What are you thinking?!??!

 

That's what I want to say when I hear of Christians who are endorsing unabashedly ungodly people who  want to be leaders.  But here's  what my husband says, in a rare guest appearance on the blog:

Does it matter if our leaders are ungodly?

It is said, “We're not choosing a pastor but a president” as though ungodliness doesn't matter in government. The Word of God over and over evaluated kings largely on whether they obeyed God, not much on whether they were skilled diplomats or were patriotic: “He did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord” or “He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord.”

“Make America Great Again” is just an empty slogan if there is no repentance and righteousness. It is righteousness that exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. This principle was not just for Old Testament Israel, but for “any people” (Prov. 14:34).

It is shocking to see so many Republicans, Christian Republicans, enthusiastic about someone who brags about his adulteries, who said he's never sought forgiveness for his sins, who repeatedly lies and who's made a fortune off the stupid weakness of others at his casinos.

It is said that David was a good ruler even though he committed adultery. Actually, the story of David and Bathsheba teaches a very different lesson. “Therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah...” (2 Sam. 12:10). In the ensuing battle 20,000 soldiers were killed with thousands of wives, parents, children and other family members and friends left really hurting! The whole nation suffered.

Rulers, by their sins, often bring trouble on their people. For example, God said He would bring four kinds of calamity on Israel, “And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh... for that which he did...” (Jer. 15:3,4). It would seem that a nation would be even more likely to be judged for the sins of its ruler if the people elect their leader, especially when they already know what he or she is like.

Paul Young

Cape Town, South Africa

drawingotherstochrist.com