Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Some Thoughts About Voting This Year

Today I want to address how we should deal with politics and voting as Christians. There are many issues at stake in this election. I really believe that our nation is at a crossroads. And the choices in front of us as Americans are like a fork in the road. As a whole, our nation has chosen to walk away from Biblical precepts, and has sidelined the God of the Bible for the God of our own imagination. The leaders that Americans elect represent the heart of the majority of Americans.

The Christian world has become divided with respect to political values now more than ever. I am personally excited that for the first time in history we elected a black president. However, I am extremely disappointed with his worldview, and his political ambitions. His political agenda should be disturbing to every born again, Bible believing Christian.

So many have asked me about how to know who to vote for this year. Of course, I won't tell you who to vote for, but I can tell you how to find the mind and will of God as you go to the voting booth this year.

First of all, lay aside all Christian speak and labels. Don't look at whether a candidate says he is a Christian, or a Mormon, or a Muslim, or a Jew, etc. Look at the facts of what the person actually believes and does, aside from verbiage. We have had candidates in the past who have said they are Christians, but in practical action are far from it!

The Bible is our infallible guide for faith and practice, so we should look at the issues and what the Bible says about them first, then look at what each candidate believes.

So, here are some of the issues at stake in this election in the light of the Bible. First of all the Bible in general has a lot to say about personal responsibility, diligence, and hard work. No one should be rewarded for laziness, slothfulness, irresponsibility, and waste. (see Proverbs 6:6-11; 12;27; 13:4; 15:19; 21:25-26; 22:13). The Apostle Paul sternly charged the church in Thessalonica to refuse to fellowship with a person who can work and provide for his own, but refuses to do so (see 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).

On the other hand, we are responsible to help those who, due to circumstances beyond their control, are unable to provide for themselves and their families. Old Testament Jewish law gave space for the poor to be provided for. God promises  us that when we give to the poor, we lend to the Lord, and He will repay us! (see Exodus 22:25; Exodus 23:11; Deuteronomy 15:7-8; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 22:9; Proverbs 28:27).

The Bible is clear that life begins in the womb. The Bible guards the sanctity of human life from conception. Jeremiah was known and called by God from his mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5). David mentions that God had the days of his life mapped out before he was even born (Psalm 139:13-16). Abortion is the murder of innocent life.

The Bible is very clear that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and this unique relationship is blessed by God (Genesis 2:24). It is also very clear that homosexuality and lesbianism are a perversion of God’s plan for human sexuality, and individuals and cultures that promote this sinful lifestyle will inherit judgment unless they repent (Leviticus 18:22-25; Romans 1: 18-28).

The Bible views all men as created equal before God (Galatians 3:28), and all are to have equal rights and status in culture.

The Bible encourages nations to protect their interests through military strength, as Israel did throughout the Old Testament. The Bible acknowledges the sinfulness and depravity of man, and the practical cultivation of national borders to protect inhabitants from the vices of the wicked. One day, when Jesus reigns after His return, we can then turn our swords into plows and will no longer have need of self-protection.

The Bible informs that each nation will be judged in eternity by the respect  and care that nation had for the nation of Israel. Israel, being the nation from which came our beloved Messiah, enjoys a special status with God among nations. Any nation that hinders God’s plan for Israel will inherit a curse (Matthew 25; Genesis 12:3; Zechariah 12:3).

These are just a few of the issues we are dealing with as a culture. Perhaps never before have the stakes been so high as they are today. America is at a crossroads. This election may well define America and its place in the world. Yes, we are citizens first of the invisible kingdom of heaven as Christians. But, we also have a civic duty to live responsibly in this life, and to represent this invisible kingdom well. Your vote matters.
Ask God for wisdom. He knows what we should do, and will lead us by His Word and by His Spirit. Don’t sell your birthright for 30 pieces of silver!

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14- NIV).


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