- Feb 14, 2005
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I would contend that many Christians are using the wrong criteria in choosing their candidate. We're not voting for a pastor or elder or even a Christian. We're electing someone to carry out God's purposes for government laid out in Romans 13 and elsewhere.
Will the candidate you're supporting minister to its citizens by punishing evil doers? Will your candidate be good at this? Or will he be passive and incompetent?
If you study the origins of government you find out, it pre-exists Abraham. It's a gentile institution for all peoples. There should be no faith litmus test at all.
For me, soteriological stances are the last place I'd look in making my choice. Jimmy Carter was a born-again Christian and was a disaster at carrying out God's purposes for government. And I don't know if Reagan was a Christian, but he was excellent at carrying out God's purposes. He ministered to the nation by showing strength.
Here's an article to support my thesis.
How Should Christians Vote? A Question Of Origins?
So far I'm a Trump supporter. He seems to meet every requirement I'm looking for. I could be wrong, but wanted to disclose my leanings.
But I think most Christians are looking at the wrong criteria. When you appoint a doctor, or lawyer, or mechanic do you check his theology? Do you check his marriage record? Or do you look at their competence? If you don't pick the most qualified, you're certainly not glorifying God, nor protecting your family. Same is true in appointing a governing authority. If you just fall into identity politics or pick the guy you think is most decent (like Max Lucado recommends), you're simply ignoring what God has said about the purposes of government. You're making it about your own criteria, rather than God's.
It has to be about policy. Policy expresses the candidate's purposes. Only then can we compare his purposes with God's purposes. Barack Obama is believed my many to be a "decent" man. Lucado has never criticized him. But does he have decent policies?
Just a challenge. Read the article linked above, if possible, before posting.
Will the candidate you're supporting minister to its citizens by punishing evil doers? Will your candidate be good at this? Or will he be passive and incompetent?
If you study the origins of government you find out, it pre-exists Abraham. It's a gentile institution for all peoples. There should be no faith litmus test at all.
For me, soteriological stances are the last place I'd look in making my choice. Jimmy Carter was a born-again Christian and was a disaster at carrying out God's purposes for government. And I don't know if Reagan was a Christian, but he was excellent at carrying out God's purposes. He ministered to the nation by showing strength.
Here's an article to support my thesis.
How Should Christians Vote? A Question Of Origins?
So far I'm a Trump supporter. He seems to meet every requirement I'm looking for. I could be wrong, but wanted to disclose my leanings.
But I think most Christians are looking at the wrong criteria. When you appoint a doctor, or lawyer, or mechanic do you check his theology? Do you check his marriage record? Or do you look at their competence? If you don't pick the most qualified, you're certainly not glorifying God, nor protecting your family. Same is true in appointing a governing authority. If you just fall into identity politics or pick the guy you think is most decent (like Max Lucado recommends), you're simply ignoring what God has said about the purposes of government. You're making it about your own criteria, rather than God's.
It has to be about policy. Policy expresses the candidate's purposes. Only then can we compare his purposes with God's purposes. Barack Obama is believed my many to be a "decent" man. Lucado has never criticized him. But does he have decent policies?
Just a challenge. Read the article linked above, if possible, before posting.