"Voting by a Higher Standard"

by Sarah N. Zes
August 30, 2000

In a nation where most public decisions are made based on popular opinion and polls
rather than on principle, and public officials are elected
according to who does the best job of making his opponent(s) look bad
while charming the people with promises he won't keep,
it is obvious that a change is sorely needed in our political process and policies.
All too often it seems we cast our vote based on pragmatism and expediency -
settling for incrementalism and the "lesser of two evils" -
rather than having the courage and conviction to stand on principle and vote our conscience.
And how many of us even stop to consider before we enter the ballot box
whether or not our vote will bring glory to God by acting in obedience to the principles in His Word?

In other words, by whose standard do we vote?
If, as Christians,
we don't settle for anything less than God's standards
when we make decisions at home, work, and church,
why should we settle for anything less than God's standards when we vote?
The arena of civil government
is no less under God's sphere and law than the areas of family,
self, or church government.
In fact, there are a great deal of principles in the Bible
that address and expound on the topic of civil government,
including its role and the duty of its leaders,
along with the criteria for selecting them.
Contrary to the misguided philosophy of pacifist retreatism
and non-involvement so prevalent in churches today,
it is the job and duty of Christians to take back the gates of civil government
by being obedient to God in their voting
and by working to get righteous, just, God-fearing,
Biblically qualified candidates elected.
In fact, the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court
and part-author of the Federalist Papers,
John Jay, admonished in 1816:
"Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers,
and it is the duty,
as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation
to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."
We shouldn't expect a nation to stay "Christian"
if we don't elect Christian rulers!

It is also necessary that in our voting
we elect men who will not only be faithful to God and His Word,
but faithful to our country and its Constitution as well.
That means the candidate must not only have a thorough knowledge
and historical understanding of the Constitution and the Framer's intent,
but also strictly adhere - both himself and his policies - to its limitations.
In other words, the candidate should be promising us
what he's not going to do with our money,
rather than promising to invest it in yet another government program
when he has absolutely no authority to do so under the Constitution!
After all, every elected official is required to take an oath of office
in which he promises to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States -
something he cannot do unless he is proficient in its content
and original meaning and dedicated to its principles.

In order to take back the gates,
it is essential that we return to Biblical and Constitutional fidelity
in our politics,
rather than blindly adhering ourselves to a particular party.
This includes avoiding the pitfalls of buying into ideological systems
whose only difference is in the way in which they compromise justice
and steal our money: conservatively or liberally!
But compromising in "moderation" is still compromising,
and stealing in "moderation" is still stealing!
Does it honor God to support a "conservative"
who is only going to steal 30% of our money instead of 60%?
Or a "right-winger" who only compromises
on 20% of the issues instead of 80%?
How about a 99% "pro-lifer" who votes to kill only 15,000 babies a year
instead of 1,500,000?
Or a "pro-lifer" who appoints pro-abortion judges
or supports Most Favored Nation status
for the most pro-abortion nation in the world: China?
As Flip Benham so accurately and insightfully writes,
"The result of the Church of Jesus Christ allowing
'conservatism' to fight the battle savaging our nation
is that we are losing, but at a slower pace.
Conservatism's goal is to lose as slowly as possible
while maintaining office....
Conservatism is a pitiful and exquisitely deceitful substitute for Christianity.
It is pretend salt!"
As Christians, we are to be the "light of the world"
and the "salt of the earth" (Mt. 5:13-14),
with God's Word as our standard - not any ideological system.
But as long as we continue to support candidates who
have absolutely no regard for Biblical and Constitutional authority
nor adhere to their principles - no matter how "conservative"
they may be - our salt will lose its savor
and no longer be worth anything except to be trampled on by men.
Unfortunately, this is what we're seeing in America today.

By failing to have a Biblical and Constitutional understanding of government,
well-meaning Christians have fallen prey to the sound-good schemes
and hidden manipulations of politicians
who have done nothing more for us than take away our rights
by usurping more power for themselves.
This loss of liberty is a result of the government no longer fearing the people
(as the Founders intended), but the people now fearing the government.
This is tyranny! And it must be stopped!
We can start today by studying the Biblical qualifications for a leader.
Begin with Ex. 18:21; Dt. 1:13-17; 16:18-19; 17:14-20;
2 Sam. 23:3; 2 Chron. 19:5-10; the book of Proverbs;
and I Tim. 3:1-13.
Also, we should study our nation's founding documents,
including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution,
and the Biblical principles upon which they are based.
And then armed with this knowledge,
we can go to the polls and -
because they fear the Author and Giver of those rights
more than they fear public opinion and the press!

"When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers,
let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers
just men who will rule in the fear of God.
The preservation of a republican government
depends on the faithful discharge of this duty....
If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office,
the government will soon be corrupted;
laws will be made not for the public good so much as for the selfish or local purposes....
Corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws;
the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men;
and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded....
If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness,
it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands,
and elect bad men to make and administer the laws." - Noah Webster, 1832

Sarah N. Zes (age 21) lives in St. Louis, MO. She can be reached at romans6_23@juno.com

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