No one party, specifically, Republican or Democrat can or should be defined or held up as the Christian party. Do you realize how dangerous a road that may be?

When we let our political party define our Christianity, it is easy to demonize people who also wear the Christian banner of the opposite party. We have seen a lot of this take place during our 2020 election year. Neither party is the Christian party.

Given that neither party can be defined as Christian, how should we choose a party, or do we necessarily have to? Until a few years ago, I had been a Democrat most of my adult voting life as I found it more closely aligned with my principles that are based on the Bible.

I moved from the Democratic party when I found that I could no longer attach myself to it because of planks in the party platform I could not support, but I also found that I could not become a Republican either for the same reason.

Should I judge or question’s someone’s Christianity because they identify as being a Republican or Democrat? I dare say, No! Although, that appears to be the climate in which we find ourselves today. Recently, I listened to Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones’ exposition of Romans 13:1-7, Christian and The State (1), in preparation for a small group ladies Bible study, in which I heard a statement with which I wholeheartedly agreed and shared that statement on Facebook which evoked

Dr. Lloyd Jones’ statement essentially said that Christians, equally good Christians may hold different views; so you can have equally good Christians in either party, conservative or liberal, or as we identify them as, Democrat or Republican. He stated that the difference is not their spiritual point of view, but their actual point of view in addressing specific problems.

The Bible is our guide, but the Bible does not declare parties. Therefore, our politics should not define our Christianity, but rather our politics should be informed by our Christianity based on biblical principles.

I believe that the way that we arrive at making decisions on which party or which way to vote is usually based on various things that make us who we are: our parents and family structures, our friends, our churches, our living environment and its surroundings, and our exposure or lack thereof to the issues of the day. So when we are faced with which party aligns or how to vote on specific issues, the things that makes us who we are play into how we view solutions, even while seeking to honor biblical principles.

In reference to Dr. Lloyd Jones’s statement, it is my opinion that we ought to be careful not to be dismissive or criticize another for arriving at a decision that differs from ours.

Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?

Romans 14:3-4a

This principle that the Apostle Paul lays out applies here also. I am persuaded that we need to learn how to give grace. Our witness is at stake.