"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them." - Romans 1:28-32
As Christians, we live in morally perilous times. But that is nothing new. Previous generations have faced the same challenges. [Paul was writing to his current generation] The solution for some has been to withdraw from the culture and live in Christian enclaves. But for most it means living in a spiritually foreign land and trying to "not get muddy as you walk through the mud puddles of life."
"Tell us [Pharisees' disciples and Herodians], then, what you [Jesus] think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Matthew 22:17-21
There are civil laws, enacted by the local, state and national governing bodies that are contrary to the Word of God and laws that are not. Taxes are needed to fund the governments, therefore pay your taxes. The money you use was minted by the very same government asking for their share of your wages. But the government did not "mint" your heart and morality. God did. Later Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment.
"And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:35-39
I have dedicated my life to service. I love my country, but not more than I love God. My faith and love for God requires my primary devotion be to Him, secondly to others, then my country as an institution, then my political party, among other things. Our primary citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). That creates a dilemma for us Christians. Especially during election cycles. Politicians represent their constituents, the majority of whom are not Christians. That means that the laws they support and the decisions they make will, at times, be contrary to Biblical values but will reflect the majority view of the people. It does not matter which party the politicians represent. When asked who the best choice for president in this election was the Pope said it is a choice of the lesser of two evils. He did not say which one was less. In other words, both parties represent their constituencies which are for the most part carnal. There are no candidates that put God first - the United States is not a theocracy it is a democracy or, more correctly a republic. [Our country was founded on the idea that the power to govern was held by the people rather than a monarch. Democracy is to republic as monarch is to kingdom. Webster Dictionary]
So, in my view, as a Christian the dilemma really is to vote or not vote. In my humble opinion, to not vote is to vote for the greater of the two evils. We all need to pray and then act according to our conscience. Trusting that God is still sovereign, and our responsibility to be His ambassadors in all circumstances still stands.
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone
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