Here at The Journey, we like to talk about the two ditches. It’s a good way to help people avoid falling into one ideological extreme or another. So, for example, when we talk about salvation. One ditch would be to say salvation is completely dependent on man, not God. That’s not biblical. But the other ditch isn’t biblical either. And that is saying God is so sovereign over salvation, man isn’t responsible for his choices. We need to land in the biblical middle and affirm God is sovereign and man is responsible.

When it comes to politics, I see Christians wrecking their ideological car in one of two ditches. On the one hand, you have Christians who say the church shouldn’t engage in politics at all. Our job is discipleship and evangelism. Politics is worldly. But then there’s the other ditch, and that’s where believers say the primary mission of the church is to engage politics, infiltrate government, and bring the nation in conformity to God’s law.

Like the other topics, both ditches are in error. We need to strike the biblical middle. When we do so, we see that, while politics is not the central mission of the church, Christians are called to engage in the political sphere by proclaiming God's truth, seeking the welfare of our communities, and upholding justice. I want to look at some examples of Biblical characters and how they engaged the political issues, systems, and rulers of their day, and then draw some principled application for our lives today.

Biblical Characters

1. God

Of course, the most important political character in the Bible is God Himself. The Scriptures open with the declaration, “In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” From the outset, we’re confronted with the reality that the Lord is the sovereign ruler of the cosmos. He is the King of the nations. Every knee must bow to Him. Practically speaking, this means our rights as citizens come from God, not the government. Morality and ethics are determined by God’s word, not man’s most recent enlightened opinion.

2. Joseph

Joseph was one of 12 sons. He was hated by his brothers, nearly killed and sold into slavery. As a slave, he was falsely accused by his bosses’ wife and convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. Consequently, he spent several years in prison. But because of Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams, he was called into Pharaoh’s service, and after he was able to tell Pharaoh the meaning of his dreams, Joseph was installed as the Prime Minister of Egypt. He used giftings and wisdom to not only influence a pagan King, but to save much of the ancient world from starvation. Joseph’s story reminds us that God uses His people to engage corrupt political systems for the welfare of the people. And through the faithfulness of the church, the Lord can transform a nation.

3. Moses

Moses began his life living as an Egyptian, but after killing a man, he feared for his own life and fled the country. He spent 40 years as a shepherd until the day the LORD called Moses into his service. The Lord had a massive job for Moses. He was told to go to the most powerful man in the world—Pharaoh, King of Egypt—and demand that the King set the Israelites slaves free. God’s people had been in slavery 400 years. They were an integral part of Egypt's economic system. And now Moses is to tell Pharoah to let the Hebrews go! Can you imagine the political fear and backlash Moses faced? Talk about taking on one of the top political issues of his day! And Moses didn’t have the luxury of going through the parliamentary process like Wilberforce. Moses’ confrontation with Pharaoh shows us that when God calls us to speak truth to power, we must stand firm, even against the greatest opposition. His example teaches us that obedience to God can bring freedom and transformation, even in the face of overwhelming odds.

4. The Prophets

A. Isaiah

When you read Isaiah, it becomes very clear, God is not only concerned how Israel behaves, but He also holds the nations. accountable. Isaiah 34:1-2 states, Draw near, O nations, to hear, and give attention, O peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that fills it; the world, and all that comes from it. For the Lord is enraged against all the nations, and furious against all their host; he has devoted them to destruction, has given them over for slaughter. The message Isaiah is sending is that the nations haven’t pleased the Lord. Which means God expects all governments to obey Him. It doesn’t matter what the religious laws are in any given country. Every nation is accountable to the God of Heaven, and should, therefore, seek to please Him!

B. Daniel

Daniel understood this. Like Joseph, Daniel was placed into a position of high authority because of his ability to interpret the King’s dream. It would have been easy to conform to the customs and comforts of Babylon. Daniel might have said, “They have their own gods. Who am I to impose my religious beliefs on the King?” That wasn’t his posture at all. After interpreting the King’s dreams, Daniel implored Nebuchadnezzar, “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” Nebuchadnezzar, you need to turn from your sins and obey God if you want to experience prosperity. Of course, we know what happened to Nebuchadnezzar for not taking Daniel’s advice. Because of his pride, the Lord stripped him of his sanity. He lived like a wild animal for a period of time. I guess we aren’t surprised to hear that God’s judgment on a ruler may be cognitive decline.

C. Jeremiah

Jeremiah prophesied to the Jewish exiles in Babylon, and do you know what he told them? “This is a pagan nation. You have no obligation to them.” No, Jeremiah sent a letter to the Jews in Babylonian captivity saying this, ““Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4-7). Live and build a life. Seek the welfare of the city “where I have sent you.” That’s instructive. The Lord ordained for His people to live in a corrupt, pagan nation. And He told them to seek the welfare of that corrupt pagan nation. How do we do that? By pointing people to the Lord. By instructing the people and rulers with His word.

5. John the Baptist

John is a great example of someone who didn’t limit his calling to discipleship and evangelism. What I mean is, John’s calling was to preach repentance, baptism and prepare Israel for the Messiah. Once his job was done, he faded into the background. With such a narrow focus, John might have concluded, “It’s not my job to engage in politics. I am just called to preach.” That wasn’t John’s attitude at all. We know this because he consistently called out the King of Galilee, Herod Antipas. You probably know the story, John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful to have your brother’s wife.” Apparently, Herod stole his brother’s wife and made her his own. John didn’t appreciate that and called out Herod’s sin. Ultimately this led to his imprisonment and death by beheading!

Several things could be said about John.

1. He didn’t believe Herod was exempt just because he wasn’t a Jew. God’s word is the law of every nation and ruler.
2. John didn’t care what it cost him. He believed it was his job to preach truth when he had the opportunity.
3. Apparently, he didn’t take the approach of saying, “We’re not electing a pastor, we’re electing a president” when it came to Herod’s immorality. In other words, the morality of a leader, religious or not, matters to God and should matter to us!

6. The Apostle Paul

Paul is best known for church planting, his missionary journeys, and gospel preaching. But he also had a few opportunities to speak truth to power. The example I want us to consider comes from Acts 26. Paul is on trial for his life, and his purpose for speaking with the King was to exonerate himself from the Jew’s accusations. But Paul took this opportunity not only to explain his side, but to evangelize the King. Listen to these 3 words, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would tell God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.” (Acts 26:27-29)

Now, it’s true that Paul desired the King’s salvation. But it would be overly simplistic to conclude that’s all he desired. Because if the King is converted, he would be expected to rule as a Christian, according to Christian principles. Paul's encounter with King Agrippa demonstrates that political engagement is not just about influencing laws but about boldly proclaiming the gospel to those in power. His example challenges us to engage politically, not just for policy change, but to call leaders to align with God's truth, recognizing that true transformation begins with the heart.

Application

1. Use your giftings like Joseph.

Joseph had the ability to interpret dreams given by God. He also had wisdom to save Egypt and nations beyond their borders from starvation. How has God gifted you? Where has He placed in life in terms of influence? Who has He surrounded you with and what resources are available to you? Use your giftings to glorify God and influence rulers.

2. Embrace your calling like Moses.

The last thing Moses wanted to do was go to Pharaoh, but that’s what God called him to do, and he embraced his calling by ordering the most powerful man in the world to free his people. Embrace your God-given calling with courage, just as Moses did. Don’t shrink back from confronting the powers that be—step boldly into the role God has given you, knowing He has equipped you for this purpose.

3. Seek the welfare of the city like Jeremiah.

Jeremiah was writing to Jews living in pagan Babylon, and do you remember what he told them? Build houses, plant gardens, eat produce. Get married. Have kids. Be fruitful and productive. Bless the city! Seek its welfare. This gets to the heart of politics, because to seek the welfare of a city you must make moral decisions.

• You seek the welfare of a city by making abortion illegal and protecting the unborn.
• You seek the welfare of the city when you fight to remove the LGBTQ agenda from kid’s schools and libraries.
• You seek the welfare of the city when you legally welcome foreigners while also securing our nation’s borders.
• You seek the welfare of the city when you lobby the government to make laws that bless marriage and the family.
• You seek the welfare of the city when you create a free and open market for businesses to buy and sell without government interference.

All this will require courage, and that brings me to our next point.

4. Speak truth to Power like John.

We must get the notion out of our mind that there is any standard of morality outside of the law of God. Just because a politician or a ruler isn’t a Christian doesn’t alleviate the command to obey God. This is why John the Baptist called Herod’s marriage sinful. Herod didn’t get to live according to his own set of rules. John called him to be accountable to the One True God.

5. Pray for the conversion of your rulers like Paul.

Paul desired Agrippa’s salvation. We must do the same. We should preach and pray and witness to the gospel for the salvation of our elected officials. Not just for their soul’s sake but for the sake of the nation. Because it is only the converted heart that submits to God. Laws don’t change hearts. The gospel does, and the only hope for our nation is that our rulers come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the most politically charged statement you will ever make is declaring Jesus Christ is Lord. The government isn’t God. The government isn’t the final authority. There is an authority above the government, and it is Jesus Christ. It is to Him that every knee will bow, and every tongue confesses He is Lord. It is before Him that every ruler—large and small—will stand before on the Day of Judgment. The church by necessity engages in politics, because we are called to declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.