If I asked you to choose what is more important between protecting the family unit and protecting the rights of women, what would you say? What about unborn lives versus the lives of minorities? Do you value individual responsibility or place importance in systemic responsibility?
America’s two-party system has naturally forced us to think of issues in binary terms. There’s a line drawn between what is deemed “progressive” and what is deemed “conservative.” As people become increasingly polarized and lean towards the extremes, this division becomes more and more pronounced.
But Christians should not engage in politics in this dangerously partisan way because no one political party can fully encompass all of our convictions and beliefs. Let’s go back to the questions I posed. As a Christian who values all life made in the image of God and all institutions designed by God, I should not have to choose between unborn lives and lives of minorities. As a Christian who understands sin to be pervasive in both individuals and human-made systems, I should see how both individuals and systems hold responsibility for social issues. But a highly divisive political system forces us to pit equally Biblical and equally important values against each other.
Both the left and the right support values and policies that are in line with Scripture. And yet both also support values and policies that are against Scripture. So I cannot fully support one party’s platform or the other because neither party is fully Biblical.
No Perfect Political Party
Does this mean I just disengage altogether because I cannot fully support one party? I don’t think so. I believe we are called to bring about the flourishing of our cities and one way to do that is by fulfilling our civic duties. It does, however, mean that we engage and vote with a Biblical framework instead of the secular, partisan framework presented to us. It means we do not allow the parties to prioritize our values for us and we choose to do civic work holistically, unbound by party lines.
Does all of this mean I cannot support one party and vote for one of the major parties? No, we as Christians can be affiliated with a party and can vote Republican or Democrat. However, I firmly believe that our identities as Christians come far before our political affiliations and that our voting should be driven by devotion to Christ, not devotion to party.
That means that regardless of what party we may support, in each election season, we should do our best to vote as engaged Christians, not just engaged party affiliates. Voting as an engaged Christian who wants to love God and love people may include considering the needs of our neighbors (both those we rub shoulders with and those who may be across town), taking into thought local and national current events that are affecting the livelihood of people, thinking about priorities in the current national/international climate instead of focusing on one issue, assessing the needs and state of the Church, looking at where your personal Scriptural convictions may lie, considering the character of the candidates, and most importantly, praying and asking the Spirit to help as we wrestle with these issues.
The reality is that two faithful Christians may wrestle with the same issues, ask our one triune God to help, and then end up at different conclusions. But both could have peace about their decisions and have clear consciences before God, knowing that they have sought wisdom, carefully considered all things, and allowed the Spirit to guide them.
Now there may be occasions where political outcomes directly affect the ministry of Christ and there is a more “clear” decision that believers must take. However, in most elections, I don’t think there are any Scriptural grounds to claim that a vote for one party or another is the correct one. The Bible doesn’t teach us which parties to join or which issues are most important (outside of primary Gospel issues), or who to vote for. But God can use what He has revealed in Scripture in combination with a person’s unique convictions, experiences, and background to help him or her make informed decisions.
Unless I’m voting directly for Christ and a platform that is completely Scripture-based, I’m dealing with political parties and people that are affected by sin. There can be no perfect vote for Christians that are engaging a fallen and broken system in a sinful world.
No Vote Makes You A True Christian
More troubling than labeling a certain vote to be a “Christian” vote is stating that true Christians would vote for a particular candidate or political party. What this statement implies is that voting differently would make someone a false Christian.
This type of language should be offensive and troubling for any believer. Here is why: Our standing as the people of God, our salvation and eternal life are all dependent on our faith in the person of Christ and his works. We are “true” Christians because we are united to Christ by faith and the genuineness of our faith shows itself in the fruits we bear.
The statement that “any true real believer” would vote for a candidate implies that voting for that candidate is a necessary fruit of genuine faith. At best, this is a faulty and forced application of personal convictions a person has about certain issues and the political parties. At worst, this is equating loyalty to a political party with loyalty to Christ.
Brothers and sisters, I want to say this loudly and clearly for you: Your identity as a true Christian comes through faith alone, in grace alone. The way your genuine faith may show itself in your voting may look different than how my faith shows itself in my voting. But I am confident that despite our different voting or party preferences, we can both be assured in our shared faith in Christ and both strive to love our neighbors and seek the welfare of our city together. We can both be proud to be distinctly Christian instead of primarily Republican or Democrat.
Christ did not leave behind glory and die for us so that our salvation can be qualified by loyalty to a broken and imperfect party. Christ did not leave the grave and send us the Spirit so we can live in loyalty to a political candidate; he did it so we may live loyal to Him and live as His people in anticipation for his return. He has called upon all of us to preach good news, to make disciples, to love our neighbors, to pursue justice, and to seek the good of our cities all as outward expressions of our faith. He has given us the Holy Spirit to help and equip us to grow in all of these areas.
Nothing in Scripture mandates that the Spirit will lead all of us to show these outward expressions by voting for the same candidate. In this highly politicized and polarized time, I’m sure many people will tell you what “real” Christians must do. Be vigilant, be grounded i
n Scripture, and do not let anyone define your identity as a Christian with anything outside of your faith and its outworkings.
Final Thoughts
Voting is important, and I believe that when possible, all Christians should vote. However, voting is not the end all be all. There are so many ways for us to be engaged in our communities and love our cities apart from voting. Yes, having certain representatives in their seats makes a difference in policy. But we can also participate in grassroots activism, support certain Christian interest groups, be a voice in school and government boards, and the list goes on.
Banking everything on elections and neglecting our duties as citizens every other day contributes to the polarization of politics and can lead to the mindset that there is a “Christian” way to vote.
While not neglecting the need to intentionally vote, we should hold voting with loose hands and pursue civic engagement more holistically. We also need to be sharp about remembering that we are first and foremost citizens of heaven before we are citizens of this nation. In fact, we are exiles and strangers in this present world; it makes complete sense that we don’t find a perfectly comfortable home in any political party and that we experience tensions figuring out how to be faithful voters.
While that doesn’t mean we can avoid our present responsibilities, it does mean we recognize nothing and no one on earth is the Christian solution or hope. Our trust is in Christ and our hope is in him. Christian: Vote wisely and prayerfully, but do it knowing that your vote cannot strip you of your hope in Christ.