Election season is here. It doesn’t feel like it ever really stopped, though, since the last election. We continue to be bombarded by political propaganda. And even before the last election, the media was thrown under the bus and into the ever increasing list of sources of untrustworthy political propaganda. Advertisements on TV and on our computers and phones are constantly trying to garner our support, or keep it. We’ve been told that everything we see and hear is a lie, unless it’s from me, and we’ve heard that from more than one me, so everything must be a lie.
In an election year, all of the voices get louder and more polarizing. There are two sides. Right and wrong, good and evil, socialism and fascism, etc. No matter what side a person is on, the “other” side is motivated by fear, either of what is, or what will be. My side is mostly reasonable, with a few extreme exceptions.
The onslaught of noise has us hoping in our candidate, for an end to the other side, an end to the noise, and end to the unreasonableness or unfairness we perceive. We look to our government as the source of hope. And we look to our President as a god and King. Martin Luther said that to have a god is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts. And before we all jump to say that we’re not in this category, where do you look for the answer to the side you don’t trust in the election?
But, we already know that there is only one God, only one place our heart can entirely trust. And we already know that God, the ruler of all things, has placed Jesus on the throne of His people. We already have a King.
He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. . . . On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
He has been given all authority, and rule.
1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 27
Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. . . . For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.”
And He and will return all to subjection under God. There is only one God, and God has established one King. Jesus is trustworthy, has proven it, and already has victory over even the final enemy, death. So we are secure.
And all of the governing authorities rule with authority God gives. This says nothing of the leader. Follower of Jesus or not, America or not, the authority of the office is allowed and instituted by God.
Romans 13:1
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
That’s not to say that we look at a leader and trust in them. We are not to give leaders a pass because they are God’s leader, or because they are better than another. No. We trust in God, and in the authority that He establishes, which is wielded in this case by the one who is elected. And we trust that even what people or even a President might mean for evil, God can use for good, as He did with Joseph and his brothers in Genesis 50:20.
So, do not fear. We already have a King, one who gave up His life for us. We already have God, the only place our hearts can entirely trust. And we are already secure as His children, purchased by the blood of Jesus, and made heirs of His kingdom, which shall have no end.
Vote for a President, but hope and trust only in our King.
Teammates,
Matthew Wipperman
Pastor and D.M.M.
the Church