By Gustav Kros
31/10/2024
On Tuesday, 5 November, the United States (US) will hold its presidential election. Voters will choose between Kamala Harris of the Democratic Party and Donald Trump of the Republican Party to serve as the country’s president for the next four years.
Elections are all about the prosperity of a country and its people. Citizens cast their vote for the person and political party whom they believe will govern the country best, to ensure the livelihoods of all citizens will prosper. This is the foundation of election campaigns. Candidates persuade citizens to vote for them by promising that, if elected, they will implement certain policies that will lead to the prosperity of the country and its citizens.
Christians know, however, that there is a direct correlation between the prosperity of a country and the sins committed within it. In Leviticus 20:22-23, God tells the Israelites: “Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them.”
Christians should, therefore, not base their decision on the worldly solutions the candidates present for the prosperity of the country. Instead, they should consider which candidate’s policies are most closely aligned with Scripture and will lead to the least amount of sin being committed in the land. In any election, there is no perfect candidate to vote for, as all human beings are sinful (Rom 3:23). However, within the context of the US election, there is a clear distinction between the two parties’ reverence for God’s Word.
When considering the various decrees and laws that God mentions in Leviticus 18-20, a large portion pertains to unlawful sexual relations, all of which contribute to the defilement of the land. When one then observes the growth of the LGBTQ+ movement in the world, particularly in the US, Christians need to recognise that approving of unnatural sexual relations will have consequences for the prosperity of the land. Within the context of election decisions, it would, therefore, not make sense for Christians to vote for a political party that promotes the increase of sexual sin in the land.
Along with this, Christians have a responsibility to raise their children in the ways of the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 states, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Families are the building blocks of society. Therefore, it is unwise to support a government that undermines healthy family structures by teaching children that they can choose their sexual orientation and gender identity and making it as easy as possible for them to change their gender.
Governments have their role in society, but they should not overstep the line where parents have the authority to educate their children in the ways of the Lord. When healthy family structures break down, society as a whole will crumble and fall apart. Thus, for the prosperity of one’s country, it is wise to vote for a government that supports parents in raising their children in a godly manner.
Promoting a sinful lifestyle has a domino effect. If unlawful sexual relations are encouraged and Christian family values are eroded, there will be more unwanted pregnancies, leading to more abortions, and thus the cycle of sin on the land continues to spiral out of control. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the political party opposing the biblical stance on sexual orientation is the same party that promotes abortion, contributing to the further defilement of the land—ultimately sinning against God and rebelling against His guidelines, which were set in place to protect us.
Deuteronomy 24:4 says, “Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.” This was, and still is, true for Israel, but it is also true for all Christians. Therefore, if Christians truly seek the prosperity of their country, they will be wise to vote for the party that promotes less sin to be committed on the land, not more.
Both the Democratic and Republican Parties commit sins and are flawed; both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are sinful people, so there is no perfect candidate to vote for. As Christians, our hearts and values must be set on things above and on the guidelines found in Scripture—which are meant to speak to all spheres of our lives, including the governance of our country. If one desires to see a long-term, prosperous future for the USA, it is wiser to consider voting for the party that still shows some reverence for the Word of God, rather than basing a vote on whom we deem more likeable. As believers in Jesus, we need to prioritise Scripture above our personal worldviews and adopt a Kingdom worldview based on the Bible. Therefore, if we seek the prosperity of our nation and its people, we must vote for the party that aligns itself most closely with the Word of God and not for the party that outrightly promotes a sinful lifestyle.
Please pray with us for the following:
- Pray that voters will use Scripture as their foundation when choosing which party to support, looking beyond individual candidates to consider the values that each party represents.
- Pray that calm will prevail following the elections, that the outcome will be accepted, and that the new leader will possess the wisdom to bridge divisions within the nation.
- Pray for the Church in America to guard against deception and to exercise wisdom in both words and actions.