Christians and the Vote

The contents of this post have been rumbling around in my head and heart for a while now, and I figure with less than a month before the election it’s about time that I write them out. I do so confidently yet with some trepidation, not being a super huge fan of conflict and realizing that the following perspective might ruffle some feathers and that there will likely be those who strongly disagree.

And that’s fine. There’s plenty of space for differences of opinion here. However, in an attempt to avoid perceived disagreements where none actually exist, let me state at the outset that this post is not an endorsement of any candidate, nor does it pertain merely to the current election cycle.

So now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s jump in. You ready? *Deep breath* Here we go…

Especially in this election season, there seem to be two poles of perspective among those who claim the name of Christ: one that emphasizes our American citizenship and one that emphasizes our citizenship in the Kingdom of God. Yet focusing on only one of these aspects of our identity fails to address the complexity of our reality.

We are Christians, yes. And as Christians, our primary allegiance is to Christ and to His Kingdom. There’s an interesting complexity to His Kingdom, though, in that it is in an “already/not yet” state of being. In other words, His Kingdom has arrived, and we believers are currently part of it, but it has not yet reached its completeness. Because of the “not yet” aspect of His Kingdom, earthly “kingdoms” still exist, and every human is a part of one—even Christians.  

As Christians who believe in the sovereignty of God, we believe that God ordained when and where we would live, what family we would be born into, and what earthly “kingdom” we would be a part of. So for those of us who are citizens of the United States, we are that (and are not citizens of another country) because God has placed us in this particular context at this particular time in history. The same can be said for all people no matter what country they are a part of. So we are Christians who happen (by God’s plan) also to be Americans during our time on this earth. That is who we are.

Here’s where I can see the first wave of objections rising: “If our allegiance is to Christ, then what should it matter what country we are a part of? Shouldn’t we only be concerned about matters of His Kingdom? Our identity is rooted in Christ; should we even recognize “American” as part of our identity?"  

Remember that Christ did not save us in a vacuum. And He did not whisk us straight to heaven when He saved us. He left us here in our specific context to live out our salvation (not to earn it, but to demonstrate it). God does not negate our earthly life when He brings us into His kingdom; He redeems it.

Let me ask—what if we framed the above objections in reference to our families? After all, as Christians we are children of God, right? Right. “So if He is our Father, what should it matter what earthly family we are a part of? Shouldn’t we only be concerned about matters of His Family?” [The answer to that rhetorical question is no.]

I hope this makes it a little clearer to see that God does not absolve us of our earthly responsibilities when he brings us into His kingdom. We are still the children of our parents and the parents of our children; we are still to honor and take care of our earthly family. Similarly, being a Christian informs our citizenship, but it does not absolve us of our civic duty. We are still citizens of the United States; we are still to honor those in authority over us, to pay our taxes, and—to vote.

And here we reach the controversial topic: voting as a Christian. I’ve attempted to establish thus far why I believe Christians should vote. The question then follows—yes, but how are we to vote?

I think it is helpful to look to Jeremiah’s letter to the Jewish exiles in Babylon for an applicable principle. The Jews are living in an earthly kingdom that is not the nation God established for His own chosen people; they are living in the pagan Babylon that does not recognize God’s authority. The prophet Jeremiah, still in Jerusalem, writes to the exiles and relates to them God’s command to settle in to their current location and to invest in their current community (Jeremiah 29:4-6).

Then God tells the Jews, “But 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” (Jeremiah 29:7, ESV). Note that He didn’t tell them to try to get other Jews in leadership positions in the royal government. Nor, did He call them to isolate themselves from the community or to bemoan the fact that their Babylonian political leaders were not honoring God. He simply called them to seek the welfare of their city and to pray for it.

Today, as Christians who are Americans, we are God’s chosen people who are living in an earthly country that is not the kingdom God established for His Church. (For more on the “Christian nation” mentality, see my previous post on providentialism.) Because America is not equivalent to the Church, there are different standards the leaders of each must meet. For leaders of the Church (e.g. pastors and deacons), we look to Scripture to see the necessary qualifications.

But America is not the Church. Just as we would not expect or require unbelievers to live according to the standards of God’s Word to which we hold believers, so we should not expect or require the leaders of the United States to meet the qualifications of leaders of the Church. This means, among other things, that a person does not have to be a Christian to be worthy of our vote.

Some might argue that this is compartmentalizing our faith from the rest of our life, and I agree that compartmentalizing our faith is wrong. But there is a difference between compartmentalizing and making a distinction. I am not suggesting we wall off our duties as a citizen from our Christian convictions. Our Christianity should inform our decision-making in every aspect of life. But what I am suggesting is that we can and should make a distinction between the requirements we hold for leaders and members of the Church and those we hold for leaders in the earthly country called the United States.

Yes, it would be awesome if we had leaders who had been saved by Jesus Christ and who actively sought to honor Him in all that they do. But there is such a thing as common grace, i.e. God has graciously equipped people who are not His children with talents and success and some degree of wisdom. Because of this grace, it is possible for an unregenerate person to make good decisions and to lead well.

Also, it’s important to keep in mind that sometimes there may not be any Christian candidates. Now, here, I know some would argue that we should write-in someone who is a believer or who at least is “morally upright,” but I would reiterate that being a Christian is not a qualification for holding elected office in the United States—and would add that neither is being “morally upright.”

“Man, she’s really going off the deep end now. How can you honor Christ and vote for someone who isn’t morally upright?” It’s a valid question. But I would answer it with another one: who is morally upright? Every single one of us, Christian or not, has deep moral flaws—including every single candidate that is on the ballot or that could be written in. Some flaws manifest themselves differently than others, and some are more public than others, but they are all flaws, nonetheless.

The only difference Christians can boast is the indwelling Holy Spirit Who can help us overcome our flaws. But again, the “not yet” aspect of God’s kingdom means that even Christians will still fail to live perfectly holy, upright lives. Just because someone is a Christian does not mean they will always make wise decisions. “Yes, but at least they are governed by Christ.” Okay, so if that is what we most care about, then we're back to saying we should vote for Christians.

For the sake of discussion, let’s say, yes, sure, we should vote for a Christian. But what if a Christian isn’t on the ballot? “Then write one in.” But what if your state’s laws prevent you from writing in? Do you just not vote? I hope I’ve shown with the first half of this post that the answer to that is “no—you should vote.”  So what then?

If we should vote and voting for a Christian is not an option, then how do we decide whom to vote for? I would suggest looking two places—1) to the place that outlines the qualifications for elected officials and 2) to the passage in Jeremiah. For President, for instance, the requirements are that a person be a natural born citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least fourteen years (see Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution). Once those requirements have been met, then I believe we should choose the candidate whom we believe will best foster our country’s welfare (see Jeremiah 29:7 above).

This means looking at the candidates’ policies—their stances on the issues and their plans for decision-making and action/inaction. The reality is that we are choosing people who will be leading (and hopefully serving) our country by making decisions that will affect the well-being of our people. Hypothetically, let’s say that there are two candidates whom we equally consider to be people of character but who have very different views on a particular issue. I believe we should choose the one whose policies most align with what we believe will lead to the welfare of our nation.

And it is here that being a Christian helps inform our decision. What does Scripture have to say about the issues facing our nation? And for the ones Scripture does not specifically address, what are the biblical principles that help us shape our understanding of them? Once we have educated ourselves on the issues (see P.S. below) and given prayerful consideration to a biblical stance on them, we should look at where each of the candidates stand and choose the one who most matches up with our beliefs.

In this way, I believe we can be honoring to God by fulfilling the responsibilities of the earthly citizenship He has granted us. Voting for the people we believe to best represent biblical positions on the issues and praying for our elected officials are two ways we can seek the welfare of the country/state/city God has ordained as our earthly home. May He grant us wisdom and a gracious spirit in interacting with our fellow believers and citizens in the weeks and months ahead.

P.S. I have found the following link to be helpful. Even if you don’t actually answer the questions, it will at least provide you with a good idea of what the issues currently facing our country are.  http://www.isidewith.com  (Click on "Take the Quiz" to see the questions then click on “Answer more               questions” under each section to see the full range of issues.)