We know three very important things about “choices” from the Word of God:
- They are the key to life (Deuteronomy 30:20 NLT)
- They are the difference between life and death, blessing and cursing, prosperity and disaster (Deuteronomy 30:15,19 NLT)
- Heaven and earth are standing at attention, charged by God, to witness and testify of the choices you make! (Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV and NLT and Strong’s concordance)
It is amazing to me the number of Christians who attempt to use the phrase “God is in control” to just simply be lazy and try to shrug off the responsibility of their choices. God is NOT in control in this earth unless WE make choices that allows Him to have control. He has given this earth to us! (Psalm 115:16 KJV)
This general principle is true for all of us in life but I want to narrow the focus down in this letter to one massive decision we have before us this month and the beginning of next month. Early voting begins in most places in the United States at some time during the month of October and then, of course, Election Day is November 3, 2020.
This decision essentially comes down to one of three choices:
- Vote for the Republican Party
- Vote for the Democratic Party
- Do not vote at all
If you analyze both platforms and then compare them to what the Bible has to say about the issues, the choice between points 1 and 2 above becomes amazingly clear. [For more detail on this, I encourage you to go to EMIC.org and watch the Sunday morning messages where Pastor George Pearsons does this very thing at length.]
One of these platforms is pro-life and one is not – we have already been told in Deuteronomy 30:19 to “choose life.” Very simple decision.
We have also been told that if we want to experience the BLESSING in our land and in our lives then we must bless Israel (Genesis 12:3 KJV) and only one platform (Hint: it is the same platform that is pro-life) supports and blesses Israel as a matter of purpose. Here is another hint on this particular issue . . . the man representing the Republican Party was just nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for blessing Israel.
The point I would like to settle this month is the 3rd choice – not voting at all. According to My Faith Votes, even though 90 million Christians are eligible to vote, 40 million do not vote and 15 million are not even registered to vote!
This course of action, for a Christian, is wrong and is actually SIN!
Yes, I know that is a strong statement so let’s look into the Word to see if it is accurate.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV
Notice, first of all, that this is referring once again to a “choice” by beginning with the word “if.” Second, most pastors, and Christians in general, quote this scripture and then launch into a message about turning away from the wicked ways of abortion, perverse lifestyles, etc and that is true. Sometimes, however, we “miss the forest for the trees” and I submit to you that the first wicked course of action that we need to turn away from is the habit of NOT VOTING! Note: “ways” in the Hebrew means “mode or course of life or action”)
“But Bro. David, it’s not WICKED simply not to vote!” Is it not?
“Not at all! As a matter of fact, we are only instructed to pray for our leaders in the New Testament!” Are you certain about that?
Of course, the Holy Spirit (He is the author of the New Testament) instructs us in 1 Timothy 2 to pray for all those that are in authority but you can find “part B” to His instructions about this (and anything related to faith) in James chapter 2.
“What good is it, my brethren, if a man professes to have faith, and yet his actions do not correspond? Can such faith save him? Suppose a Christian brother or sister is poorly clad or lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “I wish you well; keep yourselves warm and well fed,” and yet you do not give them what they need; what is the use of that? So also faith, if it is unaccompanied by obedience, has no life in it – so long as it stands alone.” – James 2:14-17 Weymouth translation
Among the definitions of “wicked” in 2 Chronicles 7:14 are the words “bad” and “displeasing.” We know that the faith of Abraham and Rahab, with corresponding actions, pleased God (James 2:20-23,25; Hebrews 11:17-18, 31; Hebrews 11:6) but now we see that faith without those corresponding actions of obedience is lifeless and dead – useless and displeasing.
Now that we have that well established, allow me to refocus verse 15 of James 2 in light of the subject of this letter.
Suppose you live in a country that has killed 60 + million children since 1973 because of an unjust ruling by judges. You talk about how bad that is and say you’ll pray for better judges BUT you do not vote for the person who appoints the judges, what use is that?!
Suppose you live in a state or city that places restrictions on churches and says that they are “non-essential” and yet encourages bars, casinos and abortion clinics to be open because they are “essential.” You say you will pray that these policies change BUT you do not vote for the person that makes the polices, of what use is that?!
Suppose your children are being taught to support and participate in perverse lifestyles and sexual practices that are contrary to the Word of God in the course of their educational process. You holler and scream, “We need to pray, we need to pray” and yet you DO NOT VOTE for your local school board members, what use is that?!
I will end this letter this month by reminding you of James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
If you know and make the CHOICE to not vote, it is sin! And now you know.