Theology: The Election That Really Counts
Most Americans are eagerly anticipating the November elections, hoping that a new president will mean a new beginning for our country. Voters might disagree over which party and candidate is more likely to bring that new beginning, but there is wide agreement on what they’d like to see happen.
Most voters hope that the new administration will bring economic stability, enough decent paying jobs, affordable gas prices, accessible healthcare, effective schools, security from terrorists and criminals, quick victory in war, an effective immigration policy, a stable housing market, and a sense of hope for the future.
That’s a tall order.
Many Americans are fearful, not only about our nation’s future, but their own as well. Between unstable families, unsafe streets, financial struggles, job problems, and health
problems, life has become depressing for many of us. Elections can provide a temporary shot-in-the-arm of hope, but where does a person turn when the momentary rush of hope and excitement fades into long-term reality?
The only hope that has enduring substance is the gospel. The gospel does not promise a charmed life filled with constant blessings, but it gives solid assurance that life is worth
living, that problems are worth enduring, and that the risks of life are worth taking.
It provides hope that there is more to life than what we can see right now.
But the gospel is not just about the future; it also offers priceless benefits right now — freedom from guilt, assurance of being loved, guidance on right living, even a heads up
that we can’t rely on the things of this world.
Our real hope, the confidence we can have for the future, looks far beyond next week or even next year — it looks to Jesus Christ, who promises us life everlasting in the joy of the household of God.
The gospel offers forgiveness for sin, confidence in salvation, and peace in our relationships. We don’t always take full advantage of these, but the gospel offers them — free – because Jesus already paid for everything, in full.
Whomever we vote for in this election, we do so knowing that our Father in heaven, with his Son and the Holy Spirit, already voted for us long before we were born. And that’s an election that will stand forever in Jesus Christ, who is both our representative and our substitute. We belong to the God who loves us, and there are no term limits on our place in his family.
This article is derived from Speaking of Life, a weekly video program presented by Joseph Tkach on the Grace Communion International website. You can watch it online, listen online, or download the video, audio, or text. For all these options, go to www.speakingoflife.org