The phrase “separation of church and state” is widely misunderstood. Often, it’s raised as an argument against Christians who engage in politics. Yet, the separation of church and state is nowhere in the U.S. Constitution nor any founding documents. Rather, it can be found in a personal letter penned by Thomas Jefferson in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association. In the name of religious freedom, Jefferson wrote not that the church should stay out of government affairs, but that government affairs have no place interfering with the church.
In his 2024 election sermon, Cornerstone Chapel Senior Pastor Gary Hamrick explained how in our country’s history, “[T]he church has always played … a critical role in speaking out about faith and politics and how faith should shape our politics.” Over time, he acknowledged, “Jefferson’s phrase [concerning the] separation of church and state … letter has been used to remove God from the public square and to remove church from government influence.” Rather than protecting our First Amendment rights, those in opposition have sought to intimidate “a lot of pastors from addressing things that are referred to as political in the pulpit.”
But as believers, we can’t afford to allow these tactics to push us back into the shadows of fear. Consider Jesus’s words from Matthew 5:13-16:
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Our Lord could not have been clearer: we are meant to be seen, and we are meant to have an impact. That’s what it means to be salt and light. Some Christians believe this truth, except when it comes to politics. In light of this, Hamrick half-joked, “Please save the emails accusing me of being political.” Because in all seriousness, “I’m not being political.” What the pastor went on to contend is the very truth all believers need to engrain into their minds: to discuss policy and government affairs is not to “be political.” It is simply a matter of biblical obedience.
According to Hamrick, Christians have to understand “that the culture has hijacked the narrative on social and moral issues” in order to gloss over the fact “that the Bible has already addressed” them all. “[T]he culture has twisted … distorted and perverted those social and moral issues into political issues” to deter people of faith from speaking out about them. And to this, the pastor underscored, “I have news for our culture: God had a say on all these subjects long before there was even a word ‘political.’”
He continued, “God had the first word long before anybody. And so, it’s important to understand we’re just talking about the biblical issues, and we’re looking at what is happening in our culture, and especially on the presidential election level” to be salt and light through our voting and other political engagement. “[I]f Christians would come together and vote their values,” Hamrick stated, “we could change America.”
As Hamrick made clear, the church needs to “be equipped to know who to vote for or who not to vote for, based on whether that candidate’s policies more closely align with biblical values.” In doing so, believers are not to “look to a person to save us,” because “our faith is not in a political hero.” Instead, we reflect on the reality that “our faith is in the Savior,” Jesus Christ, and “He is our only hope for America.” Hamrick went on to emphasize that “we have a moral obligation to represent Christ as ambassadors, and one way to do this is through politics.
“[B]y political engagement,” he added, “I mean advocating for policies that promote righteousness, voting for candidates who most closely represent our biblical values, praying for our elected leaders and holding them accountable, and even running for elected office” if God calls one to do so. Because ultimately, “if Christians do not stay politically engaged … what will fill the vacuum” other than “every evil demonic practice”?
Hamrick said it well when he observed that while “good government cannot save us,” bad government can certainly harm us. With the upcoming election in mind, he then posed the question: “What can we do to advance the kingdom of God for the glory of God, and to stem the tide of evil in our land until Jesus comes?” Considering this question, there’s one crucial thought to keep in mind during a time of political mayhem: there will never be a perfect candidate on the ballot. Even so, “God uses flawed, sinful people.”
According to Hamrick, his major concern is not that Christians don’t want to do the right thing and use their vote, but that they won’t vote for any “candidate who doesn’t have the total package.” This mindset, he went on to explain, is dangerous.
“I understand elections are serious things with serious consequences,” he said. And yet, “what other decisions do you make in your life that must meet 100% of the criteria?” What other decisions do we choose to only move forward with if they meet 100% of what we want? The truth is, if we’re to probe this question, most of us will find that we “don’t make a decision based on 100%. … Nothing is 100% based on certain criteria.”
Consider your spouse, job, church, house, or school. Do any of these areas meet every single one of your expectations? Would you consider any of them to be absolutely 100% perfect? For the vast majority, chances are the answer is no. And that’s because, as the pastor contended, there is “no perfect spouse. There’s no perfect church. There’s no perfect child. There’s no perfect job. There’s no perfect neighborhood. And … there is no perfect candidate.” Jesus Christ is the only Being who is perfect. And if we want to make progress in advancing the gospel in all areas of this life, we have to “get over looking for the most perfect person” and start voting “for the better choice.”
To hammer this point home, Hamrick took time to emphasize the many examples of imperfect leaders Scripture has to offer. For instance, “David was a righteous leader” and “a man after God’s own heart. But he committed adultery.” Yet, God still used him. Hezekiah, another righteous king, “had terrible foreign policy that also incurred the wrath of God as a national judgment.” Yet, God still used him. And Samson, who’s mentioned in the Hebrews 11 Hall of Faith, had “a weakness for women.” Yet, God still used him.
“I’m not making excuses for their bad behavior or their sin,” Hamrick clarified. “They all paid consequences for their sin.” But “my point is that God uses flawed people to promote good policies for a nation. You see it all through the Bible.” This is also true of the way God uses the unrighteous, such as King Nebuchadnezzar, to “put it on their hearts to do righteous things for Israel and for the Jewish people.” In the Bible, God used “unrighteous kings” to establish policies “that promoted good for the benefit of the nation,” and He can do the same today.
“Please stop looking at the person and look at their policies,” Hamrick pleaded. Because, looking at it in black and white, the choice can become easier. “On a personal level,” he noted, “I’d rather have a mean orange man who gave us three Supreme Court justices to overturn Roe v. Wade than a joyful hen who believes in killing babies in the ninth month.” Ultimately, “[W]e have to stop focusing on who’s a good candidate, because Jesus said in Luke 18:19, ‘No one is good except God.’” If we take this at face value, then we can finally understand “there is no good candidate.” But God being God means He can use anyone “to accomplish His good purposes.”
So, as we move closer to the election, Hamrick suggested we consider these seven top issues as we determine who is the better candidate: judicial nominees, border security, Israel, religious liberty, biological sex, family, and life. All these topics, and more, have already been addressed within the pages of Scripture. And as we analyze them, the pastor urged us to remember that voting is “not just a right and a privilege. It’s a duty.” Silence is simply not an option.
Consider the fact that “God entrusts a lot to us,” Hamrick emphasized. “[O]ne of the things He has entrusted to us is the wonderful privilege as Americans of living in the greatest and freest country in the world. … He’s entrusted this freedom to us.” And so, we have to ask, “[W]hat are we going to do with what He’s entrusted to us? … Because if we do nothing, if we check out, if we remain silent, evil will rush into the vacuum.”
Even this pastor, as passionate as his sermon was, noted that, concerning this upcoming election, he’s “not an enthusiastic voter.” Yet he asserted nonetheless, “I’m going to vote.”
He referenced the words of Frederick Douglass, who said, “I will unite with anyone to do right and no one to do wrong.” And even in these times, there are numerous groups and people Christians can fight alongside to do what is right. With this, Hamrick concluded: “Until Jesus comes, get out there [and] vote. Be His ambassadors. Be salt and light in this world and advance the kingdom of God for the glory of God to stem the tide of evil in our land until Jesus comes. Let your voices be heard. Let your votes be counted, and let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered.”
AUTHOR
Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.
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