Restoration - Voting in light of Eternity

Finally, we’ve arrived at the last section in the storyline of the Bible - restoration. When Christ comes again, he will judge the living and the dead, and his perfect justice and mercy will be seen. Justice for those who continue to rebel and mercy for those who have repented and trusted in Him. This is the time that all injustice, pain, suffering in this world will be set right, once and for all. The created order will be restored to its former beauty (Revelation 21-22). As we live here in the present, our anticipation of the restoration of all things gives us the vision and perspective to live and behave rightly in the now.

How then shall we vote in light of eternity?

Vote for justice, peace and righteousness, recognizing that perfect justice, peace and righteousness will only be yours in eternity – The restored world will be one where God will alleviate every suffering caused by sin. He will “wipe away every tear… death shall be no more… neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Here on earth, we have the duty to alleviate pain, and work for justice, peace and righteousness. We should vote for the party and candidates that best exemplify these values, and are able and willing to take action to alleviate suffering. Perfect justice, peace and righteousness will however only be fully realized at the restoration of all things. That is where we place our hope. Yet, we work, and vote for justice, peace and righteousness here on earth, and long for the day when what little we have of these traits is subsumed into God’s restoration of all things.

Vote for the beauty and welfare of the nation, recognizing that perfect beauty and welfare will only be yours in eternity – The restored world is a place of great beauty and welfare. It is a place adorned with the finest of jewels (Revelation 21:18-21), where God dwells with his people (Revelation 21:3) as their temple and their light (Revelation 21:22, 23). Here on earth, God instructs us to “seek the welfare of the city in which I have sent you into exile…” (Jeremiah 29:7). However, the very best beauty and welfare, this side of Christ’s return, pales in comparison with the glory of the renewed heavens and earth. Yet we work, and by extension, vote for the beauty, and welfare of the nation and her people.

We take great effort in working and voting towards a better future, which we should. Politics, policies and parliamentary democracy can bring about much good, along the lines of what things should look like in eternity. Perfect justice, peace and righteousness, beauty and welfare will however, will only be ours when Christ comes again.

That is where we place ultimate hope – Christ the redeemer, and restorer of all things.

Happy Voting, for the glory of God!

Redemption - Voting in light of the Cross

God would have been perfectly just in if he had left us in our rebellious state. Because of his perfect justice, he would have to judge, condemn and punish us. Yet, in his perfect mercy, he chose instead to redeem humanity and creation (Genesis 4 – Revelation 20). This culminated in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Fully God and fully man, he was sinless, and lived the kind of sinless life that you should have lived. Yet, he died the sinners’ death on your behalf, bearing the wrath of God for you. He then rose again, demonstrating that he had conquered sin and death, and hence had broken the curse, to re-establish God’s rightful rule. He then ascended to heaven and promised that he would come again.

We now live in this ‘intermediate’ period between Christ ascending to heaven and his coming again, in the tension of the ‘now and the not yet’. God’s rule is partially here, and the power of sin broken. But, God’s rule will only be fully re-established and the presence of sin completely removed when Christ comes again.

Here, in the ‘now and the not yet’, the Christian’s duty and delight is to preach the good news (gospel) of Christ, and to live out the implications of this gospel in all of life.

How does this influence your voting?

Vote for the most conducive environment and policies to preach the gospel – 1 Tim 2:1-3, Paul tells us that we are to pray for those in authority, so that we may lead a ‘peaceful, quiet life, godly and dignified in every way’. But what is this kind of life for? So that people may ‘come to the knowledge of the truth’ (vs 4) about Jesus Christ and what he has done (vs 5-7). Does the party recognize the freedom of speech and the freedom of worship as fundamental inalienable rights of every human being, and not just a social construct that can be manipulated? Or is it at least tolerant, and does not seek to curb the worship and preaching of Christ? Vote in that direction.

Vote in a way that is consistent with the implications of the gospel – The gospel is objective truth about on objective event. However, it is also a ‘power’ (Romans 1:16) for transformation and change, as its implications are worked out in all of life. We aim to live all of life ‘in step with the truth of the gospel’ (Galatians 2:14). What does this look like? Well, Jesus came to give himself for us. Perhaps the least we can do in our voting is to vote, not just for the benefit of ourselves and our families, but for the sake of others. For the sake of our fellow citizens, for the sake of the less fortunate, for the sake of our neighbor. Wasn’t it Jesus that said to ‘Love your neighbor’ (Matthew 22:39)?

Jesus proclamation of who he was in Luke 4:16-21 gives us a picture of what this may look like. This is what Jesus came to do for others:

• He came to proclaim ‘good news to the poor’ (vs. 18a) – Were you not spiritually poor and wretched, and did not Christ come to clothe you with the riches of his righteousness. Would you now not look to the poor with compassion and clothe them with your riches? Vote the party that best takes the poor seriously.
• He came to proclaim ‘liberty to the captives (exiles)’ (vs. 18b) and ‘oppressed’ (vs.18d) – Were you not enslaved to the exile of your own sin and and oppressed by your enemy the devil until Christ came to set you free and bring you home to himself? Would you not now seek to help your fellow humans captive and oppressed by sins and social ills of all kinds? Vote for the party that best seeks to bring liberty to the oppressed.
• He came to proclaim ‘recovery of sight to the blind’ (vs. 18c) – Were you not spiritually blind, ill and unable to comprehend the light of the gospel, until God, in his mercy opened your eyes to see? Would you not now look with compassion on the physically sick and needy and broken? Vote for the party that takes the needy in our midst seriously.

Vote, eager and hopeful, but place final hope in Christ and what he has done for you – Politics, parties, polls and parliamentary democracy have an amazing potential to do so much good, rightly handled and applied. They are means and tools that God has placed in the hands of humans to bring about good outcomes for society. They are good things. Yet, they are not ultimate things. Although they can ‘save’ and ‘satisfy’ you in many ways, your true and ultimate source of salvation and satisfaction is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Vote, pray and eagerly hope for favorable God honoring results in the polls! But, place your final hope in Christ alone, and say with Paul, “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8), and, just maybe, we’ll be able to say with Peter to our fellow man, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” (Acts 3:6)

So, go ahead, be free to vote without fear and with full conviction, knowing that your destiny and ultimate hope are in the Cross!

Fall - Sinners voting for sinners in a sinful world

Instead of representing God and stewarding the created order under God’s rule, humans rebelled and established their own rule (Genesis 3:6; Romans 1:21-23). Separated from God and estranged from the source of all true goodness, humans, and the created order are placed under a curse (Genesis 3:14-18, Romans 1:28-31).

Yet, humans still retain the image (or likeness) of the God that they were created in (Genesis 5:1-3). It is however, a terribly flawed image. We hence have great potential for good, and yet, also a scary potential for evil. So much beauty, mixed with so much ugliness.

How does this affect our voting?

The very best parties have the potential for so much good, and yet, so much evil – You will not find a party, this side of heaven that meet all of God’s perfect standards. Yet, you still have the duty and privilege to choose. Seek to understand what the rival parties in your constituency stand for and compare them against God’s standards. You will not find the lines falling neatly. Yet, seek wisdom, compare the parties, place your faith in God, and vote the one best aligned to these standards.

The very best candidates will be moral and talented, and yet imperfect and flawed – It is reasonable to expect a certain level of morality and capability in your candidates, but, it is probably unreasonable to expect perfection. The issues are complex, and you must be under no illusions that simple, snappy, ‘quick fix’ conclusions will do. The choice may not be between a good candidate and a bad candidate, but rather a choice of the lesser of two imperfections. You will find good and agreeable things in your candidates, coupled with bad and less than savory things. Yet, with God’s wisdom, upon balance, you must vote the one best aligned to God’s character.

Your very best choices will be flawed – The parties are under the curse of sin, the candidates are under the curse of sin, and the voter, that’s you and me, are under that very same curse. Hence, even if you and I applied the very best of ourselves to the task of discernment and weighing, our final conclusions may still be flawed. Hence, while we put forth our conclusions with courage and conviction, we do so with sober self judgment. We respect that, this side of heaven others may come to a different set of conclusions on the candidates and parties, even with the same set of data and faculties, and we respect that. Yet, this is no excuse to sit on the fence. You must vote, you must choose, it does make a difference! As John Piper says, “The ambiguities are many. The complexities are great. The possibility of political miscalculation is real. But Christ came into the world to save sinners. Therefore we do not panic at the possibility of error. It is worse to run than to risk.”

Let’s make our sinful votes for sinful candidates and sinful parties count for good, in this sinful world, by God's grace!

Creation - Voting that best reflects who God is

He created humans in His image to represent him by ruling and working (‘have dominion’) the created order according to His character and purpose. (Genesis 1:26, 28; 2:15)

How does our duty to reflect the image of God affect your voting?

Let’s look at some attributes that God shares with humanity (what systematic theologians call ‘communicable attributes’). This can be one grid for you to prayerfully consider when thinking about candidates and parties to vote for:

[Here, I am indebted to Wayne Grudem’s book, ‘Christian Beliefs’]

God is truthful (Jeremiah 10:10) – All his knowledge and all his words are both true and the final standard of truth. Which party and which candidates, to the best of their abilities, present themselves and their policies and actions in as transparent and truthful a manner as possible? Vote for them!

God is good (Luke 18:19) – All that he is and does is good and worthy of approval. Which party and which candidate best expresses general goodness, and more specifically goodness to their fellow man, granted, in however imperfect a manner? Vote for them!

God is love (1 John 4:8) – God eternally gives of himself for the good of others. As best they can, which party and which candidates give of themselves, and place as their primary goal the good of others and not the accumulation or personal power and wealth and influence? Vote for them!

God is holy (Psalm 99:9) – God is completely separated from evil. Despite sinfulness in themselves, which party and which candidates seek to put in place policies, and act in a way that shuns and does not propagate evil? Vote for them!

God is righteous and just (Deuteronomy 32:4) – God always acts in accordance to what is right for he himself is the final standard of what is right. Which party and which candidates play fair, and to the best of their abilities, have ‘renounced disgraceful, underhanded way’ (2 Corinthians 4:2) and sought to be honorable and, without fear and without nepotistic favor? Vote for them!

God’s wrath (Romans 1:18) – Unlike human wrath, God’s wrath is always righteously directed towards sin and sinfulness. God hates sin. He intensely hates all sin. There is such a thing as righteous anger. Which party and which candidates display at least some level of distaste, if not hatred against sin, injustice, oppression, and inequality? Vote for them!

Voting - Your duty and privilege before God

In the beginning, God created the world good and perfect. He created humans in His image to represent him by ruling and working (‘have dominion’) the created order according to His character and purpose. (Genesis 1:26, 28; 2:15)

How does this affect your voting?

Voting is your duty and privilege as a representative of God on earth

This duty and privilege to govern and steward the world was to expand to all of life. God did not intend Adam and Even just to sit around and frolic in the garden. He expected them to work the garden. God’s intention was for them to progress, to develop, to build. It’s been said, “God intended for humans to split the atom (at some point)”.

Hence, it would not be a stretch to say that humanity’s progress towards parliamentary democracy was in some way an extension of God’s mandate to ‘have dominion’, to ‘rule’ and to ‘work’. In a parliamentary democracy, not everyone gets to govern and rule as a leader. However, the power of appointing these leaders is in the hands of the people – it’s in your vote! Hence, in a parliamentary democracy, by and large, people get the type of leaders that they deserve, since they choose those very leaders! Good leader - your choice. Bad leader - also your choice.

Voting is hence both your solemn duty before God as his representative on earth, as well as your amazing privilege as a creature made in His image to reflect that image. Take your vote seriously – don’t waste it, don’t squander it, use if for His glory!

Reflection on the Gospel and the Singapore Polls

I’ve been reflecting about how we as believers in the good news of Jesus Christ, and committed to living out it’s implications in all of life, should be thinking and acting during this time of elections, as we seek to remain faithful to Scripture.

Let me state upfront that who and which party you vote for, and how actively involved (or uninvolved) you are, is a matter that the Bible leaves to the conscience of the individual – it does not dictate one party, or one candidate over another.

I do however think that there are some broad guidelines that the Bible gives us to consider the issues at hand, and how we should respond. Hence, I’m planning to do a couple of post (God willing), looking at the storyline of the Bible, and how that may influence how we think about voting and participating (in other ways) in the coming elections.The broad storyline of the Bible moves from Creation, to Fall, to Redemption and Restoration.

Here’s a quick summary first:

Creation

God Created the world good and perfect, and humanity in His image to rule and steward the created order according to His character and purpose (Genesis 1-2) – we are supposed to responsibly govern the created order, His perfect Kingdom in accordance with the perfect wisdom, truth, goodness, love, holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, and beauty of God.

Fall

Unfortunately, humans chose to use that privilege to usurp God’s authority, and rebel, plunging humanity and the created order into a state of alienation, distance and enmity with God (Genesis 3) – all the pain, suffering, injustice, selfishness, and inequality in this world has its roots in this fall. The very best of us are terribly flawed, and yet still terribly beautiful and with great potential because the image of God remains in us, though marred. That applies to the parties, the candidates, and us the voters, equally.

Redemption

While God would have been perfectly just in leaving humanity and the created order in this self-chosen rebellious state, and one that he would have to ultimately judge and condemn in accordance with his character of perfect justice, his perfect mercy meant that he did not do that but chose instead to put in place a plan to redeem humanity and the created order (Genesis 4 – Revelation 20). This plan culminated in the sending of Jesus Christ, his only son to bear the penalty of this rebellion on humanities behalf. He then rose again, proving that he had conquered this rebellion, and re-established God’s rightful rule. He then ascended to heaven and promised that he would come again. In this ‘intermediate’ period between Christ ascending to heaven and his coming again, we live in a tension of the ‘now and the not yet’, where God’s rule is partially here, yet not completely (re) established. Here and now is the time for the people of God to live out the implications of God’s redemptive work. It is a time of sober hopefulness. In some ways, God’s kingdom has been re-established, hence Jesus can say, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand”. But, the presence of sin remains, and so we await the full fulfillment of that Kingdom, and we still pray, “Let your kingdom come”. So, as much as possible, we seek to function and live, reflecting the perfect character and care of God in this time.

Restoration

When Christ comes again, he will judge the living and the dead, and his perfect justice and mercy will be seen. Justice for those who continue to rebel, and mercy for those who have repented and trusted in Him. This is the time that all injustice, pain, suffering in this world will be set right, once and for all. The created order will be restored to its former beauty. This is what we place our ultimate hope in, this is where we keep our eyes on. However, as we live in the ‘here’, the ‘there’ gives us the vision and perspective for how to live and behave ‘here’. Again, as much as possible, we seek to live and behave (and vote!) in a way that is consistent with the perfection that is to come. As much as possible, where it is within our power, should we not seek to see in our lives, and the structures of our societies and the created order, the perfection that is to come?

[Note: These views are purely my own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations that I am a part of]

Dead Sea Scrolls & The Ancient World Exhibition in Singapore

We went to the "Dead Sea Scrolls & The Ancient World Exhibition" today. Truth be told, the DSS only made up a small portion of the exhibition. There were also ancient Torah scrolls on exhibit, Bibles from times past etc. I especially liked the exhibit where they profiled Erasmus, Tyndale, Luther, Calvin and Bunyan. Catch it if you're in Singapore! Ends 20 September.