Unlike the first Christians living under the rule of the Roman Empire, Christians in America can influence our government. Every government official is a sinner (like the rest of us), so “put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation” (Ps. 146:3). But if God calls us to pray for “all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim. 2:2), how much more should we cooperate with Him in answering those prayers?
Yet, only a small percentage of professing Christians actually vote. Could it be that our nation is a mess in so many ways because so many Christians are simply not voting? My role isn’t to tell you what to do or to give you all the information you need about every political decision. My role is to guide you to an informed conscience through a biblical worldview so that you can make right decisions. I don’t vote based on political parties or personalities but on transcultural Scriptural principles. My concern will always be who’s going to get us closest to those principles. What policies will that person implement?
This nation has been undergoing seismic political realignments & experienced recent unprecedented events. We’ve seen the corruption of the “uni-party” ruling elite class; the stranglehold the 2-party system has with its illusion of choice; the subverting of elections to the point that many no longer trust their processes or outcomes. But I would still encourage you to vote for principled government at all levels & every year. Whether it will make a difference or not, I can’t say. But at least we’ll know we’ve done the least we can to try.
We’re not electing spiritual leaders, but those who hopefully will do what God intends in regard to government—do justice, reward good, restrain & punish evil (Rom. 13:1-5, 1 Pet. 2:13-14, Prov. 17:15). Below are the kinds of questions that I’ve urged Christians over the past 4 decades to consider because they’re not merely “political” issues. Who is going to:
- Recognize the authority of God over the State (John 19:11, Mark 12:17)?
- Provide a peaceful & safe environment, protecting us & allowing us to protect ourselves from attacks & violence?
- Protect human life because God hates the shedding of innocent blood whether in murders, wars or abortion (Prov. 6:17)?
- Protect our freedom to speak truth instead of censoring it as “hate speech” or forcing us to say things like, “men are women” (Eph. 4:25)?
- Protect our freedom to practice & share our faith openly (Acts 4:18-20)?
- Respect the autonomy of the Church without unfair penalties or lockdowns (Acts 5:29, Dan. 3:6, Esth. 3:2)?
- Discourage sinful activities (even if legal) instead of endorsing them (Is. 5:20)?
- Stand up to corporate lobbyists who seek protectionism & favoritism so as not to be held liable for harming our health?
- Promote frugal economic policies & debt reduction because “the borrower is servant to the lender” (Prov. 22:7)?
- Respect our private property & money instead of stealing from us through inflation, excessive taxation, & socialism (often under the guise of charity, equity, or environmentalism) (Ex. 20:15, 17, Matt. 24:43-44)?
- Promote a work ethic that reduces government dependency, because “if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thes. 3:10)?
- Not discriminate against biblical beliefs held by educators, judges, & other government employees & contractors?
- Promote the importance of marriage between a husband & wife (Gen. 2:24), & a family structure of a mother & a father able to raise several children instead of incentivizing single parenthood or disincentivizing stay-at-home parents (Ps. 127:3-5)?
- Respect the autonomy of the family to rear children without undermining their beliefs or threatening to remove their children for non-compliance with government mandates (such as forcing them to allow sex-change operations) (Heb. 12:9-11, Col. 3:20)?
- Incentivize adoption instead of making it so expensive?
- Ensure schools & colleges instruct children & youth instead of sexualizing them, keeping secrets from parents, & indoctrinating them in CRT (racist thinking) (Matt. 18:6)?
- Protect girls & women from boys & men coming into their locker rooms & bathrooms?
People will be able to vote early before Election Day on Nov. 5. If you’re a Michigan resident who has a driver’s license, you’re automatically registered to vote. But if you’re not, or would like to verify that you are, go to mvic.sos.state.mi.us & follow the instructions. Once you’ve entered your information, you’ll be taken to a page where you can select options in the left menu. You can find out where to vote early or where to go on voting day. You can also sign up to receive a ballot in the mail this & every year automatically which you can mail in, drop in a designated box, or take in on voting day.
Don’t vote blindly based on partisan considerations. Consider any contrasting positions of the candidates on biblical issues, & what is at stake not only for this generation but for future ones. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was supposedly asked if God was on his side. The President responded, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side. My greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” It’s always good to invoke God in political decisions because He’s always right, & yes, He does take sides on certain issues.