God is not a republican. Actually, He is not a democrat, or a socialist, or a capitalist either. God is a sovereign monarch.
A monarch is a sovereign head of state, sovereign in that He possesses supreme or ultimate power and authority. This is who God is. He has all the rights. Yet God is also gracious and has delegated responsibility to govern to human beings. We see in the account of Noah, after the flood (Gen. 9:5-6), God establishing the foundation for governance. Government is meant to restrain evil and reward good (Rom. 13:1-7). Historically most of humanity has, and many presently live, under governments that are authoritarian, i.e. the citizens have no real role in the governing process. We as Americans live in a representative republic. We get to participate in our own governing – what a gracious gift this is! While we are blessed to live in a system such as we do, our hope and security does not rest on our government. I can often tell when my trust is misplaced by how I react when the “other” candidate gets elected. It is similar to when our favorite sports team wins or loses. If “we” (I’m not even on the team!) win, I’m elated, but if “they” lose I am down in the dumps.
So the question can be asked: who has my heart? God, or a particular party, candidate, or political system? My heart belongs to God, it is to Him that I give my ultimate allegiance. This is also true for us as the church. I like this quote from David Platt: “As the church, we are not for Trump, we are not for Biden, and we are not for anyone else… The church is not for any political party or candidate, no, we are for Jesus.” As such our goal should be to magnify the name of Christ in all that we do. I am not saying something that we do not already know or believe, but I often need to be reminded and especially in a climate such as we have today.
So, while our allegiance belongs to the Lord, we do have a stewardship entrusted to us. A steward is someone who looks after something that belongs to another. Voting is a wonderful right we have in this country. It is one of the ways in which we participate in our own governance. Our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people as described by Abraham Lincoln. As such we are stewards of that right and responsibility. God owns that authority, He has delegated it to us, so we are to use it accordingly. This reality should matter as we exercise our right to vote. When we vote let us do it with intentionality and care.
So again, God is not a republican. Though we have the right in this nation to participate in our own government, our heart belongs to Him. Regardless of the outcome of this election we are called to peace. The apostle Paul encourages us to “be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In a few days we will have an election. Some will be happy with the results and others will not. Whatever the outcome, whether “our guy” or “our party” won or not, our hearts belong to someone else who is still seated on the throne, high and lifted up. We really are simply sojourners and pilgrims on this journey and will one day arrive at home. This should give us great comfort and hope as we navigate this life.
Cornerstone Community Church 