Another election has come and gone and once again I find myself grievously frustrated with many of my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Once again on full display was how so many Christians seem to set aside their Christian worldview–a biblical worldview–in the name of their political affiliation. It grieves me greatly to see those who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savoir and identify with Christianity, but yet support and vote for politicians who do not share any of the moral principles laid out in the Bible. Worst yet, some who profess to be Christians vote for particular political candidate(s) due to an irrational vendetta against the President of the United States. While I do not claim to endorse President Trump, I am saying that a Christian’s vote for a political candidate should not be driven by some irrational vendetta against him or any other political figure. The Christian’s vote for a candidate should always be cast with the biblical worldview as its guide.         

So how is this to be done? First it is always important to actually know what the issues are and where the candidates stand on those issues. It is a well known fact that so many Christians vote for candidates and are not really informed about where their candidate of interest stand on important issues like abortion, same-sex  marriage, and euthanasia. Other issues are important to know about as well such as where they stand on the economy, crime, international affairs, and immigration. At the end of the day, however, it is morality that matters for the Christian when deciding who they are going to vote for. Biblical/Christian ethics is the lense which the Christian voter uses in order to vote in a God-honoring way. 

There are those who read this post and say, “Well government cannot legislate morality.” Is this a valid argument? It really isn’t since government has been doing so since the country’s inception.
Micah Watson who is Associate Professor of political science at Calvin College said,  
“You can’t legislate morality” has become a common turn of phrase. The truth, however, is that every law and regulation that is proposed, passed, and enforced has inherent in it some idea of the good that it seeks to promote or preserve. Indeed, no governing authority can in any way be understood to be morally neutral. Those who think such a chimerical understanding is possible could hardly be more wrong. For, in fact, the opposite is true: You cannot not legislate morality.” –Public Discourse, Nov. 4, 2010.

If government did not legislate morality, there would be no moral laws to abide by. Theft, rape, murder, lying on your tax forms, drunk driving, etc. would go unpunished if the government did not legislate morality. So why would we think any differently about legislating morality as it pertains to abortion, same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and other issues of morality? 

As Christians we cannot allow love for patroitism and political party to precede our moral convictions. Even Malcolm X understood this and he wasn’t a Christian! 
“You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who does it or says it.” 
― Malcolm X, By Any Means Necessary 

Today we are living in a time where what is moral is now considered immoral and what is immoral is now considered moral. The prophet Isaiah in chapter 5:20a “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.”  So if we know as Christians what is right and what is wrong as the Bible lays it out for us, why do some of us vote like we don’t know? Voting for a candidate(s) or voting a straight ticket for a politcial party who could have candidates who’s moral worldview does not agree with ours as Christians is just plain wrong and is damaging to our Christian testimony. We as Christian must vote in a biblically moral and God-honoring way. Voting any other way is a direct contradiction to who we claim to be: Ambassadors of Jesus Christ. 

I honestly don’t care if there are more women in congress than ever before. I care more about where they stand on moral issues across the board. I honestly don’t care if a person of a particular ethnic group is the first ever to be elected to a particular political office. I care more about where he or she stands on moral issues across the board. While it is right to acknowledge such achievements and milestones, still I as a Christian dare not celebrate it like non-Christians do and neither should you as a Christian. 

Lest as Christians we forget, we as Christians are held to a higher standard morally because Jesus saved us from our sins and trangressions against the holy Triune God and are now new creatures/creations in Christ. (2nd Corinth. 5:17) We are called now to be holy as God is holy (I Peter 1:16) and to conduct ourselves as such in all we say and do. (I Peter 1:15, I Corinth. 10:31) Our conduct everywhere and in every place should display holiness, righteousness, and goodness. This includes how we approach politics and how we vote and who we vote for. The eyes of the world and Satan is on us lest as Christian we forget.

 
“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” 
― Abraham Lincoln