We find ourselves now in yet another very contentious presidential election season. You can’t turn the TV on, listen to the radio, or even watch a YouTube video without some sort of political ad popping up. The billboards and yard signs supporting one of the two candidates are inescapable as we drive around. (Of course, it doesn’t help that we live in one of the biggest swing states they are saying may just decide the election.) We keep hearing how if the other candidate would get elected, it very well could be the end of our nation as we know it and only the one is able to save our nation and ensure it has a future. How many times do we keep being told that this is “the most consequential election in our nation’s history”? (Never mind the fact that they say this every four years.) It is so easy to get sucked into it all and allow ourselves to get so worked up and worried about what might happen if the wrong person would get elected and the damage that would cause. However, as Christians, we have no reason to be such. I think that when we become overly concerned about this election, it is because we have forgotten about a number of truths. My goal in this article for the month is to help us keep our head in all the waters of the election fervor. And I aim to do that by reminding us of those very truths.
First, we must not forget that God is sovereign over all things, including who serves as president. Ephesians 1:11 states that He “works all things according to the counsel of His will”. Who winds up occupying the Oval Office as a result of the election would be certainly be counted as part of that “all things” Paul mentions. Jesus tells us that not a sparrow will fall to the ground apart from the Father (Matthew 10:29). What is true of each small sparrow must also be true of every great king or leader. Daniel acknowledged in his prayer that God “removes kings and establishes kings” (Daniel 2:21). King Nebuchadnezzar was brought to realize “That the Most High is the powerful ruler over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes and sets it up over the lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). And Paul makes clear in Romans 13:1 that “there is no authority except from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God.” There is no way around the fact that God always has the final say so in whatever takes place down here.
God even can and does work through the election process to appoint the individual He sees fit for the office for such a time as this. He will use the citizens’ votes to accomplish it. And sometimes we need to recognize that the sovereign appointment of certain rulers very well may be for the purpose of judgment of a nation as well. John Calvin put it this way, “When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.” We have seen cases of this throughout biblical history. Just read through the books of 1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Chronicles as well as the prophets. And if it is a good leader or the better leader of the two choices we are faced with, then we have to realize that to be God’s mercy towards us as a nation as we certainly don’t deserve such in light of our many sins and wickedness.
And regardless of what happens with this election, it will not hinder God’s work to grow and complete His kingdom as He has promised. His kingdom will come and replace all the kingdoms of man on this earth. The dream given to King Nebuchadnezzar indicated such with the rock representing the Messiah’s kingdom striking the statue symbolizing a number of the major earthly kingdoms in the near future of Daniel’s day and bringing them all crashing to the ground (Daniel 2). His kingdom “will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself stand forever” (v. 44). Revelation 11:15 pictures the result of the victory of Christ’s kingdom over all others when the angels will declare, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” While the outcome of the election very well may have a major impact on the future of our nation, it won’t for the future of God’s kingdom. And we can be sure that whichever candidate does win, he or she will not be able to stop Jesus from continuing to build His church which is the visible manifestation of His kingdom now on this earth. Not even the gates of hell itself will prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).
Second, we must not forget that no politician can ever save us or the country. Oh, sure, they may speak like they can but we should know that’s not the case. They’re not Jesus. In fact, they are far from Him. Scripture warns us not to trust in princes but to trust in the Lord our God. Psalm 146:3-5 could not make this any plainer. “Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his plans perish. How blessed if he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in Yahweh his God.” Know that your preferred candidate is going to let you down. It’s inevitable because he or she is a sinful human who is bound to make their share of mistakes and not always do the right thing. If you wind up placing your hope in him or her, you will get disappointed. However, if your trust is in the Lord, you will not be disappointed no matter who winds up being in the White House come the end of January. You can be assured He won’t fail you and He alone has the ability to save the individuals in this nation which will in turn have a transforming effect on society.
Third, don’t forget that in light of eternity, every election here, no matter how significant it might seem at the moment, will only be a small tiny blip in history. When we get to heaven, we will look back and wonder why we got so worked up over someone who was placed in charge of our country for a maximum of eight years only to be replaced by someone else who in turn will be replaced by someone else only eventually to be read about one day in a history book.
Fourth, don’t forget your real citizenship. “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). Our true home is not here. Like the Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, before us, we should confess ourselves to be “strangers and exiles on the earth” “looking for a city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God”, aspiring to a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:10, 13, 16). As the old hymn puts it, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through.” Don’t allow yourself to get so caught up with the things going on down here that you lose sight of the “better home awaiting” yet to come for you. Yes, it matters who is in charge of this nation and there could be long-lasting consequences with it. But you are not going to be here forever and ever without an amen. Eventually, you are going to go to your true home to be with Jesus. Also, eventually, this world as we know it will be destroyed by fire to make way for the new heavens and new earth Jesus will create upon His return (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 21:1). We need to make sure that our greater concern is found in preparing ourselves and others for that kingdom instead of this kingdom which WILL sink by the time that the better kingdom sails in. And, who knows, depending on how the election may go, God may intend to create in us an even greater longing for our true heavenly home and keep us from becoming too comfortable here where we won’t want to leave.
And so you don’t think that I am implying with all this that we should just forgo voting and have nothing to do with the political process at all, my last reminder to us is not to forget to seek to promote the welfare of the city we reside in while here on this earth in our voting. In his letter to the exiles just before they were taken to Babylon, Jeremiah wrote that they were to “seek the peace of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to Yahweh on its behalf; for in its peace you will have peace” (Jeremiah 29:7). When Dwight L. Moody was asked why he was taking a strong stand on a specific political issue of his day since he was a citizen of heaven, he answered, “Indeed, I am a citizen of heaven; but right now I am voting in Cook County, Illinois.” That voting was significant since it was a way he could seek to benefit the city in which he lived and love his neighbors by supporting policies which would be for their good and not their detriment. Voting is significant for us for the same reason. We want to love our neighbor and benefit the place where we temporarily reside as we work to keep our focus on our heavenly home yet to come. Praise God that in His good and all-wise providence we live in a country where we do have a say-so in its laws and policies through the democratic process the founder of the nation designed for us under God! Let’s make sure that we take advantage of that whenever we are able to promote the peace or welfare of the city in which we live.
And when you’re in Babylon, you are going to have to vote for the least problematic of the two Babylonians. We’re not going to have an ideal candidate to choose from. That would be Jesus and He is not on the ballot. (Yes, I have seen the bumper stickers and yard signs that read “Jesus 2024. Save America.” Thankfully, He doesn’t have to run for office because He reigns over every individual to ever serve in that office. And, technically, He is not the One needed to be elected. We are but that discussion is for another time.) And, let’s be honest, there are problems with both candidates from both parties. We must vote for the one who promotes policies more in line with God’s Word and who would be better for our country, our children, our neighbors, and their future.
So, be sure to go vote for such a candidate in November, entrusting the results of the voting to God in His sovereignty and keeping in mind that neither candidate will be able to save us, in light of eternity this is nowhere near as consequential as it is made out to be, and we vote as citizens of heaven looking forward to the day of our Lord’s return when all this will be a distant memory and we will be enjoying our close intimate fellowship with Him. This is the only way we will retain our sanity this election season and honor God in our civil duty of voting.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Lee
