Christianity And Politics
Should Christians be involved in politics? How should Christians vote in elections? What is the role of the church when it comes down to politics?
As the world descends into madness with godless policies that favor none but the devil, what should a Christian’s attitude toward politics be? Should we get involved in it?
THE CALL TO POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT
As Christians, we know “the god of this world” is the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4), only in the sense that the majority of the world—unbelievers—are lost in their sins. Hence, the majority have him as their “god.” However, we who believe know everything belongs to our God (Psalm 24:1).
The devil works tirelessly to make the world as sinful as possible, increasing his influence. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines and merely watch evil grow bolder day by day; we must bring Christian principles to politics. As Charles Spurgeon put it:
I long for the day when the precepts of the Christian religion shall be the rule among all classes of men and all transactions. I often hear it said ‘Do not bring religion into politics.’ This is precisely where it ought to be brought, and set there in the face of all men as on a candlestick.1
THE DANGER OF INACTION
We cannot remain on the fence, criticizing those who seek to advance God’s kingdom. As missionary Jim Elliot said:
We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places… We are ‘sideliners’ – coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous!2
Christianity is, by nature, political; we proclaim God’s kingdom to all nations of this fallen world. The Christian seeks to undermine the hold of “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Thankfully, a time is coming when Christ will return, and He alone will reign supreme as the King of kings and Lord of lords.
THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH
How, then, can we fight the devil’s influence? Should churches act as political campaign headquarters? Absolutely not! No pastor should platform a specific politician from the pulpit.
I would go so far as to say no flag of any one country belongs inside the house of God; treat it as an embassy of a foreign nation—no matter where it geographically resides, it belongs to heaven, not any one country. The pulpit is designed for the shepherd to feed God’s flock with the Word of God—it’s all about Christ. As Matthew Henry wrote, the church is a place for the sheep to gather “for the worship of God, and for mutual edification.3”
The job of the pastor is to guide those who are lost to the Good News, so they can go out into the world and honor God, including by casting their votes. Pastors must warn congregations of the dangers of voting for politicians who seek to expand the reach of evil.
VOTING WITH CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES
As Christians, we have a responsibility to engage in politics—it is our right as citizens. Martyn Lloyd-Jones rightly said:
[Christians know] that there is no solution to the ultimate problem of mankind in politics... [All parties] are all under the domination of sin. Now, Christians should be concerned about these things; they have a duty as citizens, and let them exercise it.4
When voting, we must consider Christian principles and realize we are not only voting for the individual on the ballot. The candidate is merely the head of the political party or coalition behind them. As pastor John MacArthur said:
God has designed human government and given human government ultimate authority for two purposes. To protect those who do good and punish those who do evil. That is the role of government. Anything beyond that is invented by men… So, you really only have one question to ask. You’re not voting for persons. You’re voting for coalitions. The person at the head of it, that is running for the office of President, is the public relations agent for the coalition behind it. So, your question is this—which party, which coalition, which collection of leaders and influencers will uphold God’s design for government? … No Christian can vote for a coalition—an earthly, powerful, social, political machine—that reverses that. That sets out to punish those who do good and protect those who do evil. When you see that, it’s pretty clear who to vote for.5
Another consideration is the judiciary: a president’s appointments to the Supreme Court and federal courts can restrain immorality for decades.
THE DEVOTION TO POLITICS
It’s good to care about your nation, but never at the expense of your holiness. You are a Christian first. Never look outward so much that you forget to look inward. John Newton captured this balance:
The whole system of my politics is summed up in that one sentence, "The Lord reigns!" ... The times look awfully dark indeed; and as the clouds grow thicker, the stupidity of the nation seems proportionally to increase... The state of the nation, the state of the churches, both are deplorable. They who should be praying, or too many of them, are disputing and fighting among themselves. Alas! how many [so-called Christians] are more concerned for the mistakes of government, or of the Americans, than for their own sins;—when will these things end?6
Many Christians’ social media accounts reveal more devotion to a political party than to Jesus. Politics cannot save souls—only Christ can. While politics can protect lives and restore sanity, addressing issues like abortion, sex reassignment surgery, or same-sex marriage, it cannot heal the heart. Only God can give a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26).
HOLINESS IS BETTER THAN MORALITY
To address the world’s problems, we need more than a strong moral compass; we need holiness. As Charles Spurgeon said:
Holiness is better than morality, it included it, it goes beyond it. Holiness affects the heart, holiness respects the motive, holiness regards the whole nature of a man. A moral man does not do wrong in act, a holy man hates the thought of doing wrong.7
Being conservative doesn’t make one godly; it reflects common sense, but many conservatives are unbelievers or nominal Christians. We must preach the gospel to this sinful world, for only God can solve the impossible. We vote in ways that honor God’s Word, but we never allow politics to dictate our understanding of Christianity. Instead, Christianity shapes politics, aiming for a world that adopts a Christian worldview.
CONCLUSION
It’s impossible for a Christian not to mix politics and their faith; however, Christians must remember that this is a one-way street: a Christian worldview in politics, rather than a political worldview in our faith.
You can’t have a true, fair, and political system without a Christian worldview. Why? Because you can’t have lasting morality and impartiality built on societal values that change depending on which political party is in power.
People who appear to have sound moral principles but are wicked will always shift their views to conform to societal norms. They respect the laws of the land, not the laws of God.
Does engaging in politics, with all the compromises required to achieve results, pose a certain degree of risk? Of course, but as Charles Spurgeon put it:
We cannot mix in politics in any degree, with the purest desire for our country's welfare, without breathing a tainted air; we cannot try to curb the social evil but we feel that we are on treacherous ground: yet we may not flinch from duty because of its perils.8
Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. XXVII, (Passmore and Alabaster, 1882), p. 225
Jim Elliot, Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testament of Jim Elliot, (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc, 2008), p. 79
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Volume VI-III - Titus - Revelation, (Devoted Publishing, 2018), p. 82
John Newton, One Hundred and Twenty Nine Letters from the Rev. John Newton, (Hamilton, Adams, and Co., 1847), pp. 7-8
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life In God, (Crossway, 1994), p. 62
https://vimeo.com/190474131
Charles Spurgeon, The Complete Works of C.H. Spurgeon, Volume 16, Sermons 908 to 967, (Delmarva Publications, 2013), Sermon Nº. 940
Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. XXVII, (Passmore & Alabaster, 1882), p. 26