Yes, Your Vote Counts…

Few Christians have paused to consider whether the Bible has anything to say about “voting” or if there is a biblical way for the Christian to approach their civic responsibility in the voting booth. While it is partially true that the “how” of selecting leaders is never explicitly mentioned in the Bible (most leadership was by divine calling and human appointment), it would be incorrect to say that precepts for voting cannot be found in the Scripture. Yes, the civic culture of much of the Bible was that of monarchies and dictators. However, just because the political system of that time does not exactly match our time is no reason to automatically assume a transferable precept is not available. If Scripture is given to us as a blueprint for salvation, life, and God’s Will, then it is not a gigantic leap to assume that the Lord would reveal some precepts we could extrapolate for something as important as selecting our civil leaders.

I have a theory as to why voting is generally suspect and missing from the Scriptures. The carnal nature of humanity would always tend to vote their self-interest rather than God’s interests. Our nature, left to itself, would never choose what might be biblically necessary over what is personally beneficial. Our founders understood this as they constructed a republic (not a pure democracy) built upon a voting public with some remarking it would be easily corrupted if not maintained by a religious people. Governments instituted amongst men will always be fraught with potential corruption, ego, pandering, and self-promotion. There will never be a perfect system outside of the millennial reign. The founders thoughts and intentions concerning voting were that every person would be able to “speak into” the selection process of their leadership. As long as the public remained consecrated to God’s ways, it was a great system. The moment the public loses it’s way, it becomes a corrupt system as we have seen in recent years as compromised and even criminalized candidates can ascend to the highest positions of civil leadership. You will get no argument from me that a democratic-constitutional republic may be the best form of government this side of heaven, but we must also recognize that “voting” in and of itself does not guarantee righteous outcomes. Hence, the Christian needs to understand how God might be involved in their voting.

Most people, Christians included, cast a vote based upon one or more of the seven reasons listed:

1. Party Affiliation

2. Passion for Candidate

3. Passion for Cause

4. Pragmatism

5. Personal Interest

6. Phobia of the Future or the Opposing Candidate

7. Principles of their Faith

For the sake of time I will not expand on these seven except to say that #7 should be #1 in the mind of the Christian. We vote in accordance with what we understand to be God’s Will for a nation realizing that it is the Lord alone who causes nations to rise and fall. We are not smarter than God. Our loyalties to party, candidate, cause or self does not supersede our loyalties to His Kingdom. Our fear is rightly placed when we fear the Lord and not an opposing candidate. We obey Him with regards to our vote because we are commanded that whatever we do, we do to the glory of God. Your vote, like any other action, is tied to giving God glory. You should cast it based on the principles of God’s Word and not simply your personal preference, passion, or phobias.

I have come to the conclusion that a vote represents:

1. A declaration of support for that candidate in a comprehensive way.

2. An empowering of the full agenda or platform of that candidate.

3. A mandate to govern as the candidate promised.

4. The approval of the candidate to the office they seek.

5. An endorsement of a value system and worldview.

You may read that and say, “Wow, I was simply wanting an increase in some government benefit” -or- “Wow, I was just trying to keep the really bad guy out of office”. Your vote has repercussions and power associated with it. You are participating in the hiring of a leader which will be as a civic “minister” to the people (see Romans 13:4,6). This is why it is critical that the candidate be qualified by God’s Word to provide appropriate leadership. Nobody is expecting perfection and no one thinks this civil servant will be a pastor or theologian. However, it is expected that this candidate be qualified to exercise leadership because of their skill, their character, and their spiritual maturity (Exodus 18:21; Deuteronomy 17:14-20; 1:13; 16:18-20; 2 Samuel 23:3; 2 Chronicles 19:6-7).

Your vote as a Christian is implementing what you believe (through God’s Word) to be His Will for the nation. You are affirming (dare I say at some level ordaining) your civic leadership. You are empowering this person to “represent” what you believe to be God’s Will. Yes, your vote counts. It counts in an electoral college. It counts in the courts of heaven and dare I say…noted.

At this point, I cannot vote for either of the two major party candidates. I have decided to affirm a third party candidate. You are at liberty to read through my blog site and see expanded articles on that subject. I am simply hoping that Christians pause in these last days before the election and ask themselves the question of what they will be actually endorsing and empowering in their nation. If we obey God…if we endeavor to practice His ways…we may somehow yet see His mercy released towards us.