The question is oft asked: Should a Christian vote? I have previously answered this question from the perspective of 2 Chronicles 7:14 here. Others still ask for more scriptural support for my answer, so I will attempt to provide that in this article.
In the first instance of man-led government ordained by the Creator himself, we see where Jethro tells Moses to choose leaders according to certain standards. Exodus 18:21-22 – “Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place over them rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear (the burden) with thee.
We see here the qualifications for a godly leader: men who are:
· Able – having competent moral power or qualifications
· God fearing – holy awe or reverence of God and his laws; respect; due regard
· Truthful – conformity to fact or reality; conformity of words to thoughts
· Haters of covetousness – an inordinate desire of wealth or avarice
We can see here that the ONLY men who should be selected as leaders, and really they are just to help judge between differences, are those who meet these 4 qualifications. If we hold our politicians, or even our church leaders, to these standards, we would find that there are very few who would qualify. As such, we have developed the mindset that we must select the lesser (or Lessor) of two evils in order to prevent the worst choice from rising to a position of influence and power.
What does scripture say about this, though?
Amos 5:14 – Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.
Psalm 34:14 – Depart from evil and do good: seek peace and pursue it.
Psalm 37:27 – Depart from evil and do good: and dwell for evermore.
We can clearly see that the scriptural principle is to seek and do good, and to shun evil, not to choose the lesser of evil, which is still evil. If we will be faithful to do this, then we are told that we will live and have God with us. We’re also told that doing so brings peace and ensures that there will ever be a place for us on this earth.
The devil tells us that we only have a limited number of choices that we must choose from. When we fall victim, or fool, to that lie, we find that we never have true peace; we only have a place on this earth if we pay taxes; God is not with us (yes, he still reigns and loves us, but promises to allow us to suffer the consequences of our own sin, which he cannot be in the presence of); and our lives are regularly lost or destroyed.
So, to the question of: Should a Christian vote, my answer would have to be a definite, “NO!” unless one finds a man who meets the qualifications listed above. Again, that is even only for a judge to help keep the peace. The scriptural design is for all men to lead themselves according to the foundational terms of the covenant with our Creator: Love the Lord your God; love your neighbor as yourself. In modern terminology, this could be termed: Respect the property rights of God Almighty; respect your neighbors property rights, as well.
If we are faithful and honor those terms of covenant, we have no need for leaders and more laws. The more numerous the laws, the more egregious the attacks on individual liberty. It is the ultimate plan of our Creator that we all live free, unencumbered by rules, but rather through personal responsibility as a result of mutual respect garnered through personal relationship.
[Jhn 8:32 KJV] 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
To live free, one is best off to shun the systems of this world and live according to the systems of heaven.
