"Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin." Romans 3:19-20

We live in a season of considerable national turmoil. The economy is stumbling and uncertain, the very purpose of government is the subject of heated debate and enormous grassroots action, and morality is being redefined as issue advocacy groups on the political left and right battle for the soul of the culture.  The stakes are high, and it seems clear that this conflict will significantly shape the future of the country. So in the midst of all this warring, what role does the Church play? Where are Christians to stand, or are we to take a stand at all?

As a citizen, you are free to vote, speak, assemble, and enjoy your civil freedoms to the glory of God. As a Christian, you have a responsibility to confront the world with the truth. Darkness and rebellion reign because of sin, and God’s intent is to bring the entirety of creation back under subjection to His righteous rule. Therefore, the question isn’t whether or not Christians have a role to play in engaging the culture. The question is this: Will the Kingdom of God be advanced through the use of political power?

If you are a Christian, then you must accept two basic facts. First, every manifestation of darkness in the world is the result of sin. Second, the only cure for sin is for individuals to believe the gospel and submit themselves to the rule of Christ. This does not mean that it is wrong for Christians to engage actively in the political process, but we must think clearly about our passions, the things we place our hope in, and what the true result of mere political and cultural change will be. Following are some points to stimulate your thinking: 

• God has determined that He will bring all things under subjection to Christ (Eph 1:10), and through the message of the gospel will save those who believe (1 Cor 1:21). Since God has determined the means by which He will restore righteousness, are your energies best spent on God’s means of change, or the means of men? If this question unsettles you, what does that say about your confidence in God’s solutions to our problems?
   
  
• Whether it is grassroots action or top down rule, the exercise of political power always requires compromise. You have to focus on what you and your allies agree upon, and put away those things that divide you. The gospel divides Christian and non-Christians, and we cannot remain silent about the Person and Work of Christ. Can you ally yourself with those of other religions or no religion, and not fall to the pressure to remain mute about Christ and His gospel?
  
  
• Politics effects change through legislation and policy, and the power of the culture is its capacity to promote conformity to a set of moral and social norms. If the culture were to put off much of its sinful agendas and yet never put on Christ, would you be satisfied with this kind of change, knowing that though the outsides of men would appear clean, that their hearts will still be filled with all filth and corruption? We must not confuse external moral uprightness with subjection to Christ.
   
• God’s wrath is on all sin, and we do not have the authority to condemn some sins and excuse others. For example it is right to condemn the redefinition of marriage, but are we as energized when we address divorce, men and women cohabitating in sinful relationships, and other issues that undermine the biblical institution of marriage?  

Years ago, many Christians became infatuated with psychology as a way of seeing people transformed because they had little confidence in the transforming power of God’s Word. In the same way, much of the evangelical world has embraced politics as the means of transforming the culture, because it has grown impatient with God’s means and timetable for doing so. God has a plan for bringing the world back into subjection to Himself. Are we who were saved by God’s grace and the power of the gospel now going to trust in legislation to save a nation?

If you see a man who is hungry, feed him. If you see oppression, stand against it. If you see moral and political corruption, expose it. If you have an opportunity to publicly apply biblical principle to a current issue, then speak. And when you go into the booth, vote your conscience. But as you do these things, don’t rest until you’ve brought the power and the fullness of the gospel to bear in your thinking, speech, and actions.  

If you want to see righteousness reign, then magnify Christ and speak the truth of God’s Word. Then, when you’ve spoken the truth and proclaimed the gospel, cease from worry and rest in whatever way God chooses to use your faithfulness to bring about His purposes, knowing that in His timing righteousness and justice will be done.