This week as we get close to voting for President of the United States
I have been thinking about this very subject for many weeks. As I watch the news and converse with many people I feel the need to speak up. No matter who you are or where you live please bear with me and read what I have to say. We all can learn a little from others and I only hope to get you to think for a moment.
Over the years dealing with people as a pastor and evangelist I have learned a lot and have asked myself many things about what I have seen. Even in Christianity we are so diverse in doctrine and political views, I am amazed by what is condoned and allowed. So, if I may I want to compare religion and politics. This may even seem like I am on my soap box and you are probably right. Politics in many ways are just like our religious systems.
I do believe as believers we are called to a life of holy living and obedience to the teachings of Jesus.
(John 14:23-24 NKJV) Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. {24} "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
(1 Pet 1:15-16 NKJV) but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, {16} because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
This should apply to everything in our lives even how we judge between one another and look at our leaders, in our land as well as our churches. With this said I will try to do a parallel of religion and politics.
Today, there seems to be this prevailing ideal of separation of church and state. So there are those who will ignore their own convictions when it comes to politics. Then there are those who completely ignore what happens in politics completely, but complain about the results. There are those who try to make everyone else live by their own convections, condemning all those who do not agree with them to hell. I just hope to encourage you to prayerfully look at your own convictions and ask God what He would have you do.
The parallels of both are:
- Both have leaders that people follow blindly
- Everybody stays true to their party or denomination (to many this is a lifetime)
- Every group has their own way of doing things (doctrines, traditions, platforms)
- Each group or party thinks they are right
- They all vie for power or control of money and policy making
- Leaders of politics and religion will say anything to keep their followers
- War, character assignation, and lies are OK to maintain control
- When followers are confronted with different thinking or truth they are greatly offended.
- The end justifies the means
- Many are willing to ignore their leader’s failures and lifestyles just because of what they feel they may get in return.
- There are a large percentage of people who are ignorant of the truth and are dependent on others for their well being and will follow whom ever just because of what is promised them, or told what they may lose if they do not follow.
I am sure there is more we could add to this list. You may have a few to add yourself and I would like to hear them. This is just to get you to think and look what is ahead of us in this world. We should never follow anyone blindly no matter what. Each person should first follow the Lord and His commands and then participate in their given rights in what ever country they live in. If you live in a place where you are not given such rights and freedom then above all follow Jesus and his teachings, live a life holy before the Lord and well pleasing.
The thing I don’t understand is how can so called Christians condone or go along with thinking or policies that are clearly contrary to scriptures and the teachings of Jesus. I do believe in a fallen world a country can not legislate morality. When we have a nation diverse as ours, with many doctrines and ways of thinking no one particular group should be in charge. Like the saying goes and history has proved out, he who has the power makes up the rules. That is properly why our founding fathers proclaimed that there would be not state church. The State is to stay out of the churches business and the church is not to run the State.
This does not mean that the church can not influence the state and make a mark on our society. For instance when one person took schools to court over prayer, where was the Christians? When creationism was removed from our school books and Darwinism was forced upon our students, where were our Christian teachers? We could go on and on over issue after issue and in all we will find the Christian voice silent. Except for a few misguided radicals that give true Christian love a bad name, as a whole the Christian has been silent. When our statistics show that Christianity as a whole makes up the largest part of our country how does non-biblical things prevail.
Growing up in church, it was hammered into us that we had to separate ourselves from the world. We were not raised up to be leaders in our community, just followers of doctrines and traditions. We were raised to serve the Lord through the church. To be a good Christian one just followed their churches teachings and served with all they had. The result of such thinking has raised spiritually and socially ignorant people who just follow depending on others to provide for them. So while we were being busy being separate, the sinful world was raising up educated men and women to run our country without God.
A few years ago we had a President that was honest about his faith and lead by His convictions. I will not say I agreed with all he did, but I was amazed at how many Christians bashed that man and called him all kind of things. Then this year the Democratic Party tried to remove any mention of God out of their platform. We have a current President that is open about his views about abortion and homosexuality. He has demonstrated a lack for Christian thinking. Yet we have people who say they are devoted church going Christians who will stand and vote for such a person.
A few weeks ago I was asked how I felt about a person who was of Mormon faith being President. After some thought and considering what the doctrines and what I know about the current president, what’s the difference? We are a country that does not endorse any particular faith, what should guide us are principles that agrees with our God given commandments.
I am not telling anyone how to vote or to what party one should be a part of. For me I do not consider myself belonging to any party. I vote by God given convictions and principles. I just can not agree with anyone who will violate God’s commands and ignore the rights of the unborn. In my book there is only God given morals, and any other morals that choose to be selective are often based on Godless ideals and humanism. Our Government was not formed to provide the well being of its people, but to protect the liberty and freedoms of all. Government is not the answer to society’s problems, but God and His word can guide us to a higher level of living. Right belief in the one true God can bring hope and faith. My confidence is not in government or man, but I will exercise my right as a citizen to vote for a leader who’s moral convictions is closer to God’s word. As long as so called Christians have warped views of God, Jesus, and His word they will always follow and vote with a blinded mind.
In conclusion, how do you vote? Have you prayed about it? Are you blindly following a party line just because you always have? Is your motive based on what you will get out of it or fear? Are you dependent on the government or God? Is your faith and politics similar? How do you act when confronted with truth? Do you ignore the basic principles of God’s word and blindly follow just out of traditions?
I pray for our government and our nation. We need a change from the top down as well from the bottom up. If truth does not prevail in our doctrines and nation, we are heading for trouble. I can only imagine what our nation will look like if we don’t see some changes.
It’s time to step off of my soap box now, back to my ongoing subject next week.
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