Christians Must Engage in Politics with Spiritedness and Agency
The following was a pastoral charge given at the First Baptist Church of Travelers Rest on October 25, 2024, at the conclusion of “How Shall We Then Vote?”, a seminar on Christianity and Politics with the Center for Baptist Leadership.
I want to close this evening with a brief pastoral charge and then a prayer.
We live in a time of massive disruption. Our way of life is under assault, and there are threats to liberty, prosperity, and normalcy around every corner. We have a lot of work to do.
To be certain, not all of that work is found in the public or political sphere. Much of our work must be done within the church and the household. But even then, faithfulness in those spheres will have a public effect.
And so, I charge you to be faithful in your homes as husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, and as children. Be faithful in your church, coming before the Lord for worship each Lord’s Day.
But just because not all of our work is to be done in the political sphere does not entail that none of our work is to be done in the political sphere.
And so, I charge you, as the Lord gives you the opportunity to engage in the political realm, do so! Don’t see politics as so icky that you just leave it for our enemies to have free rein there. Engage!
Whether that is by voting (and you should vote on or before November 5th). Whether that is by calling a legislator, becoming an expert advocate on a particular issue, volunteering on a campaign, running for office, or attending city or county council meetings. Whatever it is, do it.
And, like all things, do it for the glory of God.
As you engage in the political sphere, I charge you to do so with two things in mind: Spirit and Agency.
First, with Spiritedness.
We live in an age of mass demoralization. It’s like our entire society is designed to make us go about life in a stupor. Because people walking around in a stupor do not fight back.
We need a re-invigoration of the American Citizen and the American Christian. One who engages in all of life with Spiritedness—a love for all that is Good, True, and Glorious and an eagerness to secure and defend those goods.
Do not be demoralized, but cultivate that fighting spirit within you.
Approach public life with courage and an indomitable spirit.
Because Christians, of all people, should be the most spirited among us, for we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.
And then we need to couple that spiritedness with agency.
Second, with Agency.
You have agency.
You don’t live in a world where things only happen to you. You live in a world where you can meaningfully take action. And take action we must.
We must stop being passive people and start rebuilding the country we desire to live in—the type of country worthy of our fathers.
But it won’t just happen. We must build it, fight for it, and work for it. And the good news is we can! We have agency. We live in a time when the Left is assaulting everything we hold true and dear.
That means we live in a time when the Right must win. And for the Right to truly win, we must win the Right to the Gospel.
So, this is even more reason for Christians to be engaged in the public and political sphere. We cannot abandon it to the Left, for they will destroy everything that is Good, True, and Glorious. And we cannot leave the work solely to the unbelieving Right, for that will spoil into destruction by other means.
Rather, we must faithfully engage with the world—by both Heavenly and Earthly means.
We must preach the white-hot Gospel that Jesus Christ lived, died, was buried, resurrected, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now currently rules the world and invites all into His Kingdom where they receive the forgiveness of their sins, and they rule with Christ.
And on earth, we must not be afraid of political power but should pursue it to be used for the good of our neighbor—as God defines Good—and the glory of God.
The question is not whether we have the numbers to win, but whether we have the will. My answer to that is, by God’s grace, we will.
By God’s grace, we can win. By God’s grace, we must win. And by God’s grace, we will win.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
The nations rage and the peoples plot in vain. Kings of the Earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Annointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.”
But you, Father, sit in the Heavens and laugh. You hold them in derision.
Father, our prayer is that our nation will kiss the Son, lest He be angry. That we would serve the Lord with fear. That our people would confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord. That their knees would bow before him.
And so we ask that you would lead our nation to repentance.
May we turn from child sacrifice, sexual perversion, violence, pride, and vainglory. May we turn from setting ourselves us as our own gods. And for blaspheming the One, True, and Living God.
And may we turn to Jesus Christ, your Son, in repentance and living faith.
Father, we face a monumental election in just a few days. May your will be done. You are the God who sets up kings and removes kings.
May you place the right person in the Oval Office. And may you give that person the wisdom and courage to govern according to your Word. May our President truly fear God.
We ask for a fair and honest election. May you frustrate any plans to tamper with the electoral process and make them fail. We ask for a peaceful transfer of power to a new President.
We ask for a government that would seek the good of our nation’s citizens such that we might live quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and reverence.
Father, we pray for other down-ballot races and ballot initiatives. Specifically, we pray that citizens in Florida and Missouri would reject and hold in contempt the murder of pre-born children.
We pray for state legislature and county council races, asking you to put candidates in office who would fear you and govern according to your Holy Word.
And we ask for peace, stability, and prosperity in our nation. We ask for the good of our neighbor.
No matter what happens in our political system, we declare our trust in you. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
So may you answer us in our day of trouble, send help from the sanctuary, and defend us.
We ask all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
