THE CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSIBILITY IN POLITICS

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

Philippians 3:18–21 (CSB) For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things, 20Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

Jeremiah 29:4–7 (CSB) This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5“Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

1. We have no right to sit it out

Vs 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.

• While we are ultimately citizens of Heaven, God expects us to be contributing members of our society. This includes working, marrying, parenting, contributing, and yes, voting!
• The phrase “well-being” is the Hebrew word which is Shalom=peace. Jesus told us in Matthew 5 “blessed are the peacemakers”
• Kent Hughes said, “Both parts of the word “peacemakers,” taken together, describe one who actively pursues peace in its fullness. He pursues more than the absence of conflict; he pursues wholeness and well-being.”[i]
• As followers of Christ and believers in the Word of God, we are fully aware that the well-being of our city is only possible through seeking to live according to God’s Word

1. We are commanded to be part of the system

Romans 13:1–2 (CSB) Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves.

• We do have a responsibility to submit to the governing authorities, and part of submission is to operate within its systems: i.e. paying taxes, obeying the law, and helping to bring about policies which will make our home stronger and safer

Romans 13:6–7 (CSB) And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor.

1. We are called to be a restraining force

2 Thessalonians 2:3–8 (CSB) Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. 5Don’t you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? 6And you know what currently restrains him, so that he will be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but the one now restraining will do so until he is out of the way, 8and then the lawless one will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath of his mouth and will bring him to nothing at the appearance of his coming.

• In the T.S. Elliot’s 1939 play, The Family Reunion, he wrote: “In a world of fugitives the person taking the opposite direction will appear to run away.”
• With the Holy Spirit’s help, we must be a restraining force against the onslaught of anti-God, anti-moral efforts of our culture
• We know things will get worse, but for now, the Holy Spirit is holding back the full effect of Satan’s forces, and we are part of this plan

1. We are tasked with standing for truth and shining the light

Matthew 5:13–16 (NLT) You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

• Krish Kandia said, “Voting is part of our stewardship to use all the resources we have been given in ways that honor God; to waste a vote is to squander a gift.”[ii]
• Ultimately, we know there is but one hope for the world in which we live; it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• We are to preach this message amid the darkness which prevails, but we must also bring Godly influence into the public square for the ultimate purpose of pointing people to Christ.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer is widely quoted as saying: “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

[i] Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Sermon on the Mount (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Publishers, 2001.)

[ii] https://www.christiantoday.com/news/10-reasons-christians-should-vote-in-the-election