Vote Biblically

While temperatures are cooling off around the country, political drama is steadily rising in anticipation of Election Day just around the corner. With another presidential debate in the books and less than 30 days until the big day, many voters still find themselves undecided if not outright conflicted over the choice that is facing them. Certainly there are some on both sides of the political aisle who are pleased with their party’s mainstream candidate and are excited to cast a vote in their favor. Likewise, there are some who don’t really care about the individual candidate, but are merely determined to cast their vote for the party of their preference. However, in this election perhaps more than any other, I sense that there are people with genuine interest in improving their world through the political system who feel absolutely confused and overwhelmed by the process of determining who to vote for.

It is to this group that I would like to offer a bit of guidance. I have no desire to tell you who specifically to vote for nor do I have any particular interest in changing the mind of a determined voter. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, I am not even close to a political expert. In fact, I have very little interest in politics. What I do care about, however, is people; and right now I see many of my fellow believers in Jesus who love both their country and their God conflicted as to how to reconcile the two in regard to their vote. My desire is not to provide political council, but simply to provide some biblical perspective as it may apply to one’s decision in the voting booth.

• Do not make a decision out of fear. In recent days I have seen and heard so many good Christian people saying, doing, defending and supporting things that are unchristian because they are overcome with fear. I repeatedly hear the justification that “we have to vote for ‘candidate B’ because we just can’t let ‘candidate A’ become president. That would destroy our nation.” As a child of God and follower of Jesus, you should not be making any decision out of fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7) and we must resist the urge to cast a vote based on fear of the consequence of not doing so. Set your mind to do what is right and let God worry about the consequences.
• Make your choice out of love. In 1 Cor 16:14 we are told to “do everything in love.” That doesn’t mean loving a particular candidate. It means that the love God has for us and the love we ought to have for him should always be a factor in every decision we make. Rather than disapproval and hatred guiding our choice, we must let God’s love lead us as we choose how to vote. That means considering whether a particular candidate loves and promotes the things that God loves: humility, honesty, justice for the innocent and less fortunate, good and righteous actions, peace, reverence and obedience (Malachi 2, Proverbs 6:16).
• Make a decision that is consistent with the pursuit and promotion of holiness. God’s desire for us as His children is that we mimic His holy character. This should be far more important to us than any political or social issues. When considering who to vote for, do not compromise personal morality or holiness for the sake of a desired outcome. It is deplorable that many Christians and even prominent evangelical leaders are rationalizing away despicable behavior and all manner of evil “for the sake of the greater good.” A candidate who flaunts immorality or unholy principles and beliefs is not an acceptable option for a follower of Christ.
• Make a decision that elevates justice and mercy. These are two issues that lie close to the heart of God and are central to our interpersonal relationships (Micah 6:8). Though there are a variety of issues and interests affected by a presidency, we must carefully consider how an individual’s election will impact justice and mercy in our world. We have reached a critical point in regard to race relations and poverty in our nation and we need to choose a leader who is willing to fight for justice for all. There is no room for the promotion of racism, bigotry and plutocracy.
• Make a choice that prioritizes kingdom values. As we evaluate a candidate’s qualifications and worthiness, we will inevitably have to prioritize these principles in some way. Jesus said to seek “first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)” and this is how we must approach every decision, but especially the decision of how to vote. We cannot prioritize our own desires, comforts and rights above God’s Kingdom and His standards. Many Christians have aggressively voiced a willingness to sacrifice Kingdom values such as holiness, decency , justice, mercy, love and peace for the sake of maintaining freedoms and rights such as fire arms and religious liberty. While there may be nothing wrong with some of these social issues, they cannot supersede kingdom values in your decision.
• Make a decision that manifests trust in God. This is ultimately the crux of the matter. It is not, after all, a vote that is going to decide our next election: it is God. “For there is no authority except that which God has established (Romans 13:1)” and it is “He who removes kings and establishes kings (Daniel 2:21).” Yet many evangelicals are prepared to walk into the voting booth and demonstrate a total lack of faith because they believe that God needs them to be ok with the “lesser evil”. We have rationalized away despicable character and behavior because we believe a certain outcome is best. This kind of compromise is nothing more than a lack of trust that God can and will accomplish his purposes. It is the logic of Sarah who told Abraham that God must need his help to fulfill his promise, thus promoting an adulterous relationship for the sake of producing a child. God does not work that way. He will not ask you to sin and violate your faith, conscience and morals to accomplish His plan. He will not ask you to vote against His principles and values to achieve His plan. Instead, we must cast a vote that reflects total trust in Him. That just might mean voting for a candidate who statistically cannot win or even not voting at all. We must obediently do what is right and trust Him for the outcome.

As you prepare to vote next month, I hope that you will take these biblical principles to heart. It is my sincerest desire that you will arrive at a decision that you can be at peace with and that is in harmony with your commitment to follow Christ. Additionally, I hope you will remember that your true citizenship as a child of God is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). You are merely passing through this earthly kingdom and should not let its cares drag you down. Keep looking up and live your life in a manner that will bring glory to God. In the words of Paul, “Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king (1 Peter 2:17).”

The Waters of Sin

We recently took our kids on a day trip to a nearby beach. It was a nice, mild day and the beaches were closed to swimming, so we (quite optimistically) opted to not take the kid’s swimming clothes or beach towels. There was no need since they wouldn’t be getting in the water. We would just play in the sand, dip our toes in the water and enjoy a nice, dry day at the beach.

A few minutes after our arrival we realized that we had terribly misjudged how difficult it is for small children to be that close to the water and not get wet. In the blink of an eye they were all soaked from head to toe, though they insisted they never actually got in the water. A nice walk along the beach in the sun remedied the problem, but I have to admit that for a few moments I was frustrated with my kids. How could they disobey and get wet?!

As we walked and talked, I thought of how my kids’ actions reflect the casual approach most believers take toward sin. We know the expectations and dangers, but love to get close enough to sin that we can get splashed. In this day and age of comfortable Christianity, we take sin way too lightly. We are casual and apathetic in the face of temptation and do not take the avoidance of sin seriously.

As believers, we must be intentional about our approach to sin. We must commit to practicing obedience and pursuing holiness. It is vital that we acknowledge that despite the victory we have in Christ, our flesh is still very susceptible to sin and temptation. We must never forget that sin’s allure is strong. Never overestimate the momentary appeal of sin nor your own will power. Never assume that you are immune to the commission of certain sins. Never think that you can regularly associate yourself with a temptation without falling. The power of sin is strong.

Those of us who are parents should also keep this in mind as we lead and guide our children. Think back to the story of my children on the beach. If it was really a problem for them to get wet, than what in the world was I doing putting them right on the edge of the water? I put them in a position to face great temptation to do the very thing I didn’t want them to do. I know that not all temptation can be avoided, but as a parent I should be doing everything in my power to put my children in a position to do right. When it comes to sin, I should stack the odds in their favor instead of placing them on the precipice of failure and giving them a little nudge. As a parent, I want to make sure that I am teaching my children the danger of sin all the while accounting for it myself and positioning them to have victory rather than failure. To do otherwise is simply irresponsible.

This serious attitude toward sin should also manifest itself in my conversations, my entertainment, my choices, my friendships – essentially every aspect of my life. As a believer, there is no need to go through life afraid of temptation or paranoid about sin, but I should have a healthy appreciation for just how strong sin’s pull can be and have a predetermined plan of action for pursuing holiness. I urge you, don’t splash in the shallow waters of sin and fool yourself into thinking you’re still dry!

On House-hunting and Pharisees

My wife and I have been house-hunting for several months now and one of the things we have noticed is how different the inside of a house can be from the outside. We have driven up to a house that looked so worn down on the outside that we questioned whether we should even go in, only to be impressed by the condition inside. One house seemed so beautiful from the outside that we couldn’t wait to look through it. It had new siding, a pretty yard and a general appearance that could only be described as impressive. Yet, when we walked through the inside we were overcome with disappointment because there was no comparison to the lovely exterior.

In thinking about that experience, the thought came to me that I know Christians that are like that. In fact, I have been that way myself from time to time. We put on the “good little Christian” face and go to church week after week. We look the part and sound the part and perhaps we are even a little impressive with our beautiful outward spirituality, but we know the truth. The truth is that the inside doesn’t match up. The inside is filled with bitterness, anger, hatred, fear, doubt, lust, pride, envy and a host of other hidden sins. We’ve worked so hard to cover them up, but they’re still there.

Though our image obsessed culture has certainly contributed to this phenomenon, it is not a new one. Jesus spoke to this problem even in His day. In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus made this declaration: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Now if we want to learn from Jesus’ warning, we must understand the target of his condemnation.

He is not condemning the pursuit of holiness as Scripture is clear that we must walk in righteousness and strive for holiness. Likewise, He is not condemning the fight against sin and He certainly isn’t promoting a sinful lifestyle instead of their outward righteousness. He’s also not condemning the mere existence of sin. Make sure you understand me here. Yes, Jesus hates sin and condemns it. But, his harsh condemnation here is not because of their sinful condition. Jesus understood that men were innately sinful and he approached the sinful condition of man with forgiveness, compassion and general sadness.

Instead, His intense condemnation is directed at those who deny their sinfulness and claim a false righteousness that is merely superficial. These people have elevated outward morality and ritual righteousness above genuine godliness. They want everyone to see how good they are and they condemn all who don’t live up to their standards. This manifests a pride, arrogance, and self-reliance that is in direct opposition to the filling of the Spirit.

Though we all likely know someone who lives this way on a regular basis (a pharisee), we also all know that we each have a capacity for this that we must resist. The solution for the true pharisee is a genuine salvation experience, but every believer should be on guard against this temptation and take steps to combat it. These steps begin with admitting our sinfulness to God and confessing it to Him with true repentance. Additionally, James 5:16 says “confess your sins to one another.” A certain cure for phoniness (or Pharisaism) is regular confession to other believers. Also, intentionally develop spiritual friendships. Rather than encouraging mere outward conformity, these close spiritual relationships can lead to genuine spiritual growth that manifests itself in outward behavior.

Churches can help with this problem as well by intentionally creating an atmosphere of acceptance – not of sin, but of sinners. It should be well understood that church is a messy place filled with forgiven sinners who are struggling at varying levels of their Christian walk. Too many churches communicate (most likely unintentionally) that anyone with problems is unwelcome. Instead, the church should be communicating that we understand that genuine Christians struggle with sin and we want to help.

These are just a few ways that we can combat this temptation, but combat it we must. True vulnerability is a scary thing to consider, but it is absolutely necessary for a healthy spiritual life. Despite the initial discomfort, I would challenge you to take immediate action to be more honest about your sinfulness while also working to overcome it. Though we cannot hide our sin or fake a righteousness we don’t have, we do want to diligently pursue a genuine holiness that will produce an outward righteousness. This is a goal we must never lose sight of and should never give up pursuing in this life.

Thoughts on Religious Freedom

My state of Indiana made national news yesterday when Governor Pence signed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The bill is being painted as a protection for the religious liberty of business owners by some and as aggressive discrimination (primarily towards the LGBT community) by others. I suspect that the real truth lies somewhere in the middle, though I am not qualified to speak to the true intent or implications of a bill such as this. I have no desire to argue with anyone about the merits of this bill, though I suspect as with most things it will do some good and cause some harm. What is for certain is that opinions on this topic are varied and intense, and this always fosters inappropriate dialogue and behavior from all sides. When it comes to my own personal feelings on these types of issues, my greatest concern is that Christians represent Christ well – regardless of our political, social, or theological opinions. Toward that end, I have some thoughts that should shape our speech and actions during controversial times such as these. Consider the following:

• Religious freedom is a sociopolitical blessing and not a divine guarantee. I am thankful for the religious freedom we experience in our nation, but God never once promised that society would always make it easy or convenient to follow Him. Religious freedom is nice, but it is given to us by a human government and might one day be taken away by that same government.
• Religious freedom must be shared equally. We cannot bemoan the religious liberty of those we disagree with and complain about ours being infringed upon at the same time. I do not have to see every belief as theologically or morally equal to stand up for that person’s right as an American citizen to have that belief.
• Religious freedom is not the historic norm. Christians should expect to be disagreed with and even persecuted. Jesus predicted this (Matthew 10:22; 24:9; John 15:18-19) as did Paul in his writing to Timothy. Paul said that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Tim 3:12).” Though we are blessed with religious freedom at the moment, it is not to be considered the norm by true believers. We should expect persecution, and when we receive it, we should respond with love and prayer and gentleness.
• It is always right to obey God, whether it is legal or not. In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles told the government that they must obey God rather than man. When they made this statement, they were also willing to face whatever consequences that may have come with it, and we should as well.
• We must distinguish between God’s law and our own personal beliefs and preferences. This is where there may be a great deal of difference in the determination of what violates God’s law. I opt to see this line drawn at sins that God Himself spells out for us. In context of the law we are discussing, I believe it would be a sin for me to participate in homosexual activity myself, but that it would not be sinful to provide business services for those who do.
• We are called to be holy, not to force others (particularly an unbelieving society) to be holy. There is no scriptural obligation to force moral legislation on an unbelieving world. God wants changed hearts before he expects moral conduct anyway, so there is no spiritual benefit to forcing unsaved people to abide by our beliefs. The only purpose this serves is to make it more convenient for me to live as a believer in my society and convenience is never promised or even encouraged by God.
• Theological or moral correctness are never a license to mistreat another person. This is probably the issue I am most concerned with in the Christian community. For some reason, the church seems to believe that as long as they are right then they can also be mean and hateful. This is unacceptable and dishonors the Lord. I am not saying that it is never ok to say that someone else is wrong or that someone’s behavior is wrong. I am saying that it must be done in a loving manner. There is no room for name calling or disrespectful, angry and out of control conversation.
• God’s Kingdom is not of this world. Above all, we must remember that this world is not our true home. I am afraid that we get so caught up with every societal issue that we forget this is all temporary. True believers will set their affections on things above (Col 3:2). We will not be ensnared by the temporary things of this world (2 Cor 4:18). Practically speaking, this means that our priority should always be spiritual things. When it comes to a disagreement, the other person’s salvation should always concern me more than my rights or my correctness on a particular issue. Unfortunately, many Christians would rather see lost people burn in hell than violate their own earthly comfort or convenience.

I’m sure that there is more that could be said and I am certain that many will be offended by what I have written. Regardless, I assure you that my heart’s desire is to see God’s people rise up and show His love in a way that is so uncommon and so unexpected that it might just make a difference in this dark world in which we live. To God be the glory forever!