Under our present system of government, members of the House of Representatives are elected every two years and the senate every six years. The president comes up every four years. Judges, appointed for life, have no means of having to answer to the will of the people. As the election cycles continues the ads will be coming to get voters to put someone new into office or keep the ones there in office. We are treated to thirty second ads that strive to show us about the person running for office. As Paul said, let each person be fully persuaded in their own minds (Rom. 14:5).
I would like to turn this, however, to the spiritual side of things and attempt to make some observations that might be able to help us all. The Bible clearly shows that one must build on their faith and never turn back (Luke 9:62; 2 Peter 1:5). It is not just “looking” into the perfect law of liberty but it is also continuing in that law (James 1:25). The Christian has the task of being a doer of the word and not just a hearer (James 1:22). The doing there implies a never-ending task until the day we die. We can fall from grace (Gal. 5:4). The only way in which grace continues to rule in our hearts is by righteous conduct that God accepts (Rom. 5:21).
If you will however, at this point just pretend with me for a brief moment. What if you were to come up for election every two to four years? What if you have the voting record of a politician and you find that he has not one time voted to do anything to help your state or your community. When he would come around seeking your vote, his voting record could be very well an issue, would it not? Looking back then, say over a four or six-year period, what is our voting record for the Lord? Have we “voted” to keep the doors of the church opened by our attendance and or money? Town hall meetings conducted by some politicians provide a good means for the voters to express their opinions or concerns. Over the last four to six years how many times have I showed up for the assemblies of the saints?
Often times, especially in an election year, the voters are encouraged to contact their congressman and let them know how you feel. Many congressmen now have web sites to keep their people aware of what is going on. In the last four to six years how many times have we “contacted” God through prayer (I Thess. 5:17). How many times have we listened when God speaks through His Word? No one should argue that the Word of God is not powerful. We know that it is. It has the power to bring to spiritual life and to cause that life to develop toward maturity (Heb. 4:12; Heb. 5:14). It is a powerless tool until we bring it into our hearts. As surely as we would look at a “power drill” and say, it is not “plugged in”, so would we look at a life to be lived for God that is not connected to the power of God’s Word.
Today some are content to characterize the Bible as being “information only”. The Bible is a “living and active” message. Like medicine or the ingredients for a cake, it must be applied to reach the desired result. The Christian devoting time to study is able to learn the power and value of prayer (2 Tim. 2:15). He wishes to communicate with God and he learns how and what to communicate because of the Word of God. How shameful to say it is only “informational”.
What do we really expect out of those whom we elect to office? On one hand that they care about the people who put them into office. The second thing is to demand that they adhere to the constitution which governs our conduct within the nation. Politicians who disregard the rule of law will in time forget the first principle of caring about those who elected them to office. Please explain then to me why Christians have a hard time understanding that the Bible is our constitution.
The Bible is the truth from God (I Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16). God has declared His law and it is not up to me to vote on it as if I could change the law of God. In areas of judgment we should all exercise love for one another and do all we can to lift each other up (Heb. 12:12,13). Matters of faith, that is of salvation, is an area we have no right to intrude on as if by voting. Let us sum up these thoughts for now. If you were running for office would you get enough votes from you fellow Christians to keep you in “office” (I Cor. 15:58)?