Robert Jeffress: Would Jesus Vote?
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For those who refuse to believe that Jesus wasn’t involved in politics, you might want to think again, says Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas.
“Jesus gave direction for how Christians should relate to politics and culture in the Sermon on the Mount,” Jeffress wrote in a recent column on Fox News. “He told us to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-14). As ‘salt’ in the world, Christ calls us to influence our culture rather than isolate ourselves from it.
“Remember, salt was a preservative in Jesus’ day. It couldn’t prevent the decay of meat, but it could delay the decay. Christian’s should preserve the spiritual and moral fabric of society, where God has placed us.”
Indeed, believers can have a huge influence on the preservation of the spiritual decay of our country next Tuesday, Nov. 8, when Americans go to the polls for the midterm elections—one of the most crucial elections in United States history.
Republicans seek to regain control of Congress. Democrats have controlled the House and the Senate since the 2020 election, and the moral and spiritual decay of America has never been more prevalent.
Jeffress says Christians have a tendency to go to one of two extremes during election season.
“For some, the election becomes all consuming,” Jeffress says. “It’s all that matters. The fate of the nation hangs in the balance with every vote cast.
“Others view the election with distaste. They do all they can to avoid and ignore it. It seems too messy, to far from the purity and simplicity of Jesus. We have to ask ourselves: Is there a better way? Should Christians vote?”
Jeffress says salt cannot do its job unless it is first leaves the salt shaker and “penetrates the meat.” He says we have been endowed with the God-given right to vote, and we must take advantage of it as people in many other countries are not afforded the opportunity to choose their leaders.
“God has given Christians in democratic countries a unique way to ‘salt’ the culture that Christians in other times and places did not have,” Jeffress wrote. “As John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said: ‘God has given us the privilege of choosing our leaders in this Christian nation. With a great privilege comes great responsibility. It’s our job to vote for the candidate and the party whose policies will be contribute to the common good.’
“Leaders shape the values of a nation through the policies they enact. That means that Christians should work to select leaders who will govern according to God’s principles and see to advance the cause of righteousness. This is an answer for the Christian who wants to avoid elections altogether.”
A believer’s highest calling is to show the light of Christ to the world. They do that not only by sharing the good news of Jesus’ forgiveness, but also through the election process.
The apostle Paul exhorted Christians to pray for governing authorities, and in that day, it was all believers could do. But things are different for the believer in today’s world, and if we don’t exercise our right to vote for godly leaders, we can expect our culture and society to continue to deteriorate in the future.
“We have the opportunity to actually select leaders who will give us the freedom to practice our faith,” Jeffress says. “Christians aren’t called to save America. We’re called to save Americans from God’s judgment by share the Good News of Christ’s forgiveness. But remember why you’re doing it and what ultimate purpose voting serves.” {eoa}
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Shawn A. Akers is the online editor at Charisma Media.
