Scripture: 1 Peter 2:13–14; Romans 13:3–4; Acts 19:37–41; Titus 3
Why a Pastor Should Talk About Christians and Politics
I’ve learned that from experience, and I probably don’t have to tell you this, that we live at a time in American history where it’s hard to just talk. Things have become so heated for so many reasons that breath gets short and emotions get high, and just discussing is really difficult without it becoming a debate or a caps lock, wheels off the bus, things going crazy. And that’s why I have to admit to you that I’m more than a little bit nervous for our topic for today.
It was over a year ago, I think fourteen or fifteen months, when I sat down to plan this year’s preaching calendar, and I came up with this series, “Can a Christian?” I thought, “Wouldn’t it be helpful if I came up with this? Can a Christian vote for that political party?” And I wish I could build a time machine and go back to myself fourteen months ago and say, maybe let’s talk about AI or something else. But that is the question we’re going to wrestle with today.
If you’re a Christian who wants to be faithful to Jesus Christ in all that you do, if you want your whole life and not just pieces of it to be pleasing to the one who saved you from your sins, and as you look across the aisle and see people or policies or platforms or official positions that you don’t agree with, that don’t line up with Jesus, can a Christian, can a Christian in any way endorse that? Can a Christian vote for that political party? That’s what we’re going to talk about today. And I should be honest, when I tell you that my dad told me not to do this.
It’s tempting to say nothing, to just get back to the songs and the sermons. But today, I want to say something about the Christian faith and American politics, and here’s why I want to do it. Because politics matters. If I would just immediately transport you to another country with different policies and different politicians, your life would change in an instant. You would realize very quickly that leadership matters. The leadership of a church makes a huge difference for the congregation. The leadership in a family makes a huge difference for the children, and the leadership of a country makes a huge difference for its citizens.
And so, yes, it’s intense, and yes, it can be partisan, and yes, people rage and post and leave the caps lock on, but if every single follower of Jesus totally detaches from politics because it’s so messy, that does not make the situation any better. We can’t totally disengage just because something is difficult. That’s very tempting to do. It’s honestly been very tempting for me to do as a Christian, but we can’t do that. And I want to speak about it because the Bible has actually a significant number of verses about the political realm, how Christians should live, what Christians should expect. And I’m afraid that if I don’t say anything, I will leave you to be formed and conformed to the spirit of the age. That the voices that we podcast and see on YouTube and on the evening news will shape what we believe and how we behave if there’s no pastor to shepherd us through this complicated time.
So, I’m going to grab my Bible today and just get back to the passages that speak about faith and about the state, about church and religion, and about political views and the government. I hope you can join me on this journey, all right? So, let’s look at the government, let’s look at the citizens, let’s look at Jesus, hope we can prove my dad wrong, and most importantly, be faithful to the God who loves us and gave us his Son.
What Does God Want from the Government? Justice
So, let’s start with the first part, the government. What does God want the government to do? God loves the Christian faith and its values more than any of us ever do, can, or will. So, is that what God wants from the government, to value what Jesus Christ valued? God loves prayer. Should we want the government to promote more prayer in more places? God loves his one and only Son, so is this what we’re looking for in a president, and a government and senators, and Supreme Court justices? What exactly does God want from the government?
Thankfully, he answers that question. Let me show you two passages, the first from the apostle Peter, who said to Christians in the first century:
“Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors” — get this — “who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.” — 1 Peter 2:13–14
God’s job description for the government are those two simple things, that wrongdoers should be punished and right doers should be commended.
That’s exactly what the apostle Paul says in Romans 13, maybe the most famous section on Christians in politics. Paul says this:
“Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” — Romans 13:3–4
So, when the government serves God, what is the government supposed to do? If you’re taking notes, let me summarize it this way. God wants the government to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty, and if that’s too much to remember, one word for that is justice. What God wants of the government is justice.
God uses big words here in Romans 13. He says he has given the government a “sword.” You were afraid of the sword. It wasn’t for slapping people on the wrist. And so, God creates the system to restrain the human propensity to evil and self-interest for the sake of justice. Now, that is simple to say in a couple of passages but in actual practice, it is so difficult for the government to promote justice for all people. It is so easy, and this is true for leadership in the church or anywhere else, for those who have power to use power for some but not for all. For my kind of people instead of all the kinds of people.
In American history, in a thousand different ways and moments, what has been so, so difficult is to actually protect all of the innocent, no matter your race or age or gender or economic status, and to punish all of the guilty. I was just reading the book of Proverbs, which has so much to say to governing leaders, and words like “partiality” and “favoritism” and “bribes” come up all the time because if I’m in power and you’re guilty of a crime but you can put something in my pocket, suddenly I forget my basic calling that God has given me that power is to punish guilty people, not protect them because he somehow made me rich. You might feel bad for certain communities but if someone has broken the law, punishment needs to happen instead of turning a blind eye or the very fabric of society pulls apart. This is so difficult for so many reasons. It should drive you to your knees in prayer that every person who has been given the sword, the authority by God, would use it for a God-given reason. They seek justice.
Why the Government’s Job Isn’t to Promote Jesus
Now, I want you to notice, Christians, what is not on this list. Jesus. Obviously, God the Father and God the Spirit love God the Son, Jesus, more than any of us do, but do they want, do they push, do they command or expect the government to be pro-Jesus? The answer is no. God has not asked the New Testament government, the Caesars from back then or the presidents and prime ministers of today, to be the pastors of their nations. In fact, if you’re a student of history, you know as tempting as this can be, if we could just use the system of the government and its power and authority to promote the message of Jesus, we think that’d be better for the cause of Jesus. Friends, it is not.
It’s tempting to repeat the line that “I vote my values,” but my greatest value is believing in Jesus. Do I want the cops arresting people for not believing in Jesus? “We should post the Ten Commandments.” “You shall have no other gods.” Should that be the law of the land? Should we arrest and imprison anyone who’s not a Christian because they’ve broken the very first commandment? It’s so tempting to take the Christian message of the church and slap it onto the state because it feels very Christian to do, but that’s not actually what Peter and Paul expected or wanted. In fact, read the entire New Testament and you don’t see this expectation that Christians would get to power and use the sword and the state to spread the message of Jesus Christ. I don’t want, you know, government taxes being the new offerings of the church. I want that to come out of a heart that’s been changed by the gospel. If we forget the distinct roles and goals of the church and the state, we end up in all kinds of messy places.
And so, when we vote, the most biblical thing, the most Christian thing that a Christian can do is to vote for maximum justice. I’m not trying to vote for the most Christian candidate. I’m voting for the one whose policies, platforms, and past voting record is the closest, from a human perspective, to maximum justice. It is irrelevant in this instance whether this politician goes to church or not, is a Christian or not, read the Bible that morning or not. What matters most, are they a person historically that stands for justice? Not justice for some but justice for all.
The Pagan Politician Who Protected the Apostle Paul
Reread all the sections, Romans 13, 1 Peter 2, 1 Timothy 2, Titus 3, and you will find that Christians did not expect the state to do their job and so they believed it was their job to preach the gospel and make disciples, baptizing people in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In fact, as you’re reading, you will find out that the early Christians were incredibly grateful for pagan politicians who stood up for the cause of justice. Let me show you a picture of what I mean.
This is the ancient Colosseum Theater in the city of Ephesus, one of the biggest cities in the ancient world. The apostle Paul brought the gospel there and when he did, when he preached that Jesus was God, the city exploded in a riot. A local craftsman named Demetrius riled up the neighbors and they were so mad about Paul’s religion, they were ready to tear him apart and end his life on that very day until a brave politician stepped forward. He was a city clerk, and the Bible tells us he was not a Christian. In fact, he shared his neighbors’ belief that Artemis, the Greek goddess, was a true and real goddess. He didn’t agree spiritually with Paul.
But do you know what he said about Paul? I’ll show you. Acts 19. The city clerk said:
“You have brought these men here” — Paul and his friends, you brought them here — “though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess.” They’re not guilty of any crime. “If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. — Acts 19:37–41
Did you know that multiple books of the New Testament would not have been written by Paul if it wasn’t for this brave, just, pagan politician? It’s not the only example and it’s a reminder to us that the government’s job is not to pray, it’s not to preach, it’s not to baptize, it’s not to serve communion, it’s not to post the Ten Commandments, it is to punish all the guilty people, to protect, like Paul, all the innocent people. That’s justice and that is what our God wants the government to do.
What Does God Want from Christian Citizens?
But what does he want citizens to do? That’s the second thing I want to talk to you about today and the answer, thankfully, is God tells us. If you would read the key political passages in the New Testament, if you want to write these down, they’re Romans 13, 1 Peter 2, 1 Timothy 2, and Titus 3, you would find actually dozens of different commands that God gives to Christians who are living underneath the government’s authority.
My favorite passage comes from Titus 3 where the apostle Paul says this:
“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” — Titus 3:1–2
Actually, I love the honesty of it, remind the people. Like when politicians are crazy, when things get so political, it’s going to be so tempting for them to forget, so remind them to be subject, submissive, obedient, to do the right thing. And with their words, with their attitude, to slander zero people, to be peaceable and considerate, and always be gentle toward everyone.
In fact, I put these commands together with the commands from the other sections of Scripture and I came up with a basic list of what it means to be a truly Christian citizen. Four things, I want you to write them down.
1. Obey the Governing Authorities
First, God wants every Christian citizen to obey. Here it says to be “subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient.” Unless the government specifically asks you to sin, a direct violation of what Jesus taught, Christians should be the most law-abiding people in the land, right? So, if you owe taxes, you might not like paying taxes, but pay taxes. Don’t find some way to cut the corner, don’t take cash underneath the table, don’t find some loophole. If an IRS agent ended up dating you and marrying you, may they find nothing in your past that causes them concern. If you’ve been arrested, don’t get arrested again. If you’re on parole, do what your parole officer says. We should be the kind of people that the authorities are grateful for. Like children with their parents, do the right thing with the right attitude. Obey, that’s number one.
2. Pray for Those in Authority
Number two on the list is to pray. 1 Timothy 2 says this most directly, that we should pray for all in authority with gratitude, with prayers, and petitions.
3. Respect Leaders — Even When You Disagree
Number three, this is a big one, to respect. This is a huge theme in the political sections of the New Testament. The Bible is not naive that politicians can be really poor. When King David, or David before he was king, was running in the wilderness from King Saul for years for his life, when he finally spoke to Saul, some of you have read the story in 1 Samuel, he spoke with unbelievable respect. When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon wanted to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fiery furnace, they didn’t, like, drop verbal bombs and drop the mic. They recognized and respected the office of the man who was about to unjustly murder them. When the apostle Paul was on trial and someone slapped him in the face, he didn’t think it was his right to sin right back. He spoke. It’s almost unbelievable in the book of Acts the way that people respected authority in the Bible.
The devil, in one sense, loves the freedom of speech because we often think that we’re free to say whatever we want. But Christians are called to the higher standard to use that freedom in ways that are not slanderous, that are considerate, that are peaceable. You have every right to speak, to disagree, to stand your ground with passion, but may it be with this kind of Christian heart and tone.
So, here’s some homework. If you think, “Oh wow, that’s not me,” I just want you to think about what comes in comes out. And so, if you are filling your head with podcasts or YouTubers or influencers whose tone is snarky and aggressive, who wouldn’t stand the chance of passing the Titus 3 test, it’s probably time, if you can’t keep to a Christian tone, to rethink your media habits, right? This matters to God. It’s not just the truth that matters to God. It’s the way that we speak the truth that matters to God. So, if you can’t keep Titus 3 today, rethink what you’re putting into your ears and into your heart.
4. Say Something When There Is Injustice
Four, finally, to say. There are times throughout the Bible when obedient, prayerful, respectful Christians had to say something to the government. Remember David running from murderous King Saul? He spoke to Saul with respect, but he told Saul that he was unjust and wrong. Remember the three men in the fiery furnace? They spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar with respect, but they told him that he was wrong. Remember Jesus on trial before Pontius Pilate or Paul before the Sanhedrin? They spoke with incredible humility, but they told the governing authorities that they were wrong. And there will be times when you will have to say either to the other party or to your own that they’re wrong. Not just that they’re unbiblical, we don’t expect the government to be biblical, but if they are unjust, it is so important for people who value justice, the God-given job of the government, to speak, which is why we have to say a few things today.
Can a Christian Vote Democrat or Republican?
Can a Christian vote for the current version of the Democratic Party? The answer is you can, but be careful. If you as a follower of Jesus have looked at the options, the platforms, the people, the policies, and you have been convinced in your heart neither of these people is Jesus, but one of them feels to me to be closer to the cause of justice for all, you can, in good conscience, there will be no church discipline or excommunication. You could vote for a Democrat, but if that’s where you’re at, if that’s what you believe, be so careful that the passions of your preferred party don’t blind you to some very evident causes of justice.
And can a Christian vote Republican? The answer is you can, but be careful. If you step back and look at the options on the ballot and you think deep into your heart that this is the most just, this is the platform, the person who protects the most innocent and punishes the most guilty, I have a thousand percent respect for you for coming to that conclusion, but be so careful. Be so careful that your dislike or disagreement with the other side doesn’t give you a blindness to the sins on your side.
The sign of true Christianity is when you call out the sins over there and right here. Jesus Christ was not afraid to say something to the Pharisees on the other side of the aisle and his disciples on his own, and if we’re going to be faithful to the cause of Jesus, we must do the same. I hope and I pray that we as Christians, that you who are watching at home would be salt in this decaying world and light in a culture that has gotten so dark. Every political conversation is, “Yeah, she’s not perfect, he’s not perfect, we’re not perfect,” but … it must start with us. With humility and repentance, not excuses, not asterisks, with equal standards. A good umpire calls a strike a strike, no matter what team is at bat, and as Christians we must do the same.
Why Christians Can Live Differently: Jesus
But why would you do it? Man, what I’m asking you to do, what the Bible’s asking you to do, will not make your life easier. The echo chamber is easier, the algorithm is easier, staying with your people and raging against the other side is much easier. Why would you do this? Why would you spend time praying for those people? Why would you be gentle toward everyone? Why would you be submissive and obedient? Let me give you a one-word answer. Jesus. Because our religious views about Jesus change us in every way, including politically.
Get this, right after telling the people to be obedient to the governing authorities, the apostle Paul said this in Titus 3:
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But” — but — “when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. … And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.” — Titus 3:3–5, 8
Instead of putting us up on a cross, we have a God whose kindness was so great that he appeared and he saved us. He didn’t save me because I was good. He didn’t save you because you were the perfect little Christian citizen. He saved you because he loved you. We were born as his enemies and he loved us. He should have brought down the thunder and instead, he came and stretched out his arms so that mercy might get the final word.
Knowing Jesus changes everything. That person might be wrong, but so was I. That person might be deceived, but so was I. That person might be living with hatred, but so did I. But God did not let that stop his incredible love for sinners. But if you’re a Christian, you have not just been forgiven, redeemed, and saved, you live every single day, no matter what citizen of what country you are, knowing that your King is the King above every king. That your God isn’t just loving in the past, he is sovereign in the present. That there is nothing that anyone can do. There’s no law that Congress can pass. There’s nothing that the President can say that can take away the future that you have of being with God. And when no one can touch your treasure, you can take a deep breath. You don’t have to lash out in defensiveness because you don’t need it. You have everything you need in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Three Things to Remember When You Vote
So, we’re asking a big question. Can a Christian vote for that person? And the answer is you can. Just remember three things. Remember that the government’s goal is not Jesus but justice. Remember that God has given you a clear command as a citizen to obey, to pray, to respect, and to say. And remember more than anything that Jesus is not just some guy from two thousand years ago, he’s the one who sits on the throne today, tomorrow, and forever. His kingdom comes into our hearts when we hear his Word, and his ultimate kingdom of power and grace is coming soon. Come quickly, King Jesus.
Let’s pray.
Jesus, you look down at the politicians of this world, and you laugh. You are not riled up, you are not panicked, you are not anxious for a single second. If our sins were forgiven in the days when the Romans ruled the earth, when Pontius Pilate gave in to the injustice of the crowd and put Jesus on a cross, if in that moment you did the greatest thing of our story, we have zero reason to be afraid. Thank you, Jesus, for both your love and your power. That in love you sacrificed yourself for the forgiveness of our sins, political ones included, and now in great power, you rule everything for the good of your people.
God, I pray today that all of us as Christians could be foreigners in exile, sanctified and set apart from the tones of our friends and neighbors who don’t know you. Instead, help us to be Titus 3 kind of people. Reminding each other to be gentle, to be obedient, not to be slanderous, to pray, to respect, to have the courage to say something. And those who step back and think about the greatness of the gospel, that we have a King who sacrificed himself for us, a King of immense compassion. May that set us apart to be the kind of church that you want us to be.
We pray all these things, Jesus, in your beautiful name — and all God’s people said, amen.
