Elections: What Does the Bible Say?
And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” (Acts 1:23-26)
An election was held to choose another apostle to replace Judas Iscariot. He was the apostle who had betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. When Judas saw Jesus was condemned to death, he “…repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” (Matthew 27:3-4)
The chief priests and elders didn’t care about justice, or about God’s will. Nor did they care about Judas. They cared about seeing Jesus dead. They told Judas dismissively, “What is that to us? see thou to that.” (Matthew 27:4) Or in other words, “That’s your problem.” Judas, overcome with remorse, “…cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.” (Matthew 27:5)
Jesus died, was buried, rose again, and gave the Great Commission: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) He then ascended into heaven. The election would be a choice between two candidates: Joseph called Barsabas, surnamed Justus; and Matthias.
This was not a political election, but our passage gives us four simple steps for holding an election: a) pick candidates based on their conduct; b) pray for God’s will; c) trust in the Lord; and d) be honest.
First, look at the candidates’ conduct. No doubt that’s how Justus and Matthias were chosen. Candidates for office may talk about religion or even have a religious affiliation, but the true test of a candidate’s respect or lack of respect for God and His word is their conduct. Proverbs 14:2 says, “He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD: but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth him.”
Next, pray and seek God’s will. Each disciple may have liked one candidate or the other, but they all prayed for God to guide the process. No doubt many people in America do not think about God’s will and do not pray before voting. If you care about God’s blessing on our land, pray and seek God’s will.
Third, trust God for the results. Daniel 2:21 says that God “…removeth kings, and setteth up kings:” Even if your candidate legitimately loses, God has allowed it to happen and is still ultimately in control.
Finally, be honest. Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good;” Trusting the Lord means doing things right. Election interference of any kind is a way of fighting God and saying you don’t care what the Bible says in Daniel 2:21. You will be the one to “…removeth kings, and setteth up kings:”, not God.
Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” Leaders can help exalt America by a righteous influence or bring reproach by a sinful influence. Pray for God’s hand in our elections. Pray also for leaders currently in office, even if they clearly do not respect God or His word. Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” God still loves them and can work miracles in their hearts and lives.
Please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?” to see how to receive Jesus as your personal Saviour and have forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.
Brian Miller 1/19/2024