God Will Forgive a Person But Not a Platform
Many people are having difficulty these days deciding how to vote. The issues are complicated, and we have the flaws of the candidates before us more than we ever have before. We have always had sinful candidates, but the media and the lack of civility in politics make sure we know the sordid details of our current crop all day long- whether we want to hear it or not. Even Christians are having difficulty trying to decide which candidate to vote for- often feeling conflicted about voting for a sinful man with a Godly platform versus a candidate whose sin is less well known with a platform that goes against God’s will.
To me the answer is simple: I know that God will always forgive a repentant sinner, but He will never condone a platform that violates His Word. Long ago, God knew we would one day live in a world that was so perverse that it would truly turn upside down every tenet of our faith. He knew that our culture, our social systems, and our nation would be so deluded that it would distort what is good and make it seem evil and take what is evil and promote it as good. That is one reason He gave us the Word of God. It is, quite literally, God’s Words written down for us by His chosen servants so that we would have a guide to His heart. He knew we would need a manual that spelled out what He thinks about issues, sins, and the way to live as Christians.
So when you are evaluating candidates, you must hold their platforms up and see which one aligns with God’s Words. A platform is a statement that says, “Here is what I believe. Here is what I would vote for, if elected.” A candidate cannot divorce himself from his party’s platform. He is dishonest if he says his party supports a position, but that he does not take responsibility for it. God sees through that, and He wants you to also. Also, if you vote for a candidate that supports a platform that violates God’s law or allows others to violate God’s law, you are also guilty of that sin. When you vote for a candidate, you are voting for his platform. Carefully evaluate each candidate’s platform and be sure you are not sinning by promoting unGodly beliefs with your vote.
Do not fall prey to personality politics. Your elected officials will be casting votes and legislating on your behalf. Although there are not sinless candidates, some candidates’ sins are more sensational than others. One thing I look at is whether the candidate calls his sin a sin or does he condone it or justify it with glib political talk. Has the sinful candidate repented? 1 John 1:9 says:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Romans 3:23 says:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
To keep your heart in alignment with God’s will, ask yourself what this candidate has done with that sin. Has he acknowledged it? Has he turned and gone in a different direction, a direction that has led him to be closer to the Lord’s will? God will forgive the repentant candidate.
Also, look at the various candidates’ platforms to give you insight into their beliefs. A platform states the practices the candidate believes in and will implement in your community and in our nation. A platform that has a sinful plank states that it will unrepentantly continue to practice that sin. 1 John 3:8-9 says:
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
Do not make a practice of sinning. Do not vote for anyone who will support a policy that God’s Word says will result in the practice of sinning. Romans 14:12 tell you why:
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Voting is serious business. Be sure your vote is one you can account for to the Lord when you meet Him face to face.