GRACE AMBASSADORS

How Ambassadors Respond to Elections

Justin Johnson

Now that the American elections are over the blaming begins.

The loser blames the winner for cheating, fraud, deception, etc. The winner will blame the loser for losing badly, dividing the country, and causing the political gridlock for the next four years.

Eventually, God will be blamed (as he most always is).

Some people blame God for the winner:

“God in his sovereignty sets up presidents and kings. He chose the winner. It is all in his irresistible control. The king’s heart (and, apparently, the voting box) are in the hands of the Lord.”

According to these folks, God is the great conspirator.

Sometimes God is blamed for the loser.

“This loss is a sign of the times. The beginning pangs of God’s judgment on a country filled with moral depravity, ignorance, and godlessness. If we don’t humble ourselves and pray God will turn his back on us and take away our blessings.”

According to these folks, God’s judgment by ballot box makes us all losers.

Both are wrong to blame God and to prooftext verses to do it.

God’s Operation in This Dispensation

The Bible rightly divided teaches that God is not to be blamed for the choices of ignorant and unsaved humanity (Rom 3:3-4).

We also learn that God has not been bringing in his kingdom for 2000 years, nor are we living in the times of prophetic fulfillment. Rather he is at this time declaring free salvation to all through the preaching of the cross (not politics).

God is not operating according to Dan 2:21-23 nor Matthew 24:3-6 today. Both of those passages describe God as he worked under the covenants with Israel and the Gentiles.

Being strangers of the covenants means we are not in the conditional national relationship with God as was Israel in time past (Eph 2:12).

American presidents have never inherited the king of Israel’s covenant promises, and our country does not have a covenant with God.

Christians have all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph 1:3). These are not blessings God gives and takes away according to our works or political elections. They are freely given by his grace.

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” – Rom 8:32

We are not living in the time of judgment, conditional covenants, nor God’s wrath on the world.

Our Responsibility

We are representatives of a foreign embassy trying to make all men see the mystery of Christ. God has made us his ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20).

Rather than fear God’s judgment or the course of this world we have the doctrinal understanding that we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ:

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” – Rom 5:1

We stand in that position by grace and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (which will not be the result of any political election).

“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Rom 5:2

As ambassadors we should know that God has given us responsibility to operate with liberty in a world that has rejected him.

Although the world turned its back on God two thousand years ago, God has not turned his back on the world. God in Christ put reconciliation in place.

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” – 2 Cor 5:19

It is the responsibility of the church to perform the ministry of God’s reconciliation to a dying world. It has always been, and it will always be, til he come (Titus 2:11-13).

People have asked how mid-Acts right division affects political elections. An important affect is our response to the outcome; it neither destroys us nor is it the source of our strength (Phil 4:12-13; 2 Tim 2:1).

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Published: November 10, 2012
Last Modified: November 10, 2012
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