GOD MADE TRUMP
Should A Christian Vote For Donald Trump?
Donald Trump may very well be the right man right now. However, there are two serious concerns breaking on the horizon. Now is the time to be sober and vigilant of our own motives.
Jesus Christ is the true God and eternal life…keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
By Brad Ward, Director, Armor of Truth
Conservatism is sick.
2024 will be an election year like none other. The dizzying decline of American society has many convinced that this could be the last election; some believe it won’t happen at all. Nevertheless, the run-up to November 5th is in full swing and the rabid battle between the radical Left and Conservative Right for influence over the evangelical bloc looks like two 7-year-olds fighting over the last cookie in the jar.
Bound by conscience, Christians in America are navigating a tension between engagement with and withdrawal from society. What should we fight for? Where should we draw the line, and given the manifest moral decline, should we be engaging in society at all? That’s easy; we have our orders. Christ never taught withdrawal from society but rather transformational engagement with it as salt and light in this fallen world.
American Conservatism is currently very sick, and the root cause of its affliction is a self-made religion that flows from the denial of the sufficiency of Scripture. It is common today for a person to say they believe that the Bible is the Word of God in principle but to deny it in practice; likewise, to give honor to God in principle but to deny the true God in practice.
To understand our duty now, we will survey what God has said about freedom — precisely the doctrine of Christian Liberty. Then, we can apply that teaching as a healing balm to our current social disorder. The phenomenon of Donald Trump and the MAGA movement is a helpful context for doing this.
Donald Trump: Keep yourselves from idols.
Donald Trump may very well be the right man for America for this time. However, there are two serious concerns breaking on the horizon, and now is the time for Christians, and everyone else, to be sober and vigilant for the devil’s schemes.
In 2020, Donald Trump had a record-breaking 73.6 million voters. Since then, the MAGA movement seems to have only expanded as more Americans have become suspicious of the Left’s motives or outright believe that the Executive branch of the federal government has been hijacked.
A large percentage of this massive and loyal movement supporting Donald Trump are fellow Christians. They rightly identify the Democratic party-line positions on marriage and abortion as reason enough to exclude all of their candidates.
The first serious concern —
This wide-reaching moral divide in Washington reduces by half the pool of possible legitimate candidates for a Christian voter in the general election. Take heed: Having fewer options is never good for the voters. Even if a Donald Trump victory in November works out for our short-term benefit, this kind of political divide is fertile ground for radicalism on both sides of the aisle. Starting right now, we must pay close attention not only to who we vote for, but we must be vigilant of our motives.
This clip is a montage of Donald Trump describing his personal religion.
The second serious concern —
If you do support Donald Trump for President, support him as president and caretaker of our Republic, but do not support the label of Trump as “the Christian candidate.” Keeping things in their proper categories is crucial to a coherent, true worldview. The MAGA movement is not a Christian movement, and Donald Trump is not a Christian candidate. MAGA is a populist political movement, and the aberrant expressions of Christianity that characterize it are a real problem. When we describe Trump as a representative and perhaps as a leader within the faith of evangelical Christianity, it does great damage to our Christian witness in the world.
As you can see from the Trump campaign ad, not only his supporters exalt him, but Donald Trump appears to see himself as the chosen Savior of America and the Christian faith. I want to see America made great again as much as anyone, but not at the cost of truth and not if it means openly dishonoring God. If Trump wins in November, I can only see this idolatry getting worse.
If you’re not aware of the danger and where this kind of subtle idolatry inevitably takes a nation, just read your Bible. The Apostle Paul speaks at great length detail about why God allowed Israel to be taken into captivity, why the leaders of the nation of Israel “were hardened,” and why God gave them “a spirit of stupor, and eyes that would not see, and ears that would not hear, right down to this very day” (Romans 11:7). “They were broken off because of their unbelief (false faith)… So do not become proud… if God did not spare his chosen nation, will he spare you? Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you, too, will be cut off.” (Romans 11:20-22)
God has given us the type and shadow of the fall of a great nation. Unbelief is the root cause, and the presenting symptoms are envy, resentment, and entitlement. We must not repeat Israel’s example.
“Do not bend to envy.”
It is fascinating to investigate the Scriptures Trump chose to quote publicly over the years. It is both instructive for us and revealing of his ignorance of God’s word and arrogance in using it publicly as a prop for his persona.
From the video above, at minute 1:58: “Don’t bend to envy.” The closest verse to which he is possibly referring is Proverbs 24:1.
“Do not be jealous of evil men, And do not desire to be with them…” (Proverbs 24:1)
This proverb is talking about evil associated with violence and misconduct, specifically wrongdoing by a leader or government official. In its full context, the verse highlights man’s prideful urge for status or quick and easy money gained through violence and wrongdoing — a temptation to be resisted.
A relevant application of the text would be this: Even if a man’s actions do not end up in a public scandal of open sin, when we envy these men for their power, for what they can do for us, or for what they promise us, we neglect the faith and court disaster. For example, to be enamored by a promise of a return to abundance or greatness is a sign of envy for what we don’t have and covetousness for what someone else has or the ways we want things to be. When Christians neglect the Faith this way, as theologian Charles Bridges put it in 1846, it “curses our blessings, withers our virtues, destroys our peace, clouds our confidence, and stains our Christian profession (witness).”
At minute mark 2:05, Trump referred to “two” Corinthians 3:17 as “the whole ball game, right?”
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17 )
What does Trump think it means? Possibly, he believes it means that America is free because the Spirit of the Lord is present. The “freedom” referred to in this verse does not refer to freedom in the sense of citizens under a civil government. The freedom spoken of here is liberation from the veil of ignorance, blindness, and hardness of heart. Under the New Covenant, believers (not merely professors of faith but regenerate believers) are given the Holy Spirit as a result of justification and sanctification. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, and because of His great work in us through the New Covenant, our relationship with God is reconciled; therefore, we have bold, direct, and free access to God. Our relationship with God is not limited by the law or any priestly office held by man. The verse in context is about our liberty from religious duty and our free access to God.
Trump shows no awareness of sin in himself. He admits no guilt, ever, at any time, likely because he was influenced heavily by the teachings of Norman Vincent Peale, the pastor of the Presbyterian church Trump attended as a younger man.
Peale's "The Power of Positive Thinking" is a self-help book that advocates for optimism and faith as foundations for living a fulfilling life. Published in 1952, it emphasizes the importance of positive thinking in overcoming obstacles, achieving happiness, and improving one's personal and professional life. Peale suggests practical techniques for maintaining a positive outlook, such as visualization, prayer, and the repetition of positive affirmations, grounded in Christian faith and psychology as a means to success and well-being.
Guilt is not a feeling but primarily a state or condition. Guilt is a reality resulting from having violated a specific rule or law. We are guilty when we cross a moral, ethical, or legal line. This is true even if we did not know a line was crossed. According to the Bible, we are all guilty before God (Romans 3:10, 23). The fact that a person may not “feel guilty” does not affect his or her guilty status legally or morally.
Should Christians engage in society and government?
A significant amount of American Christians, disgusted over electoral corruption, have stopped voting. I understand because, for several years, I was one of them. But, since 2008, I have voted regularly, primarily with a focus on local elections. Christians are free in Christ to honor their conscience when deciding whether or not to vote. I want to encourage and urge everyone, even if you believe the system is illegitimate and corrupt, that you should show up and vote for someone. Don’t opt out. Here’s why.
The increase of an authoritarian urge and tribulation in the U.S. is the result of godless leadership (Proverbs 28:12) and idle Christians. God establishes all legitimate authority to restrain and punish evil and protect the good (Romans 13). God commands us to obey legitimate authority unless it forbids what God commands or commands what God forbids (Acts 5). Hosea 8:4 suggests that God can be angered by our bad choices or complacency regarding leadership. By implication, these few examples are a clear directive to engage in our gift of self-government. We can do that by supporting leaders and policies promoting Christian principles and opposing leaders and policies contradicting Scripture’s commands for life, family, marriage, or faith (Proverbs 14:34).
If regenerate Christians en masse go to the voting booth or hold positions in the government, it is self-evident that God the Holy Spirit is there with them. That is an act that God can bless. If we complain that the government is corrupt and our prayer is that God would restore order so that the gospel can be safely circulated, then it is our duty as Christ’s vice-regents in the world to uphold justice and peace through godly engagement. If we shrink in the face of opportunity and idly complain about how dark things have become, God will not likely bless our nation. If, in our complacency, we stall very much longer, the anti-human technocrats and those who want a genderless, borderless world where everything lawless is tolerated will show up to fill those positions and plunge this nation further into a much darker place than it already is.
A Brief Study of Christian Liberty?
Christian liberty is one of the sweetest doctrines of the Faith. Even so, in the modern world, with what seems like endless opportunities drawing our attention and inciting the conscience, a truly biblical application of what it means to be free in Christ can be difficult to apprehend as the principle is often misunderstood and, therefore, misapplied. Adding to the complication is the danger of the doctrine.
In Romans 12, Paul addresses Christian liberty, specifically, those things God has not spoken about explicitly. In short, on issues where Scripture is silent, each Christian is free to act according to his conscience. The most well-known illustration of this principle is in 1 Corinthians 8, where Paul teaches about eating meat that has been offered to idols. Could meat from an animal that had been used in a pagan sacrifice be purchased in the marketplace and eaten by a Christian, and if he did eat it, was he somehow affirming and participating in the ceremony?
There is a significant subculture of professing Christians who have determined that utter rejection of all holidays is a hill they’re willing to die upon. They say if you participate in Valentine's Day, Easter, or Christmas, you are an idolator because those holidays have pagan origins. It is not clear that those holidays have such unambiguous pagan origins as the anti-holiday crowds suggest. We have covered that extensively already, but here we have an excellent example of becoming a law unto one’s self, or placing one’s self back under the yoke of the law.
First of all, Pagan gods are not gods at all. Paul said believers could eat the meat without sinning, but he also knew that some “weaker” brothers did not understand this truth, and their consciences were violated when others ate the meat (vv. 1–8). So, Paul said it was better for the stronger person not to eat the meat in question if it might cause the weaker brother to sin and be convicted of conscience (vv. 9–13).
A mark of true Christian faith is treating one another with deference and respect (Phil. 2:3–4), being aware and sensitive to the weaknesses of others, and never making a new law out of some notion or suspicion about which God has not spoken.
In Galatians 5:1, Paul said, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”
Many people mean well and try to place that yoke or that burden of slavery back on believers by insisting that there is some other law that we must follow if we want to please the Lord: “Don’t dress like that.” “Don’t drink that.” “Don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day or Easter or Christmas, because they come from pagan origins.” etc.… We are feeling the same kind of pressure placed on Christians in Colosse and Galatia in the first century. More on that in a moment.
Christian liberty is the freedom we have in Christ to live by our conscience rather than the letter of the law, which Christ fulfilled perfectly. Christian liberty has to do with issues that aren’t mentioned in the Bible and are not otherwise restricted by God’s commandments. The Great Confessions of Church history are helpful here.
The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689) Chapter 21 says,
God alone is Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from human doctrines and commandments that are in any way contrary to His Word or not contained in it. So, believing such doctrines, or obeying such commands out of conscience, is a betrayal of true liberty of conscience. Requiring implicit faith or absolute and blind obedience destroys liberty of conscience and reason as well (paragraph 2).
This is in perfect harmony with Scripture, and what it means is this: that which God has commanded, we must do and insist be done. That which God has forbidden, we must not do and insist not be done. That’s the easy part. Here’s where the controversy comes in. We are free to do or not do what God has neither commanded nor forbidden.
How do we please God on matters not defined for us in Scripture? We must know His word. We want to consume it and make it part of us because when we misunderstand God’s law, we will inevitably end up misunderstanding our freedom in Christ — Christian liberty.
God has set us free from the illegitimate commands of men, and we can please God while we ignore their illegitimate commands. How do we accomplish this? Our conscience must be bound to the Word of God and nothing else. Do not be intimidated or persuaded and thus misled into the lie that there are extra or other requirements to God’s law that will make you more pure and enhance your spirituality. That is slavery. Don’t give up your freedom.
An important distinction is to be made here—the difference between the essence and the exercise of Christian liberty. You ought never to sacrifice the essential truth of your freedom, but you must be willing to sacrifice if only temporarily, your liberty for the sake of other Christians. The fact that Christ has made us free from the law is internal, a matter of conscience, and a direct responsibility to God. But, our choice to USE our freedom in Christ is external, a matter of conduct, and in direct reference to other people.
For example, if my conscience is not convicted by drinking a beer. When I am in the presence of a fellow Christian who, for some reason, could be offended by my enjoying a beer, or if not offended, my actions may influence them in some way to sin or feel convicted in conscience; that is when I must sacrifice my liberty for the good of my brother or sister.
In another sense, if I visit a Christian or a Jewish friend who belongs to a Sabbath-keeping church, I am allowed to observe the Sabbath with that person as a matter of respect and Christian love, but I am not required to keep the Sabbath, I am free from the law.
In Romans, chapters 14-15, Paul admonished mature or strong believers not to do anything that would cause a newer or weaker Christian to stumble, to be convicted of conscience unnecessarily, even if it requires us to sacrifice certain liberties.
“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” (Romans 15:1–2).
Tom Ascol, President of Founders Ministries, shares four primary concerns to keep in mind when exercising Christian liberty:
1. Love for God;
2. Love for Christian brothers and sisters;
3. Compassion for unbelievers;
4. Watchfulness over one’s own soul.
The witness of the Holy Spirit and the conscience are the guides of Christ’s followers. It is vital that we take the proper perspective. That means we must not try to figure out what we’re prohibited from doing. The right approach is to consider what we can do for Christ, not to seek the boundaries of liberty, testing how far we can push it.
The apostle Peter says this in the second chapter of his first epistle,
“Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 213-16)
Sadly, we see professing Christians do this all the time; they use the exercise of liberty to violate the essence of it. Liberty is not a license to do what thou wilt. A Christian must never sin in the name of Christian liberty. That seems obvious. But, the more subtle application here is that a Christian must never wound the conscience of a weaker, less mature, perhaps newer to the Faith brother or sister. Our greatest example is the Master, while we have been given freedom of conscience, Jesus did not live to please himself ever (Romans 15:3).
In 1520, Martin Luther summarized the biblical teaching of liberty most helpfully:
“A Christian man is the most free lord of all, and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to every one.” (The Freedom of the Christian Man, 1520)
Living according to this principle makes us less likely to abuse our liberty.
Artwork designs by Summer
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