There have been several recent news stories about the low participation of Christians in elections. According to one, more than 100 million “people of faith” choose not to vote, including 40 million plus professed Christians.

There are multiple reasons cited for this low participation. Many say Christians are uninterested in politics. Others will say that they find all candidates unworthy of their vote. Since there was never any opportunity for early Christians to vote, the New Testament is silent on this issue.

Many Christians believe that God is in control of all things and that voting is not even necessary. A sovereign God does as He wills, and all the leaders of nations are “instituted by God.” Voting is almost considered a lack of faith for those who do not vote because God is sovereign.

Public Domain image.

There are two ways to define this sovereignty of God in instituting governments. The first is to believe that God makes a sovereign choice of who will lead and puts that specific person in as the leader for the people. God both selects leaders and confirms them. King David is a good example of this.

The second understanding is similar. God may allow the people to select leaders, and God establishes that selection. King David illustrates that, too. The people asked God for a king, and God chose David to initiate the line of kings in Israel. Israel had to pay the price of their decision, which led to their exile to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar.

It is interesting that Jeremiah writes that Nebuchadnezzar is a selected servant whom God instituted to inflict God’s judgment upon Israel. God selecting leaders goes both ways.

Romans 13 is often used to explain God’s sovereignty over nations and leaders, making voting unnecessary:

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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1-2 ESV)

Some Christians will take this as an example of how we, as Christians, should accept that the government we have as given by God, and we should accept His divine authority. Voting is unnecessary. Take the country you have and the leaders you get, and be content. God wants it that way.

Then again, maybe it is not that simple.

Citizens of the United States have a different consideration. In founding the USA, the founders and framers did what they did with a belief that God would help them and that the new nation would be a miraculous result of God’s providence. The United States of America would be instituted only if a sovereign God wanted it to be so.

The revolution was successful, and a new nation was formed. The founders attributed that to God’s providence. The new nation was divinely inspired and instituted, and the new nation included voting by the People as a central element of governance. If God’s providence gave us the new nation, God’s providence also gave us the gift of voting to choose our leaders and representation.

In the Constitution, the People vote to choose representatives. The People of the states choose electors to select the president by voting. The elected legislatures of the states were to choose the Senate (something we threw away).

This creates a serious and necessary responsibility in voting. We must vote to show our understanding that the system established by God is maintained. If we refuse to vote, we are telling God that the nation he established is not worthy of our time and trouble to vote.

As we vote, we show our desire to participate in our politics as God designed. Voting can be considered a righteous act after seeking God in our prayers and supplications. That was how we came to be a nation.

Our God-granted rights are secured by how we vote. We have freedom to worship, freedom of speech, and freedom to bear arms because God instituted them to be protected by our votes. Our form of government requires moral people because it was designed around moral people voting at all levels. If we give up voting, particularly by the moral people like Christians, we give up that which God instituted.

Go and vote. It will show your faith in the ongoing providence of God for our nation.