One Nation, Under God - Part 2

How should a Christian vote?To refresh your memory or to catch you up if you missed the last blog, I talked about the elections and the discord and division that is occurring in the church between Democratic Christians and Republican Christians. Republican Christians do not know how a Christian can vote Democrat when they feel it means also voting pro-abortion and pro-homosexuality. On the flipside, Democratic Christians do not know how someone can vote Republican when they feel that to vote for Donald Trump is to usher in the age of the Anti-Christ. Whether you agree with one side or neither side, we can agree that there is a division in the church right now about who should be in the White House after November 3, 2020.And then there are folks that do not really like either candidate or either side. But so many of us feel that to not vote is Biblically offensive and that they have to speak up about their beliefs when it comes to politics. Voting has become tantamount to our faith.So how is a Christian to vote?First off, Abraham recognized that Ur of the Chaldeans, the Babylon of his day, and Israel were both not his home. He knew that his home was actually under the leadership and auspices of a builder and maker who just happens to be Elohim, happens to be God. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Friends, our kingdom is not of this world either, but the kingdom of God. We are citizens of Heaven first, and citizens of America last.“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). In other words, confession equals salvation. Voting does not mean salvation.Who I vote for or even if I vote has nothing to do with whether I am a born again Christian. “But Pastor, aren’t you proud to be an American?” I am! Nevertheless, not nearly as proud as I am to be a Citizen of Heaven.If the church’s mindset is that not voting is Biblically offensive or that voting is part of our salvation, we might need a perspective change or a priority check. We have to ask ourselves, “Have I been putting voting on the same level as praying, or reading my Bible? Have I been putting my status as a citizen of America on the same level as my being a citizen of the Kingdom of God? Have I been making the President and Jesus equal?”Let’s talk next about the division in the church, because that is what really concerns me, brethren.We all know the metaphor of the body of the church, where each member of the church is the heart or the hand or even the ignoble armpit (maybe that part goes to those with stinkin’ thinkin’). But the rest of that scripture reads, “God has so composed the body… that there may be no division in the body” (1 Cortinthians 12:24-25).That is pretty clear and direct. But if that were not enough, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 emphasizes this point: “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement. For it has been reported to me… that there is quarrelling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, ‘I follow Paul,’... or ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” This could easily be the church of today, saying, “I follow Donald Trump,” or “I follow Joe Biden.”I am not telling you how to vote, and I am certainly not telling you that you should not vote! What I am saying is however you vote, do not let it cause division on your part with those who vote differently. Be united with your brothers and sisters in Christ even if you do not understand where they are coming from or how they are voting. Be of one mind on issues, even if you disagree on candidates. Above all, follow and love Jesus Christ with all your heart, soul, and mind.And pray for unity for the church, friends. In fact, pray for our nation’s heart to be united with Christ as well, because next time we will be talking about our hearts and what that has to do with our leaders, as well as the concept of Jesus as a savior and Jesus as a liberator as we finish up our series.