So much is at stake for the November 5th Presidential election. It seems that each election stirs the comment, “This election is the most important ever.” For many reasons I don’t have enough space to address here, this saying couldn’t be more true at this time.
My goal here is to encourage godly people to exercise their American citizen opportunity and responsibility to vote, and to vote their godly worldview. The two major party platforms are very different, and one is clearly more in line with Bible-based values than the other. Regardless of what we think about the personality of the person whose name appears on the ballot, our chief consideration must be the platform that represents the party. We must vote for the candidate with our best chance to have a government honoring those values. Top concerns would be a respect for the authority of God in life and government, respect for God-given liberties for citizens, friendship with Israel as God’s chosen people on earth, enacting pro-life policies including preborn children, protecting citizens from invaders crossing our borders, and respect for our Constitution as developed in wisdom by the Founders of our Republic.
In my view, those who refrain from voting are casting a vote for the candidate who would least likely honor our values in the way they govern. We are very fortunate to be citizens of a nation (the first in history like it) which places the responsibility of selecting our own leaders from among the citizens themselves. Because the Bible calls us to be “salt and light” (Matt 5) in the community of people in which we live (from local to national citizenship), we have a responsibility to influence our world with the God-ordained laws and godly order in the way life works. Christians have a Kingdom-of-God citizenship that is higher in God’s order than our American citizenship. Therefore, voting in an election is beyond privilege. It is a moral obligation to a higher authority. King Jesus stands above all. All earthly authority must bow to his Kingship. As citizens of his Kingdom, we are to influence the kingdoms of this world to honor his rule. He gives us the task of using our “right to vote” to carry out that mandate.
No Excuse
There are many excuses we may come up with to try to escape this mandate. Whether it be election integrity challenges, candidates’ personality issues, institutional failures, or a host of other issues we may have with the process, we must do our part (vote), and allow the bigger picture issues to be solved by God himself. In terms of election fraud, it is the cheaters who will be judged by God accordingly. As for candidates who have quirks and styles that may seem unwelcomed, we are electing a leader, not a perfect person. Our institutions may be falling apart, but the very reason they are struggling is because enough godly leaders haven’t been placed in positions of authority to honor God’s authority. That is all the more reason to vote accordingly.
The candidates in the 2024 election for US President are further apart in worldview than ever before. The contrast is stark. Each candidate has a defined record to observe how they have governing in the past and to show the results their policies have produced. A close look reveals how their administration would shape our future. Our nation faces problems no one single leader will be able to solve. All of God’s people must take action. Anti-God, lawless, and Marxist themes have steadily gained a tighter grip on our institutions and corporations over the past decades. Great effort is necessary to undo the damage. We CAN do it, but we MUST put God first in our personal lives and each roll up our sleeves and DO what God has called us to do individually.
The first step, and most powerful weapon, is obviously prayer. Turning to God in repentance is absolutely essential. 2 Chronicles 7:14 and other Scriptures teach us the value of seeking God in the midst of our mess. Enlisting God’s help is not only a matter of lip service. Our faith includes more than prayer. As it says in James, “faith, if it has no works, is dead” (James 2:17). I am certainly not saying Christ’s salvation of our souls depends on our deeds. The truth is just the opposite (Romans 8). Our most altruistic dees are worth nothing in terms of our salvation. However, a conversion experience is just the beginning of including Jesus in all parts of our life. Following the teachings of Jesus is required in order to be called “disciple” (John 8). Fulfilling our civic duty to vote is part of being a good disciple of Christ.
In some measure, the issues at stake have moved past the realm of political, to matters of good versus evil. Calling evil for what it is, is not popular, but it is necessary. Killing partly born babies, for example, is an evil practice. One of the candidates for President supports this practice; the other does not. Misleading children to think they have a choice of gender and giving them drugs and surgeries to “affirm” their confusion, is evil. Permanently dismembering children’s reproductive organs should be called child abuse. One candidate supports this abuse, and one does not. One candidate gives lip service to being a friend of Israel, but in practice supports the terrorists who hate Israel and the US as well. The other candidate has a proven record of support for the Jewish state and its allies. Terrorism is evil. Other issues that help evil to flourish include lack of US national border security, defunding police, and failure to restrain lawlessness and threats to citizens and their property.
If you’re still not convinced which parties’ candidates to vote for, completely refrain from watching traditional network media (newspapers, TV news, and commercials), find a copy of the party platforms, and search your Bible for the Truth. Every child of God has the Holy Spirit as their Helper, and the Holy Spirit is what leads us to Truth (John 16:13, 1 John 4). Falsehoods abound when it comes to political rhetoric. Some lies get told more often than others (because of help from propaganda media etc.), and some lies are more consequential than others. Sooner or later, the truth will be known. One of our main prayers should be for lies to be exposed and truth to be discerned.
Let’s always remember that God is a God of redemption. It is his desire for all to surrender to Christ’s rulership. Our prayers and action should be keeping in mind the goal for each person (candidate, citizen, whomever) to experience the salvation of Jesus. Jesus is our Refuge!