{"id":584,"date":"2008-11-05T00:01:42","date_gmt":"2008-11-05T00:01:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/a-christian-response-to-the-2008-presidential-election-part-3.html"},"modified":"2008-11-05T00:01:42","modified_gmt":"2008-11-05T00:01:42","slug":"a-christian-response-to-the-2008-presidential-election-part-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/a-christian-response-to-the-2008-presidential-election-part-3.html","title":{"rendered":"A Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election (Part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Part 3 of series: A Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election
\n<\/em>Permalink for this post<\/a> \/ Permalink for this series<\/a>
\nIn my first two posts in this series I\u2019ve outline three facets of a Christian response to the presidential election:<\/p>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

1. We Should Act Upon the Call of Jesus to Peacemaking in the
\nWay We Relate to Our Fellow Citizens. <\/strong>
\n2. We Need to Reaffirm Our Dual Citizenship.
\n3. We Need to Refocus Upon Our Fundamental Mission. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/blockquote>\n

In today\u2019s post I\u2019ll finish up this short series, adding items 4 and 5 to the list.
\n4. We Need to Renew Our Trust in the Sovereignty of God.<\/strong>
\nNo matter who will be our new president, we Christians need to renew our fundamental trust in the sovereignty of God. I guarantee you that God is not surprised by the election results. In fact, before the foundation of the world, he worked these results into his plan for the creation. Whichever person will be our new president, the truth of Romans 8:28 remains rock solid: \u201cWe know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.\u201d (Photo: A Serbian icon, picturing Christ as Pantokrator<\/em>, the “Ruler of All Things.”)<\/span>
\nWhen elections don\u2019t go our way, it\u2019s easy to doubt God\u2019s sovereignty. We wonder why God let the “wrong” candidate win. Our doubts and passions are exacerbated when we hear believers on the other political side claim that the election results reflect God\u2019s personal endorsement of their candidate. Yet there is a benefit for our souls when our candidate loses. We\u2019re reminded once again that our primary trust is in God, not in any human being.
\nConversely, when election results match our voting, it\u2019s easy to put too much confidence in a human being or an administration. In our glee, we can neglect God\u2019s sovereignty in favor of political victory or national pride. Thus, even and especially if your candidate will be the next president, you need to remember just who is really in charge of the universe, just who is King of kings and Lord of lords.
\nThis leads to my final of five points.
\n5. We Need to Recommit to Praying for the President.<\/strong>
\nNo matter who was just elected president, we need to pray for this person and his administration, daily, if not more often. However you voted, you can surely agree that the next president desperately needs God\u2019s help. Scripture is clear that we\u2019re to pray for our rulers (1 Tim 2:1-2). The need for such prayer is clear, now more than ever.
\nMany Christians find it much easier to pray for the president if they voted for him, but not if they didn\u2019t. This is both ironic and mistaken. The irony is that if your candidate lost the election, then you must surely believe that the winner needs God\u2019s help even more than if your candidate had won. So logic would suggest that we intercede more consistently for a president we don\u2019t like than for one of whom we approve.
\nMoreover, we should remember that the early Christians were called to pray for, not a president whom they elected, nor even a ruler of whom they approved, but rather for an emperor who had been foisted upon them, and who in many cases actively sought to persecute them. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 actually reads:<\/p>\n

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cKings\u201d includes both the Roman Caesar and other subordinate rulers (like King Herod). Notice, Scripture does not say, \u201cPray for your ruler when you agree with him, or when you\u2019re on his side.\u201d Rather, we are to pray for our leaders . . . period. (And, I might add, no matter how bad the next president may be in your eyes, I guarantee you he won\u2019t be as bad as Nero, who was the Roman emperor at the time Paul urged Christians to pray for him. Nero was famous for, among other things, proclaiming himself as a god and senselessly crucifying hundreds of Christians.)
\nAdded in 2008<\/em>: When I was pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church, I led our church in prayer during most worship services. In these prayers I almost always prayed for the President (Bush, Clinton, and Bush), the Administration, the Congress, and the courts. On a fairly regular basis I added prayers for state, county, and local officials. I would hope that, in the days ahead, more churches would be united in praying for our government officials. Surely now, more than ever, they need divine wisdom and guidance.
\nConclusions<\/strong>
\nAdmittedly Christians will differ widely in many of their responses to the presidential election. This is natural, given the diversity of our views on many topics, including politics, economics, world affairs, not to mention theology. But, I believe that all Christians, no matter our political inclinations, should respond with unity to what has happened in our country.
\nIn review and conclusion, here are five facets of that unity:<\/p>\n

1. We Should Act Upon the Call of Jesus to Peacemaking in the
\nWay We Relate to Our Fellow Citizens. <\/strong>
\n2. We Need to Reaffirm Our Dual Citizenship.
\n3. We Need to Refocus Upon Our Fundamental Mission.
\n4. We Need to Renew Our Trust in the Sovereignty of God.
\n5. We Need to Recommit to Praying for the President. <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part 3 of series: A Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election Permalink for this post \/ Permalink for this series In my first two posts in this series I\u2019ve outline three facets of a Christian response to the presidential election: 1. We Should Act Upon the Call of Jesus to Peacemaking in the Way…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-presidential-election-christian-response"],"yoast_head":"\nA Christian Response to the 2008 Presidential Election (Part 3) - Mark D. 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Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}