The Bible gives us certain boundaries that guide how we vote, Evans said, but we all have different upbringings and life experiences that influence how we determine which candidate we think will best align with God’s definition of government. God’s definition of government, said Evans, is to “maintain a safe, just, righteous and compassionately responsible environment for freedom to flourish.”
Because of our different backgrounds, some Christians might emphasize the “safe” aspect of this definition, others the “righteous” aspect, and so on. Because of their history, many Black Americans have an extra sensitivity to justice and the dignity of life, said Evans. The pastor implied that this is why many African Americans are unwilling to vote Republican even though they agree with many Republican policies. On other hand, many Anglo Christians are primarily concerned with the “moral agenda” when they cast their vote. “Neither [group] is wrong,” said Evans, “both are right, but they’ve been affected differently.”
When we disagree with other Christians over politics, we should never treat one another with the hate people so often display online. “It is embarrassing,” said Evans, “I mean, downright embarrassing, to read social media and see the vitriol, the hatred, the evil, the downright hellishness of Christians going at each other. We have become more pagan than the non-Christian world in how we talk to one another, just because people are disagreeing politically.”
James 3 offers strong words of warning to believers regarding how they use their tongues. Verses 8-10 say,
No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.
It is not wrong to disagree, said Evans, or to vote differently, but it is wrong to treat one another with contempt. If other believers identify with a different political party than you, you must accept them because God has accepted them. “When you attack another person in the family of God because they have voted differently,” said Evans, “you have attacked God.” The pastor’s words echo 1 John 4:20, which says, “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”
One reason why it is important for us to accept one another, despite our differences, is so we can help one another grow and mature in our faith. As Christians mature, Evans said, they could actually end up changing their political beliefs. “God can deal with the differences, and we need to learn to deal with the differences while raising people to God’s standard,” said Evans. We need to show a “radical acceptance” in which Republicans and Democrats love one another out of their reverence for their king, Jesus.
Dr. Tony Evans: Make a List
Dr. Tony Evans gave some practical advice for how to arrive at a decision to vote for a specific candidate. In his view, the qualities of a “Kingdom voters” are:
-They vote instead of abstaining.
-They pray to God for wisdom.
-They examine the issues based on God’s Word.
-They seek unity, not division.
-They look at policy and personality (Evans believes that a candidate’s character and competency are not mutually exclusive. For other views on this topic, see those expressed by John Piper and Wayne Grudem).
-They consider how voting will impact their neighbors.
After believers do this work, Evans then recommends they make a list of the issues and evaluate them according to, first, what God’s Word says and, second, what the Democrat and Republican sides each have to say. “Then,” he said, “invite your conscience to make a decision.”
“Let’s not be foolish Christians and ignorant saints,” said Dr. Tony Evans. “Let’s not be dividers of the Kingdom of God, but let’s make sure we inform ourselves of what God expects. God expects you to be a Kingdom voter, not a cultural voter.”
