Walking in Wisdom in An Election Year: 12 Reminders

Faith and Politics: Session 5

 

  1. Remember Who Is in Control
    1. The lesson of Nebuchadnezzar: “…that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’
    2. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. – Matt 28:18
    3. “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.” – John 19:11

  2. Fear God, not Man
    1. “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. But the LORD of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” – Isa 8:12-13
    2. The Fear of God drives out the fear of man.
    3. How might the fear of man affect you this election season?

  3. Put Politics in Its Place
    1. The Church—not the State—is what lasts forever.
    2. The Church—not the State—is the “light of the world…a city set on a hill”
      1. All politics are downstream from culture anyways. You don’t change the culture by changing laws; you change hearts first.
    3. The Church—not the State—carries the ultimate mission.

  4. Acknowledge Complexity
    1. As we approach how to vote, we need to acknowledge that most issues are not easily solved.
    2. The story of Solomon and the baby. There is nothing in the Torah that tells us what Solomon should have done in this instance.
    3. “And all Israel heard of the judgment that the king had rendered, and they stood in awe of the king, because they perceived that the wisdom of God was in him to do justice.” – 1 Kings 3:28
    4. Complex issues are jagged line issues—we cannot draw a direct application from a verse in the Bible to this issue. We rely on a jagged line approach, inferring from Biblical principles and using wisdom to apply to this issue.
    5. For example:
      1. What should be done politically about gun violence? Immigration? Homelessness? Climate change?
      2. Is there a Biblical answer to these?
    6. The complexity of many of our political problems requires us to reject lazy thinking and to push beyond groupthink.

  5. Acknowledge Clarity
    1. Not everything is complicated. (Even if experts tell us otherwise)
    2. God’s Law does speak loudly and clearly on a number of issues.
    3. If a candidate or party directly contradicts God’s moral law, we should be slow to support them, if at all.
    4. For example:
      1. What is marriage? What is a child in the womb? What is a man/woman?
    5. To keep us from being swept aside by the obfuscation of the world, we need to study the Bible more than anything else.

  6. Remember the Two “13’s”
    1. Romans 13—government is a gift from God, to punish evil, praise good, preserve life, and establish a platform in society so that the Church can fulfill its mission.
      1. We should support candidates who align with this vision of government.
    2. Revelation 13—government is a demonic beast who concentrates so much power to itself that it comes to believe that it deserves the obedience and worship reserved for God alone. And, if you fail to worship it, you will pay the price.
      1. We should avoid candidates who smell of this kind of megalomania, who believe that the State can should be limitless in its power.

  7. Acknowledge Reality
    1. We live in a two-party system, and right now both parties violate God’s clear, moral law when it comes to marriage and the unborn.
    2. Three options
        1. Accept the lesser of two evils
        2. Vote third-party
        3. Abstain

  8. Be Charitable
    1. Our unity in Christ is more important than our unity in politics.
    2. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger…If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. – James 1:19, 26
    3. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God…The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. – Rom 14:10, 22
    4. Maturity isn’t always speaking your mind; it is knowing when to speak, and when to be silent.

  9. Be Wise in Your Information Diet
    1. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5
    2. We need wisdom to wade through this election without being manipulated.
        1. We live in an attention-economy, and there is nothing that holds your attention more than what is outrageous. So, there are entities that profit from you being angry, anxious, and heartbroken.
        2. Be more scrutinizing of news-media sources that seem to always rely on emotional language, value-judgments, and sensational commentary. Be more skeptical of “doomsday” language that seems to prey upon primal fears.
        3. When reading news, ask yourself: Is this person operating in good faith? Given this person’s integrity and submission to objective facts, would I want to be in a disagreement with this person? What arguments would the opposing view present? What biases are behind this story?

  10. Remember Sisyphus
    1. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity! Read enough history and you’ll realize that (1) things aren’t as bad as they seem and (2) not much changes.
    2. Even if your wildest political dreams come true (and they won’t), the curse still exists, people will still be sinners—things fall apart.
    3. Politics will always be a poor Messiah.
        1. The example of Prohibition.
    4. This means that we should reject political prosperity theology.
    5. Work to do good while you can, but know that nothing lasts.

  11. Remember Joseph
    1. Joseph worked under a pagan king in a pagan government.
    2. And, in time, the Pharaohs change administration, do not remember Joseph, and enslave all of the Hebrews (Ex 1:8).
    3. Nevertheless, for the time that Joseph was there, he served and did good. We should not become isolationists or escapists because of the futility of politics. We should strive to obey and honor Christ as King as we live here and now.

  12. Remember Daniel
    1. Like Joseph, Daniel served under a pagan king in a pagan land, but used the means of human government to try to make the land more just.
    2. Yet, Daniel suffered under the hand of persecution by a beastly government.
    3. But Daniel suffered in such a way that revealed to the watching pagans that this earth was not his home, that his hope was in heaven.