Christians Are Called to Political Engagement
This is an adapted excerpt from Gary Meredith’s recent book “Bibles and Ballots: Ten Biblical Reasons Christians Must Engage in Politics,” released July 11 from Gramercy Press.
“Do not add to his words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” (Proverbs 30:6)
The whole Bible encourages and equips Christians for political involvement.
Not one verse opposes it—just the opposite, as great Christians throughout history have affirmed. Claiming otherwise violates the Scripture, “Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6), creating needless division and guilt in the body of Christ, along with the sharp moral decline of modern civilizations.
The Bible and subsequent history show that God has always placed his people in government, including in evil and pagan nations, as “salt” and “light” to glorify Him and bless all people.
That’s because government is not a “necessary evil”—another modern error—but rather God’s good design. Just as bad spouses don’t nullify God’s good design for marriage, bad officials don’t nullify his good design for government. God created all nations, and all government officials, knowingly or not, are God’s servants with his authority for their legitimate duties.
Today’s moral decay is tied to Christians shunning politics, letting others choose who governs us. As stewards of the right to choose our government leaders, we are accountable to God for doing all we can to ensure they use their authority, and our taxes, only for good, not evil.
Believers who exempt themselves from that civic duty as “citizens of heaven” forget they are dual citizens of this world and the next. Like Paul, we expect the benefits of earthly citizenship—police, fire and ambulance services, safe roads and airports, ethical banks and shops, honest judges and lawyers, reliable utilities, a strong military, and more. Many Christians provide those vital services. It is our sacred duty to select moral, competent officials to lead them.
The many benefits of earthly citizenship come with responsibilities. Some Christians pray for good government leaders, yet do nothing to obtain them, contrary to biblical teaching to pray and then act in accordance with our prayers.
Finally, ask yourself: Does Satan want Christians IN or OUT of politics? History provides the stark, undeniable answer.
There is nothing in this world that is not God’s. Politics isn’t forbidden territory for Christians to disdain, it’s God’s turf for his people to claim!
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AUTHOR
Gary Meredith has spent over four decades in creative and strategic roles conducting fundraising and capital campaigns for conservative and Christian clients. These include Family Research Council, Alliance Defending Freedom, Media Research Center, The Heritage Foundation, and Hillsdale College, for which he was the original producer of their popular online courses. He was creative director on capital campaigns for two of America’s greatest presidents’ homes—Washington’s Mount Vernon and the Reagan Ranch.
As a layman volunteer for GotQuestions, Gary has answered over 600 challenging Bible questions from around the world. He and wife Nancy have two married sons and four grandchildren, with whom he enjoys playing sports, music, and board games. They live in Northern Virginia, just far enough outside Washington, D.C.
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