Opinion by Jack Kelley
“But as for you who forsake the LORD and forget my holy mountain, who spread a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you for the sword, and you will all bend down for the slaughter; for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. You did evil in my sight and chose what displeases me.” (Isaiah 65:11-12)
For most of America’s history there’s been a direct connection between patriotism and faith, probably because the US was founded as a Christian nation. We’ve always believed that God has watched over us, made us prosperous, and been on our side in the wars we’ve fought.
That connection began to unravel in the 1960’s, but it’s surprising the number of people who still believe that if seems to be good for the country, it must be right. This is true even among believers. According to recent Barna polls, 48% of those likely to vote in the coming election are born again Christians. That means they claim to have made a personal commitment to Jesus and believe they will go to heaven because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. These same polls show that nearly half of them will vote for the candidate they think has the best plan for restoring America’s reputation in the world and managing the economic battles that lie ahead, rather than the one who they think will best uphold the Biblical principles they believe. So if only half the voters are believers, and half of them plan to use worldly standards in making their choice rather than Biblical ones, it follows that only 1 in every 4 voters will be exercising any spiritual discernment at all in casting their vote.
The other 3 are using standards like peace, financial security, tolerance, choice, and so on as their guidelines. They don’t realize that only God can restore peace and security to their lives, and tolerance and choice are just nice sounding words that really stand for rebellion against Him. By not considering His standards in casting their vote, they’re guaranteeing that He won’t be helping them get what they want.
What’s At Stake Here?
In the opinion of expert observers, this election could bring about fundamental change in America. Depending on the victor, we could see the last traces of the Judeo-Christian principles that have guided us in the past disappear. Restraints on behavior that God is clearly against could be removed, and prohibitions against behavior that God desires could be imposed. Parents may no longer have the ultimate say in raising or educating their children. The relationship between effort and reward could become unrecognizable. Those with the greatest ability could wind up supporting those with the greatest need. In the name of peace we could make self defense impossible. The list goes on.
If all this comes to pass, believers will be forgiven for their lack of discernment and whisked away in the rapture before things get too bad. After all, obedience to God’s word isn’t the basis for our inclusion in the Church, it’s our belief that the Lord died to save us from our sins. But the unbelieving majority will come to understand the meaning of the Isaiah passage above more clearly than they ever dreamed possible. Everyone in the Great Tribulation will have it rough, but I think that those who rebel as blatantly as people are being called to do in this election will have it especially bad. After all, look at the blessings they’ve enjoyed by being part of a Christian nation, and the light they’ve been shown because of our religious heritage. The Lord called but they didn’t answer. He spoke but they didn’t listen. They will have done evil in His sight by choosing what displeases Him, and He will destine them for the sword.
We know that all these things will eventually come to pass, that it’s only a matter of time. There’s no Scripture anywhere to persuade us otherwise. But it’s quite possible that in this election America will choose a course of action that will accelerate our downfall. We will have forsaken the Lord and His Holy Mountain.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been encouraging us all to accept a giant paradigm shift, to realize that this is not our home. I’ve been saying that we need to start thinking more about our real home and getting ready to go there. We need to distinguish between our love for our county and our love for God. As good as this country has been, it’s no where near as good as where we’re going. Like Abraham we’re looking forward to the city with foundations whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10). And the bottom line is that regardless of who wins this election, America will soon be a far different country than it has been.
So this could very well be the last presidential election we’ll ever vote in. It’s time to realize that we really don’t belong in any political party. No matter how we’ve thought of ourselves in the past, the reality is that as Christians we’re monarchists and we await our coming King. Since our fondest desire is to please Him, we should vote the way we think He would want us to. And remember, we’re not voting for someone, and we’re not voting against something, we’re voting in a way that pleases our Lord.
So, how would Jesus vote? He would vote for life, He would vote to uphold His Father’s Word, and He would make His vote count. Can we do anything less? Selah 11-01-08