Dr. Tony Evans, Pastor and Director of the "Urban Alternative" ministry has a great new book, entitled,
"How Should Christians Vote?" I am posting a summary of a sermon he preached in July that reflects the thoughts of the book. What do you think?
"How Should Christians Vote?" I am posting a summary of a sermon he preached in July that reflects the thoughts of the book. What do you think?
Dr. Evans noted that the counsel
he would offer an individual, a family, or a church that was struggling does
not differ from the counsel he would offer our struggling society. All sectors of life must ultimately submit
themselves to the principles of God’s kingdom as outlined in scripture. In the first sermon of this new series on how
God’s kingdom principles should influence our society, Dr. Evans outlined three
kingdom values that should guide Christians in the voting booth so that they
can maximize their kingdom impact on our nation. Christians should enter the voting booth with
the knowledge that God is the Sovereign Ruler, that politicians are ministers
appointed by and accountable to Him, and that the further a government moves
from God, the greater the chaos in society.
1. God is the
Sovereign Ruler over all governments and their political leaders (Romans
13:1-2). The foundational value that
should guide all Christians in the voting booth is stated clearly in Romans
13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God,
and those which exist are established by God.”
God as the Creator of this world sits alone as the Sovereign Ruler and
final governing authority over His creation, so by definition he rules and
overrules any government or political power that exists in His world. This reality also means that God is neither a
Democrat nor a Republican. He is the
ultimate Independent, ruling over all political parties and factions. For this reason, God cannot be removed from a
believer’s involvement or representation in government, and the principles of
God’s kingdom agenda must inform our politics and our vote. A Christian’s choice of political parties
must be characterized as “democrat-lite”
or “republican-lite” so that they can
bring both political platforms into the “light” of God’s perspective on a
political issue. When a Christian checks
the box in the voting booth and casts a vote, he or she should therefore
ultimately be voting in line with the kingdom of God.
2. Because God rules, political leaders are “ministers”
of God and thus they are ultimately accountable to Him (Romans 13:3-4). Since God is the Sovereign ruler
over His creation, this means that all other governments and their
political leaders should reflect His ultimate rule. This does not mean that all governments will
conform to God’s kingdom agenda in decisions and policymaking, but it does mean
that any authority they have is established under God’s sovereign control of
His world, and they will ultimately give account of their rule to God. In Romans 13:4, Paul identifies political
leaders as “…minister(s) to God to you for good.” Similarly, in Romans 13:7, they are called
“servants of God.” Dr. Evans noted that
the vocation of a minister, whether as a pastor or a political leader, involves
the responsibility for communicating what God says. As a result, the view of God that a
politician holds will affect his or her ability to minister on God’s behalf within
a government. One crucial criterion
therefore for Christians to follow when choosing political leaders is to
consider whether the politician will cast decisions based on the kingdom of God
or rather on a partisan party line. This also means for Christians that
regardless of their personal feelings about a political leader, they must learn
to respect the position—since they are serving as a minister or servant of
God—even while disagreeing with the person.
3. Because God
rules, the further a government moves from God, the greater the chaos in
society. Since God is the sovereign ruler over His
creation, the further a nation departs from the principles of God’s kingdom
agenda, the more chaos will erupt in that society. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses proclaimed a
blessing over the nation of Israel “…if you obey the LORD your God”
(Deuteronomy 28:2). However, the nation
was also warned that if they did not obey God and follow His commandments,
“…curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deuteronomy 28:15). These curses amounted to the devolution of
the culture and the nation of ancient Israel by social and environmental chaos
through wars, famine, and disease. The
removal of God from a society also means the removal of God’s covering of
protection. Dr. Evans warned that our
generation sits poised to experience this same chaos as we watch our nation
move away from God on critical moral issues such as abortion, prayer in school,
acceptance of homosexuality, and the consequent redefinition of the family. Because of this reality, Christians have a
sacred responsibility to use their vote to influence our government for the
kingdom of God. Christians are to
represent God and the values of the kingdom of God within society, and within a
democratic system the very least a Christian can do to represent God is to have
a voice through his or her vote in the political system.
In conclusion, Dr. Evans directed
our attention to the prayer of Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah, who faced the
destruction and defeat of his kingdom at the hands of foreign enemies. In 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat reminded God
of the promises He had given to His people, and then he prayed, “…we are
powerless before this great multitude who is coming against us; nor do we know
what to do, but our eyes are on You,” (2 Chronicles 20:12). In a time of societal chaos, Jehoshaphat
sought to restore God to His rightful place in Israel as the one true King upon
whom Israel must rely for help. The only
hope for our own society is for God to be put back in His rightful place as
Sovereign Ruler. It is dependent upon the people of God acknowledging His rule,
holding political leaders accountable for their roles as ministers of God, and
through their votes and political action inching this nation away from chaos
towards the principles of the kingdom of God.
