Recently I read the following: “The most significant political statement we can make is that Jesus Christ is King” (Light Journal, HOPE: Bringing Hope to an Election Year, Vol. 10, Issue 1, Summer 2024). This single message is more significant than most of us realize. In a year where the country is more divided then ever and when there seems to be so much more on the line, Christians must remember the HOPE that they have in JESUS as KING. There is a constant barrage of political messaging that would lead us to believe that Chicken Little is running around saying, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!” Yet this is exactly opposite of the message that Christ followers should be communicating. We are a people who know TRUE PEACE, we are a people who know the END OF THE STORY, we are a people who are CITIZENS of a different KINGDOM – and the world is watching.
Yes, we should pray for repentance and revival for this country. Yes, we should continue to be on mission with the good news of salvation both here and abroad. Yes, we should walk by faith trusting the LORD every step of the way when our country is making decisions that will greatly shape its future. After these priorities are met, is there more we can do as Christians who want to engage their communities and not act as ostriches with heads tucked in the sand? I humbly offer three suggestions: vote early and at every opportunity, know the issues from a Biblical worldview, and display the character of Christ when discussing opposing views.
Vote Early and At Every Opportunity
Early voting began Monday October 21st and it is God honoring to vote according to the issues that most honor Him. In the Old Testament Adam and Eve were called to engage the culture (Genesis 1:28) and Jeremiah the prophet told the Israelites to “seek the good of the city” (Jeremiah 29:7). America is not the New Israel, yet we can apply Biblical motivations in order to engage with the goal to being salt and light where God has placed us in local communities under local governments.
Know the Issues
It is never the church’s role to advocate for individual candidates, but through Biblical preaching, discipleship, Bible study, and other trainings, the church should equip the saints to have a Biblical worldview. That said, as you engage the culture, make sure you have a Biblical worldview on the issues and policies that seem to be closest to God’s heart. The list could certainly be longer – but my personal top three are life, marriage, and sexuality. The Bible is clear that God knits us together in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13-16; Jeremiah 1:5), that marriage is designed by God to be a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24-25; Ephesians 5:22-23), and God’s good design for gender and sexuality (Genesis 1:27, 2:15-18; Proverbs 5:15-19; Romans 1:26-27). As you head to the poles over the next couple of weeks may your greatest concerns for policy and legislation match God’s clearest teaching. Sometimes there are not great choices, but there will always be clear ones.
Display the Character of Christ
When we see the worldliness of our current culture, it is understandable for believers to have moments of concern or fear. Yet, just as Peter instructed the persecuted Christians in his day, we cannot dwell on that fear but must defend our hope with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:13-16). Therefore, we must choose to engage the culture with distinctively Christian character, knowing that we represent our LORD and Savior. We must also remember to engage the culture with TRUTH and GRACE, making sure we seek to balance truthful messages with gracious words “as though seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). One Christian leader I respect calls this convictional kindness: “Convictional kindness means loving people enough to tell them the truth, and to tell ourselves the truth about them. Those who oppose us aren’t necessarily stupid. They’re not any more hell-deserving than we are, apart from our rescue by the grace of God in Christ. So, we don’t just talk about them; we talk to them. And we don’t just talk to them; we plead with them” (R. Moore, Onward, Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel, B&H Publishing. 2015, 200).
The last sentence you read makes all the difference in the world – when you engage those that don’t agree with you politically, are you arguing the issue OR pleading for their soul? Do you spend more time watching political news OR more time praying? Do you read more articles and news journals OR spend more time reading the Bible? Do you spend more time frustrated with future possibilities OR walking faithfully with Jesus knowing our greater future is heaven?
These are questions I am also asking myself in this crazy time we find ourselves living in. Church family, I love you and I want to see God do HUGE things for His GLORY in Wimberley and beyond. Most of us feel the pressure of the day, but would we be the kind of believers that display a greater HOPE no matter what the outcome of the next few months. Let’s talk, let’s engage, let’s participate and influence the process, but let’s do it in a way that most honors the one who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
-Pastor Aaron
