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Thoughts From Yesterday

10/24/2016

7 Comments

 
Yesterday I took the opportunity to address our congregation on what I feel are some spiritual dangers facing us in this current unprecedented election cycle.  This is my first presidential election as a pastor and I have been struggling for close to a year with how to shepherd my people through it.  I am still unsure of what I will do on November 8.  I have reached the conclusion that when all of this is over I will not be able to fault anyone for his or her choice of how he or she stewards a vote. The options are impossibly difficult and there are valid arguments on all sides.  Furthermore, I do not believe it is appropriate in my role to endorse any particular candidate.  I have, however, become increasingly concerned by what Christ-followers are in danger of losing regardless of who wins this election.  
In my message yesterday I highlighted five areas of danger that face us: 
1) That we are being tempted to fear a political outcome in a way that betrays a trust in the eventual triumph of Christ's kingdom.  It is the classic temptation to elevate a fear of man over a fear of God.  
2) That we are being tempted to wield earthly power as a substitute for the vastly superior power of the gospel, with its attendant promise of the indwelling and empowering Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of lives transformed from wickedness to holiness.  
3) That we are being tempted to yoke ourselves to the authorities of this world in a way that requires we compromise our allegiance to the cause of Christ.  We cannot allow our valid co-operation with non-believers to ever co-opt the agenda of Jesus.  Related to this and the previous point, I would refer you to an excellent recent article in The Washington Post by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. which surveys the history of evangelical involvement in "the Religious Right" to help illuminate how we got to this point.   https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2016/10/09/donald-trump-has-created-an-excruciating-moment-for-evangelicals/
4) That we are being tempted to view the act of voting as a moral absolute and one that is evaluated based on outcomes that we can only imperfectly foresee.  Whether it is #neverHillary or #neverTrump, there is a dialogue that somehow there is a vote Jesus would cast and to cast any other vote would betray His cause.  When Jesus was presented with these sorts of binary options, he responded in a way that reminded everyone that reality consists of only one binary choice: "he who is not with me is against me".  There is the kingdom of Christ and then there are all of the other rival kingdoms of this world.  We must never make the mistake of thinking that any of these "kingdoms" (whether nations, political parties, corporations or organizations) are on Jesus' side or that he is on theirs.  He ruthlessly seeks His Father's glory through His church and so should we.  Regarding ethical considerations we as evangelicals should consider when voting, I was helped by Dan Doriani's piece on The Gospel Coalition's website dealing with the notion of a vote for "the lesser of two evils".  https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/why-i-dont-think-you-must-vote-for-lesser-two-evils
5) Finally, I am concerned at the way the moral failures of Trump, in particular, are being discussed (broadly speaking) among evangelicals.  I fear that it is leading to a sloppy understanding of grace and the gospel, which is why I view this ultimately as a spiritual and pastoral issue, rather than a political one, and why I have chosen to address it so pointedly.  Let me make it clear that there is plenty of moral corruption and degeneracy on both sides in this election and that in terms of corruption, deception as well as sexual immorality, it would seem that the weight of transgressions on Secretary Clinton's side of the ledger outweighs Donald Trump's many flaws and character deficiencies.  However, evangelicals are coming to the defense of Trump in ways that concern me and which they are not doing for Hillary.  So what follows is not an endorsement of either one or a validation of either candidate's character.  Regardless of who wins, our next president will likely possess the worst character qualities of any of the 44 who preceded them.
Put simply, evangelicals cannot have it both ways.  If in the late 1990s it was right and proper to make an issue of Bill Clinton's sexual misdeeds (and now Hillary's enabling of them through concealment) as a disqualification for office (and it was, because character matters), then it is imperative for the sake of integrity to hold Donald Trump to the same standard.  We cannot excuse this new revelation simply because of his politics or credentials and I have been saddened and surprised by the ease with which many who claim the name of Christ are dismissing, minimizing and even excusing Trump's words.  Frequently, I see a deflection of blame by immediately pointing out Clinton's flaws (which are also legion).  While true, it ends up undermining any moral argument by suggesting that the only issue is someone's policies and not their character.  That was the argument in defense of Clinton in the 90s.  This is not to say that a Christian cannot in good conscience vote for Trump.  The issue for us is not who will win the White House, but whether we will be able to maintain a consistent stand for truth as representatives of our Lord.  
We have always insisted that character matters and I would submit that the way in which we engage in political discourse supporting any candidate is a reflection of our own character.  On Sunday, I quoted Mike Wittmer who would remind us that we have been gifted with a position of authority in the Kingdom of Jesus, so we should never stoop for earthly power.  The church is being tempted to compromise its witness and testimony in the interest of maintaining political influence.  The history of succumbing to such temptations is not heartening.  "When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan." Proverbs 29:2

-Marcus
7 Comments
Jason Silverthorne
10/25/2016 06:57:16 pm

This really is the worst choice of presidential candidates during my (middle-aged) lifetime. What makes it even more difficult is knowing what is at stake in an earthly sense; the Supreme Court, foreign diplomacy, the economy. And, to make the waters just a bit murkier, both candidates claim to be believers in our Lord. If I'm not a judge but a fruit inspector... it smells bad, looks bad, and the flies are overwhelming.

As a result, I don't know whether to "vote the platform, not the candidate", or if I will just not vote. Having grown in up in a religious tradition that did not allow political involvement, abstinence is quite appealing. And, since I don't know if Jesus is returning next week or in the next century, it almost feels like our vote as Christians is only slowing down the inevitable and total demise of morality that can only be described in terms like "the great tribulation".

I have been looking for an afternoon or two to set aside for the purpose of praying and searching the scriptures for reasons to be involved in politics as a foreign citizen from a heavenly kingdom. Time is running out and it would be great if you could just do it for me so I could leave the guilt upon your shoulders!

Thanks for writing so thoughtfully on such a difficult topic.

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Lori McGovern
10/25/2016 08:09:00 pm

Is there anyone in America that thinks either candidate is good or has high morals? The only reason I am voting is because of the Supreme Court Judges. I am for Life and because Trump's suggested selections are more pro life that is where my vote will follow. I also feel if you absolutely can not vote for president then go and vote for our congressmen who support right to life! I feel it is our duty to vote as Christians. We vote and then uphold our government in prayer! God is in control! I pray for America! I am so tired of the meanness of this election and can't wait for it to be done!

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Patrick McGovern
10/25/2016 08:19:53 pm

Yes - a very engaging and challenging discussion. Perhaps millions share your feelings of doubt and may chose to stay home.

That said in a few days, Clinton or Trump WILL be the next president of the most powerful country in the world - like them or not! The system does not care about your feelings for either candidate - but one will wield the reigns of power and likely change the direction of the Supreme court with lasting impact for many years.

With the above in mind, I will be voting for Trump primarily because he has put forth a list of potential justice candidates that are MUCH more likely to align with my PRO-LIFE and conservative beliefs. Yes, Trump has serious issues, but I believe God can use secular leaders to form his will. Pray for our country!!!

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Patrick McGovern
10/25/2016 08:20:04 pm

Yes - a very engaging and challenging discussion. Perhaps millions share your feelings of doubt and may chose to stay home.

That said in a few days, Clinton or Trump WILL be the next president of the most powerful country in the world - like them or not! The system does not care about your feelings for either candidate - but one will wield the reigns of power and likely change the direction of the Supreme court with lasting impact for many years.

With the above in mind, I will be voting for Trump primarily because he has put forth a list of potential justice candidates that are MUCH more likely to align with my PRO-LIFE and conservative beliefs. Yes, Trump has serious issues, but I believe God can use secular leaders to form his will. Pray for our country!!!

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Marcus Little
11/1/2016 08:16:31 am

Jason, thanks for the thoughtful response. I too have wrestled with the issue of whether and how voting is an expression of my service to Christ. A key passage for me is Jeremiah 29. It is a letter to the exiles in Babylon that assures them that they will be in exile for long enough that they should "get comfortable". In it, they are instructed to lead "normal" lives as well as to seek the welfare of the city of their exile. Then comes the assurance that the exile is not permanent and that they will be restored to their land. I think we find ourselves in an "exile" situation (this is certainly the assumption of many NT passages). Thus, I think we should lead "normal" lives, engaging in society, industry, commerce, education and government to promote the good of the city we find ourselves in. Daniel and his friends I think provide us with good models for such a posture of uncompromising coexistence. I therefore think that participation in politics is a responsibility we should embrace but never compromising our allegiance to Christ. If we approach voting as a way to ensure the good of our neighbor rather than as a way of ensuring our "side" wins, I think that is a healthy and helpful start.

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Bryon Harris
10/27/2016 08:19:48 pm

Marcus, first thank you for the challenge in your Blog. From the moment you came to Berean I have always appreciated the challenges you have put out. This post is no different. Let me just say a couple things. First, my voting for Donald Trump is not out of any emotional thing but is purely for the facts of the platform he is running on. I do not vote for him with any approval of the things he has said that I DO not agree with. If I were looking for a perfect person to vote for I would never have been able to vote for anyone in my 57 years of living. One issue I have always had during this election is the slanted way people look at Donald Trump yet seem to be totally able to ignore all that is wrong with Hillary. Yes, Donald is not a great person and has said some things I just cannot agree with but if I were looking for a person to vote for that I agreed with everything they said that person would not exist. But what I do know (and I believe every Christian should) is that I could never vote for Hillary for one main reason...her stand on abortion (murder). She still holds the view that a woman can abort this pregnancy into the 9th month. I don't fear the outcome in once sense but of course in another sense i do. I know God is in control but let's face it things still scare us in life despite this fact. And yes, it sort of does scare me if I see Hillary get elected. Ok, I think my rant is done. I may not have hit on what you were looking for but just thought I would respond anyway. Thanks for bringing this up Marcus.

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Marcus Little
11/1/2016 08:41:16 am

I appreciate the feedback that many of you have given both in these comments as well as in off-line conversations. My thoughts are less directed at who we vote for and even why we vote for them, and more about how we conceive of our political engagement as a whole. My utmost concern is that we never allow the church of Jesus and His gospel to become a servant to anyone else's agenda or ambition. We must partner with people outside the church who agree with us on a range of issues that impact society, but this is distinct from lending our wholesale support to a political party or candidate. Neither political party and no candidate perfectly represents the gospel in their policy stances on every issue. Thus we must gauge which one best represents it when casting our vote. This has always been true and is certainly more apparent in this cycle where both candidates have such glaring shortcomings.
In doing so, I know that for many of us (myself included) the issue of life is a central issue of concern. Broader than simply a stance on abortion, this is a crucial question of defining at what point any human being has the rights guaranteed by God and expressed in our founding documents. In the past half-century we have seen those rights eroded, debated and endangered by our laws. I am concerned that those we have sent to Washington to represent our values on this issue have taken our votes for granted knowing that we have prioritized that issue in such a way that we would never vote for a Democrat based solely on that issue. The last 20 years or so have left me disillusioned as to whether Republicans when elected to power will actually effect the changes we would wish to see. Thus, while I am passionately pro-life, I am beginning to rethink for myself whether voting solely or primarily on the basis of that issue has actually served to advance the cause or not. These are some of the things I have been wrestling with the last few years and that I shared in my post as I try to ask a bigger question than "who am I voting for and why?". So as I said, I am not advocating for or against either of the candidates with these thoughts, but asking us to consider what our political involvement means for the Kingdom by questioning some of the assumptions we have been presented with in the last 30 years. Thanks for continuing the conversation, it has been helpful to me and I pray it has been helpful to others as well.

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    Marcus Little is the Senior Pastor of Berean Baptist Church.  This blog is a place where he can share  his thoughts and reflections on how Scripture intersects with life, work, community, culture and the events of our times.

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Berean Baptist Church​
1574 Coit Ave. NE
​Grand Rapids, MI, 49505
(616) 363-9824
  • About
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