Thinking About Voting
Dear Church, are you thinking about voting?
The question is not whether or not you’ve considered voting at all, but rather… is voting something you’ve thought about, meditated on or even prayed about? We hope so and while we're at it, your Paramount Elders want to help make sure everyone is thinking like Christians in this political season. This article will address whether Christians should vote in the first place and, if so, how should they go about it. It goes without saying the political context of the Bible writers was much different than ours is today where we live. That said, God has revealed clear and compelling principles in His Word that can guide us.
Should Christians in America vote?
Short answer: Christians should seize every legitimate opportunity to seek the good of the country (community) in which they live and display the righteous rule of God.
Longer Answer: Christians in America must decide whether voting and other forms of political engagement are responsibilities we have or merely freedoms we can take or leave. It is true that Christians are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20), this world is not our home (Heb. 13:14) and that we are “exiles” in this life (1 Pt. 2:11). These are powerful and appropriate reminders for us as we live with our eternal home in mind. However, the Christian is called to be both heavenly minded as well as a source of profound earthly good and how we live in this world can be of incredible consequence. Notice how God instructed His people to think about life in their temporary home in the great pagan city of Babylon of all places...
Jeremiah 29:4-7 – “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare…”
In Romans 13:1-7, Paul tells us that all who are in positions of authority are put there ultimately by the wise providence of God to be ministers of His justice and protection. By submitting to their leadership (in so much as we are able to obey and honor God), we are essentially submitting to God Himself (Mark 12:17, 1 Pt. 2:17). Also, in America we have the benefit of participating in the process of selecting the leaders to whom we will submit. Who better to influence who serves as such ministers of God than the people of God? There are many places in the world today, as in Babylon, where God’s people are “salt and light” (Matt. 5:13-16) and share their faith and pray, but have no civil recourse for seeing the ethics of the Kingdom of God influence their community. While that is all God has ever really needed to advance his kingdom, voting is one way for Christians to steward the opportunity to seek the righteous rule of God and the common good where we live (Micah 6:8).
How Should Christians in America vote?
Short Answer: Christians are called to do all things, including vote, according to the law of God in a manner consistent with the Gospel and compelled by love of neighbor.
Longer Answer: Christians are ultimately bound, not by the law of land or their own personal whims, but by the moral law of God (Psalm 1:1-2). We believe that God’s law is the standard of what is true, right and good for every person everywhere without exception. This is the initial grid through which we process and decide where we land on the “issues.” As citizens and ambassadors of heaven, we are not free to cast our vote against clear moral commands in God’s Word. Likewise, we are not free to cast our vote in support of what God’s Word clearly prohibits. Unfortunately for us the ballots do not lend themselves to such clean categories. Nevertheless, all Christians can agree that God’s thoughts on every topic debated during an election are higher and holier than ours and they result in the greatest good for His creation (Is. 55:8-9).
The second grid through which we vote is the Gospel (Phil. 1:27). This has several important implications on how and why we vote. For example, the Gospel puts our political activism in perspective by reminding us that salvation comes only by faith in Christ (Rom. 10:17) and not by way of a particular political candidate or party. True life-change comes only by the Spirit of God and not by way of law. The Gospel also puts our concern for our nation in perspective by reminding us that God is powerfully establishing an eternal heavenly Kingdom made up of people throughout time from every nation (Rev. 7:9). Finally, the Gospel puts our convictions in perspective by reminding us that if we can unify around our love of Christ (Eph. 4:3), we can graciously disagree with other thoughtful Christians who cast their vote differently that we do.
The final grid through which the American Christian should vote is their love of neighbor (Mark 12:30-31). It is easy to think of voting as a personal responsibility or something we do for ourselves. Love requires more. Love for our neighbor compels us to consider issues from their perspective and to consider how they may experience a particular injustice or deprivation we do not (Phil. 2:3). Scripture is chock-full of commands and appeals for God’s people to defend the weak and help the helpless (Psalm 82:3-4). In addition, love compels us to want the whole world to know the blessing of God that leads to true human flourishing. Whenever we vote in opposition to someone with a different worldview, we do so with the conviction that if our candidate is elected or the bill we vote in favor of is passed, it would be for our neighbor’s good even though they disagree.
A Final Thought.
Psalm 21:1 - “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will.”
Isaiah 46:10 - “…declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose…”
This sobering reminder of God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean that we are excused from getting involved or that God’s providence doesn’t account for our actions – it does. But it does mean that however we vote or engage politically, we can do so without fear and with complete confidence that God is in control. He is on the throne where He has always been and where He remains forever. No matter what happens in November, irrespective of who fills the Oval Office and regardless of the prevailing ideologies that govern our country the eternal purpose of our God will not be frustrated or delayed. He will accomplish all of His purpose – all to His glory and for the good of His Church.