Biblical response to the election
Recently, I attended a theological conference where David Gibbs III, president and general counsel of the National Center for Life and Liberty (NCLL), was one of the main session speakers. In his address, Mr. Gibbs mentioned that it’s predicted that 32 million evangelicals will sit out this year’s election. Read that sentence again. Millions of professing Christians will not bother to vote. This is not only a staggering number, it’s a discouraging one. How can evangelical Christians complain about the direction of our nation when so many don’t even participate in the election process? Should you choose to not vote, remember that refusing to participate in the election does not remove moral culpability. Shrugging your shoulders in indifference is not a wise response to the divisive challenges facing our nation. There are certainly times when we vote to elect someone and other times when we are trying to prevent a particular candidate from taking office. Either way, the evangelical vote should always be as closely aligned with God’s commandments as possible. Neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party are distinctly Christian, so there are no perfect candidates on either side of the political aisle.
Over the last several election cycles, the phrase “this is the most important election of our lifetime” has been repeated so often, very few people seem to even believe it anymore. And yet, because our nation is so inflamed by the political and ideological differences raging in our society, this statement might actually be accurate in 2024. There are two radically different visions for our country, and one of them will win the White House and control of Congress in the next few days. Every election, especially in the last twenty-five years, is a ruthless fight over whose worldview will define the United States of America and determine the trajectory of our society. Common values and traditions that once united our country have all but vanished like a cloud of smoke. Finding common political ground is increasingly difficult, and it’s tearing us apart at the seams. For Christians, this is no time to remain politically silent.
In a few days, we will have a new President of the United States. Like you, I won’t miss all of the political ads, bickering, and hatefulness. But very soon we will know which candidate will occupy the Oval Office. Concerning the role of government, Darrell Bock argues that its purpose is “legislating how a diverse community can live together as neighbors.”[1] It doesn’t take long to conclude that the United States government has come up woefully short when it comes to fulfilling its God-given responsibility. Our government is locked in stalemate, and it’s going nowhere fast. No matter which candidate wins, this impasse is unlikely to improve very much. Regardless of who wins this year’s election, our response should be the same. Let’s consider five biblical responses to the upcoming election.
First, keep proclaiming the gospel your primary concern. There is a time and place for political activism, but that is not the church’s primary responsibility. Christians are first and foremost called to proclaim the good news to this lost world and call people to repentance. Jesus never started a political organization, encouraged political activism, or recommended political violence. Instead, He established the church, which was to proclaim God’s love for the world and offer the hope of redemption through faith in Christ. For too many years, the church wielded the sword rather than proclaiming the gospel. It’s impossible to make people godly through the threat of violence or even by civil laws. Morality rests inside the person. Because all people are born sinful and separated from God, our priority must always be the proclamation of the gospel. As C.S. Lewis said, “He who converts his neighbor has performed the most practical Christian act of all.” America’s hope does not rest in the courthouse, the statehouse, or the White House. Our hope rests in God’s unchanging truth. Jesus’s final words recorded in Matthew’s Gospel are very encouraging and straightforward: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). Notice, Jesus is the ultimate authority on earth and in heaven. Obviously, His authority is also over the church. His commandment to the church is simple. We are to go into the world (not run from it) and make disciples through the proclamation of the gospel. It’s the gospel that saves people from their sin, not political policies. Political efforts can produce some societal changes, but these are typically marginal, external, and temporary. The pull of our rapidly-secularizing society will always be away from God’s truth, resulting in even greater spiritual confusion and moral decline. Politics may change external behavior—which can admittedly be a good thing—but it can’t change hearts; lasting change only takes place in people’s lives when they place their faith in Jesus. This nation was established to allow its citizens to freely worship the Lord or not. As Bock writes concerning our Founding Fathers, “They also understood that a state that tries to control a person’s conscience pulls in the direction of tyranny and despotism.”[2] In other words, we shouldn’t even try to force anyone to worship God in spirit and in truth. But we can share the gospel with them. Our chief concern, therefore, must be seeing unbelievers come to know the Lord. Not winning political arguments or elections.
Second, keep your confidence and trust in God. No matter who wins the White House, rules the courthouse, or has a majority in Congress, our sovereign God will still be seated on His throne. In 1 Timothy 6:15-16 Paul boldly declares that the Lord is “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion.” When God becomes small to us, fear and uncertainty are inevitable. Even when it appears that society is going over the edge, we must never lose sight of the fact that God is sovereign, and His plan will never be thwarted by any human government. Human history is moving toward its glorious end, and no President will rewrite God’s magnificent plan for the world or pass legislation that will remove God from his throne. Whatever the outcome of this year’s election, we can be confident that the results perfectly coincide with God’s sovereign purposes for our country and for the world. As our almighty God, He is free to do whatever he chooses, and He is free to do it by whatever means He sovereignly declares.
Third, keep submitting to civil authorities. The people in Jesus’s day didn’t live in a time when democracy was the norm. Early Christians lived under ruthless, ungodly political leaders who promoted slavery, tolerated blatant acts of immorality, levied high taxes, and murdered Christians. And yet, Jesus taught His disciples to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Jesus hardly mentioned politics at all during His earthly ministry. There were no calls for a new political regime or revolution, but He did command us to pay our taxes. Jesus didn’t summon a legion of angels to overthrow the dictators who persecuted His people or call His disciples to build an army. In Romans 13:1 Paul writes, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Both the church and human government are instituted by God, and have been entrusted with spheres of authority. In fact, the government—like the church—is ministerial. Concerning political authorities Paul adds, “He is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4). Because government is a God-ordained intuition, Paul says that citizens are called to “pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God” (Romans 13:6). An important responsibility of government is to justly wield the sword so its citizens are protected and evil is punished. Our submission to human government recognizes our place of subordination in the chain of command, and accepts that governmental authorities are God’s ministers. As Peter writes, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good” (1 Peter 2:13-14). Government requires submission, but our ultimate obedience belongs to God. As Wayne Grudem writes, “Because God has established the government to restrain evil and do good for the nation, citizens should, in general, be subject to the government and obey its laws.”[3] God’s absolute authority supersedes the delegated authority entrusted to civil authorities; therefore, God deserves our ultimate allegiance. Should a law ever command us to violate God’s word, our responsibility is to obey God rather than human laws. These rare situations are certainly not commonplace, making submission to human government the norm.
Fourth, keep praying for those serving in political office. As Christians, not only are we called to honor those in authority and submit to the laws of the land, we are also commanded to pray for those who rule over us. As Paul writes to Timothy, “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” (1 Timothy 2:1-2). Paul urged Timothy to join him in prayer for the king who would eventually authorize his execution. It’s important to note that the reason Paul urged prayer for those in civil government was so Christians could “lead a peaceful and quiet life.” Imagine how our attitudes would change if we prayed for our political leaders when they make a decision we disapprove of rather than griping, complaining, or protesting. The volatile political rhetoric coming from many professing Christians still amazes me (not in a good way). Rather than spouting off online about what you’re angry about, use the time you would spend posting your ungodly remarks in prayer instead. Praying for our elected officials empowers us to disagree with grace and dialogue with respect for those with whom we disagree. God is the one who sovereignly places people in positions of political leadership; therefore, when you complain about those in political office you’re actually questioning God’s rule over the world and His goodness. No matter who may occupy the White House, you are called to pray for him or her. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to love our enemies and respond to the world and its insults with forgiveness rather than hatred or retaliation (e.g., Matthew 5:43-47 and Luke 6:27-38). Jesus’s teachings should radically change how we interact with the culture, and with our political leaders. As the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the people of Israel as they were heading for a life in the Babylonian exile, “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 (Jeremiah 29:7). As exiles in a wicked city, God’s people would be the minority and would face oppression at the hand of their oppressors. Nonetheless, God’s people were expected to be active participants in their new community and serve as productive citizens. Even in a hostile culture, God’s people are commanded to positively contribute to the welfare of the community in which we live. Retreat and isolationism is not an option. The Babylonian exile is but one example of how messy and complicated life on this planet can be. The world has certainly not improved since the days of the Babylonian empire. This should remind us of our desperate need to pray for our next president. There is no better way to love others, including our political “enemies,” than to fervently pray for them.
Finally, keep remembering that your ultimate citizenship is in heaven. God expects us to be good citizens in this world. No matter what country we live in, we are commanded to be honorable people who submit to the authorities God places over us. Sure, there are times when civil disobedience is warranted. But generally speaking, our proper response to the government is submission rather than revolt. Nevertheless, our ultimate citizenship is in heaven, and there is no human government that can ever take that from us. Our ultimate king is Jesus, and He is the one who deserves our absolute obedience. He is the one who will one day rule and reign in perfect justice. As Paul writes in Philippians 3:20-21, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” As future citizens of God’s eternal kingdom, we must serve as salt and light in this one while we await His glorious return. The church is a community of believers who are dedicated to honoring God and obeying him while living as sojourners and ambassadors for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords among the nations. With our citizenship in heaven secure, there is no reason to lose hope.
I wonder, how many hours have evangelical Christians wasted on political rants and circular partisan debates over the last six weeks? How many incensed political arguments have happened between Christians and unbelievers over the last two months? How many unbelievers have come to know Jesus because of a political argument? I would be curious to know, whom did the average Christian spend more time talking about with their unsaved coworkers this political season? Kamala Harris? Donald Trump? Or Jesus Christ? Sadly, I’m pretty sure I know the answer. In all likelihood, Jesus finished a very distant third in that vote.
[1] Darrell L. Bock, How Would Jesus Vote? (New York, NY: Howard Books, 2016), xiii.
[2] Ibid., 3.
[3] Wayne Grudem, Politics According to the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2010), 87.
Copyright © 2024 by Jay Knolls
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All Bible verses are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.