Vote!

I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us (2 Timothy 1:3-14).

Elections are only a few weeks away. If you are like me, you’re fed up with all the campaign advertising. There is no escaping it—it’s on TV, it’s on the radio, it’s stuck in yards and along the roads. Even more frustrating, it’s all so negative—after experiencing so much mud slinging, it is tempting to just stay home and vote for nobody.

But today’s Epistle lesson suggests that we have an obligation to vote. Voting is the American privilege that allows us to voice our opinions to the government and to each other. It is through our votes that we enact legislation on issues important to us, and it is through elections that we remove from office those whose policies are not in agreement with our ideals. Although Saint Paul does not speak of voting, he does tell us that it is important to make our voices heard; he says, do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord. So, as Election Day draws near, what should be our testimony about the Lord?

In the last chapter of Matthew, Jesus said go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. As a follower of Jesus, we have an obligation to spread His teachings to others. What are some of these teachings that we should consider as Election Day draws near? Let’s take a quick stroll through the Ten Commandments and some of the issues that are facing Americans today.

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. God forbids us from telling lies. As you listen to what the various candidates say, both about themselves and their opponents, are they speaking the truth? How much campaign rhetoric consists of outright lies or distortions of the truth? When you decide who to vote for, consider who is being the most honest with you.

You shall not commit adultery. Hebrews 13:4 says, Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. These past few years, marriage has been under attack as never before. People get married and divorced as if marriage is nothing more than a business arrangement between two people. Many avoid marriage entirely and just live together. And now, we have judges that are permitting gay and lesbian couples to unite in "marriage", and many church bodies are blessing this abomination, ignoring the clear teaching of God in both the Old and New Testaments! While some states have made such marriages illegal, others have not, and the federal government has consistently failed to address the issue. When you decide whom to vote for, consider each person’s commitment to keeping the marriage bed pure, not only for yours sake, but for the sake of your children and grandchildren. The family is the cornerstone of any society; history has taught us that when marriage is undermined, society is doomed to fall.

You shall not murder. This commandment looms large for our country. One obvious issue is that of abortion. The Bible clearly teaches that every human being is a unique creation of God, yet our judges have made it legal to kill children if they have not exited the womb. But just as pressing an issue this year is the question of war. We cannot say that God opposes all wars; the Bible gives us many examples of God’s people fighting under His protection. But when is it proper to go to war? In the Bible, the Lord supported wars when they were fought to protect God’s people from being crushed by unbelievers, but the Lord withdrew His support when wars were fought to gather wealth, prestige or power. No one questions the rightness of opposing Germany and Japan in WWII; these were aggressor nations that gave no thought to Jesus’ teachings in their lust for earthly domination. No one questions the rightness of our war on terrorism, either—these are the attacks of people who hate Christians and prefer to make targets of the defenseless. But the rightness of occupying countries in the Middle East and trying to reshape them in our democratic image is not so clear cut. As you prepare for November elections, think carefully about how our foreign policy compares to the Biblical principles of war. Christians have not found agreement on this matter; before you vote, consider carefully the Word of God and pray for guidance in discerning His will.

Honor your father and your mother. As you recall from your days in confirmation, Martin Luther understood the Fourth Commandment to be the underpinning of human society. A healthy society grows out of healthy homes. When families are broken or dysfunctional, so is the society that they comprise. When children do not respect the authority of their parents, they learn to disrespect their teachers, their employers, their government, even their religion. When you cast your vote, consider which candidates support families; who among them will work the hardest to find ways to keep marriages from crumbling, to make it easier for parents to earn enough to keep their families together? Which of the candidates is the strongest supporter of excellent public education, yet also supports parents who choose to school at home? Which candidates do you approve of as a role model for your children, who they can and should respect?

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. From the beginning, the Lord arranged time for Himself in our week. In recent years, however, space for God in our lives has become increasingly hard to find. Manger scenes can no longer be placed in public parks. Prayers are forbidden in schools. The Ten Commandments are unwelcome in courthouses. Businesses are open on Sundays. Kids need permission to miss sports practices on Wednesdays so that they can attend Confirmation class. All around us, Christianity is being increasingly hemmed in by the unbelieving world around us.

This is an issue of special importance to Christians. Paul said, do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord. Indeed, it is absolutely vital that we speak publicly of our faith in Christ. Without faith in Jesus, human beings die in their sins and are consigned to an eternity of suffering in hell, cut off from God and His love forever. This is not what God wants; a little later on in 1st Timothy, Paul writes: God our Savior…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. That is why He sent His Son Jesus to suffer and die in our place, so that by believing in Him, we can be forgiven for our sins and be united with God forever. Paul writes, This grace was given us in Christ Jesus …who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. The only hope the people of America have for enjoying God’s merciful love is for we who live in that love to share it with them. In order to do that, we need as many venues as possible for speaking about Jesus without restriction. We need the ability to place Bibles wherever there are people who don’t know the Savior. We need access to the airwaves and print media and public areas to tell the Good News about Jesus. We should be able to raise our voices in prayer wherever and whenever the Lord’s forgiveness and help is needed in our lives. When you cast your vote, consider who of the candidates supports true freedom of religious expression for we who are Christians.

You shall have no other gods before me. In Romans chapter 8, Paul tells us: the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Mohandas Gandhi was considered to be a great political leader in India; yet because he rejected Christianity, he lived his life under the control of his sinful nature and nothing he did could earn him a place in heaven. It is certainly true that a non-Christian can be a good politician, but when you make your decision on how to vote this fall, do you want to elect to a position of power a man or a woman who is leading a life that is headed towards hell? The Old Testament shows us that when unbelievers were kings in Israel, the nation drifted further and further away from God, until the Lord abandoned it altogether and it was destroyed. When we give the reigns of government to non-Christians, we are abdicating political control to Satan by default.

Saint Paul writes, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life. Paul echoes Jesus’ warning that those who follow Him will suffer opposition for publicly supporting the Savior and His teachings. But notice the obligation—by being saved from the control of sin and the grip of death, we have been called to lead a holy life. This means that we are to show God’s love to everyone around us. This includes ‘tough love’ too—our love for all of God’s errant children moves us to identify sin for what it is and try to steer people away from the sin that destroys and to honor the Messiah who died to save them. This is why it is necessary for each and every Christian to study the candidates and the issues, and then vote—because we can show the will of God through whom and what we vote for.