"Who Did You Vote For?"

This is the week Americans will vote in mid-term national elections and in local and state elections across America. Who did you vote for? What did you vote for? I surely hope you voted FOR the the Marriage Family Amendment which affirmed that marriage in Tennessee shall only be recognized as union between a man and a woman. By the way, the courts have determined it is permissable for religious groups to endorse amendments though problematic to endorse candidates while maintaining a tax exempt status.

Two things have amazed me about what some Christians do at election time . First, some Christians do not vote. My testimony is that I have never missed voting in an election since having the opportunity to vote while a college student. It is as much a duty for a Christian to vote as it is the duty of the Christian to tithe. Failure to vote in the civil elections of America is disobedience to God's Word. Our Country asks us to do three things, all of which we should obey. We are asked to pay taxes, to serve on jury duty, and to vote in our Country's elections. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said, "Render unto Caesar ( the government) the things that are Caesar's." Our government asks us to vote. Voting can determine the direction of local, state , and national government. When a Christian refuses to exercise the right and responsiblity to vote, it is sin. When we are able to vote and do not vote, we are disobeying the Word of God and are being poor citizens, thus sinning against our own government.

The other thing that has amazed me through the years is when a professing Christian votes and yet makes no connection with his/her vote to Christian principles. The Holy Spirit tells us , "Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus ." (Colossians 3:17) The vote of a Christian must be made by a Holy Spirit enlightened conscience and in the light of Christian principles.

Now , you may be thinking I am referring to "litmus tests" like whether the candidate is Pro-Life or advocates abortion on demand. Yes, that is on my heart but much more. A Christian must vote Pro-Life. Other questions are also relevant. Does the candidate attend a church? A man running for city council came to our door a few years ago asking me to vote for him. I did not know if he was a Democrat or Republican. Since he was at our door asking for our vote, I felt free to ask him if he attended church. He sheepishly said, "No." Since he opened the conversation and knocked on our door, I gave a gentle lecture stating that he could not be a good public servant because he did not support the greatest organization for human good in the history of the world, that is , the church.

When you vote for a candidate who is part of a national party, you should read the platform of that party. No matter how much you like the candidate on a local level, he/she is tied to a national party and will be obligated to support the platform of the national party of which he/she is a part. Does this platform support Christian principles? Does this platform promote life or abortion? Does this platform encourage a work ethic by our citizens? Your vote should consider the principles that your candidate will support.

So , who did you for vote for? We will give account to God for our voting record along with everything else we have done on that great day which shall surely come.

Responses to Pastor Roger Freeman roger@fbct.org