This letter will reflect with intensified urgency the spiritual condition of our nation. For a believer and follower of Christ, our worldview is based on the foundation of absolute Biblical truth. Some truths do not need interpretation but proclamation, and some moral imperatives are irrefutable truths not based on political affiliation, race, or ethnic group.
This letter is not written to endorse or oppose any candidate based on their political party. Rather, it is a statement of Biblical truths! It has to do with the clear moral commands stated in Scripture that should be foundational in our decisions. I appreciate this “nation under God with liberty and justice for all.”
As Christians, Jesus’ teaching and Biblical standards of morality are the foundation of our faith and decision-making. Both the Old and New Testaments speak of those who stood for truth and were bitterly opposed and even martyred—Jesus being one of them! No candidate for political office will affirm all the moral truths found in Scripture. But some truths are critical, such as opposing abortion and defending the Biblical sexual ethic.
There is another element we need to consider, which is the prophetic timeline. Christ predicted certain disastrous events that would happen prior to His second coming. I believe we are near to that point in history when the rise of the Antichrist and the False Prophet will soon be known (Matt. 24:4-14). This, however, does not lessen our intensity in prayer, for “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14). We are commanded to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matt. 9:38).
What are we commissioned to do as we face an accelerated determination and intensity of the battle for souls? Certainly, an attitude of que será, será is not found in Scripture. We do know that “the kingdom of the world [will] become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ” (Rev. 11:15). Until then, the battle is becoming much fiercer as we draw near that time. The Bible predicts these events in the Gospel records (Matt. 24; Luke 21).
We are approaching an election like no other, with results that will have lasting effects on our nation and our world. This election is not only a political decision of choosing the right candidate, but also a moral decision that involves the most controversial and critical issues of our day. It is imperative that we as believers do not take a casual attitude on this momentous occasion. According to the United States Elections Project, over 92 million eligible voters did not vote in the 2016 general election.1 That is staggering!
We are to pursue righteousness, and be a bright light and a clear and uncompromising voice in our world. We may not be the leading voice in our land as we stand for truth, but we should support those who hold to the truth. No one candidate holds to all Biblical truth, but our vote must go to the one who represents the higher values. To not vote for such a candidate is to vote for the candidate whose moral views are not in line with God’s Word.
What can we do when we see the deterioration of our nation? We need to be sensitive to what the world presents as truth and exercise critical judgment to discern what is truth, lies, or partial truth.
Scripture gives us three admonitions relating to Christ’s return: watch, work, and pray. Each of these exhortations is challenging and encouraging as we enter these “last days,” for we know by faith that the Lord predicted what the end will be.
Watch2
We are to be on guard, not casual, as we survey our times with expectation of Christ’s coming. What prophetic pronouncements are yet to be fulfilled before His return? There are many opinions on the matter. But each of us needs to be ready today, when it may be our time to meet the Lord (Matt. 24:42)! We do not know the day or the hour of Christ’s return…Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning—lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
—Mark 13:32-37; see also Matt. 25:1-13
Work3
We “know neither the day nor the hour” (Matt. 25:13) when we will hear the trumpet sound and be joined with the Lord. God has not called us to passively stand by, but to be laborers in His vineyard. Until then, we are not to be spiritually lazy spectators, but laborers in the first watch, the morning watch, or the eleventh hour. We can be a shining light to our community and neighbors, write or call our representatives, and participate in matters that may have a positive impact.
With expectation and faith, we rejoice in our blessed Hope (Rom. 15:13). We will be rewarded not for the length of our service or the measurable result of our labors. Instead, we will be rewarded accordingly for being faithful—whether in the first watch or the eleventh hour (Matt. 20:1-16, 25:13-23).
[We] must work the works of Him who sent [us] while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.
—John 9:4
Pray
To Whom are we primarily responsible? Is it to our elected leaders, or a political party? The Bible is clear that we are to obey those who rule over us when their rule is not contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture and our conscience (Titus 3:1; Rom. 13:1-7).
We know what the Scriptures teach regarding our responsibilities as citizens of two kingdoms. Our first calling and citizenship is heavenly, and our first allegiance is to Jesus Christ as Lord. Our primary and continual responsibility is to pray intensely for truth to be revealed, for a proper attitude to be taken, for Satan’s lies to be revealed, and that action will be taken to combat lies.
[I]f my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
—2 Chronicles 7:14
Again, the Bible says we are to pray for those who have authority over us (1 Tim. 2:1-2). If God can get the attention of Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and Roman emperors, nothing is impossible. It does not mean we will receive all that we ask, but we are still commanded to pray. We need to pray for the candidates, that God would raise up righteousness and cast down wickedness.
On May 7, 2020, there was a National Day of Prayer. Thousands sought the face of God for our nation. I do not know if God counts the number of those praying to determine whether he will answer their prayers. Yet we know that Nineveh repented, and God spared it from destruction (Jonah 3).
Here are some guidelines on how to pray during this season:
- Pray that we enter not into temptation (Matt. 26:41).
- Pray for laborers, that the harvest of souls will be completed (Matt. 9:37-38).
- Pray that righteousness will prevail over wickedness.
- Pray for the candidates and the election, that we will vote for what is best for our country—not that we would agree with a candidate on every issue, but knowing that if we do not vote for the candidate most in agreement with Biblical standards of truth, we will vote for a candidate who has abandoned these standards.
- Pray for all those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1-2).
- Pray for God’s Kingdom to come (Matt. 6:9-10).
Soli Deo Gloria,
Reuben & Carmen Sequeira
1 http://www.electproject.org/2016g
2 Matt. 25:13, 26:38-41; Luke 12:36-40
3 Matt. 25:14-26; 1 Cor. 15:58