Good morning,
Tuesday, 8 November, is Election Day. We will be exploring our five responsibilities as Christian citizens. They are to pray, register to vote, become informed, get involved, and vote.
Your 5 Duties as a Christian Citizen
William R. “Bill” Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, the world’s largest Christian ministry, is the author of the booklet entitled The Four Spiritual Laws, which has been printed in over 200 languages and distributed to more than 2.5 billion people.
Bill Bright also authored Your 5 Duties As a Christian Citizen, outlining your relationship as a Christian Citizen with the great system of self-government that assures every Christian a voice in the affairs of the nation and enables us to bring a heavenly perspective to the earthly realm.
America is one of the last strongholds of freedom on earth—and citizens who are dedicated to God are the only resource for the preservation of our freedoms… including the freedom to serve Him.
Noah Webster said, “In selecting men for office, let principle be your guide. Regard not the particular sect or denomination of the candidate—look to his character…It is alleged by men of loose principles, or defective views of the subject, that religion and morality are not necessary or important qualifications for political stations. But the Scriptures teach a different doctrine. They direct that rulers should be men who rule in the fear of God, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness…
“When a citizen gives his vote to a man of known immorality, he abuses his civic responsibility; he sacrifices not only his own interest, but that of his neighbor; he betrays the interest of his country.”
Charles Finney, who helped introduce half a million Americans to Christ, wrote in 1835: “The time has come that Christians must vote for honest men and take consistent ground in politics, or the Lord will curse them… God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.” Finney’s words are no less true for us today. The course of our nation, state and local governments are up to us.
To protect His people, God warns against ungodly leaders. The rule of the wicked is a direct violation of His will. “The wicked shall not rule the godly, lest
the godly be forced to do wrong “ (Psalm 125:3). Instead, God’s plan is for us to have leaders who know Him and will rule according to His Word. “He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (2 Samuel 23:3 NKJ).
Voting for and supporting moral candidates who support moral public policies is the minimum required of Christian citizens in a system of self-government. Godly people must vote for godly rulers.
Your Five Duties as a Christian Citizen are:
- Pray
- Register to Vote
- Become informed
- Get involved
- Vote
1. Pray…unceasingly.
“If my people will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land (2 Chron 7:14).
Pray for God’s wisdom and discernment. Pray that God will change the hearts of, or remove from positions of public leadership, those officials who are godless, worldly, and disobedient to Him. As King Solomon said, “A wicked ruler will have wicked aides on his staff.” (Proverbs 29:12).
Pray that men and women of God will be elected to public office at all levels of leadership—local, state, and national—so that righteous rulership is restored. Then our land will be healed and our country will experience the abundant blessings of God. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” (Psalm 33:12).
Pray “for kings and all others who are in authority over us, or are in places of high responsibility, so that we can live in peace and quietness” (1 Timothy 2:2). Pray that leaders will be filled with godly wisdom and stand firm for what is right and true.
2. Register to Vote
Be registered as a qualified voter so you can practice your citizenship with accountability to God.
Voting is a matter of stewardship under God, yet millions of God’s people throughout America are not even registered to vote. How can we as Christian Citizens expect God to restore righteous leadership through us, unless we take the few minutes necessary to register to vote? Only a registered voter will be in a position to help elect godly officials.
3. Become informed
The uninformed Christian cannot prevail against evil forces in the world of politics. Knowledge is essential to effective action. “The wise man is crowned with knowledge” (Proverbs 14:18).
Gather information from the various ministries and organizations that provide summaries of current issues and pending legislation. Some ministries and organizations publish the voting records of office holders and voter guides showing the candidate’s stands on various issues of importance to Christian voters. This website will post a compilation of various voter guides before the November election.
4. Get Involved. Help Elect Godly People
Righteous rule brings rejoicing. “With good men in authority, the people rejoice; but with the wicked in power, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2). The most effective way to restore righteous rule and rejoicing in America is to elect godly people to positions of authority.
The Word of God gives us the basic qualifications of a good candidate. “Find some capable, godly, honest men who hate bribes, and…let these men be responsible to serve the people with justice at all times” (Exodus 18:21,22).
Strongly urge, and, if necessary, personally assist all who favor godly candidates to vote on Election Day. Do your part to Get Out The Christian Vote (GOTCV).
5. Vote!
Only when you cast your vote do you fulfill your Christian responsibility in government. Exercise the influence that God has give you through our unique system of self-government. If you fail to vote conscientiously for godly rule, evil will increase in our nation. “When rulers are wicked, their people are too” (Proverbs 29:16).
It is commonly believed that decisions in America are made by a majority of the people. This is not so. Decisions are made by a majority of those who voted in the last election.
In making your decisions, let the Word of God be your guide. “Godliness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34)., so it is important to prayerfully seek God’s will in all political decisions.
Remember, a candidate’s principles are far more important than his party affiliation. To place confidence in unworthy candidates is a miscarriage of Christian stewardship. “Putting confidence in an unreliable man is like chewing with a sore tooth, or trying to run on a broken foot: (Proverbs 25:19). Therefore, vote your Christian convictions over your party loyalty.
Do your Christian Duty. View your vote through God’s prism. Vote Biblical Values. Vote GOD!
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com
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