I grew up in a home where my dad was a Korean War Veteran, pastor, middle school history teacher, and my mom was a substitute grade schoolteacher. They loved the Lord and sought to integrate their faith into every area of life and instilled into me a deep love for the Lord and our country.
I ask for our country, as the song America the Beautiful says, that “God shed His grace on thee." After observing life in other countries and the abundance in America, I concluded that God has providentially shaped our country according to biblical ideals which has resulted in the freest, most generous country in the world. I believe it is by God’s hand that we have a republic that has been the envy of the entire world, lasted for 250 years and has enabled God fearing people to not only practice their faith, but fund the spread of the gospel around the world. While our government is made up of imperfect people, no other form of government such as socialism and communism come close. Those forms of eventual tyranny, dictatorship and governmental control over life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness have failed miserably.
What is our responsibility as Christ followers in our nation?
We must first be committed to Christ, the gospel and His Kingdom above all else. As I have said before, it is not about an elephant or donkey, but the LAMB.
As followers of Christ, we must not become partisan in the church, but that doesn’t mean we are to be silent as a church or as people of God. The entirety of our faith should impact the entirety of the world. Our biblical faith needs to inform how we live, vote and advocate for laws, justice and moral principles designed for humans to flourish.
When leaders seek to enact laws that are directly in opposition to what the Bible teaches, we must not remain silent. My concern is that because of the silence of many, we are on the verge of losing our voice, and the freedom enjoyed in the United States enabling the church to grow and the gospel to go around the world.
Every two years we have one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities as an American citizen - to exercise our right to vote. If you are a follower of Christ, I encourage you to vote with biblical values that flow from the truth of God’s word.
When the nation of Israel was taken into captivity in Babylon for 70 years of rebellion, they were told by God in Jeremiah 29:7 to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” God commanded the Israelites to pray and participate in the land of their exile. Their involvement would bring about human flourishing for them and yes, the citizens of that city.
While followers of Christ are called citizens of heaven, we are still citizens of our country. Yes, our world is passing away and we will eventually go to our permanent home with the Lord Jesus. In the meantime, we are to seek the good of the land.
As citizens of the United States, we have a responsibility and privilege to bring the wisdom of God to the public square.
I am personally discouraged with the lack of participation by evangelical Christians when it comes to exercising their constitutional right to vote. As repeated in various forms, “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to say nothing.”
When God created us, He created us in His image for human flourishing. It is amazing to observe how individuals, groups, and yes countries flourish when they follow the truth found in God’s Word. It simply works! As a matter of fact, almost everything we enjoy in this western culture is a direct result of Judeo/Christian values found in the Bible. The Bill of Rights for the United States says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
However, we are beginning to see a change. There are forces at work that would love to upend the republic and government that has brought so much flourishing to so many. Those that have tasted of this flourishing now desire to enter office and change our founding principles.
On September 17, 1787, the final day of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, a socialite named Elizabeth Willing Powel approached Benjamin Franklin as he was leaving Independence Hall. She asked him, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” Benjamin Franklin replied with this legendary warning: “A republic, if you can keep it.” To “keep it” we must vote as citizens and vote for those who will uphold our republic and not seek to change what our founding fathers have handed to us.
We have something that is the envy of everyone in the world – a chance to exercise our voice, vote with a biblical perspective and uphold the moral laws and principles for human flourishing. God’s word makes clear what He loves and what He opposes. Our faith changes us, and we enfold biblical principles in every area of our lives.
So once again, let me encourage you to vote. Let’s continue to be salt and light in our world (Matthew 5:16, 17).
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13, 14 (English Standard Bible)
For those interested, click on the button below to view a series I gave before the last general election titled, "Guided by Faith: the elephant and the donkey in the room."
