Great Article on Faith and Politics! The Constitutionalist Today

SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE INVOLVED IN POLITICS?

By John Shumaker

(Ed. Note: While The Constitutionalist Today is not a Christian or religious publication, many of our readers are people of faith. We provide this opportunity for our guest writer to express his views, which are not necessarily those of the editors and staff.)

 

It seems as though in our society today Christians have a view that it isn’t necessary to be involved in politics.  After all, God is going to put into office who He wants – right?  Isn’t that what Paul tells us in Rom 13:1?  The Amplified translation explains this verse this way: 

“Let every person be loyally subject to the governing (civil) authorities. For there is no authority except from God [by His permission, His sanction], and those that exist do so by God's appointment.”

 

According to this verse, God is the One who puts into positions of authority who He wants to be there.  Looking at the leaders of our country today can we honestly say that these are the people that God wanted to be in office leading our country?  I believe the answer to both of these questions is an absolute NO!  If that is the case, then either Romans 13:1 is wrong and God’s word isn’t true or there is something here that we totally misunderstand or take out of context. 

 

First, how does God accomplish His will on earth?  The answer is very simple: He uses people!  As we trace the history of man throughout scripture, we find that God would work through various people to accomplish His will.  As God led and taught His people He would give them choices, i.e., a free will to choose what God wanted or to reject His influence and go their own way.  God would also give warnings and promises based on the choices people made.  For example, 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 states, “If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  NASB

 

Notice the “if” and “then” in these verses?  The implication is that when God’s people turn away from Him, or perhaps forget about Him because everything is going well, He allows things to happen to cause us to turn back to Him.  For our land to be healed there are four things we must do: humble ourselves, pray, seek His face and turn from our wicked ways.  This requires God’s people to do something.  God promises that “if” we do this, “then” He will hear us and heal our land.  The reality is this is a spiritual issue.  The success or failure of mankind is based on a spiritual relationship with our Creator.   Look at what the Apostle Paul says about this as recorded in Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”  NASB

 

Let’s apply this to our world today.  First, we need to understand what the word “grace” means.  When asked to define grace, many people will say “unmerited favor.” It is that, but the Greek word translated “grace” is defined in part as, “the Divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life.”  In other words, there is not a single issue in your life that God will not influence you as to how He wants you to respond. As believers, we need to ask for His grace (influence) and then respond to it! 

 

The politicians in office today are as dishonest and corrupt as ever.  We look at Romans 13:1 and see that Paul said that God put into office who He wanted.  Why these people?  Were these really God’s first choice?  If not, how did they get there?  The answer is really quite simple: God’s people sat on their rears and didn’t do anything. When we see politicians boldly make statements about their platform that are clearly in contradiction of God’s word, we can be assured that these people are NOT His choice – they are the selected ones by the god of this world. 

 

People – this is a wake-up call to get off of our behinds and do something!  God is sending us as clear a warning as He can of what is going to happen if we don’t act.  The problem is this: we fail to respond to God’s warning and His influence as to what He wanted us to do!  That means that as God’s people we are to do what we are capable of to bring about God’s perfect will as He influences us.   

 

Be assured that if we ignore God’s warnings and choose to do nothing, then the god of this world will have his way and our God will allow it.  If we choose to ignore God’s lead, then know with certainty that the people who end up in positions of authority are the ones God chose to bring about our destruction – thus Romans 13:1 is true no matter who ends up in office.  If you’re fed up with what is happening in the political arena, don’t blame God – look in a mirror.  That’s where the problem lies.

 

It isn’t too late.  Proverbs 21:1 says: “The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes.”  (NASB) If God’s people will seek His influence and act on what He tells you to do, even President Obama can be changed.  For this to happen it will require that God’s people get off their duffs and do something!