By Eugene Ralph & Bunni Pounds

This is the second blog post in our ongoing educational series, “FROM PRAYER TO ENGAGEMENT: EDUCATING CHRISTIANS ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS”

Disclaimer: While Christians Engaged does not endorse candidates or political parties, part of our mission is to educate and empower believers in Jesus Christ on how they can become involved in the political process by turning their prayers and values into action.

What is a Political Party?

A political party is an organizational tool that is used to put forth ideas and to move agendas forward. Ordinary people join together in political parties to better define themselves in relation to the voting electorate and to make their message clear.

The people within the parties connect around issues, belief systems, and even personalities—leaders or candidates. When committed Christians are involved in a political party, they have opportunities to make a major impact in the direction of political agendas at every level of government, which can in turn make a major influence within our culture. 

Getting involved with a political party allows us to influence that party’s platform (the document of recorded beliefs), the leadership within the party, and the candidates who are elected that carry that party’s label into the future and more…

If Christians, (people who are truly born again and whose lives have been redeemed by God for “good works”) are not involved in politics, only the lost and ungodly will be in charge. This is not an outcome that we want for our nation.

There are many Christians who hold the position that we should not be involved in politics at any level. They take a complete isolationist mentality.

Other Christians take the position that we should just vote and leave the inner workings of the party organizations to the “professionals”. This attitude leaves us only with the final decision after the product has been “baked and packaged.” Such a position only allows us to impact issues at the final hour, and results in our squandering our opportunity to add ingredients into the mix from the onset.

Have you ever thought about:

How the candidates get on your ballot, who decides that they should run, and who chooses them to be on the general election ballot? 

How certain policy positions become the ones that all the candidates’ “poll” and speak about? 

Why do the GOP or Democratic candidates believe certain issues are important to the American people?

How did those party platforms get written?

The answer is simple:

It is the people involved in the political parties and “systems” – the influencers – that tell the candidates what are important to them.

For example, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, pro-life positions were made increasingly stronger in the Republican party platforms throughout the US. Much of the pro-life language that is found in today’s Republican platform is from that time period.

How did this happen?

This is an easy question to answer - Christians became involved within the Republican party. Christians submit Biblically worded resolutions to their precinct conventions, platform committees, and worked to get them passed into the state platforms and the national platform.

Christians can influence a party platform, but to do so, an individual must attend the local and state conventions. It is all about showing up!

Many of us have watched portions of political conventions on TV at some time or another. They look complicated and tedious. If the idea of attending a convention is mentioned to the average person, the response is oftentimes a combination of fear and intimidation at the thought of being involved in some type of complicated, time-consuming process. 

Here in Texas, participation in the political party conventions are not very complicated, but there is a process that needs to be understood. (You can read more about that process in our first article in this series here).

It is vitally important that committed Christians become delegates and attend these conventions in so that a biblical influence is present and viable. Only the delegates in attendance at the various conventions have an opportunity to vote on platform measures that have the potential to become an official part of the upcoming revised platform that will govern the state party for the next two years.

In Texas, the local and state party conventions happen every two years in the even years. It would be well worth your time to attend one. Take a week off, join with a few like-minded friends, rent a hotel room or a B&B. Regardless of your party affiliation, your attending will be a lesson in how government works.  

Christians who believe we should take a backseat as it pertains to culture or political systems may either partially or totally misunderstand scripture that references our involvement in the world systems.  

Christians are called to be in the world, but not OF the world. There is a difference. 

Jesus’ prayer for His disciples (and us as well) in John 17 says, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”  (John 17:14-18)

It is important to remember that God has placed us where we are at this time in history for us all to play a role. We live in this unique, wonderful governmental experiment called the United States of America. You were either born here or came here to be a part of this republic. We should ask ourselves, “How do we fit in as a citizen of this nation or what individual role should we play in it?”

In Luke 19:13, Jesus told us to "occupy until I return". Some have taken this to mean only in connection to spiritual things, but as Christians, there is no way to legitimately exclude any aspect of our lives from the direction of Scripture, including politics and political organizations.

How do we vote for someone who believes something antithetical to our faith?

How do we participate in a political party or system that refuses to acknowledge the existence of God or that a “religious people” should have a part to play in this grand experiment? 

In Matthew 5:16, Christians are commanded to "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

In all that we do, we are to do it to the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31), and that includes using the tools available to us to have a Godly impact on this world. 

Political parties are a governmental and cultural tool that are used to make an impact, to influence, and to govern. 

In America, we are blessed to live in a country that where Christians have rights that are written into the founding documents. These rights enable us to fully participate in how our government works. The hard work of establishing the government has been done. Our job to maintain it, by comparison, is easy. 

As Christians living in America, we must face the realities of how both politics and religion – the two items that people don’t want to talk about – tremendously impact our lives. 

Politics determine how we live on earth. Christianity (religion) determines how we live both in heaven and on earth. 

As Christians, we have a responsibility, not an option, to be obedient to God's commands, and that includes being involved in business, communications, education, community service, and yes—political parties. 

Romans 13 tells us to submit to the governing authorities (higher powers).

In America, all elected and appointed government officials take an oath uphold the U.S. Constitution, and many also take an oath to uphold their state constitutions. 

In taking the oath, these officials pledge to submit their governmental decisions to the documents that define our nation They take this pledge on behalf of the people who they are elected to serve. Therefore, in America, the primary governing authorities are the United States’ Constitution and the state constitutions. 

A portion of an article written by Pastor Chuck Baldwin explains below:

This means that in America the "higher powers" are not the men who occupy elected office, they are the tenets and principles set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Under our laws and form of government, it is the duty of every citizen, including our elected officials, to obey the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, this is how Romans Chapter 13 reads to Americans:

"Let every soul be subject unto the [U.S. Constitution.] For there is no [Constitution] but of God: the [Constitution] that be [is] ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the [Constitution], resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 

For [the Constitution is] not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of the [Constitution]? Do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the same: For [the Constitution] is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for [the Constitution] does not bear the sword in vain: for [the Constitution] is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. 

Therefore, it is necessary to be subject not only because of wrath, but also for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also: for [the Constitution is] God's minister, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor."

This perspective and true respect for the power of submission to governing authority can only be truly understood by those who acknowledge the existence of God. Those of us who claim the name of Christ must realize that in America, to squander the unique opportunity that we have been given to influence the world through governance is indeed sinful. "To whom much is given, much is required" (Luke12:48). 

Let’s pray and ask God where He wants us to have influence. This prayer could lead us to make an impact within a political party. Are we willing to roll up our sleeves and do something? Is our nation worth it?