The Truth About Elections

I posted this Monday and below you will find most of the text of this video.

 

The Truth About Elections

 

Truth #1. God established that we should have government.

 

-Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 

 

-There can be no doubt that God’s plan for humanity included that we should have government.

-The Bible is plain on this subject.

-The powers that be are ordained of God.

 

-Early Christians needed to know, very quickly in the early days of the church, how they were to approach the subject of civil government.

 

-The new Jewish Christians had been under the repressive authority of the Romans for years.

-Did Christianity set them free from any responsibility to the government over them as well?

 

-The new gentile Christians were set free from the chains of pagan society and influence.

-Could they cast off all responsibility to the pagan government?

 

-Paul takes the first seven verses of Romans 13 and addresses the subject of Christians submitting to earthly authority.

 

-There can be no doubt that our first allegiance is to Christ.

-We have been delivered from sin and shame and we have taken Christ as our Lord and savior.

-He alone has preeminence in our lives.

-We are committed to Christ.

-We have submitted every corner of our hearts to Him.

 

-Yet, Paul instructs us in our Christian obligation to submit to the earthly authority over us as much as our relationship with Christ will allow.

 

-That is truth #2.

Truth #2. According to the Bible we have certain responsibilities to the government.

 

-We are to be submissive to our government to the full extent that our relationship with Christ will allow.

-Look first at the rest of that passage in Romans 13.

 

-The powers that be are ordained of God.

-Romans 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

 

-Here are two instructions from other scriptures.

 

-Titus 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

-I Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

 

-So we must submit to human government.

-When we resist government, we resist God and

-That brings damnation.

 

-We are to pay tribute or taxes.

-We should obey the rules they make that do not cause us to violate Biblical principles.

-We are instructed to fear and honor those that rule over us!

 

-We should pray also for our government.

-I Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

-In the USA we have a process whereby we can participate in our government and help to shape our government.

-We are blessed to have a say in the people that rule over us.

-This has been unheard of in the history of our world and is still very rare in our present world.

 

-I believe, as Christians, that we should participate in our government.

-We should engage in the national conversation and make our voice known by voting.

 

-Those are some of our responsibilities to our government.

-We should take an interest in elections!

-But we need to be aware of the next truth.

Truth #3. Elections do not always go our way.

 

-The first election that I was fully aware of was in the 1970s.

-I was terribly disappointed in the outcome.

 

-In the years since then, some elections have went my way and some have not.

-There have been times I voted for a candidate that I was not all that excited about, but I thought he was the lesser of two evils.

-Sometimes he won and sometimes he lost.

 

-There were other candidates that I was passionately for or passionately against.

-Some of them won, some of them lost.

-Those elections that hit me hard!

-I thought for sure that my guy would win and must win!

 

-I have often been disappointed in the man that won the presidency and extremely disappointed in the direction that he led the country.

 

-Elections are important, but you need to prepare yourself.

-Elections do not always go your way.

 

-We also must do this.

Truth #4. We need to make sure that we keep the enemy in proper perspective when it comes to elections.

 

-There are spiritual forces at work.

-There is a real devil with a real agenda against all that is good and right.

-There are men in our world system that will do their dead level best to fulfill all of satan’s will.

-But man is not our enemy!

 

-The Clinton’s were not our enemy.

-The Bush’s were not our enemy.

 

-President Obama was not our enemy.

-His policies were liberal.

-His tendencies were socialist.

-But President Obama was not the enemy.

 

-President Trump is not our enemy.

-Joe Biden is not our enemy.

 

-We are not fighting flesh and blood!

-The enemy is not a person.

-The enemy is the devil!

-We must keep that in perspective.

 

-3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds II Corinthians 10:3-4

 

-For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12

 

-Someone may disagree with you.

-Someone may vote differently than you.

-Someone may have completely different values and worldview than you

-But they are not the enemy we are fighting against!

 

-We must keep the enemy in perspective.

-The enemy is the devil!

 

-I have two more quick truths.

Truth #5. God has a divine plan. 

 

-We must remember that.

-God has a divine plan.

-You may not know what that plan is.

-I certainly do not know what that plan is.

-The president, your congressman, your senator do not know God’s plan.

-Not even your mother knows what that plan is. 

-But God has a divine plan.

 

-He knows what He is trying to accomplish.

-He knows how to line things up to bring His will to pass!

-Listen to the Word of God.

-Proverbs 8:14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom: I am understanding; I have strength.

 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

 

- Daniel 2:20 … Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

 21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

 

-It may look like things are falling apart, but you can count on this.

-God has a plan and

Truth #6. God’s plan will prevail. 

 

-You can not side track God’s plan.

-You can not derail God’s train.

 

-There is no man strong enough.

-There is no man smart enough.

-There is no man powerful enough to stop God’s plan!

 

-The president can not side track God’s plan.

-A disappointing election can not side track God’s plan.

-A thousand disappointing elections can not side track God’s plan.

 

-God will prevail, my friend.

-God will prevail!

 

-What is the truth about elections?

-The truth is they matter to us.

-They matter deeply and I think they should.

 

-Elections affect us and can greatly affect our lives and our future.

-But elections do not affect God.

 

-God will not be voted out!

-God is still on the throne.

-There have been Presidents that seem openly hostile to God and His people.

 

-We will probably have leaders in the USA now and certainly will in the future that will openly hate God and brazenly persecute the church.

-But God’s plan will prevail!

 

-God is still working His will in our lives.

-God still has the whole world in His hands, including you and me and the President.

 

-When all is said and done, God will have done all He wanted done!

-God will prevail!

 

-Thank God for that!

 

Davy Boggs