Thursday, October 16, 2008

Luther and the 2008 Election

In another blog I have written articles on my concerns about this year’s presidential election. I am concerned for my country and especially for the country in which my grandchildren will live. If you read my articles you will quickly see that my concerns are much, much greater if Senator Obama is elected President. I fear greatly for this nation if he wins.

Yet, my hope for the future of this nation does NOT reside in a President McCain administration any more than it does in an Obama one. In either case, the train (our nation) is out of control, racing down the tracks. If McCain wins, I believe some brakes will be applied. If Obama wins, its full steam ahead!

No matter who wins the election, our country will not suddenly become Christian or even godly. No matter who our next President is, the serious problems we face will not go away. The root of our country’s problems is spiritual and requires a spiritual solution. Government is not going to provide that. To put our hope for our nation’s recovery in the hands of either Senator Obama or Senator McCain is a mistake, in fact, it’s sinful.

The Bible is clear on this. Our hope does not rest in the hands of men or government. Psalm 146:3 says “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” The only savior of our nation is the Lord Himself.

Luther appealed to this verse on more than one occasion. In the old 1953 film “Martin Luther”, there is a scene during the Diet of Augsburg where Luther wishes he could be there (he was an outlaw in the eyes of church and state) and is complaining to his wife, Katie, about it. She assures him the German princes will do what is right. He retorts, “Do we put our hope in princes?”

While it is unlikely this scene actually occurred, Luther did not have his hope in the government officials of the day and neither should we. For example, Luther wrote a letter (note the date!) to his old friend, Georg Spalatin, who served as the personal secretary and chaplain of Elector Frederick (the government official). Here is a portion of what Luther said.

November 4, 1520

Salvation! I wonder how it is, my dear Spalatin, that you do not get my letters, for I have written twice and got no answer. I am glad you now see that the Germans’ hopes are in vain, and that you are learning not to trust in princes, and are disregarding the world’s judgment whether it praises or condemns my cause. If the gospel could be promoted or maintained by worldly powers God would not have committed it to fishermen.

No, my dear Spalatin, it is not the work of the princes and high priests of this world to protect the Word of God—therefore I crave no one’s protection, for they would rather require to help one another against the Lord and His Christ.

Let us do our duty and “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” by voting intelligently in this election. But let us keep our hopes for the future firmly rooted in Christ. May we seek His guidance and ask Him to bring about a revival in the land which will result in saved sinners and a restored nation!

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