If you were as fortunate as I was, you may have had a teacher like Richard Stubblefield, my Mt. Vernon High School civics teacher. He made the class so enjoyable. He also did a fantastic job of speaking about the checks and balances of government. He inspired generations to take our civic duties seriously. (Big shout out to you, Mr. Stubblefield!)
I had his civics class back in the early seventies prior to becoming a Christian. I didn’t have a biblical understanding or Christian worldview to filter what I heard. Does the Bible have anything to say about a Christian’s political involvement? I found that it does.
God’s Word says, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time” (1 Timothy 2:1-6 NLT).
There is a failure which we can readily observe among Christians in relation to politics. We generally fail to pray as we ought for our political leaders. If we’d all first talk to God about them, then certainly our political discourse would take on a different tenor.
More important in these verses, the focus is on Christ Jesus and his work to provide salvation to all who would repent and believe the gospel. Legislation is good up unto a point, but God is the only One who can change a sinful human heart through Christ’s finished work on the Cross.
Participating in the process
Keep in perspective that the early Christians had to deal with the likes of Nero and other viciously cruel Roman rulers. You can read about Daniel who was a great Old Testament example of relating to the government as a believer. Paul wrote, “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1).
There is no excuse for disrespect. So even if your candidate doesn’t make it, don’t panic, because the Bible says God is in control.
Jesus did not come to establish a political kingdom but a heavenly kingdom. We live with one foot (or citizenship) on earth and the other in heaven. As Paul wrote, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Philippians 3:20).
It has been argued by some that the church is both against the world and for the world, a balancing act that should be reflected in our cultural engagement. Christians are called to be in the world but not of the world. It is indeed a balancing act. We are called to be countercultural in a messed-up world.
Our biblical values should be reflected in how we vote and who we support in our political processes. There ought never to be a disconnect between our faith and practice. Jesus perfectly lived and demonstrated this in how he answered his accusers about the question of paying taxes. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:15-22 NLT). Jesus gives us the standard and reflects the balance. This is Biblical Civics 101!
The solution to the sin problem in our lives is not going to come in the form of an elephant or a donkey. The government is not the Savior. We can pray for our leaders and actively share the gospel. Whether we get our news from CNN or Fox, we’ll one day have to deal with the sin problem in life.
Jesus is the Answer and that’s the Best News.
For Christians, our citizenship is in heaven and at the same time, we have an earthly citizenship. Our challenge is to participate in the process as salt and light, doing so with respect. It starts when we pray for our politicians and actively share the gospel.
Bob Burton is Associational Mission Strategist for Salem South Baptist Association.