Does the Bible Tell Us Who to Vote For?

With much authority, 2 Opinions 2:12 gives us the name of the exact candidate believers are to vote for as we come to the polls on November 8th....

If only it were that simple, right?

I have found that opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them and they all stink.

The question that is hot in our country: Do we vote for Trump or a third party candidate?

Personally, I don't have the answer to that question. This is one of the few areas in life where there is no direct Bible verse. There is not a specific passage we can turn to and read who it is that we are supposed to vote.  It is true that we can take principles from the whole of Scripture, but I believe it ultimately comes down to our conviction before the Lord and how He is personally leading us.

There are many godly men and women throughout the Church who disagree with each other regarding which Presidential candidate believers should give their vote. In my own life, I have found that I disagree with the political choices of some of the godliest Christian men who have influenced my life in tremendous ways. Yet, I have learned quite a bit over the last few months surrounding this election both from my own life and from observing those around me. First, whether you're voting for Trump or a third party candidate, your vote is not a salvation or necessarily a sin issue. Second, your vote does not determine your level of spiritual maturity or intelligence. That all being said, I do think there are three ways we must not vote:

1. With Distrust. We must believe that God is sovereign and truly in control over all human affairs - even this one. If you believe God can use a sinful man, then you must also allow others to believe that He can use their third party vote. You cannot have one way. If the Lord is leading you to vote for Trump and me to vote for someone else, then we both have to trust that each of us are walking with the Lord and following His leading.
2. With Fear. We must not vote based upon presumptuous fear of what we believe one candidate might do and thus cast our vote to stop the other. Choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil. We should not allow the fear of man to corner us in our decision. After all, He who is in us in greater than he who is in the world. Now, if you really believe the Lord is leading you to vote for Trump that's fine as per the prior point. However, if you are voting for Trump out of fear of what Hillary might do, then I would strongly urge you to reconsider.
3. With Ignorance. We must do our research. This is one of the most tense elections this country has ever seen and we should not belittle the affect our vote can have. Do not waste your vote and do not vote ignorantly. Do your research and be an informed citizen and voter.

Ultimately, I'm not god. (I know, shocker!) Don't let anyone tell you God's leading in your life in this upcoming election. Not me, not Franklin Graham or Dr. Dobson, not Ben Carson or Ted Cruz, not your family or your friends, or even your pastor. That isn't to say that we should shut our ears to those individuals. On the contrary, we should seek counsel from others. However, we should not let their voices drown out the quiet leading of the Spirit of God in our lives. This election season has been tumultuous and I believe that, more than ever, believers need to be on their knees crying out to the Lord for His wisdom and direction.