Decisions Decisions
2016 is right around the corner. We live in the USA. Presidential elections are coming. I hear all kinds of statements. "Don't vote Democrat they hate Christians and support immorality." "Vote Republican, they are anti-abortion." "Don't vote for Mitt Romney he is a Mormon." Blah, Blah, Blah! Both Democrats and Republicans have very poor track records. The Bible states in Romans 13: 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. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for 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. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
Since Paul was writing to the Roman Christians at the time it is safe to say that the government was, for the most part, polytheistic, unsaved, and as history has shown, Christian persecuting. Soooooo,
we don't live in ancient Rome, we live in the US. How do we vote? When reading the above passage the natural question arises "Well what about those leaders that pass laws that are against God?" I would say that you really have a very limited view of God. Whether they believe it or not, God holds leaders to higher standard, their belief is irrelevant. In Matthew 18 Jesus states:At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,[a] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The whoever stated in this passage, I believe is all encompassing. Is it a stretch here to include all those who are in authority over others? Maybe. But the word, whoever, again, is a strong largely inclusive word.
So back to the initial question, "How do we vote?" As with all things, we start with prayer, we investigate, we pray, we trust God, we pray, we trust God even with the undesirables who get elected, we pray. We pray for the leaders even if they make poor decisions that effect us very negatively. We never declare hate towards them. We trust God, we pray. Are you sensing a pattern here? I hope so. If you think I am off base, do a word search using your favorite Bible software on the phrase "in all things." I promise you that you will find out to what extent we are to trust God. I believe that the phrase "in all things" includes, politics, elections, government officials etc.
Does it make it easier or any better when poor leaders get elected? No. Since when are we told that we will have it easier? We are not responsible for their actions only our own.
Well you might then say, "would it not be better if we abstained from voting?" By no means (sorry, I was getting a little Paulesque)! As citizens in this country we still have a civic duty to vote. Even if our vote makes no difference to the outcome, at least you made an effort in the way the government has been established to make that effort. With that, you might be tempted to say, "well why should I? They bought the election anyway..." Again I would say that God holds you responsible for what you do and He holds the corrupt responsible for what they do.
Now, is it OK for Christians to be active civically and politically? Absolutely! Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor. Sometimes loving our neighbor is being outspoken against the ideas that set themselves up against the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Or operating in a manner to change laws that are unfair, or make new laws that are fair. By the way, if you think that I am including bombing abortion clinics or screaming at people outside their places of worship, or publicly condemning those who have a lifestyle or sexual orientation contrary to God's law, think again, I believe God condemns those actions as well. But again, we must do all things in love and test all feelings, and trust God. Enough said?
Since Paul was writing to the Roman Christians at the time it is safe to say that the government was, for the most part, polytheistic, unsaved, and as history has shown, Christian persecuting. Soooooo,
we don't live in ancient Rome, we live in the US. How do we vote? When reading the above passage the natural question arises "Well what about those leaders that pass laws that are against God?" I would say that you really have a very limited view of God. Whether they believe it or not, God holds leaders to higher standard, their belief is irrelevant. In Matthew 18 Jesus states:At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,[a] it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
The whoever stated in this passage, I believe is all encompassing. Is it a stretch here to include all those who are in authority over others? Maybe. But the word, whoever, again, is a strong largely inclusive word.
So back to the initial question, "How do we vote?" As with all things, we start with prayer, we investigate, we pray, we trust God, we pray, we trust God even with the undesirables who get elected, we pray. We pray for the leaders even if they make poor decisions that effect us very negatively. We never declare hate towards them. We trust God, we pray. Are you sensing a pattern here? I hope so. If you think I am off base, do a word search using your favorite Bible software on the phrase "in all things." I promise you that you will find out to what extent we are to trust God. I believe that the phrase "in all things" includes, politics, elections, government officials etc.
Does it make it easier or any better when poor leaders get elected? No. Since when are we told that we will have it easier? We are not responsible for their actions only our own.
Well you might then say, "would it not be better if we abstained from voting?" By no means (sorry, I was getting a little Paulesque)! As citizens in this country we still have a civic duty to vote. Even if our vote makes no difference to the outcome, at least you made an effort in the way the government has been established to make that effort. With that, you might be tempted to say, "well why should I? They bought the election anyway..." Again I would say that God holds you responsible for what you do and He holds the corrupt responsible for what they do.
Now, is it OK for Christians to be active civically and politically? Absolutely! Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor. Sometimes loving our neighbor is being outspoken against the ideas that set themselves up against the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Or operating in a manner to change laws that are unfair, or make new laws that are fair. By the way, if you think that I am including bombing abortion clinics or screaming at people outside their places of worship, or publicly condemning those who have a lifestyle or sexual orientation contrary to God's law, think again, I believe God condemns those actions as well. But again, we must do all things in love and test all feelings, and trust God. Enough said?
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