I Voted (Here's Why)

by Matthew S. Bracey

It’s an election year. Will you vote Democrat, Republican, or independent? Or will you vote at all?

Invariably, discussions of American politics lead to flared tempers. “We should vote for this candidate,” one Christian claims. “No, we should vote that one,” retorts another. Others throw up their hands in frustration and swear off politics altogether. Is this the proper response?

Amidst such clamor and polarization, as Christians, we must look to Scripture as our guide. What does it say about government, politics, citizenship, and voting?

Praise God for Government

The great reformer Martin Luther stated that governing powers exist “by God’s will and ordinance.”1 It’s true. The Apostle Paul wrote that “there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1b). Its purposes are clear: to curb wickedness and promote peace.

Even when we don’t understand it, sovereign God Himself institutes governing powers. For Paul, this was Rome. For Luther, Germany. And for us, America.

It’s so easy for us to point out what’s wrong with our government, right? But what about what’s right about it? Consider this: Do we ever hear good news in the media? Hardly. By and large, it’s bad and negative. Yet, we can’t assume that it’s all bad simply because that’s what we see and hear. After all, God did institute it.

Through it, God punishes evildoers, such as murderers, rapists, and thieves through lawyers, judges, and jailers (Romans 13:4). Through it, He watches over us by enacting speed limits and erecting road signs. And through it, He rescues us from burning buildings and desperate car crashes by the local fire and police departments.

For sure, governing powers do bad things, since the curse on sin has affected those who lead them. Yet, they do great good too. Without government, “wickedness is given free reign,” writes Luther.2 Praise God for government!
What does this mean for us? A great deal.

Interpreting Citizenship Through Vocation

Put simply, vocation describes that to which someone is called. For Christians, this catchall term refers to any area of life to which God calls us (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:1-2; 7:15-20; 2 Thessalonians 2:14). It includes our professions, yes. But it also includes our families, churches, and schools.

Through the institution of vocation, God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31). These include all people (cf. Luke 10:29-37). For instance, in families, our “neighbors” are spouses, siblings, and even children. In churches, they include pastors, teachers, and other church members. In professions, they include bosses and co-workers. And in schools, they include professors, fellow students, and even the administration.

This doctrine is as practical as it is theological:

• We can take pride in our vocations. And we need not develop vocational inferiority complexes.
  

• We can eliminate that unbiblical distinction between the “sacred” and “secular.” All callings are holy and sacred, and none are any more spiritual than others, for they are all God’s.3
  

• We can place utter confidence and trust in God who has Himself called us to our respective vocations. This is great news for those entangled in the depths of discouragement, despair, and depression. Because our callings come from beyond ourselves, we can breathe a sigh of relief. The pressure is off.
  

• Finally, we can know that God involves Himself in our lives on a day-to-day basis. Seemingly hidden in the ordinary busyness of everyday life, God is much bigger than we imagined!
  

Yet, just as vocation encompasses our families, churches, professions, and schools, it also encompasses our nation.

The Ethics of Citizenship

Think about it: We don’t choose the genealogical time or geographical space into which we’re born. No, God chooses that. It’s neither accident nor fortune. It’s God—when and where we’re born. Citizenship is a calling from God.

Are you American? If yes, then God has called you to American citizenship, just as He has called me. This is not by default, but by design. And in it, God calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves. These include fellow citizens, such as that cashier in the grocery store or waiter at your favorite local restaurant. Yet these also include our nation’s civil servants, such as those leaders in the military, politics, and yes, even the IRS.

Through the vocation of citizenship, God calls us to love these neighbors in at least two ways: submission and prayer.

First, God calls us to love our leaders by submitting ourselves to their power. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers (or governing authorities)” (Romans 13:1a; cf. Titus 3:1), writes Paul. “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man [or human institution] for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13), writes Peter.

Just as God institutes governments, He also institutes its leaders. Paul identifies them as God’s agents, ministers, and servants of justice (Romans 13:4, 6). Part of this subjecting means obeying. Jesus puts it this way: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Peter even identifies such obedience as God’s will (1 Peter 2:15). And to do otherwise is to disobey Him (Romans 13:2).

By obeying America’s laws, we love our fellow citizens. Remember, this is the whole point of vocation—to show Christ’s love to our respective neighbors. For instance, the simple act of stopping at a stop sign and avoiding a collision with another takes on a whole new meaning when viewed in this light.

Second, God calls us to love our leaders by praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1, 2). To do so is “good and acceptable” in God’s sight (1 Timothy 2:3). Paul uses this same phrase in Romans after urging us to present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice, and to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1, 2). In other words, sacrificial living includes fervent prayer on behalf of our leaders.

Take the early church: Their leaders included the great persecutors, such as Nero, Maximinus Thrax, Decius, Diocletian, and Galerius. If they prayed for their leaders, we can certainly pray for ours. God calls us to it, whether they’re Democrat or Republican, and whether we agree with their policies or not.

Do you pray for President Barack Obama? Will you pray for whoever wins the upcoming election? For both questions, whatever our political allegiances, we should answer "yes." God commands it in His Word. And by it, we show Christian love.

God Doesn’t Call Us to Be Jesus. He Calls Us to Be Christians.

Someone once said to me, “You know, the more I think about it, I’m not sure that Christians should concern themselves too much with politics, such as voting. I mean, Jesus didn’t vote, right?” You can imagine my disbelief. After pausing a moment and collecting my thoughts, I replied in kind, yet tongue-in-cheek, “By that logic, we probably shouldn’t marry or own a home either.”

My point was clear enough: The Father called Jesus to live a distinct life. He doesn’t call us to live the same life. As a matter of fact, we couldn’t if we tried. No, God does not call us to be Jesus. He calls us to be Christians, literally, “little Christs.”

This includes taking God at His word in His Word. By design, God has called us to American citizenship. In short, this means we do those things that citizens do. Yes, this includes submitting to government, obeying laws, and praying for leaders. But it includes so much more, like running for local offices, peacefully demonstrating at statehouses and on street corners, attending political rallies, calmly discussing political issues with those around us, and yes, voting in elections.

Plain and Simple

Have you every heard of Thomas Dewey? Perhaps not. He lost the 1948 presidential election to Harry S. Truman. What many don’t know is just how close the election was: Had Dewey received one more vote per precinct from the states of California and Ohio, he would have won. Similar examples are sprinkled throughout American history.

Yes, one vote makes a difference. It may seem insignificant. But it’s not—certainly not in the cumulative. And even if it were, God has called us to American citizenship—plain and simple—and thus to vote.

Should we vote? Absolutely! I will, and I hope you will too.

About the Writer: Matthew Bracey, a 2008 graduate of Welch College, writes for the Helwys Society Forum, a widely read online forum that engages theology, spirituality, ministry, and culture. Having recently graduated from Cumberland School of Law (J.D.) and Beeson Divinity School (M.T.S.), he is currently studying for the Tennessee Bar Examination. He lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife Sarah.

[1] Martin Luther, Temporal Authority: To What Extent It Should Be Obeyed (1523), in Selected Writings of Martin Luther: Volume 2 (1520-1523), Theodore G. Tappert (ed.), J. J. Schindel (trans.), Walther I. Brandt (rev.) (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007), 275

[2] Ibid., 282.

[3]Consider these passages as examples of the many professional callings to which God calls His followers: Genesis 41:38-41; Exodus 31:1-11; 35:30-35; 36:1-2 Daniel 2:46-49; Est. 2:17-20; Mark 1:16-20; John 21:1-3; Luke 19:1-10; Acts 8:27; 10:1; 13:7; 18:1-3; Romans 16:23

Suggested Reading: Gene Edward Veith, Jr., God At Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life (2002)