Thank God for the Election pt.2

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority

2 Timothy 2.1-2

In my last post, I was writing about how Paul calls us to give thanks for those in authority. If that was true for Timothy in Ephesus, we have even more reason to give thanks for our political system and authorities. But that isn't the only reason to give thanks to God at this election time. The main reason is...

We don't worship a politician

Paul goes on to write: For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

The number one reason for giving thanks this election time, as we see our politicians fighting to 'climb to the top of the greasy pole' (you've got to love that this is how a former British Prime Minister - Disraeli - described his victory), is that whoever wins isn't ultimately in power. That is reason to give thanks because:

...they will be answerable to the perfect authority - God 

Everything they do, they will have to give an account - not to a fickle electorate - but to the Living God. In other words - Justice will be done - wrongs will be righted.

...we have been reconciled to him

The truth that God is the final authority, on its own, is not good news for humanity. It will mean that all of our failures and rebellion will be finally exposed. However, the wonderful news is that God himself in Jesus Christ has stepped down to be our mediator. He has given his life as our ransom, so that we can be brought back into God's family. And this is an offer that is held out to all people, whichever group they belong to.

If we have accepted this offer, if we have been forgiven by God through Jesus, we are part of his family and so nothing can separate us from his love (Rom 8.39). What is more, he will use everything (including the disastrous decisions of politicians) for our good (Rom 8.28)

As a result, one feature which will mark out the Christian at this election time is their peace. We will fight for justice in our world and integrity in our leaders, but we will not be anxious. And that lack of fear about the future will mean that we speak carefully and generously - we will not claim to know the motives of others (even politicians!) when we do not actually know them. We will know that the most our politicians can do is manage a broken and sinful world, so we will not ask them the impossible task of being our saviour - we will know that they are merely weak sinners, like ourselves. Instead, even as we seek to help the marginalised and the oppressed - we will know and testify to the truth that the only true Saviour is Jesus.

Next week, we will think about one thing this passage encourages us to vote for...