And The Winner Is . . .
by Pastor Matthew E. Walker, 21 February 2008

The newspapers and internet blogs are filled with information concerning the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Everyone, it seems, has an opinion on who should be our next president and what he should do to fix the economy, curb “global warming”, promote the Middle East peace process, and eliminate poverty. The mantra seems to be: “We need change and we need it right now!”

Christians have been swept up into the election turmoil along with the rest of our nation. Many evangelical leaders have publicly endorsed on candidate or another. Professional pollsters have even named evangelicals as a major voting block. It seems that even for people who are supposed to be living for the next world, this world is becoming very important.

That may be because some Bible-believing Christians have forgotten a few very important Biblical laws regarding world affairs that God has revealed in Scripture. Foremost of these is that God decides who wins elections, not people. The psalmist writes in Psalm 75: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. A perfect example of this is found in Romans 9:17. For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. God raised up Pharaoh, not man. Whatever president is elected in November, that choice will come from God, not the voters.

The second Biblical law that is seemingly overlooked is that the election of a good president as opposed to a bad one (I might say a pro-life candidate as opposed to a pro-abortion candidate) will not alter the direction of this world away from God and will do nothing to promote what God-fearing Christians really want: revival. Revival is the only thing that can actually affect our world for the better. The burden for that rests on God’s people who must repent of sin and turn back to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. That kind of healing won’t come from the legislation of either political party. If a well-known evangelist was elected president there would still be a large majority of our fellow Americans "dead in trespasses and sins."

A third Biblical law that is almost forgotten in 24 hour news cycle world is that God doesn’t pay much attention to the actions of the ungodly. God doesn’t watch CNN. He’s not all that interested in what they are doing. His attention is on His people and His focus is on His agenda. One of the greatest kings of Israel was Omri. Who was that? Most people, including Christians, do not know of Omri. Little is mentioned of him in the Bible. God just wasn’t interested in Omri’s administration. He only gets a few verses. From a secular standpoint he was very important. In God’s eyes he was nothing more than another idolater. His most important achievement mentioned in Scripture is the fact that he was Ahab’s father. That’s not exactly the most stellar accomplishment.

So what should we do, as Christians during this election season? First, we should commit to vote but not for anyone that violates our conscience. Voting is our duty but we must vote well. The idea that voting for someone other than one of the major party candidates is a “throw away” vote stems from the void of the three Biblical laws mentioned above. God will not hold you accountable for who is elected and whoever holds the office of president will not alter God’s plan one inch from what it already is. God will hold you accountable for voting for the wrong reasons and being motivated by unbelief. It was a democratic vote that kept the Israelites out of the Promised Land the first time around. Voting is good stewardship. Voting improperly is not. Second, we should not worry if someone other than the conservative candidate wins. God is not a conservative. Much of what the conservatives in America believe goes radically against God’s laws. To reject a candidate because he is not conservative utilizes an unbiblical standard for making decisions. That doesn’t mean you should vote for a liberal candidate either. It just means you should vote Biblically and with strong political aspirations. Finally, your focus needs to be on what God thinks is important—building His church, evangelizing the lost, and worshipping Him. We do need change in America but it’s not on the political front but in the hearts of our neighbors toward our God.