An appeal to non-voting Christians

There have been several recent news stories about the low participation of Christians in elections. According to one, more than 100 million “people of faith” choose not to vote, including 40 million plus professed Christians.

There are multiple reasons cited for this low participation. Many say Christians are uninterested in politics. Others will say that they find all candidates unworthy of their vote. Since there was never any opportunity for early Christians to vote, the New Testament is silent on this issue.

Many Christians believe that God is in control of all things and that voting is not even necessary. A sovereign God does as He wills, and all the leaders of nations are “instituted by God.” Voting is almost considered a lack of faith for those who do not vote because God is sovereign.

Public Domain image.

There are two ways to define this sovereignty of God in instituting governments. The first is to believe that God makes a sovereign choice of who will lead and puts that specific person in as the leader for the people. God both selects leaders and confirms them. King David is a good example of this.

The second understanding is similar. God may allow the people to select leaders, and God establishes that selection. King David illustrates that, too. The people asked God for a king, and God chose David to initiate the line of kings in Israel. Israel had to pay the price of their decision, which led to their exile to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar.

It is interesting that Jeremiah writes that Nebuchadnezzar is a selected servant whom God instituted to inflict God’s judgment upon Israel. God selecting leaders goes both ways.

Romans 13 is often used to explain God’s sovereignty over nations and leaders, making voting unnecessary:

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1-2 ESV)

Some Christians will take this as an example of how we, as Christians, should accept that the government we have as given by God, and we should accept His divine authority. Voting is unnecessary. Take the country you have and the leaders you get, and be content. God wants it that way.

Then again, maybe it is not that simple.

Citizens of the United States have a different consideration. In founding the USA, the founders and framers did what they did with a belief that God would help them and that the new nation would be a miraculous result of God’s providence. The United States of America would be instituted only if a sovereign God wanted it to be so.

The revolution was successful, and a new nation was formed. The founders attributed that to God’s providence. The new nation was divinely inspired and instituted, and the new nation included voting by the People as a central element of governance. If God’s providence gave us the new nation, God’s providence also gave us the gift of voting to choose our leaders and representation.

For all those degrading and condemning their fellow brothers:

Matthew 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, Raca,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

Obviously there are some things that we may vote for or against that don’t turn turn out the way we had hoped, but doesn’t it behoove us to try what we hope for? There have been several elections that didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I voted anyway. I will vote in this upcoming election, too, & am hopeful that it WILL turn out the way I hope. Got to get lucky at least once in awhile. Even in elections that don’t turn out right, at least some valuable lessons are learned. This last one should be a good example of that.

Obviously there are some things that we may vote for or against that don’t turn turn out the way we had hoped, but doesn’t it behoove us to try what we hope for? There have been several elections that didn’t turn out the way I wanted, but I voted anyway. I will vote in this upcoming election, too, & am hopeful that it WILL turn out the way I vote. Got to get lucky at least once in awhile. Even in elections that don’t turn out right, at least some valuable lessons are learned. This last one should be a good example of that. Sometimes we get good governance & sometimes we learn a needed lesson. It is AFTER an election that we learn whether our choice was good or bad.

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