Some Christians think that their citizenship in the kingdom of God is the only citizenship that matters.
But this is false dichotomy thinking.
Voting, and being a good Christian should not be viewed as an either/or argument. You can be a citizen of a spiritual kingdom and an earthly kingdom at the same time.
The example of the Apostle Paul is instructive here.
While frequently proclaiming the spiritual kingdom of God, he did not rule out participation in a human kingdom and as a Roman citizen, invoked his Roman citizenship when it was necessary for his benefit. He could have renounced his Roman citizenship, but he did not.
More broadly, students of the Bible should recognize the importance of civil human government. Whether the government was run by judges or kings or other means, the condemnation of evil leaders and the praise of Godly leaders is included throughout, especially with regard to the consequences to the populace.
One problem of application arises, however, because there is not a government like the U.S. government described directly in Biblical history. So U.S. Christians should understand their government in detail so they can apply Biblical principles to the existing circumstance.
U.S. Christians should remember that their government was created by Christian men endeavoring to create it on Godly principles for godly citizens to carry out and live under its authority.
From the U.S. Declaration of Independence: “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed … Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government … do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies.”
These phrases prove that the Founders believed that the true authority of the government resided in the people governed.
Even if as a Christian, you would not have instituted such a government, that is how our government was created.
The U.S. Constitution also makes this seat of government clear in the preamble:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The document then goes on to establish other elements of government that flow from the decision making, i.e., voting, of each citizen.
If you are a U.S. citizen you yourself are the source of government, not the president or any other government leader you can name.
Romans 13 provides Christians with generic principles regarding civil government:
Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God.
Therefore each U.S. citizen’s governing authority has been given to them by God.
Romans 13 continues:
Therefore whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
This is a warning most Christians should heed carefully. Not only are they to follow civil magistrates’ direction but in fact they are to wield their authority as the seat of the civil government appropriately. They have a dual responsibility.
Romans 13 continues:
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of that authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword in vain, for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
Go back and read the preamble to the Constitution again. Notice how it aligns wonderfully in purpose to Romans 13.
Some Christians object to the lack of a candidate who meets their standards of righteousness.
This argument lacks the understanding of an election system like that in the U.S. which has basically a 50 percent plus one definition of winning. These types of systems result in coalition voting that almost always result in a binary choice. That we have small minority parties and other small voting choices, never results in election outcomes that prove this binary abnormal. It is normal. Therefore the Christian voter is usually faced with an imperfect choice. Under these circumstances the voter much choose the best choice as imperfect as it might be. Otherwise he lets the worst choice have the power to prevail.
George Barna conducted a survey among voters a few election cycles ago and determined that roughly half of Christians choose not to vote.
But if a Christian citizen neglects his responsibility to choose leaders who will promote good and punish evil, he leaves it to the non-Christian to select leaders.
Will that lead to a greater good and diminished evil? Look around you American Christian. Could the proliferation of evil be a result of you not doing your duty? With individual rights come individual responsibilities. Too many Christians are neglecting their God given responsibility to shape the civil government while led by the Holy Spirit.
I challenge all Christians to pray for discernment on this matter and act accordingly.
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