God’s Grace and Election 2024
When the dust settles from the 2024 election, Jesus will still reign forevermore as King. As Christians, our hope and security for this life and the life to come are found completely in him. His Kingdom is unshakable, and he will keep us until the end. The gospel of Jesus Christ and the abundant life offered freely in him will always be our top concern as a church over the political issues of the earthly kingdom we live in. As thankful as we are to be American, Jesus Christ alone is deserving of first place in everything. Our allegiance to King Jesus must never be crowded out or overshadowed by the love we have for the many good things we possess in this life, including the liberty we enjoy as Americans.
That said, God has given us the privilege of living in a country where the sacrifice of brave men and women has purchased and continues to protect our individual and collective freedom, including our right to worship. We should continually thank God for this freedom and the various other shades of liberty we enjoy.
This week we will finish voting for our president and other government officials. We encourage you to be engaged in the political process because it is part of the privilege of living in our country. If you have not yet voted, we would encourage you to prayerfully consider doing so. Christians do not have a moral obligation to vote, but we do have an obligation to be wise and informed and to promote righteousness and justice. There is a sense in which the Christian church, when aligned with God’s word, can and should serve as a conscience for culture. This happens when we promote, think, act, speak and vote in order to promote righteousness.
Our decision in this election, as in every election, is between two candidates who are deeply flawed in their personal character as well as in their policies. This serves as a vivid reminder to us that neither our President nor any other public servant will ever be our savior.
Political judgments and decisions of Christians, including those in our own Crossway family of faith, will vary. These varied and differing political perspectives are always a potential source of disunity in the church but for the sake of our witness to this world we must be “…eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” right now and always (Ephesians 4:3). The polarizing impact of the media and our two-party political system cultivate disdain and anger for individuals and an inability to talk and listen to one another’s cares and concerns. This deep cultural divisiveness can also make us more focused on voting against a particular candidate instead of voting for the policies that best promote justice, mercy, and righteousness. This must not be the case in the Kingdom of heaven as it is represented presently in the church. Furthermore, the world around us must experience the grace, mercy, and love of Jesus coming from us no matter what biblical, moral, or political reality we are striving to advance.
As Christians, God calls us to collectively submit to his word as our authority and guide in all of life. This means our vote cannot be “detached” from our faith. Instead, our vote should be informed and shaped by our faith. We believe that we must vote for the policies which (as best as we understand) facilitate the greatest degree of righteousness in our country. We believe this includes policies which, at the very least, preserve life in every facet, promote marriage and family as God designed it in creation, and protect justice for the marginalized and oppressed. We also believe we should vote for policies which secure religious liberty allowing us to serve God most effectively until Jesus returns.
Once again, there are clear character flaws in all candidates at every level of government. We all know this well. Therefore, it always seems wise for Christians to focus on policies for decisiveness in any election cycle more so than people. We are equipped with God’s word and helped by God’s Spirit to cast a vote that we believe will most honor him. No matter who ends up in the oval office or any other place of earthly governance, the work of gospel advancement through the church will continue for the glory of God’s kingdom!
Our God causes kings and kingdoms to rise and fall (Daniel 2:21) and he laughs at the nations as they rage against his reign (see Psalm 2). With settled confidence we can know that whoever is in any place of governmental authority after this election, it will be the ones God has placed there. When we stand together in heaven, a rescued and redeemed kingdom from every tribe, tongue, people group and nation, all of the social constructs, affiliations, and political parties in this world will be forgotten. Every nation, including America will be a distant memory as we stand together in our new, everlasting city fashioned by God himself. Until then, may God loosen our grip on this earth and tighten our grip on the Savior day by day.
“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
For government and election prayer resources:
For a very high level summary of 2024-2028 party platforms for thoughtful and informed voting:
These summaries for six key areas are formed by actual data and quotes from each party (not interpretations of such data). To be more informed on the details of all views for a particular platform, you will obviously have to research further. Theses represent a STARTING point only.