Why Christians Should Vote

Providence Has Given Us a Meaningful Voice

I voted this morning.

Normally, that would not be particularly noteworthy. I walked into my polling place, checked in, cast my ballot, and went on with my day. It did not take very long. But today is a special election day in South Carolina, and elections like this have a way of exposing something about the way we think about our responsibilities as Christians and citizens.

Presidential elections receive enormous attention. People plan for them and social media becomes nearly unbearable because of them, but special elections, primaries, local elections, and runoffs can pass almost unnoticed.

Christians should resist that tendency.

If God in His providence has placed us in a country where ordinary citizens have a meaningful voice in choosing those who govern them, then exercising that privilege should ordinarily be regarded as an act of Christian stewardship.

Voting is not the most important thing South Carolina Christians will do today, but that does not mean it is unimportant.

Citizens of Heaven Who Pray for God’s Will on Earth

Christians possess a citizenship that transcends every earthly nation.

Paul reminds wisely reminds us that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).

That means our ultimate allegiance is not to America, a political party, a president, a senator, or any other earthly authority. Jesus Christ is King. His kingdom will remain when every nation presently appearing on a map has disappeared.

But heavenly citizenship does not produce earthly indifference.

After all, the same Lord who teaches us that His kingdom is not of this world teaches us to pray:

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).

That is a remarkable prayer.

Every time Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are asking God to advance His kingdom, overthrow the works of darkness, bring sinners under the saving reign of Christ, conform His church increasingly to His Word, and cause His righteous will to be honored throughout the earth.

We are not praying for escape from the world. We are praying for God’s will to be done in it.

The Westminster Larger Catechism beautifully explains the second petition by saying that we pray that “the kingdom of sin and Satan may be destroyed,” that the gospel might be propagated throughout the world, that the church might be furnished with faithful officers, and that Christ would “exercise the kingdom of His power in all the world, as may best conduce to these ends” (WLC 191).

That does not turn the civil government into the church, it does not make America the kingdom of God, and it certainly does not mean that electing the right candidate ushers in the kingdom of Christ.

But it does mean that Christianity cannot be reduced to a private faith concerned only with getting individual souls to heaven.

Christ is King, His Word is true, His definitions of good and evil are actual, and His standards of justice are real. Right now. And Christians are called to live faithfully under His Lordship. Right now.

That includes the way we exercise our earthly citizenship.

Paul could insist upon his heavenly citizenship while also invoking his Roman citizenship when justice required it (Acts 16:37–39; 22:25–29). He did not regard his civil status as ultimate, but neither did he regard it as meaningless.

Christians should do the same.

We should reject the political idolatry that acts as though the kingdom of God hangs in the balance every election day, but we should equally reject the political indifference that says earthly government does not matter because our citizenship is in Heaven.

We are citizens of Heaven who have been placed by God’s providence in particular cities, states, and nations.

And while we are here, Jesus teaches us to pray and live, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

Civil Government Matters to God

Scripture does not treat government as insignificant.

Romans 13 describes the civil magistrate as “God’s servant for your good” (Rom. 13:4). First Timothy 2 commands Christians to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions” so that we may lead “a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Tim. 2:2).

Government matters because justice matters. That means laws matter. Why? Because the protection of life, marriage, family, religious liberty, the punishment of evil, public order, and the ability to live peaceful and productive lives matters.

Christians should therefore care about who exercises civil authority.

Of course, voting is not explicitly commanded in Scripture. The apostles did not live in a constitutional republic in which they were regularly handed ballots and asked to select senators, governors, sheriffs, legislators, and local magistrates. But Scripture gives us principles for exercising the opportunities providence places before us.

When God gives us money, abilities, and influence, we are called to be stewards of it. Therefore, when God places us in a political order in which citizens possess some influence over those who will exercise civil authority, that ability is also something to steward.

The question is not simply, “Where does the Bible command me to vote?”

A better question is, “How should a Christian faithfully use the political influence God in His providence has placed into his hands?”

Salt and Light Do Not Retreat from the Darkness

Jesus tells His disciples:

“You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:13–14).

Those words describe something fundamentally deeper than political engagement. Jesus is describing the identity and calling of His people in the world. Yet that calling has implications for our life as citizens.

Christians should not be content simply to watch darkness advance around them while convincing themselves that disengagement is somehow more spiritual. We know what God calls good and evil. We know that human life bears the image of God, that marriage and family are divine institutions, that justice matters, that rulers are accountable to God, that the innocent should be protected, the guilty restrained, and the weak defended.

And then, remarkably, we live in a political system that regularly asks us, “Who should exercise that authority?”

Christians should not shrug their shoulders at that question.

There are places in the world where Christians have virtually no voice in determining who governs them. There have been countless generations of Christians who possessed no ballot, no meaningful political representation, and no peaceful mechanism for influencing who would exercise civil authority.

Providentially, we do. Therefore, we should be good stewards of this blessing.

When Christians vote, we are not “bringing in the kingdom” through the ballot box. Christ’s kingdom does not rise or fall with an election. The Great Commission has not been replaced by a political campaign. But neither should we retreat into a kind of Christian quietism that watches evil flourish in the public square and refuses to use the lawful means God has placed in our hands to restrain it.

Sometimes being salt means preserving what is good from corruption, and sometimes being light means exposing what darkness would rather keep hidden. Faithfulness means saying publicly that some things are true and others false, some things just and others unjust, and some things righteous and others wicked.

Providentially, we are given the opportunity to express those judgments with a ballot. We should take that opportunity seriously.

What Should Christians Look for When We Vote?

Of course, saying that Christians should vote immediately causes people to ask, “What should Christians vote for?”

The answer cannot always be simply be a party designation.

Political parties are human institutions. They can be useful, but they can also be corrupt, inconsistent, cowardly, and wrong. Our consciences ultimately belong to God, not to a political party.

Nor should Christians expect perfection from political candidates. Nevertheless, Scripture tells us enough about righteousness, justice, human dignity, and the purpose of civil government to give Christians categories by which to judge those who seek political authority.

Protect innocent human life. Human beings bear the image of God (Gen. 1:27). Civil government therefore has a solemn responsibility to protect innocent life, including the lives of those who are weak, vulnerable, or unable to defend themselves.

Uphold justice impartially. Scripture repeatedly condemns partiality. “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great” (Lev. 19:15). Justice should not depend upon wealth, race, political connections, popularity, or usefulness to those in power.

Recognize marriage and family as realities that precede the state. Government did not invent marriage, parenthood, male and female, or the family. God did. Wise government should protect rather than undermine these basic institutions of human society.

Respect religious liberty and the freedom of the church. Caesar possesses real authority, but he does not possess unlimited authority. There are things that belong to Caesar and things that belong to God (Matt. 22:21). Government should recognize the limits of its jurisdiction rather than intruding upon the worship and government of Christ’s church.

Punish evil and protect public order. Romans 13 does not describe the magistrate as bearing the sword for nothing. Government has a God-ordained responsibility to restrain wrongdoing and maintain a just and peaceful civil order.

Tell the truth and demonstrate integrity. “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD” (Prov. 12:22). Christians should not suddenly decide that character is irrelevant because the person displaying bad character happens to advance policies we prefer.

Exercise authority with humility and restraint. Civil rulers are servants, not saviors. They possess delegated authority, not absolute authority. Christians should be wary of candidates who treat political power as though there are no meaningful limits upon what government may do.

Seek the genuine good of the people they govern. Political office should not merely be a pathway to celebrity, wealth, revenge, or personal advancement. Authority is a stewardship, and those who exercise it should understand that they are responsible for the good of the people entrusted to their care.

That does not make every election easy.

We will often choose between imperfect candidates. Sometimes one candidate may be stronger in character while another is substantially better on matters of grave moral importance. Christians will have to exercise prudence, weigh competing considerations, and distinguish between matters of biblical principle and matters of political wisdom.

But “it is complicated” cannot become an excuse for refusing to think Christianly. Before voting we ought to ask questions like:

What has God said is good?

What has God said government is for?

Which candidate is most likely to exercise civil authority in accordance with those goods?

Then we should pray for wisdom, make the best judgment we can, and vote with a clear conscience before God.

“My Vote Doesn’t Matter”

This may be the most common excuse, especially during smaller elections. One vote among thousands or millions seems insignificant. But Christians should be suspicious of a definition of faithfulness that depends entirely upon whether our individual action produces a visible result.

Much of Christian obedience consists of doing small things faithfully and leaving the results to God’s providence.

Therefore, we can vote even though no single ballot is likely to determine an election. Christian responsibility is not measured solely by visible effectiveness. We are responsible to be faithful with what God has placed in our hands, and smaller elections may actually magnify that responsibility.

When turnout is low, comparatively few citizens make decisions that will affect everyone else. Local elections, primaries, runoffs, and special elections therefore should not be treated as irrelevant simply because they lack the fanfare of a major election.

Christians should cultivate the habit of responsible citizenship all the way down.

Know who represents you. Pay attention to what is happening in your community. Learn about the candidates. Think biblically about the issues. Pray for wisdom.

And vote.

Politics Cannot Save Us

Perhaps this needs to be said most clearly. I want Christians to vote precisely because I do not believe politics can save us.

The great need of South Carolina is not ultimately a new senator. Our deepest problem is sin, and no election can solve it.

No legislature can produce regeneration, no executive order can create holiness, and no Supreme Court decision can reconcile sinners to God.

Only Jesus Christ saves.

The church therefore possesses a mission infinitely greater than electoral politics. The church is about the businness of preaching Christ crucified and risen, making disciples, administering the sacraments, worshiping God, praying, and teaching God’s people to obey everything Christ has commanded.

But believing that politics cannot accomplish everything does not mean politics accomplishes nothing.

A good government cannot save souls, but it can protect life. It cannot regenerate sinners, but it can restrain wickedness. It cannot establish the kingdom of Christ, but it can administer justice. It cannot make people holy, but it can punish those who harm their neighbors. It cannot replace faithful fathers and mothers, but it can recognize and protect the family.

Those things matter, and because they matter, the people we entrust with civil authority matter.

So Go Vote

That is why I voted this morning.

There was no dramatic moment. I simply exercised one of the responsibilities that comes with living in the time and place where God, in His providence, has put me.

If you are eligible to vote today, I would encourage you to do the same.

Research the candidates, think biblically, pray for wisdom, go vote, and then remember, when you walk out of the polling place, that Jesus is still King.

That truth keeps us from making too much of politics, but it should never become an excuse for making too little of our responsibilities.

The ballot box is not where Christians shine most brightly. The proclamation of Christ, holy lives, faithful families, works of mercy, courageous witness, and ordinary obedience display something far greater than anything we do on election day.

But when God gives us a lawful opportunity to oppose evil, promote what is good, and encourage just government, why would we hide our light under a basket?

There is plenty of darkness in our world. Christians should not be surprised by it, and Scripture tells us to expect it. But neither should we become comfortable with it.

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.”

Light does not panic because the room is dark. It shines.