The Elect and The Election: What Now?

I Peter 2:23

“Christ…while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously…”

“For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps, He who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you were healed” (I Peter 2:21-24).

Another storied election is in the books. And we, as The Elect, face now the biblical responsibility to pray for our new president, vice president, and the new team that will lead us for the next four years. Regardless of whether the vote went the way you wanted or not, the most powerful thing we can do is to pray. And I hope you will join me in doing so.

There is a word that is often used around elections as well as around certain times of the year: freedom. We live in a country free from tyranny, free from oppression and free, for the most part, to make our own choices. However, this freedom is costly. As we approach Veterans Day, we are reminded of the ones who served our nation’s military and sacrificed their lives for us. Freedom is costly for everyone involved.

Unfortunately today, we live in a country where you hear shouts and screams such as “my rights,” “my body,” “what I want,” and of course more. The news each day is full of groups picketing over health rights, reparations, equity, and gun rights. The list is endless. The division in our country is not simply between political parties, it is a division of what individual rights actually mean.

In I Peter 2:21-24, we find a passage that leaves us speechless. Remember Peter is writing of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Judge, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Great I AM, the Son of God, and God the Son. This Jesus that Peter writes of is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Alpha and the Omega. If there is anyone that could have ever called out for rights, it would be Jesus. He holds the title deed to everything and all wisdom, power, and authority are in His hand. 

But notice how Peter describes Jesus in I Peter 2:23 - 24, “and while being abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself brought our sins in His body up on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness.” 

These words are astounding. Jesus possessed perfect freedom and perfect authority and could have at any moment called out to The Father. But notice that Jesus didn’t appeal to His rights. Instead, look at a few of the words the Bible uses to describe Jesus.

• “He did not insult in return”

• “He did not threaten”

• “He kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously”

There was no, “What about my rights to my body,” "What about my rights to defend myself," "What about my rights to protect” or any other claim of rights. The word we find in I Peter 2 is that Jesus submitted Himself. Instead of calling on His power and authority, Jesus submitted Himself to the will of the Father.

There is no doubt that in the days, weeks, and months following this election, we will see societal rebellion from all sides. If I am honest with you, there are times when I am watching the news or listening to a podcast that I simply want to scream out in frustration. God is reminding me though that this planet we live on is not home. He is reminding me of who I am. I am The Elect of God and my job as a Christian is not to change the political landscape, but to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to my community, my nation, and the world. That means I must be willing to lay down “my rights” and submit to God Himself.

I have three challenges for you in the next few days. 

Pray, Pray, Pray

If there were ever a time for the people of God to call on Almighty God, it is now. 

Trust, Trust, Trust

Let’s not be guilty of trusting in the government or anyone else. Let’s place our full trust and confidence in Jesus alone. 

Hope, Hope, Hope

Our hope in life has never been in anyone other than Jesus. This is the time for us to find joy by placing our hope in Jesus. 

As the year comes to an end, I look forward to seeing you next week with a new blog series.