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DAVID PLATT’S BEFORE YOU VOTE
David Platt serves as pastor-teacher at McLean Bible Church—very near to the Washington, D.C. Beltway. As pastor, he says, “I only want to lead our church in a way that transcends political views and celebrates the unity we have in Christ amidst all of our differences.”
One Sunday, President Trump visited his church and asked for prayer. Platt obliged, noting Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
Platt goes on to say, “Little did I know that as a result of that prayer on Sunday, and the letter I posted on Monday, I would find myself at the center of a social media firestorm. Some said I approved of everything the president does (in case you’re wondering, I don’t). Others claimed I had apologized for praying for the president (in case you’re wondering, I didn’t). Turns out, on Sunday I made a lot of people glad while those on the other side of the aisle were mad. On Monday, however, I turned the tables—everyone who had been glad was suddenly mad. In less than 24 hours, I managed to be labeled both a far right-wing conservative and a far left-wing liberal.”
Platt drew a conclusion about the church amidst the political climate in our country: we are sick. We are so quick to accuse, belittle, cancel, distrust, disparage, deride, and divide from one another. We are swimming in toxic political waters that are poisoning the unity Jesus desires for his church, and we are polluting the glory Jesus deserves through us in the world.
Platt’s hope is to fuel deeper affection for Christ while fostering healthier conversations among Christians as we participate in a presidential election.
QUESTION 1: DOES GOD CALL ME TO VOTE?
From the beginning of the Bible, we learn that all governance ultimately belongs to God. He is the Supreme Creator of all, Sovereign Ruler over all, and Righteous Judge of all. In this way, God’s Word cuts completely against the grain of how democratically-minded Americans are wired to think.
This world is not a democracy. This world is a monarchy, and God is the King. God gave dominion—or entrusted authority—to humans who have a unique capacity to relate to him and to reflect his rule in the world.
In a fundamental restart of society after the flood, God establishes essential foundations for just governance in the world. God created all people equally in his image, and he requires us to do justice so that every single person might flourish in the world.
Foundational Statement Number One: Government is a God-ordained institution for the purpose of promoting good and restraining evil. The purpose of government is to provide for the good of people and to punish bad conduct among people. By the design of God, government “bears the sword,” meaning government has the authority to enforce laws and penalize law-breakers.
Foundational Statement Number Two: Followers of Jesus should be submissive citizens of government with ultimate allegiance to God.
God’s words to his people in Jeremiah 22:3, “Do justice and righteousness,” and in Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This is strong language from God. He requires, commands, and—in a very real sense—demands that his people do justice.
All throughout Scripture, God makes it clear that leaders in government are responsible to him and will be judged by him. In short, those who make decisions in government are responsible for the effects of those decisions on the people influenced by their governance.
The entire idea of a representative democracy—a government of the people, by the people, and for the people—means that we are not just the “governed” in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2; in a very real sense, we are also the “governing.” Our votes collectively shape our government.
Consequently, as “governing” citizens we are accountable before God for the good of people affected by our government.
Based upon the biblical commands above, and the unique grace that God has given us as followers of Jesus and “governing” citizens in a representative democracy, it seems we have a responsibility before God and one another to steward our vote for the sake of good, God-glorifying governance.
In the end, what’s most important based on God’s Word, is the realization that how we use our vote is a matter of faithfulness before God. For our vote is a unique privilege and responsibility that God has entrusted to us by his grace, and God calls us to use every means of grace he grants us to love him above all and love our neighbors as ourselves.
QUESTION 2: WHO HAS MY HEART?
Every election people say, ‘This is the most important election of our lifetime.’ But this time, it actually is.”
We’re panicked by the prospect of what will happen if this or that candidate gets elected, or this or that party gains power.
Fatima and Yaseen are friends of Platt who live under a totalitarian Muslim regime that has outlawed conversion to Christianity. When Fatima placed her faith in Jesus, she knew she was risking her life and the loss of her family. Yaseen is a pastor of a secret church in a community not far from Fatima, and his house has been both raided and bombed. Yaseen and his family live under constant threat of governmental persecution. Needless to say, Fatima and Yaseen have never considered putting their hope in their government.
Even if we lose every freedom and protection we have as followers of Jesus in the United States, and even if our government were to become a completely totalitarian regime, we could still live an abundant life as long as we didn’t look to political leaders, platforms, or policies for our ultimate security and satisfaction. We can still have hope, peace, joy, and confidence regardless of what happens in our government, as long as, like Fatima and Yaseen, we look to Jesus alone for these things, and all of our hope hinges on him.
Jesus said, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” They brought him this coin, which was worth about a day’s wage. Jesus held it in his hand, looked them in the eye, and asked, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They answered, “Caesar’s.” Jesus replied, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” In response, the people who heard Jesus’s words “marveled” at what he said (Mark 12:13–17).
God’s image is stamped on every human heart. In other words, though Caesar may be worthy of a coin, God is worthy of our hearts. No worldly leader is worthy of our hearts. No governmental authority or political party is worthy of our trust, allegiance, or hope.
The lesson the Israelites learned from their first two kings was clear: evil leaders will let you down, and good leaders will let you down.
There is only one leader who is worthy of our hearts, including our trust, allegiance, and hope. He is the Son of Man in whom there is salvation, and his name is Jesus. This is the fundamental confession of the church—that God has made Jesus Lord and King of all.
First and foremost, we do not put complete trust in any political candidate or party. No candidate or party has a monopoly on justice. Only Jesus’s kingdom—an eternal kingdom that “is not of this world”—is ultimately worthy of our trust.
Like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before King Nebuchadnezzar, we would rather die than bow before any idol in this world. Like Daniel before King Darius, we pray to God like our lives depend on it, because they do.
As the one who receives all of our allegiance, King Jesus alone is worthy of our hope. We know that he alone is sovereign, and he holds our elected leaders in the palm of his hand.
QUESTION 3: WHAT DOES MY NEIGHBOR NEED?
Consider how political campaigns are designed to appeal relentlessly to our personal preferences. Candidates and parties woo crowds with promises of a better life for you and your children. With an air of nationalistic pride, electioneers paint a picture of a superior and more prosperous country in which you can achieve all your individual dreams. As voters, we are inundated with messages about our rights, our opportunities, all the privileges we are entitled to possess, and all the comforts we deserve to enjoy.
But do we ever stop to wonder if these election messages are actually dangerous for our souls? After all, where in the Bible does Jesus beckon us with all the privileges we are entitled to possess and all the comforts we deserve to enjoy? Where does Jesus woo us with promises of everything we want in this world? When does Jesus ever encourage us to promote our nation as superior or prioritize our preferences as supreme? We should pause and ask questions like, “Whose good should I promote with my vote?” and “What goals should I prioritize in my vote?” And we need to decide if our answers to these questions are driven by Jesus in his Word or by politicians in the world.
In a country saturated by claims to rights, Christianity is a completely counter-cultural way of life. Just listen to Jesus’s invitation: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). In a world full of rights, Jesus says, “If you’re going to follow me, you must die every single day to the rights you claim in order to do anything and everything I call you to do.” In other words, Jesus claims the right to determine the direction of your life and the decisions you make.
Jesus says life is found in loving your neighbor as yourself. Contrary to the pattern of this world that prioritizes our rights, Jesus calls us to prioritize others’ needs. As followers of Jesus, we should oppose oppression and we should care for the oppressed in accord with the character of God and the Word of God.
Doing justice means addressing laws, regulations, structures, and systems to better help those in need. According to God, then, my concern in voting should not just be for me and my children but also for others and their children.
Voting should not just be for me and my children, but also for others and their children. Consider God’s heart for orphans and widows: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27).
There is debate among followers of Jesus about immigration policies and paths to citizenship in our country. Similar discussion and debate could (and should) be had about how to care well for orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed. But at the base of those discussions and potential disagreements is a biblical command to care for all people made in the image of God, and particularly for people in need. These are issues that, biblically speaking, are of utmost importance. We can be more concerned about our personal desires in our own country than we are about the eternal destinies of people in other countries.
Shouldn’t we consider candidates and parties not based primarily upon our personal preferences, comforts, rights, or entitlements, but based on others who are in need?
QUESTION 4: WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN POSITION?
- “In my church, voting for a Democrat could be cause for removal from the church.”
- “I don’t see how it’s possible to be a Christian and vote for this or that Republican candidate.”
Such language—from either side—makes Platt wonder if we’re using the word Christian in a way that unbiblically divides the church and ultimately defames the name of Christ. Various people in the United States use the label “Christian” in political discussions in order to identify positions that Christ never explicitly took.
A Christian is a Bible-believing, gospel-embracing follower of Jesus. Conversely, someone who does not believe the Bible and embrace the gospel as they follow Jesus is not a Christian.
Because God creates all people with equal dignity in his image, the Christian position on racism (valuing one group of people over another based on arbitrary characteristics like skin color or hair texture) is clear: racism is evil, and we must work against it. Consider these additional issues:
- GENDER: God clearly made people as distinct men and women in his image. Therefore, the Christian position affirms these two genders as gifts of grace from God to be honored in every person.
- MARRIAGE: God clearly defines marriage as a monogamous union between one man and one woman. Therefore, the Christian position is that doing justice involves defending and promoting marriage according to God’s definition.
- ABORTION: God’s Word clearly indicates that he forms children in their mother’s womb. Therefore, the Christian position asserts that abortion is the wrongful taking of a person’s life. These examples, and seemingly countless others, represent clear, direct lines from biblical truths to political positions.
As Christians involved in a democracy, we should formulate positions on what we believe is most just when it comes to taxes. Still, we ought to be slow to use the phrase, “The Christian position on tax rates is ….” Why? Because even in our best attempts to apply what the Bible teaches about justice, we’re going outside the bounds of the clear and direct teachings of God’s Word.
The Christian’s supreme concern is the reputation of Jesus Christ. We live and die for his honor. So whenever we say, “The Christian position is …” we must be certain that it’s a position that is clearly and directly expressed in the Bible.
For these same reasons, we should never say, “The Christian candidate is …” and then insert the name of the candidate we prefer. Why? Because no verse in the Bible endorses any particular candidate in a contemporary election.
A similar caution relates to labeling a candidate—or even a president—as “God’s man or woman for this job” or “the person God has called or appointed to lead our country.” Maybe even worse, when non-Christians hear these sorts of statements, they might believe you’re saying that God endorses whatever that candidate says or does.
By all means, let’s strive to take political positions that are informed by gospel foundations. But let’s refrain from using language that unnecessarily, unhelpfully, or unbiblically ties the gospel to a political calculation. We’ll hopefully promote the unity of the church and magnify the name of Christ.
QUESTION 5: HOW DO I WEIGH THE ISSUES?
Let’s imagine a dream scenario. You enter the voting booth on election day, and you’re met with two options. The first candidate clearly represents positions that accord with God’s Word. The candidate is pro-life, promotes justice for the economically disadvantaged and the immigrant, and counters racism head-on. The candidate is an exemplary follower of Jesus who tries to put God’s clear commands into practice.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the way of the modern world. Let’s start by reiterating a point from Question 2 about who holds our hearts. In the history of democracy, every political party has possessed both strengths and weaknesses.
As we’ve seen, biblical principles are not exclusively practiced by one party or the other.
Before the 2012 election in the United States, one survey reported that 70% of people who identified as white evangelical Protestants said that an elected official’s personal character was critical to his or her ability to govern ethically. Four short years later, before the 2016 election, that number had dropped from 70% to 30%.
The reality that we face as we vote in a two-party democratic system: we are making a choice between sinful candidates and imperfect parties. No matter which way you vote, you’re going to support a candidate or party that may not align with biblical foundations in every possible area.
As we look at political issues, we want to determine how direct the line is from God’s Word to those issues. In our decision-making, we want to give greater weight to issues where the line is clear and direct, and lesser weight to issues where the line is less clear and more indirect.
The second factor to consider is practical consequences. This involves evaluating the potential consequences of the political decisions we make, including the effects of those decisions in our communities, our country, and the world.
According to Psalm 139 and a host of other Scripture passages, God knows, loves, forms, and fashions children in the womb of their mothers. Abortion, therefore, is an affront to God’s sovereign authority as Creator, an assault on God’s glorious work in creation, and an attack on God’s intimate relationship with the unborn. For this reason, Christians should work to save children in the womb. This is the Christian position. And it should be noted that the Christian position is also to care for children out of the womb as well as their mothers in at-risk situations.
No Christian would be a Democrat if the only issue involved in an election was abortion. If that was the case, then every Christian’s choice would be clear. But abortion is not the only issue involved in an election, particularly for the President of the United States. Every Christian has a host of issues to weigh in a presidential election.
Might it be possible for Christians to support a Democratic candidate or the Democratic Party in order to stop other injustices, even while understanding that the candidate they support desires to continue abortion?
“How do I weigh the issues?” is extremely significant and requires serious, informed, biblical, prayerful consideration in our voting decisions. Our goal is faithfulness to Christ as a unified church, even as we cast different ballots.
QUESTION 6: AM I EAGER TO MAINTAIN UNITY IN THE CHURCH?
The long-held view of politics and religion in the United States is that a person’s faith drives their politics.
In the United States, particularly among rising generations, people are choosing their political position first and then determining their involvement (or, increasingly, their lack of involvement) in church. Basically, people self-select into churches (or not into churches) based upon their politics.
One prominent study across a variety of churches found that very few people attend church services with other Bible-believing Christians who hold different political views than them. This is tragic. Followers of Jesus are dividing into different churches not based on what they believe about the Bible and the gospel, but based on what they believe about political candidates, parties, and positions.
Using powerful language in Ephesians 4:3, Paul urges Christians to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Considering this verse, “Aren’t Christians supposed to bend over backward to do everything they can in order to maintain unity in the church?” Sadly, it’s difficult to find this eagerness among professing Christians.
Some of Jesus’s final words come to mind. Before he went to the cross, he prayed the following for all believers: “That they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us” (John 17:21).
Paul called the church to build unity around Jesus. He prayed that God would “grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5–6).
The Bible exhorts Christians who think differently about things that are not as clear or essential in God’s Word. When that’s the case, the Bible calls us to do that which we believe best honors Jesus. Consider the language of Romans 14:6–8, “The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. The point is clear: in matters where Christians are free to differ, we are free to do whatever we believe most honors Jesus.”
God tells us that on issues about which we are free to disagree, we should practice love toward one another as if we’re family. “With brotherly affection,” Romans 12:10 says. We should “welcome” one another and refuse to “despise” or pass unbiblical “judgment” on each other because we’re “walking in love” toward one other (Romans 14:1–3, 15).
Listen to each other. In the words of James 1:19, we must be “quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (Maybe a modern-day paraphrase would add “slow to post or tweet.”)
As we listen to one another, we may realize that there are followers of Jesus in the church who think differently than us, and we may grow to respect their difference of opinion on issues that are not clearly spelled out in God’s Word.
Some would argue that Platt should or should not have invited the president onto the stage for public prayer. Platt notes that it is possible for Bible-believing, gospel-embracing followers of Jesus to have different convictions about this decision. And it’s possible that convictions on both sides of this decision might be grounded in the gospel and focused on the unity of the church.
So how do we maintain unity when we come to opposite conclusions based on biblical convictions? According to God, we stop and listen to each other in love. Sadly, this doesn’t happen very often these days.
According to research already referenced, we divide into churches based on political convictions, and we only surround ourselves with people who think like us. Along the way, we subtly become convinced that our convictions are the only convictions—or at least the right ones. Without knowing it, we create a false unity in the church based on political convictions instead of true unity around Christ and his Word.
Ask yourself, “How many close relationships do I have with followers of Jesus whose political convictions differ from mine (assuming those political convictions have biblical foundations)?” If you don’t have many (or any), then work to cultivate those kinds of relationships. Otherwise, we run the risk of deceiving ourselves into thinking that we have unity with other Christians around the gospel when, in reality, our unity is around a political ideology with Christ on the side.
Jesus beckons us to share our differences with humility, honesty, affection, sympathy, patience, kindness, gentleness, tenderness, and selflessness. He commands us to communicate with and about one another through speech that is gracious, fair, encouraging, edifying, never slanderous, and always seasoned with salt. He calls us to bear with one another in love, assume the best about one another by God’s grace, and care for one another with the attitude of Christ, always looking for opportunities to please one another instead of ourselves (Romans 15:1).
For the sake of Christ and His church, Platt encourages pastors to make the Christian position clear and as they do, also be clear about the ways in which Bible-believing, gospel-embracing followers of Jesus might differ when it comes to their convictions.
Platt points out, “We as pastors do not have the right or authority to stand before the people of God and call them to vote for a certain candidate, take a certain position, support a certain policy, or participate in a certain activity unless we can show clearly in God’s Word that every Christian should believe or act in that way. In other words, we are responsible to God for promoting the Christian position, not our political conviction. Pastors, for Christ’s sake, let’s never tie his majestic glory or matchless name to a mere politician or party.”
Take the time to listen to, learn from, and love one another, particularly those who differ from you.
QUESTION 7: SO HOW DO I VOTE?
Platt concludes, “While I hope this book has been helpful for you, my deeper hope is that it drives you to spend time alone with God. I hope you plead with him in prayer for wisdom regarding how to steward your vote.”
Consider Paul’s encouragement to the Romans. In the middle of that contentious environment in which Christians were adamant in their differing convictions, Paul attempted to comfort them, writing, “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
Do not be faithless on that day when you cast your ballot. Do not trust in yourself on that day. Do not trust in a candidate or a party on that day. Do not trust in anyone or anything but Jesus on that day. Make the stewardship of your vote the overflow of radical trust in Jesus, his Word to you, his Spirit in you, his rule over you, and his reign not only in our nation, but over all the nations. When you hold your ballot in your hand, pause and thank Jesus for his loving leadership of your life and his sovereign lordship over this election. Then, as you check that box, offer this simple and sincere prayer: “Lord, may your kingdom come.”
