Politics

Politics? Yes, politics. By politics, I mean the business of running a government and all the things that attach themselves to that concept, including political parties.

What this article is about is not political in the sense of something parties either favor or dislike. This article is about the concept of politics as a whole and the proper relationship a Christian has with politics. There are some who maintain that a Christian cannot engage in political activity, and there are some who think Christians must be involved. Some are more moderated in between.

The answer is not within man, as usual. In determining right or wrong in controversial areas, the standard is provided by the Lord of the universe. The only thing that makes anything right is God saying it is right. The only thing that makes anything wrong is God saying it is wrong. If you cannot allow for God to have that kind of power and control over you, if you think you, or any man, can make those determinations separate from God, then you and I need to be having a much more basic conversation than this one. I’m not sure we could even fit within each other’s “wheelhouse.”

Notice that I specified “controversial” areas. This is to keep us from wandering around in the weeds. Some argumentative types would be totally willing to discuss the righteousness or evil involved in eating a Snickers bar, or attending musical concerts or some other inane topic someone found in a rabbit hole somewhere. I would rather follow Paul’s admonition in Titus 3:9, “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions and striving about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” With this background regarding our intent, what does the Bible have to say about politics?

Possibly the most famous Bible quote regarding this topic is the statement Jesus made in Matthew 22:21, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesars; and unto God the things that are God’s.” Romans 13 is a quote too long for this format, so please read it. But note the first verse, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” The text goes on to say in verse 7, “ Therefore you must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.” It is obviously God’s will that Christians be in subjection to the government (and this was said at the time of Roman rule, definitely not a Christian nation.)

A more basic quote from Jesus that weighs heavily on this topic is found in John 18:38, “Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not of this world.’” This is echoed in Philippians 3:20, “But our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is what ought to make it easy for us to follow the example of Peter and the others when the words of man and his authority are in conflict with the word of God. “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, we ought to obey God rather than men,” Acts 5:29.

So the Christian is awaiting something better than this world can offer. We are sojourners and, in the words of the song, “wayfaring strangers” here. We have not come to establish roots or make a name for ourselves. We proclaim the name of Christ and serve Him. That is, in fact, the reason we are good citizens of whatever country in which we reside. A verse from Jeremiah 29 which was written concerning Babylonian captivity is applicable to us, even if not originally intended for us, verse 7, “But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” God intends for His people to be good citizens of whatever government they find themselves under.

Also, if we don’t see ourselves in exile, as was Abraham, “[who] looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,” (Hebrews 11:25) then we may be too deeply connected to this earthly realm to ever establish an eternal connection with God.

None of the above surprises the Christian. In other words, and in other places the Bible makes the reader aware of everything discussed above. But it doesn’t delve into some issues that we have questions about. Can/should a Christian seek public office at any level? Should a Christian be involved in political campaigns for other candidates, door-to-door, over the airwaves or in any other capacity? There is a question regarding whether a Christian should even vote in an election.

God does not answer these questions directly in the Bible. You will not read, “you should run”, or “you may run”, or “you may not run”, for office. That question is answered throughout the Bible in places where it describes the proper Christian character and lists those attributes which are necessary to Christian character, and those attributes which are disallowed from Christian character. Many (no, not all, but many) of those places can easily be found in the Trying to Walk article, “Being a Better Person,” from March 5, 2025. I recommend you go there and study that list, if you are nterested in learning.

If you were expecting a hard and fast rule to answer what Christians can and can’t do in regard to politics, this is the point where you are disappointed (if you didn’t see it coming.). God has made no such pronouncements. If a person can be true to the characteristics of Christian character such as those highlighted in “Being a Better Person,” which come straight from the Bible and be involved in politics then God does not condemn it. Neither does He promote it. It turns out to be just like any other job.

From what I have learned in my time on this earth regarding politics, it does present many temptations to which a weak person might succumb. There are no doubt many people who would be doing themselves a huge favor by avoiding the pitfalls of politics. But others may be strong enough to overcome. “But why bother?” one may ask.

It has interested me for some time how it seems that everything in life is a trade-off. Even choosing to live a godly life of loyalty to God and His principles, means, as Moses illustrates, saying “no” to all the (temporary) pleasures of sin (Hebrews 11:25,) a worthwhile trade, but still a trade-off. Being married to a wonderful spouse means a trade-off of privacy and the ability to make all your own decisions, again, worthwhile, but still a trade-off.

In becoming a politician, probably the biggest temptation is the power that can be achieved along with the ways people are willing to buy that power and influence from you. There is the temptation to glory in your own self-importance. The biggest trade-off is trading your godly standards for standards that will allow you to profit and glory from your new station in life. This is a terrible trade-off that will bring you to, and sadly through, the gates of hell.

So God doesn’t say, “Do it.” God doesn’t say, “Don’t do it” He tells us the kind of person we must be in order to please Him. The general dangers of a political life are known, the specific dangers may be more nefariously hidden. There is nothing inherently good or evil about politics.

Here’s the thing that stands out to me. As a Christian who is a politician, you could have a great influence for good on the progress and moral “fiber” of the country. You also could succumb to temptations and lose your soul. Any Christian contemplating such a move would do well to assess the strength of their convictions and those of the moral support group upon whom they will need to lean.