Christians and Politics: How to be 'Light' in our Government
Christians and Politics, do they go together? The truth is that Christians differ in their beliefs in regards to involvement in Politics. In this post, I will examine the differing views and the question- is it important for Christians to influence our laws?
In the political climate we are presently living in, it would be easy to think that it doesn’t matter if you vote or not – we may think that it will not make any difference.
Some Christians believe that they should not engage in politics as they believe that it would be “imposing their morality on others.” However, Jesus commands us and encourages us to be salt and light in a dark world. Matthew 5:13-16
What was Jesus saying to his disciples when he said You are the salt of the earth? He said that the disciples were like salt because salt…
- was a precious commodity. So precious that sometimes Roman soldiers were paid with salt.
- is a preservative and Christians, Followers of Christ, are to be like salt and have a preserving influence on their culture.
What was Jesus saying to his disciples when he said You are the Light of the world?
- Don’t hide your light under a basket instead, put it on a lampstand where it gives light to all. Matthew 5:14-16
- Light dispels darkness and Jesus wants all people to walk in His light.
- Christ-followers are to have concern for not only themselves, but also for others. Jesus said He is the light of the world and we are to be reflecting His light to the culture…the world. John 8:12; John 9:5
Christians and Politics: How Christians Can Influence Culture
One way we can do that is by influencing our culture to legislate moral laws.
Many people will disagree saying:
“You can’t legislate morality; you have to change hearts first”
How did Martin Luther King respond to that statement?
Now the other myth that gets around is the idea that legislation cannot really solve the problem and that it has no great role to play in this period of social change because you’ve got to change the heart and you can’t change the heart through legislation. You can’t legislate morals. The job must be done through education and religion. Well, there’s half-truth involved here. Certainly, if the problem is to be solved then in the final sense, hearts must be changed. Religion and education must play a great role in changing the heart. But we must go on to say that while it may be true that morality cannot be legislated, behavior can be regulated. It may be true that the law cannot change the heart but it can restrain the heartless. It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me but it can keep him from lynching me and I think that is pretty important, also. So there is a need for executive orders. There is a need for judicial decrees. There is a need for civil rights legislation on the local scale within states and on the national scale from the federal government. [emphasis added]
Taken from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s address at Western Michigan University, December 18, 1963, cited in The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture by Scott Klusendorf (forthcoming).
Importantly, we must realize that our Government does impose morality in many ways.
“Every time a legislature enacts legislation, it is always an imposition of morality.
Laws against thievery impose the morality of the honest over the dishonest. Laws against prostitution impose a sexual morality. Declaring anything legal or illegal is a statement of morality. Legislation is build upon morality, and morality is build upon religion.” Nelson University
Does the Bible give Christians any insight as to what Jesus would have us do?
Yes, it does.
Jesus told his disciples to “Render to Caesar that which is Caesars, and to God, the things that are Gods.“
By that statement, Jesus made a case that there is a responsibility to engage in civic matters. However, Jesus lived at a time and place where the people lived under the oppression of an imperial dictatorship so there was no opportunity to vote.
Christians and Politics: How should we vote?
In our culture, God has given us the privilege and means to be salt and light in our Country through the selection of a Government that aligns most closely with the values of Biblical teaching.
This should be the basis of our vote as we consider what the political party stands for on important moral issues.
“The popular notion that ‘you can’t legislate morality’ is a myth. Morality is legislated every day from the vantage point of one value system being chosen over another. The question is not whether we will legislate morality, but whose morality gets legislated.” Chuck Colson
Christians and Politics: Influence Government for Good
Wayne Grudem wrote a very thorough article, Why Christians Should Seek to Influence Government for Good. In his article adapted from a chapter in his book, Politics-According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture, he addresses five views of Christian involvement that he finds unbiblical and after that offers a more balanced and biblical solution.
He outlines the wrong views and expands on those in his article. I recommend reading his full article HERE.
The following is the outline of the 5 views he believes are unbiblical.
- Government Should Compel Religion
- Government Should Exclude Religion
- All Government is Evil and Demonic
- Do Evangelism, Not Politics
- Do Politics, Not Evangelism
He then goes on to list Better Views which show Support for Significant Christian Influence. It is a very good article, again, I encourage you to read it. The link is highlighted above.
He states- and I agree: “I believe that every Christian citizen who lives in a democracy has at the very least a minimal obligation to be well-informed and to vote for candidates and policies that are most consistent with biblical principles.”
David Glosson in his article, Politics, How Involved Should Christians Be? has this to say:
The Gospel applies to all areas of life, and the Bible instructs us about government and political authority. Scripture advocates neither total withdrawal from the political process nor overinvestment in it. Thus, we need a third approach, a model in which actively engaged Christians faithfully apply Biblical principles to the current political challenges. But what does this model look like? What are the principles that can help us navigate our divisive political landscape?
Christians and Politics: Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the strong Christian influence and biblical standards that once shaped our Country through the nineteenth century have given way to practical atheism and moral relativism.
The Christian worldview is in the rear view mirror and most Western Governments now support and promote immorality.
Could it be that:
- a very significant part of the problem is that Christians are no longer being salt and light in the world, we are no longer salty therefore we no longer preserve?
- the way Christians live is not that different from non-Christians?
- many Churches are no longer focusing on the gospel message of Jesus?
- Christians have become apathetic about biblical morality and principled leaders?
Ultimately, the moral decline in our Country is a spiritual problem.
We need to pray for healing for our land and 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a great Biblical prayer and promise.
I leave you with that.
