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SCOTT DREYER: Biblical Principles And The Election (Part 2)

Part 1 explains some biblical principles that believers should practice daily, election year or not.

Guidelines specifically for this election season:

  • As Christians, we need to avoid two errors of extremes: One is, “Politics is dirty; ignore it.” (For example, The Amish seldom voted until the Biden/Harris FDA began regulating their milk sales.) The other extreme is believing, “Politics can bring a national revival and solve all our problems. Make politics an idol, worship and obsess over it.” 

John Stonestreet, with Breakpoint Ministries, wrote in a Nov. 3, 2022 essay: “From first-century believers facing the hostility of the Roman state to the 20th-century Christians living under Communism’s terror to Christians living everywhere else between, the Church has found influence through ‘little platoons’ of faithfulness in local communities and through the grand efforts of statesmen and heroes. Salvation won’t arrive on Air Force One (emphasis mine), and a perfect world won’t come through the ballot box. But a better world is possible if all our actions, political and otherwise, flow downstream from our Christian convictions, and not the other way around.” 

GotQuestions.org explains the following in “How should a Christian view politics?”

“We must grasp the fact that our government cannot save us! Only God can. We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices via the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire’s unjust laws or brutal schemes. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the gospel and live lives that give clear evidence to the gospel’s transforming power.

“One of Satan’s grandest deceptions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.

“The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

“Political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, economic strength, military might, or politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope, and joy—and the salvation of mankind—are provided only through Jesus’ death and resurrection.”

  • Remember that God is in control. “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;” (Dan. 2:21 ESV). Some people, however, confuse God’s sovereignty as an excuse for apathy or laziness. Should a pastor say, “I don’t need to prepare sermons or preach the Bible, because God is sovereign and He will save whom He wants”? Or should a parent say, “I don’t need to make my kids go to school because God is sovereign and He will let them learn what He wants them to know”? 
  • Accept there is no perfect candidate, just as there is no perfect parent, child, pastor, deacon, boss, employee, spouse, friend, neighbor, Sunday School teacher, etc.  “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Rom. 3:10 KJV).
  • As the saying goes, “God uses imperfect people, because that’s the only kind there are!” Other than Jesus, every figure in the Bible had flaws. Adam blamed his wife for his failures. Abraham was a liar, claiming his wife was his sister…twice! Noah got drunk in the nude. Moses had a temper. Miriam was jealous and greedy for power. David concealed his affair with a murder. Solomon was a sex addict. Peter was profane and a denier. Timothy lacked confidence.
  • Realize that choosing a spouse, job, etc. offers almost limitless choices, but for president, it’s A or B, a binary choice. One will win. (A man told me, “America needs a 45-year-old president.” I replied, “That might be nice, but it’s not going to happen this year, because there is no 45-year-old on the ballot.”) Not voting or voting for a third party is letting others speak for you. GotQuestions.org has an essay “What does the Bible say about Common Sense?”  and states, Wisdom is knowing what to do; discretion is knowing when and where to do it.”  The Bible states the need for common sense. “O you naïve or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense; And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].”  (Prov. 8:5 Amplified Bible)
  • We’re voting for a president and commander in chief, not a pastor, deacon, Sunday School teacher, or “Spiritual Leader in Chief.” Jimmy Carter was very devout, yet weak as a president.  Yes, “character counts,” but in the 1990’s, when Bill Clinton was running for president, the media said his womanizing and profanity didn’t matter. But in contrast, for nearly a decade the media has blasted Trump as a reprobate. But consider Mike Pence, who to avoid temptation or even the appearance of it, follows the “Billy Graham rule.” Pence seeks never to be alone with a woman unless it’s his wife. But for years the media criticized Pence for being too pure. It seems, if a politician has an (R) behind the name, the legacy media will find fault. Their message seems to be, “Trump is too sinful, but Pence isn’t sinful enough.” Also, as a Millennial woman pointed out, we’re not in high school anymore, choosing personalities for “Prom King and Queen.” We need to vote on ISSUES. “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,”  Eph. 5:15)

(Updated 10-29-24. To be continued.)

–Scott Dreyer

Scott Dreyer at Bryce Canyon
Scott Dreyer M.A. of Roanoke has been a licensed teacher since 1987 and now leads a team of educators teaching English and ESL to a global audience. Photo at Utah’s iconic Bryce Canyon. Learn more at DreyerCoaching.com.

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