What is the Christian's Responsibility?
I don't know who you voted for, if you did vote, or even if you are able to vote. I commend all the Christians who voted against abortion and gay unions. Every eligible christian should have voted this way because we are bound by scripture to do so. Christian liberty is not a matter of freedom to do anything and everything we please. We are freed from slavery to sin and freed to do all that is in harmony with God's word. Scripture warns against using our freedom as a covering for evil(1 Peter 2:16, Galatians 5:13). We shouldn't vote with prejudice's to a different race. We should not vote for someone because of their amiable personalities or skilled speeches. We should vote for someone because they uphold the word of God as the standard by which to rule their own private lives and their country. If no such candidate is found, then as Christians we should vote for the candidate that at least upholds the constitution. If there is still no one who does this, than we must vote for the candidate who has the most biblical principals and supports biblical laws. In this case it was Mitt Romney. Although he is not a Christian, he is pro-life and he stands for biblical marriage. Romney did not win though. So how should we view this election?
What Does This Say About America as a Nation?
If the votes were tallied honestly, then it is evident that our country no longer values what God values.
We must pray for revival and faithfully preach the gospel to all men. The president is a good mirror of America because she chose him. As the church this should motivate us to share the gospel when we see the fallen state of our nation! We need God's grace and intervention.
How Should Christians View Purposeful Miscounting and Voter Fraud?
The communist Tyrant and mass murderer Josef Stalin said" He who votes decides nothing. He who counts decides everything." This voices well the fear that many Americans feel. They feel that it is pointless to vote because their vote will not count. How should Christians view voter fraud and purposeful miscounting? Please consider these scriptures.
Proverbs 16:33 " The lot is cast into the lap, but it's every decision is from the Lord."
Proverbs 21:1 "The king's heart is like channel's of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes."
Psalm 33:10-11"The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever. The plans of his heart from generation to generation"
Proverbs 16:9 " The mind of a man plans his ways, but the Lord directs his steps."
Ephesians 1:11"Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of his will."
John 19:11a " Jesus answered,'you would have no authority over me unless it had been given from you from above...'"
We can clearly see that neither the one who counts the votes, nor the one who votes elects our our president, but God elects the president. We are still responsible to vote, but God ultimately makes every decision.
Should Christians Submit To Non-Christian Leaders?
Where should we look for answers? In the Bible! First Peter 2:13-14 says"Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right." Authority is good. We should submit to every human institution unless they prohibit you from doing something God requires or require you to do something God prohibits. In Acts 4:19-20 "But Peter and John answered and said to them, ' Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" In this passage Peter and John had to obey God rather than men. When forced to choose, always obey God, but if you are able to obey your leader and God then do so. In Acts 5:29 Peter and the apostles said "We must obey God rather than men."
Will We Respond in Fear or Faith?
Over and over in scripture we are commanded not to fear. Perhaps You fear the possible persecution to come. This all boils down to fearing man. In an earlier post I spoke about this and will not focus on fearing man in this article. Instead, I will focus on how to overcome fear.
Here is one of my favorite passages on fear: Philippians 4:6-8 says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God. And The peace which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." There are four points I would like to make about this text. First of all, we are commanded not to be anxious. Secondly, the first step to overcoming our fears is to give them to God in prayer. Thirdly, we must rejoice and give thanks to God. And lastly, we must redirect our thoughts to what is good.
If we give our fears to God in prayer we no longer have to carry them. If we are thankful, that helps us to remember all the ways God has been faithful in past, and that gives us courage to face the future. If we redirect our thoughts onto good things, we don't leave room for Satan to work.
Conclusions
God is faithful! Psalm 2:12b "Blessed are all who take refuge in him." I would like to end with this passage, "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ' For Your Sake We Are Being Put To Death All Day Long; We Were Considered As Sheep To Be Slaughtered.' But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I'm convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35-39
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