THE CHRISTIAN AND POLITICS.
By A. Carter
THE highest possible standard of morality is the standard set for the Christian. Where we find bribery and corruption, selfishness, love of money, and desire for fame and power, there the Christian can not feel at home. These things are characteristic of the modern political world and are directly opposed to the spirit of Christ. God's message to His children is, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean." While living in this world we must not be "unequally yoked with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with iniquity? and what communion hath light with darkness?" The Bible teaches that we as followers of Christ are only temporary residents on this globe. We are "ambassadors for Christ," and our special work is to give God's message of warning and mercy to our fellow creatures who are in danger of eternal ruin. An ambassador takes no part in the political strife of the country where he lives, not having a vote to use. He is there for a limited time to represent his sovereign or own country. The child of God has been adopted into the family of heaven, and is called upon for service in a holy warfare as a "good soldier of Jesus Christ." Paul says, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please Him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Some souls have not heeded the warning contained in this text, and made shipwreck of life by entering the political arena at the request of fellow-citizens and friends. But what did Abraham, the father of the faithful, term himself when applying to the people of Heth for a burial-place for his wife? "I am a stranger and sojourner with you." Gen. 23:4. How did Jacob speak of his life and that of his ancestors before Pharaoh?—As a pilgrimage. Gen. 47:9. David in prayer to God said, "We are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers." 1 Chron. 29:15. A sojourner is not a citizen. For example, "Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there" during a time of famine in Canaan. At another time we are told he "sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange country." Heb. 11:9. Thus we see he was as truly a sojourner at home as when in a foreign land. As children of Abraham we are exhorted to pass the time of our "sojourning here in fear" (1 Peter 1:17), and a good reason for this is found in9Phil. 3:20, R. V., where it is stated "our citizenship is in heaven." That those godly men of olden times had a correct view of their position in this world is proved by the fact that the Lord Himself uses similar words in Lev. 25:23, where we read: "The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is Mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with Me." Peter called believers "strangers and pilgrims" (1 Peter 2:11); and in Hebrews 11 Paul affirms that all who had up to that time "died in faith" "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things make it manifest that they are seeking after a country of their own." Verses 13, 14, R. V. Pilgrims do not have citizens' rights in the country they are passing through; and by refraining from political entanglements, we, too, make it manifest that this is not our country; that we are looking for a better country, a city whose "Builder and Maker is God." Another reason why we should not be politicians is this: Generally those nominated for office are total strangers to us, and of their moral worth we are ignorant, and likely to be mistaken. Not knowing their real character, the votes of professing Christians have helped to elect dishonest men who have made a wicked use of their power, and every one who voted in their favor is to a certain extent responsible for their wrong-doing. To vote for an unprincipled man makes us in a sense "partaker of his evil deeds." 2 John 11. "Be not partaker of other men's sins; keep thyself pure." When traveling in a foreign land we may see the urgent need of good government, but we are powerless to effect political reforms, being only strangers and sojourners there. That represents our condition in this world as God views us, and we believe there is no scripture to be found which teaches that it is the duty of "children of light" to join hands (even for a good purpose) with "children of disobedience" in the politics of this sin-cursed earth. When, as a redeemed and holy people, we are put in possession of a purified earth, we will then be fitted to take part in the work which our King shall assign to us; but so long as Satan is permitted to act as prince of this world, we must decline to co-operate with his deluded followers in the mis-rule so evident everywhere. There is, however, an occasion when a Christian might do wrong by refusing to vote. For instance, if the matter of closing up saloons in a town is put to the vote of all the inhabitants, and each person is invited to express his desire in this matter, every Christian could then feel free to give expression to his wish by ballot. In so doing, he is complying with the admonition found in Isa. 58:6, to "loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free." This is very different from voting for men seeking election in council or senate. Let us take the Bible as our rule of life, for with that the man of God is "throughly furnished unto all good works."