The Christian Conscience in Voting
Unless a government is theocratic like in the days of God’s people before the kings, when God Himself was ruler over His people, all human forms of government will fall short of God’s glory and ultimately fail. Kingdoms rise and kingdoms wane. Because humans are by nature sinful and unclean, it is impossible for such human governments to be free of sin. But this doesn’t excuse or prohibit us from participating in them. The Augsburg Confession conversely states in Article XVI on Civil Government: “The Gospel very much requires that they [that is, the civil state and the family] be preserved as God’s ordinances and that love be practiced in such ordinances.”
The way our country designates the preservation of this civil state is by giving its citizens the privilege to vote. The way love is practiced through our individual vote is to keep the two greatest commandments. We need to love God and our neighbor (Mt 22:37-39). To omit voting for the President or any office because you don’t like the character or personality of either candidate is a huge problem. You have a chance to serve your neighbor AND your country with your vote, and because of love, it behooves you to do so! “Whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (Js 4:17).
The reason often cited for omitting one’s vote is because of conscience. The way the word conscience is commonly used in this context, though, is not actually what it means. The etymology of the word “conscience” (συνείδησις, suneidésis), which is the same in both Greek and English, is helpful. It’s a “joint knowing.” A healthy conscience is informed how to think based on the truth laid out in Scripture, and the natural order of creation. Notice that the conscience has nothing to do with feelings. You may have disdain for a candidate’s character, but feelings are not what informs the conscience. Instead, you need to consider the platforms of the political candidates without names or faces attached. This objective information coupled with “jointly knowing” what the Scriptures teach, will inform your conscience how to think and, therefore, direct it how to vote.
From the first and second tables of God’s Law (the 10 Commandments), consider these questions: Which candidate is more likely to support the Church and preserve the nuclear family as outlined by Scripture (3rd and 4th Commandments)? Which candidate is more likely to protect human life (from natural conception to natural death) and the citizens of our country (5th)? Which candidate is more likely to protect God’s institution of marriage and His creation of genders (6th)? Which candidate is most likely to protect God’s gift of personal possessions and income of its citizens (7th)?
While I do not believe it is my responsibility to tell you which candidate to vote for, I do believe and confess it is my responsibility to advise you how to think biblically about whom to vote for. I also need to warn you that if you vote against what Scripture clearly teaches, this is sinful. Jesus condemns those who say one thing and do another (Mt 23:3). Also, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin”, Romans 14:23. By living in willful sin, you are in danger of being damned, for such an act would be a fruit of unbelief (Mk 16:16). If you do not know which candidate is more likely to answer questions like those above, come talk to me so we can discern it together.
You don’t need to like a candidate. You don’t even need to agree with everything on the ballot for a particular candidate. But you do have a responsibility to your God and your neighbor to do what you can to mitigate evil, and sometimes that unfortunately means choosing the lesser of two in a two-party system. God is a God of means, and He may work through our votes to “break and hinder every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature” as we pray in the petition Thy will be done! Consider these things, and pray for the Lord to give you clear understanding according to His Word, so you may have an informed conscience. Don’t be one of the 40% of Americans who identify as Christians that do not vote. Your neighbors and your country are depending on you!
In Christ, Pastor Hromowyk