Reflections on the Election
Or, one more blow to the dead horse!
Doug Wright
I must confess that I did not expect to have to write this note. Oh, I had planned to address the election, but I was going to write something about the difference between a Christian and a Conservative. Instead, I was as surprised by the outcome of Tuesday’s election as anyone else. I have appreciated and agree with many comments reminding us that no matter who occupies the chair in the Oval Office, God is still on the throne. Christians and those with conservative beliefs had a chance to stem the tide of evil. We failed. Whether that is simply God’s plan unfolding before our eyes, or whether there were tactical errors has been and will continue to be bandied about by the political pundits.
I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but perhaps he needs one more blow now that we have had a little time to digest what happened.
The results of this election are a big deal for believers because of what it reveals about the core values of America. Recently USA Today reported that surveys indicate that for the first time fewer than 50% of Americans claim to be evangelical Christians. Those results were confirmed by the outcome of the election. Three values critical to our Judeo-Christian philosophy have been eroding, and have now eroded to the point that the majority of Americans have chosen a self-destructive course. What are those three core Judeo-Christian beliefs?
- The sanctity of life – The statistics relating to abortion are overwhelming. Millions of people have been denied the right to life. Government sanctioned murder is still murder. God is the giver of life, and, as such, is the one with the authority to either take life or extend the authority to take life. The Sovereign of Heaven has empowered governmental entities with that authority on a limited basis. Regardless of what circumstances you would include in that “limited basis,” the taking of an innocent life is not on that list. Americans have failed to protect fetal lives. They have day after day been sacrificed on the altar of convenience.
- The sanctity of marriage – God encourages and blesses the union of one man and one woman in marriage. Within the bonds of that marriage he encourages and expects the physical relationship to flourish. Any physical relationship outside of marriage is cursed by God. That includes a man and woman or “same-sex” relationships. God goes further by describing the “same-sex” relationship as abandoning the “natural” use (Romans 1). Traditional families have become the minority. We have sacrificed commitment on the altar of their own lusts.
- The sanctity of work – Work was a part of God’s intent for man at creation. All through the Bible, men are expected to spend their days in productive labor. The NT makes it clear that a man is to labor to care for his family – even declaring that “if a man does not work, he does not eat.” That productive, biblically based mind-set has given way to an entitlement mentality. The ethereal idea that the “government” can mystically provide for its people and not collapse has implanted itself into culture. Personal achievement has been sacrificed on the altar of entitlement.
Recovery in America will not come through electing the “right man” to office. That would be like spraying perfume on a dead body. The source of the stench is still there. The only thing that will help America is revival! Americans must be won to the Lord, discipled, and trained to let their new-found faith affect their interaction with their culture. Perhaps the Lord allowed the outcome of this election to remind us of our purpose – the great commission. You are an Ambassador for the King of Kings. Let’s get busy in the “ministry of reconciliation.”
Doug Wright is pastor of Keystone Baptist Church, Berryville, VA.