The Christian and Government
#2 ¡V Voting: Why, What, and Who!
Various Scriptures
May 30, 2004
Introduction
You have no doubt noticed by now that today¡¦s message is not about Memorial Day.
So before I move on to our topic for today, let me say that I do not intend for anyone to think that I do not believe in Memorial Day. I do. In fact, I appreciate Memorial Day way more than the ¡§Hallmark¡¨ holidays like Mother¡¦s Day and Father¡¦s Day.
But I think this message is timely, because we wouldn¡¦t be able to talk about things like this if it weren¡¦t for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
And as we approach election season, and the election even being held on Tuesday, I think it¡¦s important that we discuss the issue of how to vote in a Biblically responsible manner.
This is kind of hard to do, because frankly, the Bible doesn¡¦t tell us who to vote for, and it doesn¡¦t pretend to. Democratic republics weren¡¦t in existence in Bible times like they are now.
But brave men and women throughout our history have laid down their lives, and are still doing so today because we believe not only in freedom, but also what that entails in our form of government.
But the fact remains that God has some standards for leaders of people, and we need to be aware of them. Also, we need to be sure that we vote in ways that seek to promote Biblical principles.
So how do we do that? How do we get beyond the rhetoric of the candidates and even of the church and really vote in a Biblical manner?
Let me suggest three ways that we can do this, and then at the end, I¡¦m going to tell you who I think you should vote for.
Believe me, you¡¦re going to be surprised. Let¡¦s get going. The first way to make sure you vote in a Biblical manner is to¡K
„Ï Learn to think Biblically about government.
Review from last week:
God ordained civil governments.
Romans 13:1 ¡V
The authorities that exist have been established by God.
Isaiah 40:23 ¡V
He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
Government has two main functions, Biblically:
1 Peter 2:14 ¡V
(Government leaders) are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
Civil protection.
Military protection.
Christians have four main roles to play in government:
1. Understand it.
Learn the processes involved in voting, passing legislation, and whatever.
2. Participate in it.
Vote, be a candidate, a volunteer for a campaign, or whatever. But get involved.
Former Senator Paul Simon from Illinois, during a talk at a university, indicated that the word "idiot" comes from Latin words that mean ¡¦someone who does not get involved in civic life¡¦.
Contributed by: Carla Powell (SermonCentral.com)
3. Obey it.
Spent a good bit of time last week discussing the fact that God has ordained civil governments and that we are to obey them, as long as they don¡¦t command us to go against the known commands of God.
4. Pray for it.
We also talked about the fact that we are to pray for our government, that God would move in the hearts of those in leadership to love and follow Him, and to follow Biblical wisdom in their decision-making.
We should also pray for their protection against enemies seeking to take their life.
„Ï Exercise your right to vote.
Our government allows us to have a say in what happens and who serves us in government.
To not take that basic constitutional right, in my opinion, is inexcusable.
We are one of the few countries in the world that have the freedom in electing leaders and deciding issues.
You know, some countries claim to have elections, but they are a farce. They even had elections in Iraq while Saddam Hussein was in power.
But guess what the election results were? You guessed it ¡V 100% for Hussein. Tell me that was a fair and honest election. You can bet that anyone who would have tried to run against him would have found himself either in a torture chamber or a grave.
Central and South American elections are filled with fraud and voter intimidation.
But here in the United States, we have the best political and election system in the world. Is it perfect? Hardly ¡V people are still fuming about what happened in Florida four years ago, to which I say, ¡§Get a life and move on! It¡¦s a new election already!¡¨
If you are not registered to vote, take care of that this week. It¡¦s too late to register in time to vote in Tuesday¡¦s election, but you will be able to vote in November.
I¡¦ve said it before, and I¡¦ll say it again: if you are not exercising your right to vote, then you have no right to complain about the direction the country is taking.
Did you know that voting is free? There is no charge to register or to vote? Not much is free in this country, but the opportunity to be an agent of change is free, and you need to take advantage of it.
Have I made it pretty clear that I think you ought to vote?
But then how should you decide your vote, whether it be for a candidate or an issue? Well, let¡¦s look at that now.
I can summarize how you should vote with one sentence, and you can fill it in there in your note-taking guide. Ready? Here it is:
„Ï Let Biblical principles direct your vote.
Again, there were no governments like ours in existence when the Bible was written, so we have no directives about voting.
So we need to look at general principles of Christian living in the Scriptures. And I want to give you six areas where you need to let principles decide your vote.
Folks, you need to understand that biblical principles will last forever ¡V politicians, politics, and even this great country of ours will one day go by the wayside.
So you absolutely need to put Biblical principle ahead of other considerations.
I am convinced of this with all my heart, and I think it is supremely important when deciding who to vote for or how to vote on a particular issue. We need to elect people who will most closely reflect Biblical principles in their own life and promote them in their service in government.
Six directives for letting principles direct your vote:
- Vote for principle over party.
Some of you here are probably straight-ticket Republicans, and would die at the thought of voting for a Democrat, even if the Republican was a sleaze-bag.
But let me tell you, I would vote for a moral Democrat over an immoral Republican any day of the week, and vice versa.
And the same goes for those who are straight-ticket Democrats.
Folks, If you are a slave to your party affiliation, you are setting aside Biblical principles for political expediency and let me be so bold to say that that is a sin.
Second¡K
- Vote for principle over pork.
President John F. Kennedy, in his inaugural address, spoke those famous words, ¡§ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.¡¨
But we seem to forget those words when it comes to election time. The question of, ¡§what can this person do for Aberdeen or South Dakota¡¨ or ¡§what kind of money will this person bring to the area,¡¨ or ¡§what will this person do to benefit my industry,¡¨ all seem to overshadow the fact that there is more to the world than South Dakota or Brown County.
We have a great ability to complain about politicians from other states for bringing millions and billions of dollars home to their states, but when it comes to our own, we seem to forget that pork in one part of the country is pork in all the others as well.
But let me tell you something, and you need to hear me very clearly.
You will be accountable for using your voting power to advance Biblical principles.
Do you want to stand before God and say, ¡§Well God, I thought that defending unborn children wasn¡¦t as important as the new highway project.¡¨
This leads to the third area in which we need to let principle rule our vote, and that is to¡K
- Vote for principle over pocketbook.
Ouch. Remember President Kennedy¡¦s words? Once again, we forget them when it comes close to our pocketbooks.
Who will put the most money in my bank account? Which candidate will do the most to make my business successful?
Is it wrong to want to be prosperous, and to strive to expand and upgrade business? No, but the Scriptures are very clear that it is God who brings the increase, not politicians.
- Vote for principle over person.
You don¡¦t vote for a person because he or she is your friend. You vote because that person stands for Biblical principle.
I have acquaintences who have run for public office, but I could not vote for them, even though they belong to the party of which I¡¦m a member. They did not reflect Biblical principles in their lifestyle or in their viewpoints.
- Vote for principle over popularity.
(of the candidate or of yourself among your peers)
Galatians 1:10 ¡V
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
And a last one, which is not in your note-taking guide, but it is very important, and that is to¡K
- Vote for principle over political speech.
What I mean by this is to see if their personal life and voting record match their talk.
For instance, if a candidate says they are personally against abortion, yet consistently vote for it, they cannot be trusted, and therefore have no right to serve in a position of trust.
If they constantly try to bring their faith into the picture, even speaking in churches, yet support ungodly and immoral legislation, then they cannot be trusted, and therefore have no right to serve in a position of trust.
If they claim to support the family, yet do not stand up for legislation to protect it, then they cannot be trusted.
Are you getting the picture here? Don¡¦t be swayed by words ¡V look at how they live and how they vote when the pressure¡¦s on. So¡K
„Ï Who should you vote for?
(This section regarding candidate qualifications is borrowed from Sam Crabtree, Executive Pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis MN)
Exodus 18:21 ¡V
But select capable men from all the people--men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain--and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
Five characteristics of a Biblically qualified candidate:
1. Not a professional politician ¡V ¡§from
all the people.¡¨
2. Proven, having demonstrated family leadership ¡V¡§select capable men.¡¨
3. Understand they are under authority of, and are personally accountable to, God for official actions and personal life ¡V ¡§who fear God.¡¨
When Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States, he described himself as a ¡§born-again¡¨ Christian. For many Americans this was an unfamiliar term. By the time of the next election primaries, nearly all the candidates were claiming to be ¡§born-again.¡¨ Political satirist Mark Russell suggested, ¡§This could give Christianity a bad name.¡¨
Contributed by: Robert Leroe (SermonCentral.com)
4. Possess personal integrity; their word can be trusted ¡V ¡§trustworthy men.¡¨
A busload of politicians were driving down a country road when, all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road & crashed into a tree in an old farmer¡¦s field.
The old farmer, after seeing what happened, went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole & bury the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus & asked the old farmer where all the politicians had gone.
The old farmer said he had buried them.
The sheriff asked the old farmer, "The coroner wasn¡¦t here. Are you sure they were all dead?"
The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren¡¦t, but you know how them politicians lie."
Contributed by: Byron Shermon (SermonCentral.com)
5. Not influenced by the prospect of financial gain ¡V¡§hate dishonest gain.¡¨
So how should you vote in this upcoming election? Let me give you who I think you should vote for:
o U.S. Senate:
Whoever most closely reflects Biblical principles in life and office.
Some of you just breathed a huge sigh of relief because you wondered if I was going to give you the name of the candidate you should vote for.
Well, I happen to be very aware of the federal rules that forbid me from doing that from the pulpit.
You can ask me who I will vote for, and I will gladly tell you, and why. But I won¡¦t do that from the pulpit.
Can you guess who I think you should vote for in the election for the¡K
o U.S. House:
Whoever most closely reflects Biblical principles in life and office.
o President:
Whoever most closely reflects Biblical principles in life and office.
Conclusion
Zig Ziglar says this:
A "politician" has been described as a genius who can open the door of your car with one hand, help you in with the other, and still have one hand left to pat you on the back and ask for your vote. Yes, as the saying goes, at one time in America we told political jokes and now we elect them.
Think about what you just read. At one time in our history, to be elected to the Congress or the Senate of the United States was one of the highest honors we could bestow on anyone. The people we sent to highest political offices were people of integrity, goodwill, intense patriotism, and had a desire to serve their country. We created what is universally recognized as the finest political system in the world. It has functioned effectively for well over 200 years. Unfortunately, the system has developed some serious "glitches," and too often we send politicians, not statesmen or stateswomen, to Washington.
Question: Do we improve that system or further destroy the system by constantly maligning the people in the offices that we ourselves sent them to fill? If they¡¦re not capable people of integrity, what does that say about us? It¡¦s true that we get what we expect, so it¡¦s also true that if we expect and demand more of our representatives and ourselves, we will get more from them and from ourselves.
Solution: Keep closer account on what members of the House and Senate do. When they do something of note--and many consistently do exactly that--write a letter to the editor and send a copy of it to that publicly elected official. If we praise those good public officials (and there are many) and start honoring them for the work they do, we will attract more capable people to serve in public office which means we¡¦ll have better government.
[Adapted from Something Else To Smile About by Zig Ziglar. Zig Ziglar Newsletter, Date: 7/3/02 Issue: Vol. IV No. 5. ZigZiglar.com. (SermonCentral.com)]
I think I¡¦ve made it abundantly clear that I feel you should vote, if you are eligible.
To not vote is to give the direction of our country to those who don¡¦t share Biblical values yet do take the time to vote.
Our country and its government need to be influenced by people who live by decision, not left to desires of militant special interests, because we have defaulted on our responsibility in the voting booth.
Do your part ¡V vote, get involved, and see if God will not honor your resolve to bring honorable men and women into positions of trust, for the good of the country and for the glory of God.
Let¡¦s pray.
