Question: What impact will the election have on the church?
Answer: It’s important that we maintain Christian unity as we enter this election cycle.
Let me use this example from 1st Corinthians 3 to shed some light on the situation.
Let’s say that Paul and Apollos are running for office.
Why would people want to vote for Paul?
He was a strong voice for the gospel. He was bold. He wrote powerful letters. He planted churches. He was willing to risk his life and suffer hardship in order to reach the world for Jesus.
Why would people NOT want to vote for Paul?
He participated in the murder of Stephen. He persecuted and arrested many believers.
What about Apollos? Why would people want to vote for him?
He was a good public speaker and he could share the gospel convincingly.
So why wouldn’t someone want to vote for Apollos?
He didn’t know about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so Priscilla and Aquila had to correct him.
Let’s throw in a third candidate, Peter.
Why would anyone want to vote for him?
He was bold. He was the first person to recognize that Jesus was the Son of God. He wrote two books of the New Testament. He fought to defend Jesus by cutting off the high priest’s servant’s ear.
Then why wouldn’t anyone want to vote for Peter?
There was this thing about denying three times that he actually KNEW Jesus. And he had a little impulsivity problem.
My point is simply this – none of these three would’ve been a perfect candidate, because in reality there ARE no perfect candidates. As Paul put it, they are “mere men.”
We are also “mere men and women” who have to try to decide which candidates for public office are most deserving of our support, despite their flaws.
Some believers will cast their vote for candidates who take strong positions against abortion and for traditional family values. Those are certainly good issues for Christian voters to consider.
Other believers place a higher priority on candidates whose focus is on caring for the poor and defending civil rights. And those are clearly important biblical values as well.
No matter whom you choose to vote for, let’s not allow strife and contention to disrupt our unity as a church family.
Dr. Steve Rahter
Pastor
Praise Tabernacle
