The question of Christians taking part in political elections is, in view of the vast moral breakdown of our North American lands, being greatly encouraged today. Believers are pressured into using the political system, through voting, in order to change or repeal laws which sanction horrible acts of immorality rampant in these professing Christian lands.
Still, the question of whether a believer should vote can only rightly be answered by seeking light from the Word of God. Man’s thoughts about such issues, no matter how moral, upright and desirous of good he may be, are of no value unless he has submitted to the mind of God. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
First then, we need to see how God views the believer in relation to the systems of this world (political and moral): systems established by man when he went out from the presence of God (Gen. 4:16-17). We see from John 14:30 that Satan at the present time is the “prince of this world,” and in 2 Corinthians 4:4 he is called “the god of this world.” That is, he is the “prince of this world” politically and the “god of this world” religiously. This is why the Word of God speaks of the world as lying “in [the lap of] the wicked one” (1 John 5:19 JND).
The Lord Jesus tells us in John 17:16 that we “are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” This is further shown in 1 John 4:17: “As He is, so are we in this world.” He, crucified and cast out of this world, does not claim at this time His rightful place as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” For this reason believers are called “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11). Strangers and pilgrims have no rights in the country through which they are passing; they cannot become involved in its politics or government. Those of us who have come to North America as immigrants from other lands have experienced the reality of this very thing as an immigrant to the United States from Germany, I had no political rights in this country.
We learn from Philippians 3:20 that “our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven,” and in Hebrews 3:1 we are addressed as “holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling.” Christians have “an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). We learn from Ephesians 1:3 that God our Father has “blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” And in 1 Corinthians 15:48-49 we learn that in resurrection we shall bear the image of the Heavenly One, the Last Adam Christ, with whom we are identified. Thus we too are heavenly ones. It is plain from these scriptures that we are passing through a world to which we do not belong and to which we have nothing to say as to its politics and government.
In Romans 13:1 we read that “there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” This means that President Clinton has been given his power and authority from God, not from the people that voted for him. If a Christian voted against Mr. Clinton, his vote was cast against the man of God’s choice. Even such incredibly wicked men as Hitler and Stalin received their power from God. Though we do not always understand God’s ways in allowing such wicked men to rule, we must bow to His sovereign will in all things. We learn from Daniel 4:17 that God “ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and He setteth up over it the basest of men [the lowest kind].” We should be thankful if God allows good men in power, but this is not always the case. Perhaps the lack of the fear of God is the reason wicked men rule.
God gives no instructions in His Word about voting for the man we may think best to govern. If we do vote for the man we feel is the best, we have morally become judges of this world, leaving our proper position as strangers and pilgrims. It is sad to see how often both individually and collectively Christians follow their own thoughts, as though they were wiser than God.
We would hasten to say that the desire to have a righteous and good government is a good desire. But only the Lord Jesus will be able to introduce such a government when He comes to reign. Then it will be that the “scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom” (Heb. 1:8). The reason that even the very best of men cannot straighten out the mess that the world is in is because, presently, it is Satan’s world. The time is soon coming when the Lord Jesus will sit on the throne in Jerusalem as King of kings and Lord of lords (Hag. 2:7). When this wonderful time takes place, then all that men are trying to do today through politics will take place through the glorious reign of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For now, the believer is to “pray” rather than vote. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour” (1 Tim. 2:13).
The Apostle Peter also gives us most remarkable instruction: “Fear God. Honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17). Nero, who was ruling during the time when Peter wrote this, was a very wicked king. Yet Peter instructs believers to honor him, not because of what he was morally, but because of the God-given position he occupied. How important that we who are citizens of heaven obey the Word of God by praying for and honoring the leaders that He has ordained, rather than using man’s political process to set aside those we are not happy with.
H. Brinkmann