Voting Your Faith: Issue 2: How Do We Vote?
How Do We Vote?
How are we to vote? Is Jesus Democrat or Republican? To which political party does God belong?
The above questions remind me of an encounter Joshua of the Old Testament had with the Lord.
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No, but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"
Joshua 5:13–14 (ESV)
To the surprise of some, God is neither Republican nor Democrat. Of course, it is foolish to present God as either. The question is not which party God belongs to as Joshua questioned the Lord, but who belongs to God? It is never about who God agrees with; instead, it is who agrees with God.
The church is obliged to be a moral voice in the country and culture, a voice for God. We often hear about Christians protesting specific policies and anti-biblical laws. But is that done without casting a ballot against ideas counter to the faith and God's heart and mind? The first and foremost issue is understanding God's truth, heart, and ways as biblically described and then vote accordingly.
How can you increase your effectiveness in voting your faith regarding candidates and initiatives?
Now, learning party positions on different issues is a great place to start in your research. Yet simply because a candidate belongs to a definitive party doesn't necessarily reflect a specific candidate's position on every issue. Research on individual candidates is unavoidable to learn their specific stands on particular issues.
If you have any questions or desire to participate in Harborview Fellowship's "Salt and Light Council," contact Mike Brown. The Salt and Light Council ministry is a resource for biblical citizenship. You can email Mike at info@harborviewfellowship.org.
Next week we will begin to address the critical issues in helping you vote your faith.
On behalf of the elders,
Mike
The above questions remind me of an encounter Joshua of the Old Testament had with the Lord.
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?" And he said, "No, but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, "What does my lord say to his servant?"
Joshua 5:13–14 (ESV)
To the surprise of some, God is neither Republican nor Democrat. Of course, it is foolish to present God as either. The question is not which party God belongs to as Joshua questioned the Lord, but who belongs to God? It is never about who God agrees with; instead, it is who agrees with God.
The church is obliged to be a moral voice in the country and culture, a voice for God. We often hear about Christians protesting specific policies and anti-biblical laws. But is that done without casting a ballot against ideas counter to the faith and God's heart and mind? The first and foremost issue is understanding God's truth, heart, and ways as biblically described and then vote accordingly.
How can you increase your effectiveness in voting your faith regarding candidates and initiatives?
- Clarify your values. What is critical to God and, therefore, to you? What does God's Word reveal concerning essential issues in an election? What are your convictions, and why? Use biblical values and truth to shape your political positions and candidate voting decisions.
- Do your research. Investigate. Look into party platforms and positions. Do the candidates have a voting pattern or record? What is a candidate's stated position on critical issues? Who endorses them?
- Pray for Guidance. Ask God for guidance and clarity of mind regarding your decision(s). We can never fully know about a candidate. Only God can. I regularly ask God for His mind on a set of candidates. Through prayer, we can be guided into God's wisdom. It's unwise to think that God is not concerned with our nation's political state and our civic participation.
Now, learning party positions on different issues is a great place to start in your research. Yet simply because a candidate belongs to a definitive party doesn't necessarily reflect a specific candidate's position on every issue. Research on individual candidates is unavoidable to learn their specific stands on particular issues.
If you have any questions or desire to participate in Harborview Fellowship's "Salt and Light Council," contact Mike Brown. The Salt and Light Council ministry is a resource for biblical citizenship. You can email Mike at info@harborviewfellowship.org.
Next week we will begin to address the critical issues in helping you vote your faith.
On behalf of the elders,
Mike
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