MIXING RELIGION WITH POLITICS

 

Many serious Christians believe that Christians shouldn’t participate in the political arena or even vote. But just think of the implications of this.

Perhaps slavery would have remained in effect in the West had not the Christian parliamentarian, William Wilberforce and his group, battled tirelessly in the political arena for 32 years to end the slave trade.

Perhaps if Christians had raised their voices and cast their vote, there might not have been the Holocaust or the genocide of Christians in communist nations.

It is our Biblical responsibility to raise our voices against injustice and deception in all areas, because all these areas belong to the Lord, and He never designated any arena where the Light should not enter. This means that the Church should not abandon any aspect of this world to the darkness, even by not participating in the political process.

Our silence is guilt worthy. We are guilty when we don’t raise our voices and warn, as God had explained to His Prophet Ezekiel:

• “...I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.” (Ezekiel 33:7-9 ESV)

We are all watchmen, children of the light. We are required to place our light on a hill to expose the works of evil (Ephesians 5:11). If we say that this isn’t our job, we are held to account:

• If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:10-12)

But aren’t we hated because of our participation in the political process! Yes, but Jesus told us to not hide our light:

• “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12; 2 Timothy 3:12)

Jesus warned that even if we do not participate in the political arena and vote, we will be hated anyway:

• “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.” (John 15:18-20)

But won’t our political words cause division within the Church and turn people away from the Gospel? Truly, we are living in an increasing hateful and polarized world. We don’t want to unnecessarily add to it. However, there are times that we must speak:

• “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” (Isaiah 1:16-17)

In this world, we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place. We are condemned when we speak, but the world will also hold us to account when we don’t. We were justifiably criticized when we failed to raise our voices against “separate but equal,” and are still facing disdain because of this failure.

The German Church is still vilified for not offering sufficient opposition to Hitler, as in regards to the rise of communism, which slaughtered 100 million in a few decades.

Consequently, we cannot live for the approval of man but of God, as the Apostles had explained to the Sanhedrin:

• “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard...We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29)

Winning the approval of man must take second place behind the approval of God. When He is not our first consideration, we sin:

• So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

Won’t this make us seem like extremists? We will never be able to please the tastes of men. Instead, God has to be first:

• “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33)

Therefore, let us not fear the opinions of man:

• The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. (Proverbs 29:25)

But we cannot change lives by trying to legislate morality. However, all laws are attempts to legislate morality and define what is right and acceptable. They speak loudly. Even, if they don’t, they still exert a profound influence upon society. M. L. King well illustrated this principle:

• It may be true that a law can’t make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important.

I also think it’s important to pass laws against the “lynching” of the pre-born. Mere social work is not adequate in either case.

It takes courage to follow Jesus and to love our Lord, through His teachings, more than our temporal lives. We will always be in opposition to the tsunami of public opinion and their threats (2 Timothy 3:12), but this must not silence our mouths or vote.