Voting

Voting allows Christians to take part in guiding the moral and social direction of their communities. Scripture teaches that believers are to live as “salt” and “light” in the world (Matthew 5:13–16), which includes applying biblical truth to public life. Several Christian thinkers describe this engagement as a stewardship rather than a matter of partisanship.

God Intends for Christians to Have a Positive Influence on the Culture

Gary Hamrick explains that God calls Christians to shape culture according to His truth. He writes, “God has always intended for Christians to have a positive influence on the culture around them. For us to make scripturally informed decisions about whom to vote for and which policies to support is not being political at all, it is being biblical.”1 He notes that many issues often labeled political—such as life, marriage, parental authority, sexuality, and national borders—were already addressed in Scripture long before modern politics existed. For this reason, disengagement from civic life may lead to ungodly policies prevailing in society.2

Viewing Candidates and Policies Through Scripture

Hamrick calls believers to evaluate all candidates and policies “in the light of what Scripture teaches.”3 He acknowledges that no person or platform perfectly mirrors biblical standards but argues that voting can help bring “positive change” when Christians unite around shared values. He rejects the idea that biblically informed voting equates to an attempt to establish a theocracy, explaining that such labels are used to silence Christian participation in public life. Similarly, Wayne Grudem urges believers in democratic nations to be informed and to vote “for candidates and policies that are most consistent with biblical principles.” He considers the right to vote a responsibility God entrusts to citizens, one that should not be neglected.4

Choosing Leaders Who Reflect a Biblical Worldview

When Christians approach elections, Hamrick cautions against treating them as personality contests. Instead, he writes, “we’re voting for policies that will inform the government of how it is to conduct itself and how it is to fulfill its responsibilities to society.”5 Because every candidate is imperfect, voters should support the better choice—the one whose policies most closely align with biblical convictions. Hamrick appeals to Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people,” emphasizing that voting is a moral act grounded in Scripture. Believers are therefore called to “support those who come closest to representing our biblical worldview and convictions.”6

References

  1. Gary Hamrick, Why Your Vote Matters: A Biblical Perspective for the Soul of America (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2024), 7.

  2. Hamrick, Why Your Vote Matters, 24.

  3. Ibid., 7–8.

  4. Wayne A. Grudem, Politics – According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 74.

  5. Hamrick, Why Your Vote Matters, 14.

  6. Ibid., 15.