Vote for Jesus Introduction

For at least 20 years, I have been an advocate that all Christians should declare their political independence of all political parties. Part of this perspective is driven by a view of the radical difference that should exist between the believer in Christ and those whose allegiance is elsewhere. Paul wrote about the radical change that ought to characterize those who follow Christ and even how they once lived in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (NASB95, emphasis added)

If I could pick up the sense of what Paul is saying and apply it to the political spectrum, "You were Green, or Republican, or Democrat, or Libertarian but then you became a Christian and your allegiance is now to him. You seek his will, his way."

A big problem with discipleship in America is that we are more American than Christian. We think that we can just add Jesus to our already existing worldview. What folly. Jesus won’t be added to anything! He wants to radically overturn every thought we ever had. He is looking for worshipers. How can we think that he would not want to reconfigure every value we have to suit his own agenda?

I am not advocating a Christian Party, but that Christians declare their complete independence from all parties and make those parties listen to the prophetic voice of the church. Idealistic? Yes. Inappropriate? No. Especially with the confused and warped values of both of the major political parties and the complete ineffectiveness of our Congress and Senate.

So in this blog I am going to serialize a "devotional for an election year" the main part of which I wrote about four years ago. It is based on the book of Proverbs. I trust that God will use it for His glory and for the purifying of His people.