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Opinion

Christians: Take Your “Dual Citizenship” Seriously

(First published on The Stream. Republished by permission)

Some pastors and other evangelical leaders counsel true believers to rest assured that no matter who wins the presidency in November, God “has our backs” in a very real sense because we are citizens of Heaven. The country might end up going to Hades (both literally and figuratively), but sooner or later we are headed to a better place.

That’s all well and good – but only up to a point.

What about every citizen, both here and around the world, who will continue to suffer from unhinged, evil policies if the election grants a certain party four more years of power? Whether you are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, atheist, or something else, consider how just one of the many crucial issues at stake in this election will impact your life and your family: Wide open borders.

Personal Responsibility

For the last three and a half years, approximately ten million people have simply strolled, unvetted, across our southern border. Many violent criminals and gangs are part of what the Biden administration have euphemistically called “newcomers”; these nefarious characters have taken advantage of this unconscionable situation, with many of them going on to rape and murder women and children, take over entire housing developments through armed thuggery, organize prostitution rings, sexually exploit children, traffic in deadly drugs such as fentanyl, and generally unleash terror and chaos into the otherwise relatively peaceful fabric of big and small towns throughout America.

Don’t the citizens of Heaven have a responsibility to love their neighbors and do everything they can to provide them with safety, security, health, and happiness?

The word “politics” stems from a Greek term meaning “citizen of the city.” Didn’t Jesus command His disciples, both then and now, to “go into all the world and preach the Good News”? Isn’t “all the world” made up of cities? And isn’t the Good News that eternal salvation is available to all who believe in Him? Before rising from the dead, didn’t Jesus prove Himself to be God by relieving the physical, mental, and spiritual suffering of many helpless people?

The answer to all these questions is “yes.”

Therefore, a true follower of Jesus cannot excuse himself from these matters by saying he is “not political.” That statement in itself declares a political position; i.e., Whatever happens, good or bad, I have given my consent.

Reports say more than 70% of Christians calling themselves evangelicals do not vote. How is that possible? Would not an entire country be set aright through the direct participation of godly people? The answer to this appears to be a no-brainer.

Political Participation Is Biblical

St. Paul shared both his opinion and the Good News of the Gospel at a place called Mars Hill. He wasn’t afraid to mix it up with the pundits and wise guys of his day.

The apostles challenged the political status quo of the Sanhedrin — Jewish leaders who themselves had to play ball with the rulers of the Roman Empire.

In Esther’s day, a man name Haman was about to rain hell and death down onto the Jews in the kingdom ruled by Xerxes. But Esther put her very life on the line to appeal to the king. Her bravery resulted in the tables being turned on Haman: He swung from the gallows he had built to kill a Jew who challenged him.

It should be overwhelmingly obvious to anyone with even a tiny spark of wisdom that America cannot continue on its current trajectory. Those who follow the Living God — the God who truly loves us and who is still involved in “the affairs of the city” — must persist in “storming heaven” with our prayers.

Pray that God will continue to work miracles. Ask Him for practical wisdom on how He wants to use you personally “for such a time as this.”

Believe it or not, the Deep State and its evil schemes can be stopped. They cannot outsmart the God they insist does not exist.

Our God promised in the Old Testament that He “will hear from heaven, forgive our sins, and heal our land.” But before He does, it is up to us to “humble ourselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways.” Those marching orders can be found in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

The question right now is this: Will the remnant of those who call on His name and belong to His family step up to this critical challenge?

Albin Sadar is the author of Obvious: Seeing the Evil That’s in Plain Sight and Doing Something About It, as well as the children’s book collection, Hamster Holmes: Box of Mysteries.