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The result of the 2004 Presidential Election in the United States of America has caused many persons to examine the beliefs of so-called conservative Christians. The election result has also fueled the notion that all so-called conservative Christians are and vote Republican. There may even be some who believe all Christians in the United States of America should vote Republican.
In the United States of America, does God favor the Republican Party over the Democratic Party? Is God in fact a Republican?
Should all Christians in the United States of America be and vote Republican? What about political parties in other nations? Does God favor one party over another?
The answer to these questions can be found in the written Word of God, the Bible. Why look to the Bible for the answers to these questions? The Bible is God’s Word to mankind, written by holy men of old as the Holy Ghost inspired them. (2 Peter 1:21) All true Christians, regardless of their political affiliation, believe this. Therefore, the Word of God is their political common ground.
First, what does the Word of God say about God and partisanship? “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.” James 1:13, 14. God is not a political partisan because partisanship is division and division is evil. (Matthew 12:25) Jesus Himself prayed for Christians everywhere (including all times), that they would be one. (John 17:22) Therefore, partisanship, especially among Christians, is evil (James 2:1, 9) and God cannot be tempted by evil. Therefore God is not a partisan.
The Word of God also states godly wisdom is without partiality. (James 3:17) Men, including Christians, are tempted by partisanship when they believe the realization of their hopes and dreams is threatened. God cannot be tempted with such evil because all of His promises are “Yes and in Him Amen…” (2 Corinthians 1:20) and, all of His plans come to pass (Isaiah 46:10, 11).
If God is not a partisan, what is He? What does He care about? How do men get His favor?
God is holy. “For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44, 45. Holy in reference to God is to be pure or intrinsically sacred and distinctly separate from anything and everything common or unclean. God is free from moral imperfections and failures associated with men. He is separate from evil, sin, death and idolatry.2
God, Who is holy, requires holiness in men. Man’s holiness is accomplished when he receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and as a result becomes born again through the washing of regeneration. (Titus 3:5) As a result of the new birth, man’s spirit is recreated in the image and likeness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17) The recreated spirit of man is holy and therefore man becomes holy.
The regenerated man’s holiness is demonstrated by consecrated living. The regenerated man lives a life of separation unto God. Jesus is his Lord. The regenerated man entered into a relationship with God the Father through acceptance of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice for him at Calvary. He then separates himself unto God to fulfill God’s purposes and plans for his life.
The regenerated man is the holy temple of God. God dwells in him through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost empowers the regenerated man for service.
God is righteous. (Psalm 7:9) God is just. He is the standard of ethics and morality.2 God is always right. He always does what is right. (Psalm 19:9)
The regenerated man is made the righteousness of God as a result of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. This righteousness is not based in any way on what man has done. It is based solely on the atonement of Jesus Christ. As the regenerated man continuously lives a life of obedience to God’s will for him, he becomes more and more Christ-like. (2 Corinthians 3:18) As his mind becomes renewed as a result of studying the Word of God, his thoughts and perspectives change. His motives are elevated. His decisions reflect the teachings of the Word of God. (Romans 12:1,2)
The changes that occur in men as a result of regeneration, living a consecrated life and continuously obeying God through the leadership of the Holy Ghost are not political. They are spiritual. These changes are not unique to persons of any particular political affiliation.
God cares about people. (2 Peter 3:9) He cares so much, He gave His only begotten Son to be sacrificed on Calvary’s cross to redeem mankind from sin. (John 3:16; Matthew 1:21) God cares about the spreading of the Good News of redemption through Jesus Christ around the world, so that all men can have an opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. God has given the responsibility of spreading the news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to regenerated men. When regenerated men bring their goals in line with God’s desire for the spreading of the Good News of Jesus Christ, they obtain His favor and blessing, without regard to political affiliation.
Historically, citizens of the United States of America have been very instrumental in helping to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world. This effort has not been confined to persons affiliated with any one political party. In order for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be spread freely from any nation, it is imperative that the laws of that nation be conducive to that effort. Therefore, regenerated men have an interest in the political process to insure the freedom necessary to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. Any nation whose citizens are instrumental in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ can expect the blessings of God to be upon that nation.
When citizens of any nation face moral challenges, the solution to those challenges may not be in legislation. Although passing laws relative to moral issues can curtail immoral practices, it is at best a temporary solution to a problem. Laws can be changed by a majority vote of a democratic society.
Moral issues, which are in fact spiritual issues, must be handled according to spiritual directives outlined in the Word of God. The Bible prescribes preaching the Word of God under the anointing of the Holy Ghost as the proper way to deal with moral challenges (Romans 10:14-17; Isaiah 55:10,11; Hebrews 4:12; John 15:5). It does not prescribe the passing of laws. If laws could remedy spiritual problems, there would have been no need for Jesus to die on the cross. (Romans 8:3,4) Permanent solutions to moral and spiritual challenges can only achieved when spiritual principles from the word of God are applied to them. This can be done by regenerated men operating under the anointing of the Holy Ghost -- without regard to political party affiliation.
References
1 Zodhiates, Spiros. The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible. King James Version. World Bible Publishers, 1991. Lexical Aids to the Old Testament, p. 1654.
2 ibid. p 1652.
Hayford, Jack W. ed. Spirit-Filled Life Bible. New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991.
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