianity thing. They pick an issue and then act like they’ve got God’s stamp of approval when their candidate is ignoring a million biblical issues and so is their vote.
The Heart of the Matter
Here is what we really need to recognize. God has never asked us to spread His will politically. He has never asked us to try to make America a Christian nation. There is only one political concern God has ever asked us to have. I Timothy 2:1-2 says, “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” The only political concern that God has asked us to have is that our leaders will let us lead a peaceful and quiet life as we strive to live as Christians. Did you also notice that He did not ask us to accomplish this through any political means? He asked us to do this through prayer.
I think it is awesome that we get to vote. I think it is awesome we get to say how we think the country should be run. I think you should let your say be heard and I think you should make that decision based on the issues you think are most important for preserving this country. I even think you should try to persuade people to vote for your candidate if you really think that candidate is what is best for our country. What you simply cannot do is act like God has endorsed your candidate or like God is remotely going to judge people based on their vote.
Churches need to get out of the election business. Christians need to quit acting like their Christian duty is to vote a certain way. If you want to do God’s will about abortion, homosexuality or helping the poor, then talk to your neighbor about the saving Gospel of Jesus and what it says about these issues. Quit thinking you’ve done your Christian duty by voting. You haven’t. Quit thinking others have violated their Christian duty by voting differently than you. They haven’t.
“It’s Really about Preserving the Democracy.”
And please, do not give me this baloney that we have to vote for the “Christian” candidate to preserve the democracy. Somehow we have acted like the Founding Fathers got democracy from the Bible. They didn’t. It isn’t there. If you remember, when God set up a nation, it wasn’t a democracy. It was a monarchy. Where on earth do we get that God’s biggest concern today is that America or any other nation be a democracy?
God doesn’t remotely care what kind of government a nation has. What God cares about is that we serve Him properly no matter who our nation’s leaders are or what kind of government we have (cf. Acts 5:29). God doesn’t care what kind of earthly kingdom structure we have in place. He cares that we are seeking first His kingdom and righteousness (cf. Matthew 5:33).
So, Christians, please quit telling me how to vote. Instead, let’s start telling people how to know Jesus and leave the politics to people whose lives are bound up in this world.
On September 14, 2008, I presented a lesson for the Franklin Church of Christ in Franklin, TN. We asked the question “For Whom Should a Christian Vote?” The answer may surprise you.
If you would like to see the lesson in its original formatting or listen to the audio, then click the link to the website for the congregation below, otherwise you can read it as I’ve pasted it in below.
Introduction:
I don’t expect a show of hands on this one. I just want you to think. For whom are you planning to vote in the upcoming presidential election? Perhaps it is John McCain as he now leads the Republican party. Or maybe you have become enamored with the stardom of Barak Obama. Then again, maybe you are leaning outside the box and are going to vote for Chuck Baldwin who is this year’s Constitution Party nominee. He is staunchly pro-life, will outlaw embryonic stem cell research, thinks a constitutional amendment should be passed defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Maybe you are leaning to the Libertarian party and plan to vote for Robert Barr, Jr. He will put an end to the war in Iraq and the military efforts in Afghanistan, thinks states should decide regarding the definition of marriage, will put an end to illegal immigration, opposes socialized medicine, wants to remove entitlement programs and will uphold your right to bear arms. Or maybe you lean to the other extreme and want to vote for the Socialist Party nominee, Brian Moore. He will also remove troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and outlaw all weapons of mass destruction, he will provide a National healthcare plan, perhaps most importantly he will legislate a 30 hour work week with six weeks of paid vacation every year and a full pension and guarantee all American families an income of $35,000 per adult per year. Or maybe you remember Alan Keyes who once ran for Republican nomination. He is running for President again, but as the nominee for America’s Independent Party. He will promote an amendment to protect marriage as between a man and woman, he will outlaw abortion, repeal the 16th and 17th amendments which will take away the government’s ability to tax our income. He is in favor of limited government and specifically states his dependence upon God. Or maybe you want to go way out on a limb and vote for veritable unknown 42-year-old Steve Adams of Lexington, KY, running as an independent. He is pro-life. Will push for a marriage amendment and promises in his first 100 days to work on producing a congressional report card to let us know how our Senators and Representatives are voting. He will balance the budget, secure Social Security, bring troops home, secure the border and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Or maybe you are leaning to one of the other 350 some odd candidates who have announced their intent to run. Wow! According to Project Vote Smart at votesmart.org, more than 350 people have announced their intent to run for President and even more are thinking about it. Interestingly, this doesn’t even include Christian and gospel preacher Shane Scott who has publicly announced his bid for the presidency on YouTube at ShaneforAmerica (Yes, he is just joking…I think).
With all these candidates and almost all of them vying for the vote of Christians, what are we to do? Is there a candidate we should support because we are Christians? Or maybe we should back up and take a look at this whole election thing in a different light.
Discussion:
I. First, can a Christian vote?
A. I do not believe a Christian has to vote. There is no command in Scripture for a Christian to be at all interested in politics or government. I find it interesting despite the New Testament’s complete silence about voting that some Christians who have never talked to another person about the gospel, almost never visit their sick brethren, rarely invite anyone into their home will become sanctimonious in an election year and talk about the Christian’s responsibility to vote. And then even further about the Christian’s responsibility to vote for their favorite candidate. Perhaps we are missing some of the Scripture’s actual priorities for us.
B. Romans 13:1 and I Peter 2:13-14 teaches that God establishes the governing authorities; we do not. I recognize some brethren believe this means they shouldn’t vote because that would mean they are trying to establish government instead of letting God do so. Others simply think this means voting is pointless because God will establish the government He wants for whatever purpose He wants it to accomplish, therefore our own vote doesn’t really count. I respect that position, and as I said, I don’t think anyone has to vote.
C. However, I think we need to remember God works through us. Consider the salvation of souls. We know for certain that God does the saving. That is God’s work. He saves souls. But consider I Corinthians 3:5. God did the saving, but He worked through men by giving them the opportunity to teach. Consider also the great Old Testament example of Esther. No doubt, the point of Esther is that God saved the Jews. However, Esther was not to sit tight and simply say God would take care of it. Rather, Mordecai said, “Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14, ESV). When it was done, God would be praised for this deliverance. If Esther did nothing, God would still accomplish His will. However, the fact that God was the deliverer did not mean God’s child must refuse to act or that her action was pointless. Therefore, the claim that God is doing something, does not mean men must stay uninvolved. The fact is, in a democracy, God establishes the government, but He does so through the votes of people. Who knows whether you have not come to the United States for such a time as this that God through your vote might install your candidate as president. Maybe not, but who knows?
II. What is God’s position?
A. Having established that you are allowed to vote if you so choose, I want to move on to consider this idea that there is some candidate out there that is God’s candidate. I am amazed at the number of people who claim to be Christians who vote all over the political spectrum, but they all act as if all Christian’s must vote exactly like them. Really? Do we really know God’s position on all the issues that play a part in the President’s role?
B. Consider the following issues and give me book, chapter and verse on God’s position.
- State’s rights versus federalism?
- Education?
- Socialized medicine?
- Immigration?
- Healthcare?
- NAFTA?
- Taxes?
- The Patriot Act?
- Social Security?
- Personal Privacy vs. Government surveillance to protect national security?
- The right to own a gun?
- Capitalism versus Socialism?
- Democracy versus Imperialism?
- Confederacy versus Union?
- Foreign policy?
- Energy policy?
- The environment?
- The line item veto?
- Defense spending?
- The trade embargo of Cuba?
C. Brothers and sisters, if our choice for the next president is so important to God that we as Christians should vote for a particular person because God wants us to, why hasn’t He filled us in on His position on all these presidential issues?
III. But my issues matter to God?
A. No doubt, most Christians will point out they vote based on values and moral issues about which God has expressed opinions. Interestingly, they can’t seem to agree on which issues are the ones upon which God really and truly wants to base our vote. If we take the two major parties, Republican Christians (and for all you Democrats out there, Christians really can be Republicans) say we need to vote based on the candidates’ positions on abortion and homosexuality. No doubt, God considers harming the unborn child the same as harming anyone else. See the Old Testament law in Exodus 21:22-25. Obviously, God is opposed to the practice of homosexuality. Romans 1:26-29 clearly states that homosexual practice is against nature and against God’s law. On the other hand, Democrat Christians (and for all you Republicans out there, Christians really can be Democrats) say we should focus on what the candidates view is on caring for the poor. No doubt, taking care of the poor is very important to God. Jesus said Christians should sell their goods and give to the poor in Luke 12:33. When Paul received the right hand of fellowship from James, Cephas and John to go work among the Gentiles, their one statement was, “Remember the poor” (Galatians 2:10). You will recognize that when God established His own nation, He actually levied a 10% tax on all the Israelites in order to support not only the Levites, but for the widows, fatherless and sojourners (Deuteronomy 14:29). Have you ever read God’s policy through Nehemiah when many in that kingdom had gotten overstretched with bad debt? In Nehemiah 5:9-13, Nehemiah, the governor of Judah, commanded the Jews to forgive the debts and give back the mortgaged property and stop charging interest when folks borrowed. The people responded that they would require nothing of the folks who had borrowed. God is absolutely concerned about the care for the poor and has even favored government and legal involvement in making sure the poor were cared for. So, which of those issues is God really more concerned about? Which should win out?
B. Further, does voting for a Presidential candidate actually mean God’s will is going to be done about anything? Let’s take one of the most often cited issues among Christians—abortion. I will admit that it is an issue upon which my vote has been based almost consistently. For six years we had a Republican president and a Republican congress, many of whom were elected because they garnered the pro-life votes of many Christians and abortion is still legal. Yet, here they are again claiming they should get the Christian vote because they are pro-life. Does our vote actually translate into God’s will being done? Apparently not.
C. Further, which of the candidates is really for God’s will being done. Can anyone let me know which of the candidates is the prohibition candidate (cf. Proverbs 31:4)? At one time, some Christians would have argued tooth and toenail that a Christian could only vote for a guy if he was really opposed to alcohol. Somewhere along the line we gave that one up. Did we cease to be God-fearing Christians because we quit voting based on that issue? Which of the candidates wants to make sexual immorality illegal (cf. Hebrews 13:4)? Which one wants to make divorce unlawful except in cases of sexual immorality (cf. Matthew 19:3-5)? Which one wants to enforce baptism for the remission of sins (cf. Acts 2:38)? Which one wants to point out that churches are only authorized by God to provide benevolent aid to Christians and then only when their families can’t or won’t help (cf. Acts 4:32-37; I Timothy 5:16)? I guess I’m just unsure how we can pick one or two biblical issues, ignore the rest and then act like we are voting for God’s candidate.
D. Finally, do you remember what Jesus came in the world to do? Jesus came into the world to establish His heavenly kingdom (Matthew 16:18-19; Mark 9:1). He did not come to establish policy for earthly kingdoms. He did not direct Christians to change their earthly kingdoms, but to spread the heavenly kingdom one person at a time by teaching. According to Luke 19:10, Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. That is the job we are to carry on. To all Republicans, how many people have ever been saved by the gospel of Jesus because you voted for Ronald Reagan, George Bush or even John McCain? To all Democrats, how many people have ever been saved by the gospel of Jesus because you voted for Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton or Barak Obama. For all you independents or third party endorsers, how many people have ever been saved because you voted for Ross Perot, Ron Paul or Chuck Baldwin? If people could be saved by the gospel based on the politicians for whom we vote, then I’m sure God would have told us for whom to vote. But God is not concerned about national policy. He is concerned about His saints getting the gospel out to one more person.
IV. Has God asked us to spread His will through political means?
A. I think the heart of the matter comes down to this question. So many Christians act like voting a certain way is our Christian duty because God has called us to make our national laws correspond with the Bible. Brothers and Sisters, that just isn’t true. Interestingly enough, God never once told the first century Christians to do anything about national policies and laws. In fact, the only governmental policy God remotely suggested the Christians do anything about is found in I Timothy 2:1-2. The only policy God encourages us to be really concerned about is whether or not the government allows us to serve God peacefully. And then, the action He encouraged us to take was to pray.
B. Further, think back to when the New Testament was written. Under what kind of government did the Christians live? The Romans had ended the Republic some time before the birth of Jesus even though they tried to maintain vestiges of it for a time. They were under an emperor. I can’t help but notice that God did not encourage His children to do anything political to spread His will. In fact, II Corinthians 10:3-7 stands out to me. This is more than just saying we don’t stick a gun to someone’s head and force them to be baptized. The point behind this is our kingdom is not a material one, therefore we don’t use political machinations to force someone to obey God at all. Instead, we persuade people with reason from the Word. If that impacts the laws of our nation, then so be it. The fact is, however, God never once asked His people to do anything political about the laws of the land. He simply commanded that we pray for those who rule over us (I Timothy 2:1-2). And then He commanded us to submit to them, whoever they ended up being (Romans 13:1) unless they ask us to disobey God (Acts 5:29). Finally, He commanded us to honor the governing authority (I Peter 2:17). Allow me to remind you this was written when the governing authorities were anything but God-fearing.
C. Consider also Jesus’ statement in John 18:36. Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world. Why on earth do we keep trying to make America Jesus’ nation by acting like there is a candidate for whom all Christians have to vote because he/she will help the United States be a Christian nation. God did not do away with His chosen national kingdom merely to get us to try to set up another one. Brothers and sisters, Jesus did not die to make America a Christian nation. He died so Americans could become Christians (along with members of every other nation). Our job, therefore is not to make American a Christian nation, but to take the gospel to our neighbors so they can be saved. Which do you think God cares about more, what our law codes say or what our people do?
D. When Paul had the opportunity to speak to policy makers, was his goal to get them to pass God’s laws? No. His goal was to teach them the gospel. See him before Felix in Acts 24, before Festus in Acts 25, before Agrippa in Acts 26. He didn’t petition them to establish biblically based laws, he tried to teach them the gospel. No doubt, if these men became Christians, their policies and laws might change. But Paul’s point was not to change national policy, Paul’s goal was to save individual souls.
E. Finally, do we think abortion, homosexuality, poverty and all the other issues we bicker over politically were any less part of the Roman culture? Homosexuality was such a part of the culture Paul had to write against it specifically in passages like Romans 1:26-27. There were poor people all over the Roman Empire and it was even worse then because socio-economic class was often established at birth and could hardly be changed. Abortion and infanticide were practiced among the Romans. Where are the passages that show the Christians what to do about these political atrocities that kept Rome from being a Christian Empire? They just aren’t there. Instead we have passages like I Corinthians 6:9-11. What was God’s answer to these moral ills? Not changing national laws and policies but teaching individuals the gospel so they can be saved and then redeemed from their immorality.
V. Let’s get back to just spreading the gospel.
A. I think it is sad that all the politicians play the religious card. They all want us to know how Christian they are as if that gives them God’s endorsement. What is worse, however, is that we Christians sometimes get caught up in it and act like our vote has to line up with some kind of teaching from God so we can further His plans. That just isn’t in the Bible.
B. I know it is hardly “religiously correct” to say this. I know I am probably upsetting almost everyone who hears this sermon because we so want to prove that everyone has to vote like us to serve God properly. But that just isn’t in the Word of God. The fact is, I don’t think we can make one single claim from the Bible that suggests God really cares how we vote. Our job in serving Him is not about our nation’s laws and policies. Our job is to get the gospel out. If you really want to further God’s will regarding caring for the poor, get out and help someone who is poor. If you really want to further God’s will regarding abortion, teach people the gospel truth about sexual responsibility and then help support them as they choose to keep a baby if they have made a mistake. If you really want to further God’s will regarding homosexuality, show love and concern for someone who struggles with that sin as you help the overcome by the grace of God. What good will it do if we change national policy by our votes but never convince anyone to love God enough to obey His will on these issues.
C. To be honest, I think one of the reasons we get so up in arms about voting is because voting is so easy. We go into a booth and push some buttons where no one can see us and try to elect officials to pass laws to force people to obey God. Then we pat ourselves on the back for doing our part in God’s fight against immorality. We haven’t done anything in God’s fight against immorality when we vote. We haven’t done anything in God’s fight against immorality until we start talking to the immoral about the freedom from sin they can have in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion:
Brothers and Sisters, I don’t know that God cares whether or not we are a Republic, a Democracy, a Monarchy or a Dictatorship. However, I must admit that my own personal view of politics is that the ability to elect representatives is the best form of government. That, however, is a political and social view, not a spiritual or biblical one. I view the ability to vote for representatives who think like me is one of the greatest privileges we have in our country and I take it seriously. Frankly, I believe we are allowed to favor a candidate for any reason or reasons we think are most important to help protect and preserve our country. With that, I recognize that because of experience and situation, each of us may see different issues as the most pressing ones in our nation. The fact that you don’t see the same issues as pressing as I do, doesn’t mean you are less of a Christian than I am and vice versa. So then, for whom should the Christian vote for president or in any other election for that matter? The Christian should vote for the candidate he/she thinks will most represent their opinions if elected based on whatever issues he/she decides are most pressing.
Before I end this lesson, I have no doubt someone who is not exactly happy with this sermon is going to come up when I’m through and try to get me to somehow sideways admit their candidate is the right one by saying, “I appreciate all you said, but don’t you think Christians should take their Bibles with them into the voting booth?” Of course I do, I think Christians should take their Bibles with them everywhere. I think Christians should let God’s moral law impact every decision they make. I just have recognized there are more biblical issues at play than the one upon which you or I have hung our electoral hats. Further, when you leave the voting booth, don’t think you have done God’s will about whatever issue caused you to vote the way you did, because God has never told you how to vote. He has told you how to live, how to teach and how to bring others to salvation through His Son. So, between now and November 4, if you want to really do something for God’s kingdom and even for our nation, quit trying to convince others to vote like you and start sharing the gospel message of salvation with them.