Faith in an Election Year Part 2

Part 2 What to Do if Your Candidate Loses ... Or Wins.


8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

After we are told to give to those to whom anything is due, we are encouraged to have no debts, other than the ongoing practice of loving one another as though it was debt continually to be paid. This is not to say that our love is to be grudging as we might view a debt as having to be paid out of a finite resource. Instead we are to pay our love to one another as we would an important debt; faithfully and regularly. To love in this way does not break the law but fulfills it. To remain faithful to our Christian calling we are instructed is our duty at all times. There is no excuse that should keep us from being faithful to God.

9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."

Indeed the law is simplified in this command to love, for if we love we will not pursue the wife or husband of another or live in any way that is unfaithful to God's ordering of marriage. We will not murder. We will not take what doesn't belong to us. We will not Desire what belongs to others or be jealous of what they have or seek to deprive them of it.

10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

To do no wrong to our neighbor certainly restrains us from evil and keeps us on the right side of God's law if not the law of the land.

11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.

We are to remain faithful to our calling knowing especially that we do not know the hour of Christ's return. Certainly it is no further away than in days past and since Christ has accomplished all he promised except for His return, we must be always ready. We cannot drowsily go about our business as though God is absent or unaware or that we will have ample time for repentance should we die or should Christ return.

12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Often people have used the seeming cover of night for evil deeds or for sensual living pursuing pleasures of their own desires rather than goodness during those hours where they may not be readily observed. Indeed we more often hide our sins even while we are doing them willfully. Yet even as darkness has past in Christ and we are being led out of sin and darkness we should pursue a life that more resembles the life of Christ who is our light. We are even given the image of “putting on” light like one would put on armor. Armor is put on purposefully and is not natural to the body. Likewise a holy life is not natural to us but is put on in Christ. Likewise we willingly “lay aside” evil deeds, putting them off and refusing them like soiled garments not to be worn while dirty.

13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.

Regardless of the teaching of this world we must look to Gods word and live as those who know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. While some things and even some of what the world calls pleasures may be legal under the civil law we must never call what God calls good evil or evil good. As powerful and entangling as our sexuality can be we are to give special attention to keeping that area of life pure. Likewise we cannot allow divisions between people and jealousy for possessions lead us to do what is evil.

14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

It is this line that both calls us to strive to live like Christ, as well as affording us no excuse even should the world lead us to do otherwise. Should our leaders approve the murder of the helpless, abandonment of living infants on hospital floors because they were unwanted; should they approve corruption and the abuse of those who work for them; should they abuse the advantages of power for personal gain; should they freely call what Scripture calls good evil, and evil good; Should they place in power those who do not preserve freedom and law, failing to reward good and punish and restrain evil; Should they do any of these things; We must not. We must seek to put on Christ. We must not allow for ourselves to live in any other way that the way of the Spirit. This is what it means to make no provision for the lusts of the flesh. We cannot place our Christian life in one compartment and pursue greed, lust, hatred or any other evil in another quarter. Pray for wisdom. Vote for those who you believe will restrain evil and promote good. Pray for those who gain power that they will faithfully do as God has elevated them to do. And live yourselves as Christians even if the rest of the world should choose Hell's path.

In Christ and on the Shepherd's Path,
Mark