Biblical Thinking On Issue One
Yesterday there was a special vote in Ohio on the constitution called “issue one”, and today I am writing about it. Some may ask why I did not write on it before the vote, rather than wait until after, read on, and this blog will explain. Voting yes on this issue meant you supported modifying the process by which the constitution in Ohio is changed. There were three aspects that would change, requiring a 60% majority instead of 50% for any amendment to pass, not allowing more signatures to be added once an amendment is submitted, and forcing at least 5% of electors in each county to sign the petition rather than 5% in half of the counties. In other words, a yes vote would have raised the bar on changing the Ohio state constitution, and a no vote would leave the process as is.
There is, of course, more to the story. Since the decision by the United States Supreme Court last year regarding abortion, Ohio now restricts abortion to “viability of the fetus”, generally considered about 22 weeks, but there is a law that has been legally passed being held up by judges that would change that threshold to when the baby has a heartbeat. There is an amendment proposed to change the constitution to enshrine abortion as a right up to “viability of the fetus” in the doctor’s opinion (I put the phrase “viability of the fetus” in quotes because this is a human being we are speaking of, and the language itself demeans that individual person in the womb). It could be argued, then, that if this amendment passes, abortion in Ohio would be legal anytime the doctor wants to allow it, since the state has no right to overrule a doctor’s opinion. The language of this amendment makes clear that the doctor is in control, therefore, all a woman needs to do is find a doctor who agrees with her decision and the state has no legal ability to say anything. Abortion will be rampant here, as doctors who perform them have financial incentives to do so.
The vote yesterday was a strategy to stop this amendment from passing in November. Supporters also argued that our low bar will also allow groups to push all kinds of evil through the process of our constitution, and I doubt they are mistaken. But with all of this explained as best as I can, the question Christians must ask themselves is, where should we stand on issue one? Let me be clear, on the constitutional amendment in November, there is no doubt Christians should take a stand against the scourge of murdering the unborn, but is it necessary for Christians to take a stand regarding the modification of the constitution because, strategically, it might stop this future amendment?
The question we always need to ask ourselves is, what does the Word of God have to say on this issue. So, regarding this issue yesterday, does the Word of God speak to it? Is there anything righteous or unrighteous about how a state chooses to move forward in the modification of the constitution? I can say unequivocally that the Bible has nothing to say on the matter. In other words, there is nothing righteous or unrighteous in voting yes or no on issue one that is laid out for us in God’s Word. Whether you voted yes, no, or maybe sat this one out, I can confidently tell you that you did not violate anything in Scripture, and you can stand before Christ one day without concern for the accountability of that vote.
Whether you voted yes, no, or maybe sat this one out, I can confidently tell you that you did not violate anything in Scripture, and you can stand before Christ one day without concern for the accountability of that vote.
Now, some people will immediately argue with me due to the link of this latest issue with the amendment proposed in November. They would say that it is unrighteous to vote no and righteous to vote yes because it may have an impact on bringing forth the legality of more abortion in our state. In other words, they are convicted by conscience that one had to vote yes in order to stop this amendment in the future. I am sympathetic with that view, but let me make something very clear, that is your conscience, and if that is the case, you needed to vote yes, but your conscience is not the guide for all Christians. In fact, let your conscience be informed by Scripture, and this issue is a matter of opinion, and we are not to argue over opinions (Romans 14). We need to be honest here, that this issue was simply a political strategy, and it was not an issue of righteousness or unrighteousness.
Let me demonstrate as clearly as I can why this is not a matter of righteousness. I have lived in Ohio for nearly four years and have yet to hear one pastor speak out against the amendment process for the Ohio state constitution. If this is a matter of righteousness, then why was it not proclaimed by the faithful since I have been here that this needs to change? Or for the years previous that this needs to change? The standards of righteousness are unchanging, just as God is unchanging, this is what we call in theological terms the immutability of God. Something cannot be fine one day and unrighteous the next day. Again, in simple terms, this was a political strategy, nothing more and nothing less, and every Christian has a right to their opinion on political strategies without being judged since Scripture does not speak on political strategies. This is why I did not express my thoughts before the election, I was not looking to impact people’s opinions on the matter, nor was I looking for an argument while the issue was still on the table. Instead, I desired for each individual to wrestle with their conscience and make a decision that they believe is best. Today, I desire for each individual to understand that whatever they chose, they can stand confidently in it, no matter what others speak to you on the matter. This was not a righteous or unrighteous issue.
While Scripture does not speak about political strategies, it does speak about strategies. There is an area where I believe many Christians may need correction. There are some who voted yes on issue one who had placed their hope in this issue passing, they had placed some confidence in this strategy, and they are disappointed today that the strategy failed. If that is you, this next section is for you.
The standards of righteousness are unchanging, just as God is unchanging, this is what we call in theological terms the immutability of God. Something cannot be fine one day and unrighteous the next day.
2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh” (Legacy Standard Bible). This vote yesterday was a battle fought in the flesh, and while everyone was free to vote yes or no, it was not the battle Christians are truly waging. If your hope was in yesterday, you are waging your war according to the flesh. But Paul goes on, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the tearing down of strongholds, as we tear down speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5, 6). Many hoped issue one would be powerful enough to stop this future amendment. While issue one, if passed, may have had political power, it would have never been divinely powerful. We have far greater weapons than measly political strategies.
Perhaps the question Christians ought to be considering is, why might over 50% of our population in Ohio vote for an amendment to enshrine abortion into our state constitution in November? The answer to that is not difficult, it is because “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18). There is a part of me that is amazed that, with such a small percentage of Christians in our state, that the vote would even be close. One might think people without fear of God would vote overwhelmingly for the freedom to murder the unborn, but the fact that the November vote would even be close demonstrates that God is still restraining evil in His goodness and in His kindness, and one of the means of restraining evil in the world today is the church.
The question is, then, how is the church intended to restrain evil with her divinely powerful weapons, in our state, our country, the world? It is not through voting for political strategies or candidates, but I think many of us have fooled ourselves into thinking that. Those strategies are much easier to accomplish, to see, to do, and I think since the Moral Majority and Jerry Falwell became a thing back in the 1970’s and 80’s, the church has adopted that philosophy, that the country needs to be changed through political means. But I believe that God, through the failures of politicians, by the failure of measures like issue one in Ohio, and by many other strategies that we have sadly hoped in, is disciplining His church to get back to the work they are called to do.
The question is, then, how is the church intended to restrain evil with her divinely powerful weapons, in our state, our country, the world? It is not through voting for political strategies or candidates, but I think many of us have fooled ourselves into thinking that.
The work He has called us to do is much more effective, and it is time we focus on work that is divinely powerful rather than political strategies. What work is that? Prayer for our country and our leaders according to 1 Timothy 2:1-8 is a work of the church, and it is divinely powerful as the church depends on God to work in the lives of any leader, right or left. The gospel is divinely powerful according to Romans 1:16, and the church is called to shine that light of the gospel forward. Walking by the Spirit is powerful since the Spirit is a Spirit of power according to numerous texts including Acts 1:8, Romans 15:13, and Ephesians 3:16. God’s grace to us in our weakness and sanctification is powerful according to 2 Corinthians 12:9. The love of Jesus is powerful according to Ephesians 3:14-21. The proclamation of God’s Word is a duty given to the church that is divinely powerful according to 1 Corinthians 2:4-5.
I could go on, but the church must focus her energy, not on political strategies, but on prayer, on sharing the gospel, on making disciples, on sanctification, on walking in the Spirit, on knowing the love of Christ and on proclaiming the truth of God’s Word to all. I know some will respond that we could do both, but my response to that is that our dependence is not on anything other than God. It is really a waste of time to spend our energy on powerless weapons when divinely powerful weapons are at our disposal. Hope in God, our help comes from Him, He and He along is our help and our salvation, our Rock. If we truly believe the weapons He has provided are divinely powerful, why would we look to anywhere else for power? Let us grow our faith in God who teaches us what is divinely powerful, trust Him, and move forward in that faith for His glory.
