THE CHRISTIANS RESPONSIBILITY IN ELECTIONS
By
Pastor Roger Anghis
September 13, 2015
NewsWithViews.com
Exodus 18:20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
(21) Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
These are the scriptures that the Founders used in setting up our form of Government. This is the City Counsel, Mayor, Governor and Presidency. The most important aspect of this is “thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.” Our Founders believed, rightfully so, that it was the churches responsibility to raise up the people that were put into places of authority. This concept goes all the way back to the first laws in the Colonies that dealt with education. They required that all citizens be able to read and understand the Word of God so that they would know if and when a person in authority attempted to enact a law that was in violation of God’s Word.
They believed that all of the world’s woes were caused by a lack of knowledge concerning the Word of God. The first laws providing public education for all children were passed in 1642 in Massachusetts and in 1647 in Connecticut and it was called the “Old Deluder Satan Law”. These colonists believed that the proper protection from civil abuses could only be achieved by eliminating Bible illiteracy.
“It being one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of Scriptures, as in former time. . . . It is therefore ordered . . [that] after the Lord hath increased [the settlement] to the number of fifty householders, [they] shall then forthwith appoint one within their town, to teach all such children as shall resort to him, to write and read. . . . And it is further ordered, that where any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families or householders, they shall set up a grammar school . . . to instruct youths, so far as they may be fitted for the university.”[1]
The concept that the church is to be involved in the political process is not always accepted by organized religion. When I was growing up in the Baptist denomination I can recall most people in the church I attended stating that politics is so corrupt and that no good Christian would be involved in it. Even at that young age of under ten years old that didn’t make sense because the church was supposed to positively influence the world! If the church doesn’t get involved in the political arena, just how is it supposed to influence it? We are even told to pray for our leaders. 1Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
(2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. It makes no sense to put ungodly men and women in office and then have to pray 24/7 that they do godly things. This is where the church had failed and it has failed miserably.
There is also a misconception concerning those that are in office. Too many in the church believe that whoever is in office must be obeyed without fail no matter their policies. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Part of this misconception comes from what Daniel said in Daniel 2:21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:. Many in the church believe that whoever is in office is who God wants in office. That is not true. The best example of this truth is the first king of Israel, Saul. God didn’t want Israel to have an earthly king. Israel wanted an earthly king. God wanted to be the One who guided, directed, provided and protected Israel. Remember, God does not usurp our will. He will guide us in decisions if we will listen to Him, but He won’t override our will. I assure you that God did not want America to elect a muslim for our president! But that was the will of the people.
The other scripture that the church uses to blindly follow the fools that are in office is out of the book of Romans 13: Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
(2) Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
(3) For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
(4) For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
(5) Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. They read verse one and two and totally ignore the rest. Verse three states, For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. This really doesn’t require a whole lot of thought but has every person that has been placed in a position of authority qualified for that description? Was Hitler a terror to evil? How about Stalin or Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot or Saddam Hussein? Of course not. They were people who, for the most part, put themselves in positions of authority. We have the opportunity to elect whom we believe to be the best to represent us in all areas of government, local, State and federal. The other thing that the church fails to do is to stay informed as to what those that are in office are doing, especially the preachers. They think that following the politicians is not ‘spiritual enough’. I’ve even heard foolish preachers say “It doesn’t matter who’s in office, God is still on the throne.
How’s the last six years worked out for you? John Adams made a comment about government that we should take the time to understand: "Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity, and happiness of the people; and not for profit, honor, or private interest of any one man, family, or class of men." Notice that this parallels Romans 13:3-4. The big question is what is the church supposed do when we have a despot in office like Barack Obama? He cares not about the common good of the American people. As a matter of fact, by his actions, he is more concerned about illegals and muslim nations than he is Americans. He does very little to protect Americans, he is spending us into bankruptcy and want to fundamentally change America into the largest muslim nation in the world. From his book Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.' That is where his heart is.
Thomas Jefferson commented on what would happen if the people began to not pay attention to what was happening in government: "If [the People] become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves." We have allowed those in power to accumulate too much power. They have gotten to the point where they actually believe that they have the right to tell us what to do when in reality it is us that has the right and the duty to tell them what to do. It is a representative government.
John Adams stated: “We electors have an important constitutional power placed in our hands; we have a check upon two branches of the legislature, as each branch has upon the other two; the power I mean of electing, at stated periods, one branch, which branch has the power of electing another. It becomes necessary to every (citizen) then, to be in some degree a statesman, and to examine and judge for himself of the tendency of political principles and measures.
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Let us examine, then, with a sober, a manly … and a Christian spirit; let us neglect all party virulence and advert to facts; let us believe no man to be infallible or impeccable in government, any more than in religion; take no man’s word against evidence, nor implicitly adopt the sentiments of others, who may be deceived themselves, or may be interested in deceiving us.”
The church is supposed to raise up those that are placed in authority, but they don’t. The church is to follow the machinery of the political arena, but they don’t. The pulpit is supposed to inform the people concerning the people that are running for office, but they don’t. As it was with Israel, when the king was corrupt the nation was corrupt and because the pulpit has failed America we are rife with political corruptness that only the church can correct. But will it? America, this is generation that will lose or restore our great nation.
Footnotes:
All scripture is KJV unless otherwise noted
1. Defining America’s Exceptionalism, Roger Anghis (Westbow Press, Bloomington, IN) p. 43.
� 2015 Roger Anghis - All Rights Reserved
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Pastor Roger Anghis is the Founder of RestoreFreeSpeech.org, an organization designed to draw attention to the need of returning free speech rights to churches that was restricted in 1954.
President of The Damascus Project, TheDamascusProject.org, which has a stated purpose of teaching pastors and lay people the need of the churches involvement in the political arena and to teach the historical role of Christianity in the politics of the United States. Married-37 years, 3 children, three grandchildren.
Web site: BuildingTheTruth.org
E-Mail: editor@restorefreespeech.org
