Ramon Arias | September 20, 2012
How many times have we heard that “this presidential election is the most crucial of all?” And yet, no matter who gets elected the nation continues on her path to self-destruction. Are we going to deny we have deep problems and they are only getting deeper? You better believe that the choices we make in every aspect of life are important. Certainly, every election period is crucial!
Many Christians are upset because they are looking at this presidential election as a choice between a Marxist and a Mormon. Some are taking the attitude not to vote and they cite their conscious for not doing so. Others simply never vote because politics are dirty and evil. Still others are saying they could never vote for a Mormon and would rather vote for the Marxist so things get so bad they will accelerate the “coming of the Lord.” Some continue to look for a political messiah that will solve all the social and international problems. Does all this sound very confusing? Yes it does because it is. There is no mystery to know why this is so. It is all due to the lack of understanding of the unadulterated biblical worldview and God´s involvement in history.
Something important to note is that the majority of Christians misread what God says about how He deals with the affairs of men and nations. This is crucial. Becoming familiar with the whys of God is key when He calls non-Hebrew rulers His servants that carry out His purpose either to preserve His people or to use them as His instruments of wrath. I know God was well aware when He delineated the requirements for Israel to choose a king to rule over them once they rejected God as the Sovereign Ruler, “When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,’you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother…“And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:14-15, 18-20).
Israel was allowed to have a king over them like the pagan nations except that God was to do the choosing and set the requirements. Let us take a quick look at those requirements:
1. You may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose…
2. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother…
3. And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law…
4. He shall read in it all the days of his life…
5. That he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them…
6. That his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers…
7. That he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left…
8. That he may continue long in his kingdom…
When we read the history of Israel from the time of the Judges to the kings we learn about the bad judges and bad kings that ruled Israel. Who were the bad judges and bad Kings? The ones who did not read and study the law of God all the days of their lives, therefore they had no fear of God because they didn’t feel compelled to keep the moral aspects of the law and decrees in the Commandments. The results were always disastrous for national Israel. However, when godly rulers were governing Israel they enjoyed prosperity and peace.
The rulers were not the only ones required to be well versed and to apply God’s moral laws, every Israelite had the same responsibility, “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:5-8).
The knowledge and application of God’s moral law produces understanding and wisdom in solving all matter of problems creating greater stability and prosperity among the people. The ignorance, negligence, or rebellion against God’s standards for living can only produce instability, divisions, Civil War, wars with nations, profound debt, great levels of poverty, crime, violence, hatred and all manner of corruption.
America’s original foundation is the biblical worldview. At present, over 90% of the elected officials profess the Christian faith and over 80% of the population professes the same faith; this is how it has been since early 19th century. Even though the nation has had a scientific, technological and economic progress in the moral character of society for the most part it’s bankrupt and now all the violations against God’s moral character and His law is becoming more obvious in the choices people make.
The least confused about political choices should be the Christians and yet for most part the opposite is taking place. So what should Christians do when no candidate meets God’s requirements for office? Should they shrug their shoulders and walk away from their civil responsibilities? Should they begin to talk nonsense or endeavor to understand what God is saying under such circumstances to His people; they should get all the facts and make wise decisions?
Can Christians demand perfection from politicians when they themselves are far from pursuing that perfection? The time is long overdue for Christians to stop looking for a political Messiah and elect the person that can provide a window of opportunity for Christians to get their life right before God. They must take personal responsibility in bringing this nation and all social situations back to God’s biblical principles.
The apostle Paul who lived under tremendous persecution from the Jewish leadership and the Roman Empire in his first letter to Timothy said:
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy. 2:1-4).
When Paul urges Christians to make supplications, prayers and intercession for kings and all who are in high positions he never said, “if they are Christians pray for them.” Regardless of the ruler’s philosophical or religious tendencies we must pray for them. Why should we pray for them? They are the ones who can apply laws that produce peace and social stability giving Christians the opportunity to engage in reforming culture with the biblical worldview demonstrating why God and his morals are relevant for the well-being of man and society. It is under social peace that men can have greater input to promote God’s government as people come to the knowledge of the truth, this is God’s goal and he’s not about to compromise it:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:33, 10).
If you are familiar with the Bible and the history of Israel you should not find it surprising that many times God used pagan kings to further His purpose and also used them to bring severe judgment against apostate Israel. On other occasions He used ungodly kings to protect Israel from extermination.
Christians in America, are not only having to face many positions up for election, they also have to decide the presidential election; their choice is between a committed Marxist and a committed Mormon. This is the condition of the nation and the only choice Christians have is that they must choose one or the other, warning: God will never accept the conscience philosophy, religiosity or the neutral mentality; every Christian must make a choice even if they decide not to vote they are already making a choice.
Reagan said: “The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism, but under the name of liberalism, they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened”. For almost 200 years many Christians have been voting the wrong people into office and in 2008 knowingly or ignorantly they voted for a full-fledged committed Marxist and they can easily vote him back so he can complete his promise of fundamentally transforming the nation, it is a choice.
On the other hand for the first time in the history of the nation we have a Mormon who is running for the highest office of the land. Do biblical Christians agree with Mormon theology? No they don’t agree with Mormon theology. But I would also pose the following question to all Christians: are Mormons the only ones who are biblically wrong? How many millions of professing Christians are in name only and biblical neophytes without any respect to learn and apply God’s moral law? Who is worse the one who proclaims to be on God’s side but every action speaks to the contrary because they reject the full Counsel of God’s revealed truth or the one who is on the wrong side of the fence thinking that he or she is pleasing God without knowing they are on the wrong? It is a choice.
This presidential election is not about a political party. The choice is a moral one of who can give us a better chance to move on with God’s divine plan of turning the nation around to her biblical foundation. The other one has a socialist–Marxist worldview. Will it be the one that even though he may not have the total biblical worldview but has a level of morality that may give us the opportunity for Christianity to make her way into the biblical reformation as our only hope for total national and world restoration?
This is the choice!