Something very significant happened in the world of politics this past week. In the mid-term elections, Democrats achieved sweeping victories nationwide, taking control of both the House and the Senate, and now hold governorships in 29 states (maybe 30, depending on the results in Kansas). The election results are also being described as a rout, a blowout, an “electoral bloodbath” — in other words, one of the worst defeats ever for Republicans.
Depending on your political commitments, you might be delighted this week, or you might be devastated. But if you are a Christian, how should you respond to this change of the national political landscape? Of course, not all believers have been supportive of President Trump — for some, because of his policies; for others, because of his polarizing personality; and for still others, it’s both. But for Christians who have grave concerns about the promotion of abortion, the advancement of transgender and homosexual interests, and the insurgence of socialism and Islam in our nation, there is some genuine and understandable fear about the future of our nation.
So, I’m writing this blog as a pastor, not a politician, in order to provide some Biblical perspective on how to respond to the election results, especially for those who might be feeling a measure of worry or despair about the blueness of the current electoral map.
First of all, it is important to affirm the value of engaging in the political process. Keeping updated on the complexity of every political issue is very daunting, for sure, but Christians nonetheless should be politically interested and involved as much as possible. Good things can happen when the right people are in office, and bad things can happen when the wrong people are in office. As Francis Schaeffer wrote back in 1981, “Our culture, society, government and law are in the condition they are in, not because of a conspiracy, but because the church has forsaken its duty to be the salt of the culture."
Secondly, it's also important to acknowledge that God’s interests are much larger than what is happening in the United States, and his kingdom much grander than what is happening in this particular moment in history. We all have a tendency to think of our nation and our time period as the fulcrums upon which human history turns.
Thirdly, I would suggest there is no reason for any Christian to be despondent about the events of this past week. Why? Because God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control (2 Tim. 1:7). Because we don’t put our trust in princes (or senators or representatives or presidents), in whom there is no salvation (Ps. 146:3). Because our ultimate citizenship is in heaven, not on this fallen earth (Phil. 3:20). And because, as I hope to demonstrate, Christians always have reason to look to the future with hope.
Remember the story of the returning exiles to Jerusalem in the Old Testament book of Ezra? When work to rebuild the temple began, adversaries opposed the work, so much that God’s people became discouraged and were afraid to continue the project (Ezra 4:4-6). Then the king sent a letter mandating that the work stop, enabling the exiles’ adversaries to force the temple project to cease (Ezra 4:21-24).
How discouraging! Cyrus had decreed that God’s people be able to return to Jerusalem after the temple was destroyed (about 50 years earlier), and after the people were exiled to Babylon for their constant disobedience to God. Cyrus’ decree was a new beginning, an opportunity to start over, and perhaps the beginning of revival. The temple, which was the symbol of God’s presence with his people on earth, was being rebuilt. It was the dawn of a new era. Perhaps God would make Israel great again.
But God’s people faced an enormous obstacle — not mid-term election losses, but some godless bad actors who used governmental power to hinder the advancement of God’s kingdom. Does this sound familiar? Don’t we often fear that those elected to power will somehow get the upper hand on what God is trying to do? Aren’t we always tempted to live by sight and not by faith?
But remember what happened: A search was ordered, and in an extraordinary act of God’s providence, a scroll was found buried in the “house of archives” legitimizing the temple project (Ezra 6:1-5). How easy it would have been for that scroll to be lost or hidden! So King Darius issued a new decree — let the building of the temple continue (Ezra 6:7). In fact, Darius even ordered that the cost of the building be paid out of the royal revenue “in full and without delay” (Ezra 6:8), and mandated that whatever would be needed by God’s people to offer sacrifices in the temple should be provided by the pagan government “day by day without fail” (Ezra 6:9).
Do you see what God did? By his wise providence and in his constant faithfulness to his covenant people, He altered everything. He changed the heart of a pagan king. He used government officials to advance his kingdom. He did something that no one expected. This stunning reversal happened because the Lord "had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided (the people of Israel) in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.” (Ezra 6:22).
Could God do something similar in our day? Does He not rule over the rulers of the earth? Could he change the hearts of our elected officials, even our president included? Could he do something we would never expect? Of course He could. I’m not saying He will, but He could, and He has before. Our job is to keep doing what we’ve always done — worship the risen Christ every Sunday; seek to build a loving church community; show mercy to the poor and needy; make Bible-believing disciples; and proclaim the Gospel to the lost. And we will trust God to build his kingdom until his glory covers the earth as the waters cover the sea.
The comments above belong to Pastor Bob alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the New Life session, the Central Indiana Presbytery, or the Presbyterian Church in America.
