To Pray One Way is to Vote One Way
Thomas W. Paxton
Copyright 2020 by Thomas W. Paxton
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Table of Contents
How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! Instead his delight is in the Lords instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.
Psalm 1:12 (NASB)
Part 1
Introduction
Caesar, the Representative of Man ,
Jesus, the Representative of God
While human leadership is indicated and required in the Bible, it is not supposed to usurp the authority of God.
When a person declares Christianity to be his or her faith, the question must be pondered: What makes that individual Christian? Loads of people go to church on Sunday and pray in a particular way to a particular deity. But when church is over, they return to Caesars world. When election time rolls around, they forget all they learned in church and vote contrary to the teaching of God. Many of these folks truly think they are in harmony with Gods word, but they are ignorant of Gods teachings. Through this ignorance, they will cast a ballot in support of a candidate who represents the opposite of their own beliefs. In order to vote in accordance with your faith, you need to know what the God of your faith teaches.
Part 1 of this study deals with the differences between earthly leadership and spiritual leadership. While the state has no business tinkering with the church, the church needs to be involved in the state. It is not the realm of the church to dictate policy; rather, it is the responsibility of the church to teach how to elect our governmental heads.
While the United States may not necessarily be a Christian nation, it is founded on the principle of freedom of faith. It is a land where people are permitted to choose their faith. It is not mandated that Christianity be the official religion of this country. It just happens that throughout US history, the majority of those who selected a faith chose Christianity.
For those who claim Christianity as their own today, they are simply expressing their freedom to choose. When a person asserts Christianity, he or she is adopting its teachings the same as the individual who accepts the prospectus of Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism.
Part of the Christian package requires the Christian believer to honor and pray for our church heads as well as our secular governing bodies. We are to select leadership in harmony with God. If we pray one way on Sunday but vote another way on Tuesday, what is it that we are taking home from church?
Is it possible for political values and biblical values to blend?
Chapter 1
The Kingdom of Caesar and the Kingdom of GodCan They Share One World?
Political issues always will be divisive because politics reflect the thinking of man. No matter how well-intentioned, the plans of man are always flawed because man is not all-knowing. Only one is all-knowing, and he aint no man.
Matthew 22:1521 tells a story of the Phariseess attempt to trap Jesus. Their goal was to put a stop to this crazy Jesus movement by having him arrested. Try as they might, they, of course, failed. How do you outsmart the one who created smart?
Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. Teacher, they said, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You arent swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax. They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, Whose image is this? And whose inscription? Caesars they replied. Then he said to them, So give back to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods. (Matthew 22:1521 NIV)
At first glance, one may think Jesus was telling the Pharisees that everything is cool. Caesar has his laws, and God has his. There are two separate codes to live by. But are there two separate codes to live by? A true Christian knows and understands that there is only one code to live by, the code of our Savior Jesus Christ.
And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a savior; there is none but me. (Isaiah 45:21 NIV)
I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father but through me. (John 14:6 NASB)
In the gospel of John alone, Jesus alludes to his being the only way to salvation no less than twenty-three times. Understanding that Jesus is the only way, and that there is only one Creator, there can only be one code to live by: the code of Jesus.
Since there is only one Creator, it is more than just an assumption that everything came from him. Everything would, of course, include the trees, the water, the minerals, the animals, the laws of physics, and us. Since all things are his, we own nothing. It all belongs to him. Even our very lives are from him. So lets look at Matthew 22:21 (NIV) again: So give back to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is Gods.
We cant give back to someone something that was never his to give in the first place. Caesar answers to God the same as Tom Paxton, Barrack Obama, Donald Trump, and the Pope.
For unto us a child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon his shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:67 NKJV)
Caesar laid his image on the coin, but God laid his image on the man. Caesar answers to God just like the rest of us. The kingdom of God is the only kingdom that will last forever. We shouldnt be fooled as the Pharisees were. We must understand the difference between earthly kingdoms and Gods kingdom. Gods kingdom comes first. Earthly leaders must submit to God.
Christians are required to obey the law of the land. This is biblical. We are to honor and pray that our leaders will guide us down a righteous path. We are to be obedient to Caesar in his realm until it encroaches Gods realm.
