Decisions and Definitions

As we approach the issues that are confronting our nation and the upcoming selection of leaders, we need incredible wisdom, and we acknowledge the One who is the source of reliable and infallible wisdom.  Proverbs 1 says:
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

God does not want us to be obsessed with politics, but I believe that He does desire for us to speak into the political process.  We don't look to politicians as the answer, but we can depend on Him to express His answers through selected leaders who take their role seriously.   We can ask the Lord to indicate to us the persons for whom He would intend for us to vote, seeking to be well-informed and prayerful as we approach that decision.  And, in whatever decisions we have to make, we can go to the source of Godly wisdom and ask God for direction.

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In Daniel chapter 2, we see a passage that reminds us of God's hand in human affairs, an important concept as we approach the upcoming elections:
20 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

One week from today, voters in Iowa will be going to their various caucus meetings to select delegates who would be pledged to vote for Presidential candidates in both major political parties. It's the first such event in the nation, and after the litany of polls that have been released for months on end, it's going to be interesting to actually see what the real votes will indicate.

One month after than, on March 1, voters in 2 of the states in the Faith Radio coverage area  - Alabama and Georgia - will be going to the polls.  And, two weeks later, on March 15, Florida voters will be making their Presidential preferences known.

There is much that has been made about the evangelical Christian vote in the upcoming election. And, while I do believe that it's vital that Christians make their voices heard in political matters, we should not be reduced to a voting bloc.

But, it is interesting to see some of the analysis of the evangelical votes.  For instance, there's a general analysis by Southern Baptist leader Russell Moore, in which he has said, according to Roll Call:

“I would say that Ted Cruz is leading in the ‘Jerry Falwell’ wing, Marco Rubio is leading the ‘Billy Graham’ wing and Trump is leading the ‘Jimmy Swaggart’ wing,” Moore said, meaning that Cruz has largely followed the classic Moral Majority model that was the face of the conservative movement — he has received endorsements from figures such as Focus on the Family founder James Dobson — while Trump “tends to work most closely with the prosperity wing of Pentecostalism” which tends to believe that God would financially reward believers.

I admit that's a generalization, and it bears noting that Dr. Moore has been very critical of Donald Trump.  We can be reminded that there are different streams of belief, even among Christians, and those threads affect our approach to political matters.   Brietbart says that Rubio in fact has sent out a campaign e-mail touting Moore's contention.

The article points out that, as an example of Rubio’s outreach to the “Billy Graham” wing, earlier this month the presidential hopeful announced a religious liberty advisory board that includes Rick Warren, the founding pastor at the influential Saddleback Church. Rubio has also released a video ad with him speaking personally about his faith and how it affects his daily life. In it, he said: “the purpose of our life is to cooperate with God’s plan."

The article goes on to point out that:

The notion advanced by the Rubio campaign that the role of a presidential candidate is not merely to persuade voters why the candidate should be selected to head the executive branch, but is also to provide religious leadership to evangelical Christians in the way Billy Graham has for more than seven decades, appears to be at odds with the recent public messages of Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham and head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The piece mentions Franklin Graham's "Decision America" initiative, visiting all 50 states, and that Graham does not plan to endorse a candidate.

Well, a CNN story has broken down the evangelical vote into 7 different types, along with examples of each one.  Here are some excerpts - I don't necessarily agree, but it does provide some food for thought:

1 - The old guard (James Dobson, Tony Perkins, John Hagee)

They are hawkish on foreign policy and want politicians who won't give ground on issues like same-sex marriage, abortion and religious liberty.  Advantage: Cruz

2 - Institutional evangelicals (Rick Warren, Russell Moore)

These evangelicals head megachurches, charities, seminaries and umbrella groups such as the National Association of Evangelicals. They tend to back candidates who, while sharing their core values, stand a solid chance of winning the presidency. Institutional evangelicals rarely endorse politicians but can make their preferences known in other ways. Advantage: Rubio

3 - Entrepreneurial evangelicals (Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Falwell, Jr.)

These evangelicals may not share many theological beliefs, but they all appreciate a good business model. They are evangelists who have built television ministries reaching millions of Americans, and Pentecostal preachers who have turned storefront churches into thriving congregations. Others include Jerry Falwell Jr., who grew the family business, Liberty University, into one of the country's largest Christian colleges. Advantage: Trump

4 - 'Arm's length' evangelicals (John Piper, Tim Keller)

..."arm's length" evangelicals dominate some the most dynamic movements within conservative Christianity. They consider it foolhardy for candidates to use their faith as a footstool to higher office and are reluctant to fuse the sacred sphere of religion with profane politics. Advantage: Rubio

5 - Millennial evangelicals (Eric Teetsel, Jordan Sekulow, Johnnie Moore)

They've grown up in the shadow of old guard evangelicals, but they're more attuned to the country's religious pluralism than their forebears. Advantage: too soon to tell

6 -  Liberal evangelicals (Jim Wallis, William J. Shaw, Jimmy Carter)

According to Pew's survey, 13% of evangelical Protestants identify as liberal, a number that inches up slightly among younger millennials (17%). Many African-American Protestants also hold evangelical beliefs but rarely vote Republican. For that reason, they are not a force in GOP primaries, though a few have endorsed Trump.  Advantage: Democrats

7 - Cultural evangelicals

Cultural evangelicals say they're "born again" but don't go to church.

These evangelicals were raised Christian but don't go to church or consider religion that important in their lives. Still, when pollsters ask about their faith, they call themselves evangelical, much like nonreligious Jews still identify as Jewish.  Advantage: Trump

So, there you have it, what one analyst at CNN, Religion Editor Daniel Burke, has to say.  I am not necessarily endorsing this perspective, but using it as a springboard to perhaps gauge our own political philosophy and how that is shaped by the Scriptures.

Some takeaways for us today:

The first is that politics matter.  I believe that we are called to be a voice on the selection of leaders and matters of public policy.  We have been given a unique right to participate in a republic where citizens - "We, the People" - can actually be part of the process.   I believe that we should take interest in politics, but we should always make sure it's in the proper place.

Because, more than anything else, hearts matter.   We know that Christianity is more a definition of demographics or a subset of the voting public.  We are called first and foremost to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ and allow His principles to guide us.  As God has changed our hearts, we are to demonstrate the heart-changing, life-changing, presence of a Savior.  The answers to the woes we face in our culture cannot be solved by politics, but through the changing of hearts, energized by the gospel.

Finally, prayer matters.  We should be involved in praying for our nation - this is an important election that is coming up, and we can be inspired to call upon the Lord for His man - or woman - to be placed in the Presidency, as well as other offices across our land.  God is the One Who, according to the book of Daniel, raises up and deposes leaders, and we can unite our hearts with Him, asking Him, calling on Him fervently to do a mighty work in our land.