In Monday’s blog post, I discussed how important it is for Christians to vote according to biblical principles. It’s surprising to me how many Christians waive their right to vote.
It seems that there are two main reasons Christians refrain from voting. One is that they don’t like their options, which I talked about in part 1. Another reason is that some believe that God, in His sovereignty, will place in office whomever He wants, so there’s no point in voting. They believe that God always exerts His sovereignty when it comes to matters of the nations, and His will is automatically carried out in this arena.
In “Christians and Politics,” Andrew teaches that while God does ordain systems of rule for nations, the church, and even families, we can’t assume that all who end up in positions of authority will always govern in those positions according to God’s will.
Andrew explains how any governmental system is better than orderless anarchy, which was evident after the fall of Communism. God is a God of order, and He establishes an order of authority—positions of power—throughout any type of government. But He doesn’t dictate who will fill those positions. As Andrew points out, God “doesn’t control us like pawns.”
If God did control us, everyone would be saved. Second Peter 3:9 tells us that it is God’s will for all to be saved: “The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Although this is His will, we know that many die unsaved. We can see numerous examples of this throughout Scripture and in the world around us, proving that God’s will does not always come to pass.
Jesus taught us to pray like this: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. [10] Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9-10, New King James Version). If Jesus instructed us to pray for God’s will to be done on earth, we can assume that it doesn’t automatically happen.
When it comes to politics, it’s imperative that we not only pray for God’s will to be done but also take action by casting our votes. There are principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12) that desire to take our nation further and further away from righteousness. The body of Christ must resist their influence through prayer and action.
Andrew explains in “Christians and Politics” that “God is involved in the process to the degree that we yield to Him. God won’t ordain something that is completely opposed to His will.” For example, Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin were evil dictators, responsible for killing thousands upon thousands of people. God ordained the positions of office that they held, but it was not His will for them to rise to power and commit the atrocities against mankind that they did.
God still has a perfect plan for this great nation that He founded upon the principles of His Word, and “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:29). He’s not done with America! But He needs His people to cooperate and agree with His will. We do that by praying and then voting.
We also have to remember that whatever happens in this next election, God—not our elected officials—is our provider. As Andrew states, “God is our source…to change our nation.” Regardless of who’s in office, we can trust in God’s faithfulness to take care of us.
If this has encouraged you, post a comment below.
