A Helpful Article on the Choices of the 2020 Election by Dr. Mohler

 Albert Mohler wrote a long article on the issues at stake in the upcoming election ("Christians, Conscience, and the Looming 2020 Election"). In the article, Dr. Mohler explains how he went from opposing Donald Trump's 2016 bid to voting for President Trump this year. This is not because he is now "pro-Trump" or is ignoring the significant moral issues in President Trump's life.  The whole article is worth reading, but below are some excerpts: 

I agree that there are many other issues that press on the Christian conscience—questions of economic policy and foreign affairs and energy and the stewardship of the earth. The searing pain of racial injustice and the unraveling of our social fabric demand Christian response and urgency. Christians must be concerned about questions of immigration policy and refugees—and these issues defy the simplifications of the sound-bite and tweet culture.

But human dignity and the sanctity of human life are even more basic truths, and I believe there is no hope for defending human dignity for all if it is denied in the womb. To be intellectually responsible is to recognize the array of issues confronting us, but the same intellectual responsibility demands that we know which questions are prior to others and on which truths the entire superstructure of human dignity and human rights depend.

...

I cannot accept the argument that a calm man who affirms the dismembering of babies in the womb has a superior character to a man who rants like Genghis Khan but acts to preserve that life. In my ideal world, I would vote for a candidate in whom the personal, the principled, and the practical earn my admiration. I do not live in that world. I live in this world, and I must act accordingly.

...

In the protection of liberty, religious liberty is fundamental. President Trump has corrected many of the infringements on religious liberty caused by the policy mandates of previous administrations. He has made religious liberty an American priority at home and abroad.

...

On issues such as the transgender revolution, which will reshape the entire society, Biden went so far in a recent town hall appearance that he said he would support transgender demands all the way to supporting gender transition among 8 and 10 year old children. "There should be zero discrimination," Biden said. 

Dr. Mohler ends his article by acknowledging that some Christians will make different decisions as to what to do with their votes. Each of us is responsible to God for how we steward our vote. What is clear is that each of us must not compromise on the biblical teaching of the sanctity of life, the need to rescue those being led to slaughter, God's design for marriage, religious liberty, and the fact that humans cannot actually make themselves a different sex than they were created to be. We will not all be convinced that this means we should vote for President Trump, but let's not allow these issues which the Bible speaks clearly about to remain separate from our act of voting. 

Why You Shouldn't Vote for Biden

Ramesh Pannuru and Robert P. George published a helpful article at National Review explaining why the issue of abortion is enough to scuttle any desire to vote for Biden (see this video to hear Biden's whole-hearted commitment to abortion being the "law of the land."). 

Below are some quotes from Pannuru and George's piece, but the whole thing is really worth reading (or listening to). 

What the Church teaches is that every member of the human family — irrespective of race, sex, or creed, but also, and equally, irrespective of age, size, stage of development, location, or condition of dependence — is the bearer of inherent and equal dignity and, as such, is entitled to legal protection against violent assault.

For government to permit abortion, the Church teaches, is for government itself to commit an injustice against its victims—denying a disfavored class, the unborn, protection it affords to all others. To be responsible, or partially responsible, for the injustice of the law in exposing unborn children to legally authorized lethal violence is to be complicit in grave injustice.

though abortion and slavery differ in many respects, they are alike in not admitting of the option of the “personally opposed, but . . .” position. The reason to be against slavery — its radical denial of the equal dignity of the victim and thus its grave injustice — is the reason for prohibiting it. It is precisely the same with abortion.

while citizens have other responsibilities, too, the injustice of abortion has a gravity that means it must be weighed more heavily than ordinary political issues, even important ones

Biden has expressly pledged to deny appointment to the Court for anyone who does not support what amounts to an unlimited right to abortion.

If one acknowledges the gravity, scale, and scope of the injustice of abortion, and of a legal regime that denies to an entire class of human beings the most basic of human rights, thus exposing them to lethal violence, then it is hard to imagine what proportionate reasons there could be for joining one’s will to the desire of a supporter of it

They do not argue that a Christian (or person concerned with ethics) must vote for Trump. That is more of a prudential issue.  

You might also find this article from John Piper on why we are all "one issue" voters helpful (written 25 years ago).

Facing Fear Biblically Part 2- Trusting God’s Faithful Care

Click here to see the last post in this series, “Facing Fear Biblically Part 1 – Our best life isn’t now”

Click here to see the post prior to that: “Returning to Church During COVID – Understanding Fear”

While walking with my boys yesterday, I heard the birds singing in a grand chorus. Their unrehearsed song testified to the caring provision of God. Though I could not listen to their testimony undisturbed (my four boys were with me, and rarely did a second go by in which no one was talking), I couldn’t help but remember God’s faithful care. This is exactly what Jesus wants us to reflect on when we listen to the birds, but we must have ears to hear it.

My goal in this post is to help us develop such ears – the ears of faith. I want to encourage us to trust God because he cares for us. We need to see God’s loving and sovereign care and deal with our own weak faith if we would face fear biblically. To help us with this, I’ll look at the principles found in Matthew 6:19-34.

In verse 25, Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.” He tells them not to be anxious about things that are central to sustaining their lives – food, drink, and clothing. We might think that isn’t a big deal because the grocery store is usually stocked (except for toilet paper and handsanitizer). But we must recognize we are dependent when it comes to our basic needs too. Furthermore, the principle applies to our modern concerns like the Corona Virus. “Do not be anxious about your life, how you will avoid getting sick.”

God’s Sovereign Love and Wisdom

We trust a person because of his or her character and our knowledge of that character. If my neighbor is a thief, I won’t trust him in my house. If the person I pass in a grocery store aisle is honest, but I don’t know her, I won’t ask her to house sit for me. A person’s character and our knowledge of that person is the foundation for trust.

God is trustworthy because of who he is. Is he in control of all that we face? Does he love us as his children? Is he wise, not wasting one ounce of suffering in training us? The answer is yes to all! Therefore, when we find ourselves anxious, we must refocus our attention on the reality of who God is. We must set ourselves to the task of knowing who he is. Jesus provides two object lessons about God’s faithful and sovereign care to help us do just that.

God Feeds the Birds

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (v. 26).

We have a bird feeder, and there are bird traffic jams when it is full of seed. When it is empty (due to a pesky squirrel), we don’t see as many birds swing by the fly-thru. But, I still hear the birds chirping in the trees. God continues to provide for them, and compared to a person, made in his image, a bird is not valuable. If God shows such care to the insignificant bird, how much more will he show care towards you? If God sovereignly provides for birds (they don’t even plan ahead much), won’t he provide for you?

God Clothes the Lilies

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you (vv. 28-30).

When you look at a field of wildflowers, you are seeing God’s kindness. He didn’t have to make creation beautiful (seeds could have been designed to come by other means). Yet, he clothes the grass with beautiful lilies – which are more wonderful than a garment fit for a king. Furthermore, this elaborate goodness pops up in fields where lawnmowers will run the next day. If God has that attention to detail regarding short-lived flowers, surely he controls the details of your life and will cloth you with what you need.  

Jesus’s point is not that we don’t have real physical needs or that we won’t experience hardship or death. He says that our Father knows we need food and drink and breath (v. 32). The point is that God is sovereign, good, and wise. Therefore, he is trustworthy.

Why We Are Anxious: Little Faith

Our problem is that we have “little faith” (v. 30). We get so focused on situations that we forget who God is and that he cares for us. One cause of this is a failure to think rightly about who God is (hopefully the above section helps with that).  But another reason exists – our misplaced priorities. Jesus’s command to not be anxious is based on him calling us to value God above all else.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious (vv. 24-25 italics added).

Money is a major contender for our attention because of what it can provide – comfort, protection, and enjoyment. Money isn’t a bad thing, but it isn’t our ultimate priority. God does not share the throne with money or any other good gift that he gives.

This is true even of our physical lives. “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v. 25b). Food and clothing are essentials in life, but our life is about more than even that. It is about knowing God.

If we lose sight of that priority, we will have a lot to be anxious about because everything else will eventually fade. Money can disappear in a stock market crash, and the illusion of health can vanish with a diagnosis or car crash. One day, everything except for God will leave us because death removes any hope of continuing in this fallen world forever.

Therefore, if I serve good health or money as if it is my ultimate source of happiness and life, I will not serve God, and I will be anxious. On the other hand, if I value God more than even my own physical life, I can enjoy his gifts and still be content when he chooses not to give me those gifts. To battle anxiety and trust God, we must “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (v. 33).

Growth Assignment

God’s trustworthiness and our increased trust in him result in lives that glorify God and which have less anxiety. However, we are in the habit of forgetting God’s character and valuing (trusting in) other things more than him.

Here are a few things you can do over the next week to cultivate a growing faith in God.

1. Read Matthew 6:19-34 each day for five days and note five things that stand out to you each time. You might also try to think of other passages that reinforce or illustrate the principles you see in Matthew 6.  
2. Go for a walk once a day and look at the birds and plants. Pray to thank God that if he cares for the birds, he will certainly care for you. Such a mindset helps us “not be anxious about tomorrow” (v. 34).
3. Begin a “God’s care for me” list. Write out a couple of things from your past when God showed his care in clear ways (for you or others). Don’t forget the spiritual provision. Sometimes we focus only on physical needs and forget that our greatest needs are spiritual.
4. Write out and think over Matthew 6:27 - “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” Try to call that to mind when you are anxious and then direct your mind to God’s care.