I’m going to steer out of my lane slightly this week. As you read this, we will be one week out from the midterm elections. So, ask yourself: “How would Jesus vote?” I hope I didn’t lose some of you already. We don’t mix politics with religion, right? I want to challenge your thinking on this while I still can.
I’m not sure when it became the rule as spiritual leaders that we are to keep silent on political issues and stick to preaching the Gospel. But consider this carefully: When same-sex marriage and abortion were legalized and children in our schools began to be indoctrinated with anti-God propaganda, the activists came way over into the church’s lane — yet we are supposed to keep our mouths shut and suck it up. I don’t think so! The church didn’t move; politics took over the church’s role of training up our children.
Let’s look at a few spiritual leaders who spoke out to governmental leaders.
Moses was directed by God a number of times to confront Pharaoh regarding his crimes against God’s people. Pharaoh had commanded the Egyptians to kill all the male Hebrew children at birth. He kept Israel in perpetual bondage.
Nathan the Prophet went to King David and confronted him on his adultery and being an accessory to murder.
Okay, you might say, that’s the Old Testament. Then let’s go to the New Testament.
John the Baptist confronted King Herod for taking his brother’s wife and violating God’s law.
Jesus confronted the Pharisees and Sadducees for violating God’s law.
Daniel went to King Nebuchadnezzar and confronted him for his pride.
Nehemiah went to the king of Persia because of the condition of Jerusalem. We also need to remember Esther going to the Persian king, risking death, to defend the lives of God’s people.
When was it determined that pastors and spiritual leaders were to refrain from confronting governmental leaders? Government seems to have switched lanes from its duties as clearly mandated by the Constitution. The church is called to disciple people — and if it doesn’t, the world will. We see this in the culture with rabble-rousers screaming at police, tearing down historic statues, and burning the American flag.
These things don’t happen in a vacuum. We have closed our eyes for decades now, thinking it is not our place to speak out. But if the voices of godly leaders are silent, all that our children will hear are the voices of the ungodly. Have we reached a tipping point? If the church fails to speak out, only the voices of the ungodly will be heard.
Keeping quiet about what’s happening in our government or politics because someone decades ago said it wasn’t our place flies in the face of biblical history. In school, I remember prayer before class started, Bible reading, and pledging allegiance to the flag. Yet by the time I graduated high school, prayer and the Bible had been removed. Will the American flag be next?
Has our society, our culture, or our nation gotten better since these foundational stones were removed? Obviously, the answer is no!
I admit to being a moral coward at times in the past. I felt it wasn’t my place to speak out. I didn’t want to offend anyone. I realize now as I watch the destruction of our nation’s foundations that I love my country and my God too much to be afraid any longer.
We will know soon enough whether we have awakened from our sleep to vote for biblical values — or whether we as believers have failed once again to stand for righteousness.
Something to pray about!
Semper Fidelis
