Recently, Dr. Frank Turek of the Cross Examined ministry commented on the topic of whether or not a person can be a Christian yet still support the Democrat Party. You can read about this at https://mycharisma.com/culture/frank-turek-answers-can-you-be-a-christian-and-a-democrat/.
The reason there is a discussion on this relates to the policy positions and platform of the Democrat Party concerning such topics as: abortion, gay marriage, gender-related medical procedures for minors, illegal immigration, and the like. As it turns out, the democrats are for allowing all of these. The question, then, has to do with how those positions align with what the Bible teaches.
At this point, it is important to focus more carefully on exactly what we are talking about. On the one hand, entering into a personal relationship with God has nothing to do with any of these things. A person becomes a Christian by repenting of their sins and inviting Christ into their life by God’s grace through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the cross. On the other hand, a person who genuinely invites Christ into their life will have their life transformed in a way that causes them to willingly and gladly put away sin and strive to continually grow to become more like Christ. This involves adopting biblical values and a lifestyle that conforms to the teachings of the Bible.
It is at this point that a dispute arises. There are some people who self-identify as Christians who believe that the position of the Democrat Party actually does align with the teachings of the Bible, and that Jesus approves of abortion, gay marriage, transgender procedures for minors, and illegal immigration. However, in order to support their position, they have to use an approach to biblical interpretation that does not reflect the actual teachings of the Bible.
Legitimate interpretation looks to the biblical text first to find out what is written in context. A conclusion is reached, then, from that kind of exegetical study.
Illegitimate interpretation begins in a different place. Rather than beginning with the text and exegeting it, it begins with some other philosophical position then searches the Bible to find verses to support the position. Inevitably, the verses must be taken out of context and distorted to make them somehow conform to the point of view they are trying to support.
Of course, the large majority of people who support the policy positions of the Democrat Party are not Christians and don’t claim to be. They believe morality is relative, and that society itself decides what is moral and not moral.
But where does that leave Christians? Can a person be a Christian yet still support the Democrat Party?
In a technical sense, yes, it is possible. There are many people who have genuinely received Christ into their lives, yet have drifted away from fellowship with Him. These are often referred to as “carnal Christians.”
At the same time, it can call into question whether or not a person like that ever genuinely accepted Christ in the first place. Of course, only God knows their heart, so only He can be the ultimate judge of that.
What we can judge, however, is the fruit that is being exhibited in a person’s life. We can examine their beliefs and how those correspond to what is taught in the Bible. The Bible is very clear that the taking of innocent life is wrong, and abortion is the taking of innocent life. It is clear that sexual relations are reserved for the marriage of one man and one woman for life, so “gay marriage” is wrong. It is clear that God created only two genders, and there is something very wrong with promoting the gender dysphoria mental illness. And the Bible is clear that people disregarding the law and illegally immigrating into a country is contrary to God’s ideal of people obeying the law (not to mention all of the other crime and destruction that goes along with illegal immigration).
So, a person’s salvation is not directly tied to the particular political party they are a member of. That said, when the policy positions of a political party literally contradict the beliefs and values that God has revealed to be true in the Bible, it is not wrong to point out the fact that people who believe and live in a way that is inconsistent with its teachings are living contrary to Christian beliefs. I would never be one to make a definitive judgment on any person’s salvation, but I would be willing to say that those who live that way are not giving evidence that they actually know Christ.
Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is the author of numerous books entitled The Truth Mirage, Rules for Christians Radicals, Liberalism vs. Conservatism, and his latest book Shattering the Truth Mirage and has a background as an international missionary, pastor, radio host, worldview trainer, and entrepreneur. Freddy is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Communication, and holds MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a popular speaker, particularly on the topic of worldview and its practical implications for the Christian life. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife Deborah.
You may also contact Freddy at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.
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