Politics and voting
The ancient Kingdom of God (ie, the Kingdom of Israel) is
gone. The greater, worldwide Kingdom of God is yet to come. We are living in the
long period between the ancient and the future Kingdoms -- a period that is
called in Scripture "the times of the Gentiles".
During "the times of the Gentiles", great empires have come
and gone, and kings have conquered and been conquered; nations have destroyed
others and been destroyed in their turns. To people who do not know that God has
a purpose with the world, it looks as though the whole course of history has
been shaped by powerful, evil men. But those who have been enlightened by the
Word of God have learned to look at world events in a different light. They know
that God is in charge. He is working out a plan which has been revealed in a
prophetic program set out beforehand in the Bible. Bible readers know that God
sets up kings and removes kings:
"The Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will, and sets
over it the lowliest of men" (Dan
4:17).
It will not always be like this. Men's greed, oppression,
wickedness, and lust for power will only last until God sends Jesus to the earth
to set up a righteous government.
The present is no more than a period of waiting, watching, and
witnessing for the people of God. Confident that God is really in charge, and
that the promised kingdom is not far away, God's servants do not meddle in the
affairs of the nations. They do not fight, and they do not take an active part
in politics. They are a people set apart from the rest.
Our Representative
From time to time countries hold elections. People are asked
to vote for the political party or the leader they wish to see in power. How can
a follower of Christ vote for a party that is not dedicated to serving Christ?
How can he vote for any other representative when he has already "voted" for the
Lord Jesus as his Leader?
A follower of Christ recognizes that to vote for another
leader would be an act of disloyalty to his real Leader. But in obedience to
that Leader's command he is willing to accept whatever human government is in
control, knowing that "there is no authority except from God, and those that
exist have been instituted by God" (Rom 13:1). Because he is willing to give
loyal and cheerful service to whatever human government is in control, it would
be unseemly for a true follower of Christ to take sides, to pick and choose,
favoring one and rejecting another. He can assure every ruler of every
government in every country that he will obey all the laws of the land (unless,
of course, that obedience would mean disobeying God's law). His promise of
obedience will have greater weight if he can honestly say that he has never
taken sides in politics.
In the same way, it would be wrong for a follower of Christ to
lend his support to a political creed or ideology. Men claim to be conservative,
liberal, capitalist, socialist, communist, fascist, nationalist, and even
racist. How can one who "campaigns" for the coming Kingdom of God show any
enthusiasm for these lesser and (to some degree, in every case) misguided
political ideas? He knows, of course, that they are all doomed to ultimate
failure. He will simply not be interested.
In the first century, many Christians had to live in a
slave-owning society. Paul's instructions to Christian slaves were that they
were to obey their masters -- bad masters as well as good. Although Paul's hopes
were fixed on better things, he did not condemn the slave society; but he often
stressed the need for a spirit of contentment, which would make the hardships
much easier to bear. His own personal example was:
"I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content" (Phi
4:11).
And when he wrote these words, he was in prison! If then Paul
taught his fellow believers to accept that sort of society cheerfully, we may be
sure that it is our duty to submit to governments today which permit freedom and
an easier life.
Christians have no right to grumble, and they certainly ought
not to agitate, demonstrate, or strike. They should not even dream of taking
strong action against a bad social or industrial situation. When the Lord Jesus
returns, all the evils of human society will be swept away, but until that time
comes it is the Christian's duty to render cheerful obedience to those who
govern him.
Of course it is right for a believer to speak out against the
blasphemy, the profanity, the wickedness, and the neglect of God's Word which
disgraces the world -- but that is another matter.
An International Brotherhood
There is another reason why the followers of the Lord Jesus
ought not to get involved in the politics of the countries where they live. It
is because, as believers, they are members of a great international brotherhood.
Speaking to Christians everywhere, Peter said:
"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people,
that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvellous light. Once you were no people but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I
beseech you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh that
wage war within you. Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that in case
they speak against you as wrongdoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify
God on the day of visitation" (1Pe
2:9-12).
Aliens and exiles! When a foreigner visits other countries he
does not expect to vote in their elections, and they don't want him to do so.
But during his stay in these countries he is expected to keep their laws, pay
all debts, and generally keep himself out of trouble. The members of this great
international brotherhood must act like this wherever they are -- at home or
abroad -- because they do not really belong to any country!
It would obviously be wrong for those who belong to this
universal fellowship to adopt any narrow nationalist or racist attitude that
would exclude or condemn to a lower place their brethren in other
lands.
It is good that the servants of God are able to say both to
their brethren in other lands and to the authorities in all countries that, in
obedience to Christ, they are also obedient to all human governments. It is good
for them to say that they would not set themselves against the policies of any
government, at home or abroad. It is good that they are able to say that they
have always acted like this.
