God Does Not Vote

 

Last week I was at a gathering of politically-minded people. There were some candidates for public office there campaigning. Each one was given a few minutes to speak after the main speaker for the night had given his talk on the underpinnings of the Constitution. He had made the point that the Constitution has a biblical basis. He also pointed out that, because the Bible is the only true source of right and wrong,  anyone in public office should be expected to base their evaluation of what is right or wrong on the scriptures. (Ezra 7:25)

One of the candidates got up to give her campaign talk and stressed that she is a practicing Christian and she does want to please God. Maybe she is and maybe she does. I will have to take her on her word for now. You can bet that I will paying attention between now and the elections.

During a question and answer period she said she would follow every law as it is written. She did not express any desire to see any laws changed or to challenge any that exist. That alone makes me question if is she is a Bible-believing, Jesus following Christian.

This woman’s claim to Christianity made me think about the third of the Ten Commandments. It says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7).

Is this not one way that we take the name of the Lord in vain, when we claim to be His child but we fail to stand up for His Word? This lady has a big public platform. She has the opportunity to speak real truth to many people.

We are just as guilty though, even if the only people who ever witness our Christianity are the men we’re married to, the children we’re raising, or the co-workers who share our office. Titus 2 instructs the older women to teach and train the younger women to love their husbands, love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. (emphasis mine) As Christians, when we fail to do these things others notice. We are to be the salt and light that flavor and light the world for Christ.

In his commentary on Titus 2, Matthew Henry has this to say about the idea of reviling the word of God: “The word of God and the gospel of Christ are pure, excellent, and glorious, in themselves; and their excellency should be expressed and shown in the lives and conduct of their professors, especially in relative duties.” In other words if we profess to be followers of Jesus Christ, it should be evident by the way we live in the simple matters of everyday life.

“For the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7).  In our culture taking the Lord’s name in vain seems to be limited to the verbal (mis)use of His name and doesn’t include the bigger picture of our public witness as Christians.

According to a Gallop poll in 2010 “78% of American adults identify with some form of Christian religion”.  52.5% of those claimed to be Protestant. (http://www.gallup.com/poll/151760/christianity-remains-dominant-religion-united-states.aspx) If all those people are claiming Christianity shouldn’t our churches be fuller on Sundays? Shouldn’t there be a greater outcry against the killing of innocent, unborn babies? If we were living by the Word of God wouldn’t there be fewer divorces and less abuse in the family?

Is our faith in Jesus Christ real? Do we want to please Him? (1 Thessalonians 2:4) Do we live by His laws? (John 14:15) Is His Word the light to our path? (Psalm 119:105)

The Bible talks about “election” but it’s God’s election of us, and His vote always constitutes a majority.  We need to understand that not any old claim to be a Christian “gets” His vote. He looks at the heart. Are we really Christians – or are we taking His Name in vain?