Christians and Voting
In the old Jewish theocracy, God through His prophets chose the kings and appointed them. Today, some believe that the Christian should have nothing to do with politics but the Bible does not teach that. In fact, Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Here, Jesus clearly states the Christian’s relationship to the state. To get involved would not violate God’s will, as the religious leaders at Jesus time claimed (Matthew 22:17).
Also, the Christian should not ignore the fair claims of the state upon him “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:13-17).
The Bible gives us many examples of individuals that held political office in the state like Joseph in Egypt, Daniel in Babylon and Mordecai in Medo-Persian. The Christian should cooperate with “the powers that be” because they are “ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1). But they should remember that God’s authority must be held supreme. Like the apostles, they should declare, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
Therefore, Christians should be encouraged to vote. In voting, they should choose the individuals that promote the Christian principles of sincerity, freedom and equality. For this end, they should prayerfully consider the different candidates to determine which is best suited to enhance God’s principles. And believers can exert a positive political influence in the world and particularly in the area of religious freedom.
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
