Ask Pastor Kevin
This week I have had more than one reader ask, “What is the best response to a contested election?”
One friend wrote an entire paragraph. This reader asks, “I’m struggling with how to respond to this contested election. On the one hand, I rest in God’s sovereignty. On the other hand, sitting quietly as an apparent miscarriage of justice takes place seems wrong. On still another hand, how do I guard my Christian testimony/witness and also engage in what appears to be the cares of this world?”
I think my friend captured many of the ideas or at least the quandary for those who follow Christ. Let me suggest a response.
The Challenge of Living as a Citizen of Heaven and a Citizen of the United States
The dilemma lies in dual citizenship. As Christians, our primary citizenship is now in heaven. Notice these two verses:
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Phil 3:20-21)
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (Eph 2:19)
Paul challenges us to keep our mind and attention on what is ultimately greater. He writes:
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:1-2)
For the Christian, the world to come is our passion. We do not live for simply the here and now. We are not to love it.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
Therefore, our attention and primary love should be for God as citizens of heaven with an other-world draw.
Again, the Apostle Paul helps us when he uses a tent illustration to explain how each Christian should desire to be with God and live in light of that (2 Cor 5:1-11).
One other type of Bible passages helps us here too. Jesus warns of the person who gets entangled in the cares of the world and turns away from Him. Paul shares how Demas did. Let me share three example texts:
14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. (Luke 8:14)
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica— (2 Tim 4:10).
When you consider the combination of these various texts, the dilemma appears. As followers of Christ, Jesus is our Lord and God is our Ruler or Sovereign. We are warned in these various texts to keep our hearts eternally-bent not earthly-bent. Yet, for now, we live as citizens of the United States as well. Therefore, what happens to the presidency and every other governmental concern does indeed matter.
God is in Control.
As those who follow Christ, we believe the Bible when it teaches that God is in control or sovereign. He reigns over everything. Check out a couple key texts:
37 Whose command was ever fulfilled
unless the Lord decreed it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that everything comes—
both calamity and blessing?
39 Why should any living person complain
when punished for his sins? (Lam 3:37-39)2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted; (Job 42:2)19… So Daniel praised the God of heaven, 20 saying:
“Let the name of God be praised forever and ever,
for wisdom and power belong to him.
21 He changes times and seasons,
deposing some kings
and establishing others.
He gives wisdom to the wise;
he imparts knowledge to those with understanding; (Dan 2:19-21)
Therefore, we can rest in the fact that God is in control of this entire process regardless of what happens. Mr. Biden nor Mr. Trump will become President of the United States outside of God’s control. But it does not start here. The rest of this process has been under God’s control as well. Do not forget the effect of COVID-19, the main stream media, big tech, the democratic primaries, the first and second debates, Mr. Fauci, Mr. Trump’s demeanor, and everything else we would call 2020 – these things too fit under God’s sovereignty.
You want to make sure that you have not placed your hope in politics instead of Jesus Christ. You should not rest in a party of any kind. Your refuge and hope is Jesus. This does not mean that what happens politically does not matter though. If you voted, you did fulfill a civic (not Christian) responsibility.
Your Civic Responsibility Encourages You to Engage to the Level You Can
As a citizen, you are partially responsible for what goes on around you. Your civic duty requires you to vote. After your vote, your civic concern demands that every legal ballot be counted. Further, as a responsible citizen, we should expect integrity in the voting process. If you are responsible to vote, you should expect the government to be responsible with the vote tally. It is almost insulting to have to write this or you to read it.
However, both in this election and in 2016 there are questions related to the vote tallies. In 2016, an entire partisan side said Russia interfered. Time and many investigations have proven that not to be true; however, at the point of the election there was wide-spread innuendo of that. The SCOTUS ruled in 2000 as well regarding the state of Florida.
This is not the first time. Possibly like me, you have heard of “corrupt politicians” and systems off and on over the years.
As a normal citizen, what can you do about it? The primary thing we can do about it – the vase majority of us who simply only have one vote and a voice – is to watch it carefully. We also can contact our elected officials and ask for them to help where they can and put pressure where they can. That’s about it.
One thing you can do is to encourage those around you to be patient on this process as it plays out. You can also express your opinion online in some type of social media. Further, you can share other information that you want other people to read as well. But for the most part, there is nothing to do but watch and let the system work as best it can.
As a Christ-follower, You Must…
Our testimony matters most. At the end of the day there are three things we want to communicate most clearly:
- No matter who anyone voted for, we love them because we love people made in the image of God. We desire for them to follow Christ or grow stronger in their relationship with Christ much more than we do want a particular political outcome. Therefore, we do not want to say or do anything that casts doubt as to who (Christ and our neighbors) that we love the most.
- No matter how much integrity is either in this process or isn’t in the end, we must recognize the process of electing a president for the vast majority of us ends with our one vote. For the most part, outside of contacting your legislator or senators, our part is done. We do not have to express our opinion ad nauseum related to what any one of us consider to be a legitimate or non-legitimate outcome.
- No matter what happens, we want to let everyone know that our hope is in Christ and our trust in God’s sovereignty. Do we care about our incredible country? Absolutely. However, there is a difference in being a good steward of what God has given us and trusting in it. We should never worship and care for the gift more than we do the Giver of the gift. As important as the United States is, our love of God and love of neighbor are both more important.
KevinCarson.com | Wisdom for Life in Christ Together