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Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2
Above you will find two very well-known passages from Scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. So how do they speak to our responsibility as Christians in how we participate in politics? How should we be engaged, or even should we participate in the first place? The short answer is “YES!” And unfortunately, throughout history God’s chosen people, whether that was the nation of Israel or the Church, have often shirked this responsibility.
Our Lord chose Abraham and his descendants to be a Holy People, set apart from the other nations, but with the express purpose that they were to be a blessing to all nations. Unfortunately, Israel saw itself as God’s special chosen people, and they tried to isolate themselves from everyone else. In time, they allowed outside influences to corrupt them with pagan worship, child sacrifice, and the like. They were God’s chosen people, but their job was to impact the world and be a blessing. Instead, they hid from the world and were ultimately corrupted by it.
God then sent his Son, Jesus, into the world to save the whole world with the good news of the Gospel, his cross and resurrection. Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, the Church was founded with the same mission, to be a blessing to the whole world by spreading the Gospel. Like the ancient Hebrews, Christians are supposed to influence the world for Christ, not to be influenced by it. We are not to build a wall around ourselves to protect the Church from the world. We are called to be the influencers, not the influenced. We are to be a light to the nations, a tool which God is using to redeem the world he created and loves.
If we accept this biblical responsibility, we must participate in politics, community action, elections, and the like. Please resist the temptation to declare one political party with being the party of God. I suspect both sides believe that applies to them. I am reminded of a quote from Abraham Lincoln, when asked to pray that God would be on his side. “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” God shows no partiality, there is neither Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female. All are loved by God, born or unborn, citizen or immigrant, ethnic majority or minority. Read and study God’s Word to you in Scripture. Pray to be his instrument as you decide how to vote. Remember that your ultimate allegiance is not to being a Democrat or a Republican, not even to being an American. We are citizens of the Kingdom of God first.
Heavenly Father, I pray that as I decide how to cast my vote, I will be led not by what benefits me the most, but by what pleases you the most and benefits your Kingdom already here; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
About the author: Rev. Clarkson is the vicar of Church of The Holy Apostles in Barnwell.
