Should Churches Endorse Political Candidates?

Last updated on: October 25, 2016 at 2:09 pm by Jack Wellman

Should Churches Endorse Political Candidates? 2016-10-25T14:09:55-05:00 Jack Wellman

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Should Churches endorse political candidates?

The Salt of the Earth

Jesus told His disciples that they were to go into all the world to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19-20), but He didn’t say, “You will remake the nations.” That’s not our job. God is sovereign even over those who don’t know Him (Prov 21:1). Never are we to force people to be His disciples. Jesus never forced Himself on anyone. That’s not the way salt and light work. Jesus told His disciples (and us), “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matt 5:13). Salt that is no longer good is often mixed with other ingredients to make roads. This acts to bond to the surface, hardening it and also repelling water, so in a similar fashion, a believer who’s lost their witness (saltiness) is not much good for the kingdom and may become a bit hardened in the heart; however saltiness in the believer’s life should act like salt does; it enhances the flavor of foods, it cleans and sterilizes wounds, and it also penetrates foods and acts as a preservative agent. A Christ-follower should enhance life for those around them; they should give comfort to those who are hurting; and they should be a voice for Christ in sharing the message of eternal life found only in Him. God can use us as a means to save some, although never by coercion or force. It is God alone Who saves (John 6:44; Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8-9).

The Light of the World

Jesus also tells those who believe in Him, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt 5:14). If you have the light of God’s Spirit in you, then you cannot hide it from the world. In fact, people never “light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house” (Matt 5:15). It would make no sense to light a lamp and not put it to use, so Jesus says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:16). If the light is hidden by our reluctance to share Christ with others, no one will even see the light, however, if the joy of the Lord is your strength Neh 8:10; Psalm 28:7-8), then it will light the whole house…or wherever you are. If they see your good works, they will give glory to God. God prepared these works ahead of time so that we’d do them (Eph 2:10) and bring glory to God. In this way, Christ is illuminated in us, so that others might be drawn to Him (John 6:44).

Salt and Light

Imagine being told to obey those who are in authority in the world in which they lived? But that’s just what Jesus and the disciples did. Jesus even said we are to render unto Caesar the things unto Caesar, so to just stay home on Election Day doesn’t render anything to anybody. Isn’t that dereliction of duty as a citizen? If we decide not to vote, we are just leaving it up to those who don’t know God to decide for us. Not voting is almost like voting for the side you didn’t want to win. By not voting, you are silencing your voice in the political system that every American citizen has the right to participate in. Salt is only useful if it gets out of the shaker. Light is only useful if it’s put on the table to light the whole house. If we are going to have to make choices on a candidate, let them be about the most important issues of all. It’s sad that today we’re voting more “against” someone than voting for someone. Sometimes, we are forced to vote for the one we dislike the least. Even so, we should still choose whoever is the closest to our set of beliefs, morals, and values. For me, a candidate who is pro-life is of supreme importance. But, that’s why we vote. We decide…or we leave it up to others to decide. Do you think that someone who doesn’t vote has the right to complain about a candidate was elected?

Political Endorsements

I know that churches cannot, from behind the pulpit, ask the congregation to vote for one candidate or another, but the church, as individual citizens, have every right to tell others who they want to vote for and why. Besides, the church as an entity may have less of an impact than the sum total of her parts individually. There is more that can be done by the membership in their community than they can do in church, besides pray. This doesn’t mean that the candidates cannot be mentioned and their platform not discussed in church. That would be necessary in any case, but we shouldn’t be declaring that God is a Republican or God is a Democrat, or Independent. God is sovereign over the nations, and “it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another” (Psalm75:7), and it is God Who “changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Dan 2:21). It’s just as if, “He looses the bonds of kings and binds a waistcloth on their hips” (Job 12:18). Whatsoever God purposes, will come to pass.

Conclusion

I remember in ancient times that God would sometimes give the nations of Judah and Israel (after they had divided) evil rulers as a form of His judgment upon them. Is that what seems to be happening today? Not that the candidates are evil, but do you think God is giving us the leaders that we deserve as a nation which has turned its back on God? Whatever the case may be, we should be participating in the process by voting for those who we feel are most qualified and who support issues that are important to us (such as supporting life). A candidate that you feel that strongly about you could certainly endorse in front of others, but I still think that it’s far more effective to have the individual members support a candidate they want, rather than do so corporately, as a church.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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