I absolutely hate politics. I do talk about many things that many people see as political issues. However, I do not see them as political issues. I see them as spiritual issues and I approach them from that prospective. I do my best to preach and teach God’s Word and I then leave it to the reader or hearer to draw their own political conclusions, based on the Word of God . My allegiance is to God and my hope is found in Him. My allegiance is not given to and my hope is not found in a particular politician or political party. I believe that all of the problems that we face as a nation are spiritual, not political, in nature. We do have a very big political mess on our hands but that is a symptom, not the problem. If we address the spiritual problems, then the political symptoms will eventually solve themselves. If we do not solve the spiritual problems, if we do not seek and see revival, then things will only get worse. I think that concentrating too much on the political symptoms, as we tend to do, distracts us from focusing on actually fixing the spiritual problems.
For these reasons, I have not thus far said anything about who I voted for in the presidential election of 2020. After this, I probably won’t say anything about it again. However, I think there are some things currently going on in the Christian Church which badly need to be directly addressed and doing so requires going more into the political side of things than I normally do. So, here we go.
I voted for Donald Trump. Was President Trump a perfect president? Certainly not. I think there were some things that he could have and should have handled much better. However, as I have said, my ultimate allegiance is to God and the things that He has communicated to us through His Word. I believe that there are a number of issues concerning which Donald Trump’s beliefs and actions align with Scripture much more closely than do Joe Biden’s beliefs and actions. Because of this, I voted for Donald Trump. However, Joe Biden is my president. He is your president too. You don’t have to like it. I don’t. You don’t have to be happy about it. I’m not. But you do have to accept it. I have. I will give President Biden the respect and support that he is due as the leader that God has set over us. Especially if you are a Christian, then you should too.
Let’s talk about Godly respect for and willing submission to those in the government.
Romans 13
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
You have probably seen and heard this Scripture a lot over the course of the past year but have you really taken it to heart? Many Christians have not. If they had, I think many of them would have acted very differently.
I think we tend to read this Scripture and think something like “Paul would not have said that if he had to contend with our government”. It is true that the first century Roman government was different than our government. It was much, much worse than ours is. Paul would have probably been very happy to have to deal with our government. Paul was called to spread the good news of Jesus Christ under a government which was very hostile to Christianity. We fear that it will one day be illegal to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. Paul didn’t have to fear that happening one day. That was already his reality and he was imprisoned multiple times and ultimately executed for preaching the Lordship of Christ. And yet, he still wrote the above verses.
But It is better to obey God than man, right? What about that? That comes from Acts 5:29. Let’s look at it and let’s make sure to look at it in context. In order to do that, let’s back up to verse 27.
Acts 5
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,
28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!”
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.
Often, this Scripture is taken out of context, with only a portion of Verse 29 roughly quoted, saying something like “It is better to obey God than man”. Taking it out of context that way, it is easy to use this Scripture to justify Christians proudly engaging in civil disobedience. However, God only calls for civil disobedience in specific circumstances. Outside of those narrow circumstances, civil disobedience is nothing to be proud of and is in fact a sin.
When this verse is taken in context, we see that Peter and the other apostles, when commanded by the government not to preach in Jesus Name, chose to disobey the government. Clearly, Paul did the same as this is what he was imprisoned and executed for, and yet, he still wrote what he did in Romans 13:1-2. Acts 5:29 does not nullify Romans 13:1-2. It compliments it.
Both Paul and Peter were willing to disobey the government, even though it meant their deaths, and they were right to do so, but this is because the government had told them to do something that directly contradicted God’s Word. Paul tells us that those who are in authority over us are there because God put them there and we are to respect and obey them. We must take Acts 5:29, in context, and also take Romans 13:1-2, reconcile the two, and live according to the sentiment conveyed there. Unless what government tells us to do very clearly and directly contradicts God’s Word, then we are to obey government. We are not to disobey and disrespect government just because we don’t like the people in government and we don’t like what they tell us to do, no matter how justified we may feel in doing so. When we do that, we are ourselves contradicting God’s Word.
Let’s take a concrete current example. January was Sanctity of Life Month. Sanctity of life was a big issue for Christians in the 2020 presidential election, as it should have been. I am very, very pro life. I recently wrote a rather lengthy article and did a podcast with my wife concerning this subject. President Biden is pro choice. This directly contradicts the Word of God and this is one reason that I did not vote for him. Concerning this issue, President Biden is wrong. As a Christian, you should not follow him on this issue. You should, respectfully and peacefully, do what you can to oppose pro choice legislation. You should, respectfully and peacefully, try to change the opinion of those who are pro choice. If you are a doctor and you find yourself in a position where you are required to perform abortions, even though it is legal according to the laws of man, you should refuse to do so and do absolutely whatever you have to do not to do that even once, even if it means resigning from your job and even if it ultimately means finding another profession. On the other hand, you should not say that, because he is pro choice, President Biden is not your president (Romans 13:1). You should not say or imply that those who are pro choice are fools (Matthew 5:22). By all means, do speak God’s truth but do so in love (Ephesians 4:15. As you seek to uphold God’s Word, you must seek to uphold all of it.
Let’s take another concrete current example, COVID. President Biden is much more in favor of COVID related restrictions and mandates then President Trump was. Let’s say you live in an area which has a mask mandate and let’s set aside the efficacy or lack there of for purposes of this discussion. Wearing a mask is something that the government has instructed you to do and Scripture does not say “you shall not wear a mask” or anything similar to that. If you live in an area which has a mask mandate, unless you legitimately have a medical condition which will not allow you to wear a mask (and that isn’t many of us), then you should wear a mask. If you medically cannot wear a mask, then you should do that within the confines of the law. You should either stay home or get the necessary medical waivers. You may feel that this inappropriately infringes on your freedoms. You may feel that masks are not effective. Masks may be physically uncomfortable to you. You may feel that the COVID restrictions are being used as an excuse by the government to tighten their overall control over the general populous. I totally understand all that and I myself agree with some of it. However, when it comes to the question of obedience, none of that matters. I’m sure that Paul wasn’t too comfortable with the governmental situation he was living under. He had already been persecuted a great deal by the government and he knew that the government would eventually execute him. And yet, he did not say that we are to be subject to the powers of the governing authorities if we like them and if we agree with them. He simply said that we are to be subject to them and he further said that when we resist them we resist God and will be judged accordingly. None of us like being told what to do. But they are “governing authorities”, and so, their function is to “govern” and they are given the authority to do that by God. Truly living as a Christian requires submitting to Him and part of our truly submitting to Him is submitting to them.
Let’s talk about praying for those in the government.
We must remember that no matter who is in the White House, God is in control of everything, including the man in the White House.
Proverbs 21
1 The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.
1 Timothy 2
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
President Biden’s heart is in God’s hand. We should pray for President Biden, for God to help him and guide him. Are you doing that? If not, you really should. If you are praying for him, in what spirit are you doing it? Are you doing it out of a sense of obligation or are you doing it in a spirit of anticipation, truly expecting God to answer? I have seen many posts on social media, talking about the state of things at the end of President Trump’s time in the Oval Office, saying that they want to be able to look back on this post later, to see how things have progressed under President Biden. As I read these posts, I get the sense that these people are making the assumption that things will be much worse in four years than they are now and that they want to be able to point back to these current posts and say “I told you so”. I get the impression that these people want President Biden to fail. I don’t know if they are praying for him or not but, if they are, they clearly aren’t expecting God to answer.
James 1:7
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
Though not the only component, asking in faith is one very important component to answered prayer. This is a theme seen over and over throughout Scripture. If you are praying for President Biden just out of a sense of obligation and with no spirit of anticipation, just so that you can say that you prayed, then you need not bother. I voted for President Trump but he is no longer our president. Let’s stop looking back with longing at the presidency of President Trump and start looking forward with anticipation at the presidency of President Biden. Let’s have confidence in God’s ability to work in the life of our nation, even now, and let us pray in anticipation of God hearing and answering our prayers, even when we don’t immediately see and understand how He is working.
Let’s talk about unity.
I have seen so many people say something like this:
“President Biden wants unity. Where was the unity when Nancy Pelosi ripped up President trump’s speech? Where was the unity when, after the 2016 election, many Democrats said that President Trump was not their president?” Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
I understand where these people are coming from. I really do. But, consider the following words of Jesus, from the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7
12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
This is where we get the idea for the Golden Rule. Jesus said that we are to do to others what we would want them to do to us. He did not say that we are to do to them what they have done to us. We are better than that, or at least we are supposed to be, because He is better than that and we represent Him, or at least we are supposed to. Imagine if Jesus were to take that attitude with us. Where would we be? It is true that, in the last four years, some on the left have acted in a way that they should not have. It was wrong of the left then and it is wrong of the right now.
Concerning simply not wanting unity. I guess that depends on your definition of unity. If unity means pretending that we agree with things that go against the Word of God, then we should absolutely never do that, ever. However, in our human pride and selfishness, many of us are beginning to take this a step or two or ten beyond this, to exhibit attitudes that themselves go against the Word of God. In Romans 2:23, Paul asks “You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law?”. Many of us who follow Christ are doing just that.
Please read these verses carefully.
Romans 12
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Are you living out these verses? Are you even trying to? Be honest. Many of us aren’t. Even for those of us who are trying to, many of us, including me, have a long way to go. We have got to stop being wise in our own eyes (verse 16) and stop trying to repay evil with evil (verse 17). We have to start really trying to live in peace (verse 18). We cannot overcome evil with good (verse 21) if we are not letting Christ’s good shine through us. Please, brothers and sisters, give this significant thought and prayer. We cannot continue the way we are going, either as a nation or as Christ’s Church.
I think that we are close to the rapture, perhaps not tomorrow but likely within the next several years. This is a subject that is well beyond the scope of this article and so I won’t go into any detail concerning this. My point is that I believe the time is growing short. Let me ask you this. When you stand face to face with Jesus, perhaps sooner than you think, do you want to see Him point to all of the people that you helped turn to Him in the coming years and hear Him say “well done my good and faithful servant”? Or do you want Him to say something like “you showed that person on FaceBook how smart you were but I wish you had better represented me to them so they could be here with you now”. I’m not kidding. Think about that.
We have begun to rail against the things of this world that go against the things of God. We should do that. But, in our pride, many of us have begun to do it in such a way that goes against the things of God as much as the things that we are railing against. And, if we aren’t careful, we will do as much damage to His cause as those things do, for we will turn no one to Him if they don’t see Him in us.
Though it certainly wasn’t my intent to do so, I’m sure that I have angered some people with what I have said here. I’m sure that some will apply some unkind labels to me. I’m sure that some will try to put me into a political category. That’s OK. I don’t believe that any political label really fits me. I am certainly not liberal. I once called myself conservative but not any more. Now, the only label I identify with is “Christian”. It seems to me that, today, many of both those on the left and those on the right, including many, many Christians, have begun to put far more stock in their party or their “side” than in the sovereignty and glory of God. That’s just wrong, it is a sin, and if we continue then God will judge us for it. We need to repent. Please, I beg you, try to look beyond your political ideals and put your eyes on the only One that really matters and the only one Who can fix our problems, Jesus.
