I’ve been reading a number of blogs discussing how involved pastors and churches ought to be during in the political process. Several years ago (four to be exact) I preached a message on this very subject. I've jotted down a few thoughts from the text.
"I’m grateful to be an American. I demonstrate my gratitude to God for this blessing by obeying the laws of the land, paying my taxes, praying for my leaders, and participating in the voting process of the land. I encourage our people to vote and our church provides voter registration opportunities. Further, I admonish them to vote according to biblical principles. I pray for our military men and women (especially those in dangerous places.) Furthermore, I have a deep and abiding love for Mom, baseball and apple pie (sugar-free, of course.) Get the picture? I’m a card-carrying, red-blooded citizen of the United States and proud of it. But first and foremost, I’m a citizen of heaven, and let me tell you what that means.
It means—no matter how great or sincere the efforts, we can’t protect or expand the Kingdom of Christ by our political system. We are involved in a spiritual battle against ungodly ideologies aimed directly at God and His people and the only effective weapon we have is His Word.
It means—God has not calling us to wage a cultural war that would seek to transform our country into a Christian nation. Instead, He has called the church to bring sinful people to salvation through Jesus Christ. If we do not evangelize the lost and make disciples of new converts, nothing else we do for people—no matter how beneficial it seems—has any eternal consequence. It makes no difference if an unsaved person is for or against abortion, a political liberal or a conservative, a prostitute or a police officer, gay or straight, he will spend eternity apart from God unless he repents and believes the gospel.
When the church takes a stance that emphasizes political activism and social moralizing, it always diverts energy and resources away from evangelization. Invariably, believers find themselves feeling hostile, not only to unsaved government leaders with whom they disagree, but also antagonistic toward the unsaved residents of that culture—neighbors and fellow citizens they ought to love, pray for, and share the gospel with. To me it is unthinkable that we become enemies of the very people we seek to win to Christ, our potential brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Focusing on earthly methods to promote change, and resorting to external efforts of lobbying and intimidation to achieve some sort of “Christian morality” in society is not our calling—and has no eternal value. Only the gospel rescues sinners from sin, death, and hell."
