Written October 9, 2016
Part II: Confident Voting
I had a spectacular ‘Speech and Debate’ experience in high school that left lasting impressions upon my life. Between Maria Patz (a witty foreign exchange student from Germany) to our early morning gatherings over donuts before debate tournaments; fond memories come to remembrance. Indeed, we were an aberrant collection of nerdy students with corpulent figures…definitely far from exuberating “coolness.” Yet despite our lack of prominence amongst our peers, we knew we were a part of something memorable. The usurping memory that comes to mind surrounds my teacher Mr. Stratford. He was our speech and debate coach. Truth be told, I initially was terribly uncomfortable with his eccentric personality, but I grew to truly admire his gift of articulation. And boy was he gifted! Or as we said it back in the day, “ dude had mad skillz.” I vividly remember spending one of my lunch periods in his class for additional assistance regarding a class article I was producing. Experiencing great difficulty creating a comprehensive response to a complex topic; I asked Mr. Stratford for guidance. His feedback has reverberated throughout my life to this very day:
“Brandon, in order to deliver a good answer you must first ask great questions”
That is why I went to great lengths within Part 1 of this series to sufficiently construct the right questions to prayerfully position your heart to receive a Christ-centered answer with confidence. Today’s post aims to accomplish this goal. So If you have not read Part 1, I urge you to do so NOW.
Brothers and Sisters: We Should NOT Submit Participatory Votes in Hope of Redeeming this World in its Present Form
Identifying wrong motivations for voting can actually help us construct a wiser~more Christ centered ballot. How? Consider this. A prevailing misconception multitudinous Christians hold centers around the notion that we (as disciples) have been “called” to infiltrate politics with our aim pointed towards transforming our government into a godly institute. Therefore, we surmise that if we work together in love…submitting participatory votes with the hope of transforming the government into a “Christ-Centered entity,” we can successfully and finally bring peace to our lands. And this peace; eventuating into happiness, would result in prosperity for all people. Many of us naively presume that if we can somehow fix the world—or even just improve it, we consequently would be assisting God in bringing the kingdom of heaven down on earth. Is this our biblical mandate as disciples of Christ Jesus? No, this is not what God expects or wants.
And if we aren’t vigilant in our pursuit for biblical literacy, we may easily fall prey to misguided presumptions that God is specifically prioritizing our nations position of the rest of the world. And this superiority way of thinking easily yet unintentionally may seep into the pores of our children’s consciousness as well. Consider how many parents are similar to Jane Doe. Seeking to nourish the soil upon which her sons confidence will grow from she communicates,
And if we aren’t vigilant in our pursuit for biblical literacy, we may easily fall prey to misguided presumptions that God is specifically prioritizing our nations position of the rest of the world. And this superiority way of thinking easily yet unintentionally may seep into the pores of our children’s consciousness as well. Consider how many parents are similar to Jane Doe. Seeking to nourish the soil upon which her sons confidence will grow from she communicates,
“ Believe in yourself Tommy, you can be anyone and do anything that you put your mind to son. Remember that you are a Christian and belong to God. One day you may grow up to be the president or a congressman. Our country needs Christian men like you…Then you can help rescue our nation from turning away from God”
This is Jane Doe’s affirmation to her son. And at a first glance, it’s true. Tommy may become anyone and do anything if he works with diligence. However much more was communicated within her statement, right? Underneath the outward expression of affirmation exists the inward–subliminal message of redemption through human effort and determination. In other words, whether intentional or not; Jane is subconsciously teaching Tommy that if he works hard enough for long enough…if entrusted with the proper platform; he can triumphantly apportion Christian values that would aim towards saving our nation from its downward spiral. She extrapolates that since God intends to establish the kingdom of heaven on earth, we as His disciples have an inherent salvation-based responsibility to co-labor with Him towards the redemption of our present form of government. But this isn’t true.
Unfortunately, many Christians place that very mandate upon their lives all the time. Such a directive is not only unbiblical, but it undeviating feeds into our Political Election Voting Insecurity Syndrome (P.E.V.I.S). As a result, our Christian worldview towards politics and voting become skewed; for it presumes that we actually have the responsibility as disciples of Jesus Christ to be redeemers and renewers of this world. And sure, each of us holds the personal responsibility to live courageously in love and sacrifice. Seek to be positive influence on those around us and whatever we live and work. But we must stop short of the assumption that our nation will finally and specifically be redeemed. This is a burdensome weight to carry and is outside of our God-inspired purpose. Brothers and sisters, we should not vote in hope of redeeming this world in its present form. Consider Jesus’s command. Notice how He didn’t proclaim,
Unfortunately, many Christians place that very mandate upon their lives all the time. Such a directive is not only unbiblical, but it undeviating feeds into our Political Election Voting Insecurity Syndrome (P.E.V.I.S). As a result, our Christian worldview towards politics and voting become skewed; for it presumes that we actually have the responsibility as disciples of Jesus Christ to be redeemers and renewers of this world. And sure, each of us holds the personal responsibility to live courageously in love and sacrifice. Seek to be positive influence on those around us and whatever we live and work. But we must stop short of the assumption that our nation will finally and specifically be redeemed. This is a burdensome weight to carry and is outside of our God-inspired purpose. Brothers and sisters, we should not vote in hope of redeeming this world in its present form. Consider Jesus’s command. Notice how He didn’t proclaim,
“Go therefore and make governments established under my authority, baptizing the government in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit, teaching governments to observe all that I have commanded you.”
No; instead He proclaimed,
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them (disciples) in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them (disciples) to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20b
Is this contrariety distinguishable to you? Because if you intend to overcome your Political Election Voting Insecurity Syndrome , it will be critical that it is. You see, the directive “make disciples of all nations” as opposed to “discipling the nations” explicitly informs our personal constitution regarding how our gospel-centered philanthropy should be lived-out-loud. Jesus strategically enjoins His followers to focus their efforts primarily towards the proclamation of the good news followed by all its implications. Indeed, we should strive to be world changers by fundamentally loving and laying our lives down for one another. Through sacrificial love, affinity for truth, relentless teaching of God’s word, and our prayerful effort to help our neighbor experience the transforming power of a relationship with Jesus Christ; we triumphantly fulfill our God-inspired purpose.
The World is Passing Away Along With its Desires, But Whoever Does the Will of God Abides Forever. 1 John 2:17
We must understand that the present construction of the world and it’s Biblically-shattered form of government, politics, leadership, culture, morals, ethics, and desires are passing away. This present form of life will not always be. You see, the world is like a condemned building. Built on the right foundation but was corrupted by a counterfeit architect named Satan. It’s weak underpinnings have eroded to the point of collapse under its own weight (similar to our sin). Historically, condemned buildings are eventually scraped away to be superseded by superior ones, right? And so goes our present form of government and its authority over this world. Due to the corrosion within our hearts which are fanned into flame by a counterfeit architects’ desire to witness our demise; the “true” architect (Jesus) has graciously implemented a new set of blueprints. And these blueprints detail a replacement for the current form of the world with an infinitely greater version….and our current perishable bodies with an eternal version that is incorruptible.
This is INFINITELY important to grasp…stay with me as we go deeper. Read 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 and Revelations 18:3-4. Can’t you see? These passages of Scripture unequivocally explain Jesus’ sentiments when He instructed us to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” For it reveals that Jesus is not ultimately preoccupied with the desires and customs of our government. If we assumed that we hold the power and wisdom to produce a ballot that ultimately will effectuate into a renewed, intrinsically godly nation; we are simply dead wrong. Do you recall the Bible passage that depicts Jesus as an “activist” striving to make the world a better place? Me neither; because such a delineation of Scripture ceases to exist.
Instead, our primary responsibility is not to become overwhelmed by politics as if we are called to be agents of redemption for the government. Rather than being driven by the fear of a misplaced vote, we should find comfort in the saving knowledge regarding the scandalous account of Jesus convening with people in desolate locations; ministering directly to them with a radical message. A message infused with the hope of a new kingdom and governmental system from heaven to come down on earth. THAT should be our priority. THIS should fill our time.
Can’t you see? We are released from political voting insecurities by the comforting revelation that our aim is not to elect a ‘Federal Savior’ for our country; for such a human candidate is suppositious. Oppositely, we are to preach to ourselves while continuously teaching our children that this present form of the world is truly passing away. Therefore, we as disciples of Christ should confidently live out our lives as temporary citizens of this world (and it’s government); courageously broaching not-yet-believers in love; revealing the necessity of genuine repentance to establish communion with the gracious God who will make everything that is wrong right.
This is INFINITELY important to grasp…stay with me as we go deeper. Read 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 and Revelations 18:3-4. Can’t you see? These passages of Scripture unequivocally explain Jesus’ sentiments when He instructed us to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” For it reveals that Jesus is not ultimately preoccupied with the desires and customs of our government. If we assumed that we hold the power and wisdom to produce a ballot that ultimately will effectuate into a renewed, intrinsically godly nation; we are simply dead wrong. Do you recall the Bible passage that depicts Jesus as an “activist” striving to make the world a better place? Me neither; because such a delineation of Scripture ceases to exist.
Instead, our primary responsibility is not to become overwhelmed by politics as if we are called to be agents of redemption for the government. Rather than being driven by the fear of a misplaced vote, we should find comfort in the saving knowledge regarding the scandalous account of Jesus convening with people in desolate locations; ministering directly to them with a radical message. A message infused with the hope of a new kingdom and governmental system from heaven to come down on earth. THAT should be our priority. THIS should fill our time.
Can’t you see? We are released from political voting insecurities by the comforting revelation that our aim is not to elect a ‘Federal Savior’ for our country; for such a human candidate is suppositious. Oppositely, we are to preach to ourselves while continuously teaching our children that this present form of the world is truly passing away. Therefore, we as disciples of Christ should confidently live out our lives as temporary citizens of this world (and it’s government); courageously broaching not-yet-believers in love; revealing the necessity of genuine repentance to establish communion with the gracious God who will make everything that is wrong right.
Brothers and Sisters: We Should Submit Participatory Votes “In Light of Eternity”
So how does one tangibly engage in the upcoming election from a Christ-centered perspective? What exactly does it mean to vote in light of eternity? And if our final hope is geared towards an entirely different kingdom governed by completely different principles; what purpose does it really serve for the Christian to vote? Should we not actively disengage from a system of government that is pre-destined to pass away? These questions are critical so listen closely. While it is true that the return of Jesus to establish His new reign upon a redeemed world is actively coming, it is not fully here yet.
Therefore, if we are ignorantly incapable or obdurately unwilling to hold fast to our biblical convictions when political bills and candidates arise that are in opposition to the word of God; undoubtedly, our vote will be compromised. Brothers and sisters be known as people of great fortitude who courageously vote! That is…so long as your fortitude is nourished by a robust approach to the word of God. For the overflow of your genuine relationship with Jesus Christ will always produce a better aligned set of gospel lenses for you to look out of from. Therefore your actions will inherently honor God more naturally. This is why we must know the word of God through and through. And in the end, what will be of exceeding value to your not-yet-believing neighbor won’t decisively surround the accuracy of your ballot but rather the motivations behind why you made the voting decisions you made. And your “why” needs to be biblically sound. For THIS will be your Christian witness through voting… THAT is what ultimately provides the opportunity to share an eternal perspective that tills the ground upon which salvation–laced seeds can be planted.
So brothers and sisters; peacefully submit your votes on political bills and candidates NOT with the climatic expectancy that your efforts will lead to a materialization of a “better tomorrow,” but rather that your pursuit for personal righteousness would reveal itself through your vote. The motivations behind WHY you vote in the manner in which you do will reveal that you are different. It will show that your hopes and priorities are otherworldly. So eliminate misplaced expectations that ultimately lead to Political Election Voting Insecurity Syndromes. Instead, submit to God’s plan to use each and every platform (including the presidential election) as an opportunity to spread the gospel. It’s then… and only then that we are properly positioned to successfully vote in light of eternity…With Confidence.
Therefore, if we are ignorantly incapable or obdurately unwilling to hold fast to our biblical convictions when political bills and candidates arise that are in opposition to the word of God; undoubtedly, our vote will be compromised. Brothers and sisters be known as people of great fortitude who courageously vote! That is…so long as your fortitude is nourished by a robust approach to the word of God. For the overflow of your genuine relationship with Jesus Christ will always produce a better aligned set of gospel lenses for you to look out of from. Therefore your actions will inherently honor God more naturally. This is why we must know the word of God through and through. And in the end, what will be of exceeding value to your not-yet-believing neighbor won’t decisively surround the accuracy of your ballot but rather the motivations behind why you made the voting decisions you made. And your “why” needs to be biblically sound. For THIS will be your Christian witness through voting… THAT is what ultimately provides the opportunity to share an eternal perspective that tills the ground upon which salvation–laced seeds can be planted.
So brothers and sisters; peacefully submit your votes on political bills and candidates NOT with the climatic expectancy that your efforts will lead to a materialization of a “better tomorrow,” but rather that your pursuit for personal righteousness would reveal itself through your vote. The motivations behind WHY you vote in the manner in which you do will reveal that you are different. It will show that your hopes and priorities are otherworldly. So eliminate misplaced expectations that ultimately lead to Political Election Voting Insecurity Syndromes. Instead, submit to God’s plan to use each and every platform (including the presidential election) as an opportunity to spread the gospel. It’s then… and only then that we are properly positioned to successfully vote in light of eternity…With Confidence.
Visit The Author HERE
Next week we conclude this series by examining specific text from the word of God to provide specific navigational tools to help you vote in light of eternity with Christ-centered confidence. Amazing resources will also be provided then.
visit the website: MAKING MUCH OF CHRIST MINISTRIES
To learn more about The God who’s ready to walk with you click HERE
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!
Next week we conclude this series by examining specific text from the word of God to provide specific navigational tools to help you vote in light of eternity with Christ-centered confidence. Amazing resources will also be provided then.
visit the website: MAKING MUCH OF CHRIST MINISTRIES
To learn more about The God who’s ready to walk with you click HERE
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK!