How Should a Christian Vote in November?

The presidential election debate is nearing epic proportions – not the debate between candidates, but the debate about which candidate is most (or in this year’s case) least worthy to receive our vote.

Among Christians, this is especially vexing.

There does not appear to be a competent candidate among the possibilities of either party. If things go as most people expect, the two candidates who are most likely to survive the nomination process are Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

In my opinion, neither of these candidates are morally fit to be president of the United States, even if they were politically qualified, which I do not believe they are. (Not preaching or politicking – just stating my opinion.)

Therefore, if I vote, it seems I must vote for the lesser of two evils, cast a write-in vote, or abstain from voting altogether.

The latter course would be, in my opinion, a desertion of my responsibility as a citizen of the country where God caused me to be born. The point is arguable, but I believe that “render unto Caesar” at least implies a responsibility to be an active part of the process of government.

Furthermore, refusing to vote would, in fact, be a vote, because my missing vote could cause the lesser qualified person to be elected. But at least I could pat myself on the back for taking the moral high ground.

I could cast a write-in vote, but in light of U.S. history, such an action would almost assuredly put into office the very person that I dislike most. Again, I could celebrate a personal moral victory, but it would be a Pyrrhic victory.

The only thing left is to choose between the lesser of two evils, an idea which is equally as abhorrent to me as the previous options. So what is a Christian to do? How do you participate in an election of immoral leaders and continue to promote the righteousness of Christ? There seems to be a general disconnect here.

I know that the word of God can answer every question of life if we allow God to speak to us through it. So I prayed for God to reveal a biblical solution to the dilemma we find ourselves in, and I would like to offer the following as a possible answer to that prayer.

First of all, God revealed to Habakkuk that He (God) was going to judge Israel’s wickedness by calling upon the Babylonians as his tool of discipline. Habakkuk was intensely angered by such a suggestion and argued vehemently against such an idea. How could God use a wicked ruler to carry out His righteous will?

Yet we know that this is exactly what God did.

When Nebuchadnezzar began the conquest of Judah, there was some resistance, but in general, the resistance was futile against such an awesome army as that of the Chaldeans, especially since they were instruments in the hand of God.

In fact, God instructed the prophet Jeremiah to tell the people to simply lay down their arms and surrender to Nebuchadnezzar and to willingly go into captivity.

He did what?!

You can read the entire prophecy in Jeremiah 27, but here are some excerpts (God is speaking):

Jer. 27:5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.

8 But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the LORD, until I have consumed it by his hand.

11 But any nation that will bring its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will leave on its own land, to work it and dwell there, declares the LORD.”

On the face of it, this seems so incongruous.

Why would God not defend Israel from such a wicked people? Why would God allow – or even better, why would God choose a wicked ruler to hold such dominion over His own chosen people?

In a word, the answer is “The Sovereignty of God,” or, in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, “Judgment.”

This is God at work in the world, carrying out His perfect will through the free will decisions of men.

Concerning the rulers of nations, Daniel wrote, “…the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.” (Dan. 4:17, 25, 32; Dan. 5:21; See also Dan. 2:21 and Dan. 4:35)

Since He is omniscient, God already knows who will win the election in November. In fact, He not only knows who will win, but He determined the winner before there were even any candidates from which to choose.

In that case, we might argue that we are justified in abstaining from voting since the outcome is a given, but such a thought reveals our ignorance of how God accomplishes His purpose.

Although He does not need us, God has chosen to use man for the accomplishment of His eternal purpose.

God created the beautiful Garden of Eden, then placed Adam there with a command to make the rest of the world look like Eden. Why didn’t God just make the whole world look like Eden? Why command Adam to do it?

God chose the nation of Israel to be His chosen people before they ever were a people. And He chose to create the nation by the slow process of procreation beginning with Abraham. Why didn’t God just create a million people and call them His?

God chose Cyrus, the king of Persia, by name 300 years before he was ever born to be the instrument by which the Babylonians were judged and the people of Israel were freed to return to the Promised Land. Why did God wait on Cyrus? Why didn’t He just say the word and release the people instantly?

Why did Jesus have to die on a cross? It seems a cruel way to consummate the plan of redemption. It would seem to us that there must have been a better way.

But we would be wrong.

Except for a few occasions like creation, God always accomplishes His perfect will through the free will decisions of men.

Thus there is no conflict between sovereignty and free will.

This is just how God gets things done.

Thus choosing the lesser of two evils in the upcoming election is not a moral failure on my part, but a fulfillment of God’s plan.

Whoever the choices for POTUS are on the ballot in November will only be the choices because God chose them to be the candidates.

And since everything that God does is righteous, for me to choose the lesser of two evils that God put before me as choices would not be an act of immorality, but an act of righteous obedience.