Christians are called to a higher calling: bearing witness to Jesus Christ, in word and in life, and reflecting His character. This calling transcends every earthly system, including politics and elections. The Gospel can never be blended with human power or strategic interests. As Christ said: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36).
Although a political party or leader may align more closely with Christian values on certain issues, no political choice may replace or be blended with the essential Christian witness. The credibility of the Church does not lie in its influence, but in its holiness, its obedience to the truth, and its faithfulness to the heavenly calling.
Theological difference in view of calling
Whether a Christian votes or not often correlates with his or her theological worldview. Broadly speaking there are two views: one sees the church not only as church but also, through its individual members, as likewise called to reform the world and to make the norms of God’s Kingdom visible on earth; the other sees the church primarily and exclusively as called to bear witness to a heavenly Kingdom that will only be established at Christ’s return.
The first view—underlying, for example, covenant theology, amillennialism, postmillennialism, and the charismatic “Kingdom Now” movement—almost inevitably leads to political engagement. These streams assume continuity between Israel and the Church: the Church is seen as spiritual Israel, called to display God’s law and His righteousness on earth. The blessings and promises to Israel are applied spiritually to the Church. From this follows the idea that society must be brought under Christian influence; laws, rulers, and social structures should then reflect the norms of God’s Kingdom.
In practice this means that Christians view voting and political activity as a means of giving social shape to the Kingdom of God. In the “Kingdom Now” movement this is taught explicitly: one must conquer the “seven mountains” (politics, education, economy, media, arts, family, and religion) for Christ.
But such a notion shifts the center of gravity from witness to dominion. The Church is no longer seen as a heavenly community but as an earthly power with a reforming mission. Thus the distinction between the Kingdom of heaven and the kingdoms of men disappears.
The opposite view—rooted in premillennialism and dispensationalism—holds that Christ will establish His Kingdom after His return, when His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). Until then the Church lives as a stranger and witness of that coming Kingdom. Its task is not to rule but to proclaim: to win souls, to speak truth, to live in holiness. “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior” (Philippians 3:20).
Rightly understanding Romans 13 and 1 Timothy 2:2
Some appeal to Romans 13:1–7 and 1 Timothy 2:2 to argue that a Christian must vote, preferably for a Christian party. But those texts do not say this. Paul writes that “the governing authority is God’s servant” and that we must be subject to it—words he spoke about the pagan Roman government. The call is to submission and prayer, not to participation in governance.
Democracy may grant the right to vote, but nowhere does God command us to use it. Scripture contains no mandate to wield governmental power or to reform societies. Christ changed people, not systems; He called for repentance, not for legislation.
“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” — rightly understood
Matthew 22:21 distinguishes between the temporal and the eternal. The coin bears the image of Caesar and belongs to him; the human bears the image of God and belongs to God. This verse concerns ownership, not citizenship.
At most one might conclude from this that we should, for example, pay taxes, but not that we should also vote. That is not a civil duty imposed on us; it is still a right, not a duty. Were it a duty, the matter would be different: then we would have to vote. But as long as it remains a right, it is a matter of conscience, and a Christian may deliberately choose not to vote out of faithfulness to his heavenly calling.
The fear of losing values
Many contemporary Christians vote not primarily out of conviction, but out of fear—fear of moral decline, cultural secularization, or the growing influence of Islam. People fear that society will lose its Christian identity and that future generations will live in a country in which they no longer recognize themselves.
That fear is understandable, but it is not Scriptural. Nowhere does the Bible teach that the Church is called to preserve culture or secure influence. The first believers lived amid pagan cultures and tyranny, yet they did not seek political power to change them. They bore witness through holiness, not through majority. “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14)—not the lawmakers of the world.
When fear drives us toward politics, our hope shifts from heaven to earth. Instead of relying on God’s sovereignty, we seek certainty in human structures. That is not faith but self‑protection, and it inevitably leads to entanglement with the world.
The cautionary example of America
In the United States we see the consequences of this entanglement laid bare. What began as a desire for influence has grown into an ideological movement in which faith and politics have become inseparably fused. Many church leaders have supported Donald Trump, praising him as a defender of Christian values and presenting his agenda as a means to advance God’s will.
His positions against abortion and his support for Israel are often cited as proof of fidelity to biblical principles. But his conduct—lies, pride, insults, immorality, and lack of repentance—contradicts the spirit of Christ. Trump is not a born‑again follower of Jesus, but in word and deed a counter‑image of the fruit of the Spirit. Yet many believe that God uses him as an instrument to restrain evil, and they ignore that an unholy leader can never carry a holy witness.
Something deeper has gone wrong: many Christians have traded the personal witness of Christ for the public support and proclamation of a political movement that seems to follow the Bible at a few points but in essence contradicts its spirit. It is a contradictio in terminis: a supposedly Christian witness that, instead of leading to Christ, obscures Him and ultimately works against His message. Thus the Gospel has been lowered in the eyes of the world to an ideological project.
The storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was the extreme result of this mixture: religious language and symbols were used to justify violence. Such deeds stand in stark contrast to the words of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27).
The American example is not an inspiration but a warning. When the Church trades her witness for political power, she loses her credibility. Once the Church becomes a party, she ceases to be the Church.
The compromise of Christian politics
The same holds in the Netherlands: Christian parties inevitably face moral concessions. A party that is principled against abortion (such as the SGP) can remain faithful only as long as it remains small; as soon as it seeks to join a governing coalition, the system forces cooperation and a relativizing of principles. Political influence demands compromises, and compromises weaken the witness.
The SGP itself says it will make no concessions, even if it were to grow. But by that very stance the party automatically excludes itself from actual participation in government, unless all other parties were to adopt its positions—which will not happen. It can therefore continue to exist only by grace of remaining small, not by sharing power.
A party (in the Netherlands) like the Christenunie (ChristianUnion) is positioned differently. It has openly indicated that it will no longer seek to abolish abortion and no longer regards the issue as a key policy priority for the party. In doing so it has effectively declared itself willing to make concessions and finds itself in an impossible tension: its identity as a Christian party has become subordinate to its desire to govern. Thus political participation becomes a form of spiritual weakening.
Christian politics tries to create a moral world through laws, but Scripture teaches that only the Gospel changes the heart. Paul sought no influence in the Roman Senate; he preached Christ. His weapons were not of this world, but spiritual (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Biblical grounds for our heavenly calling
1. Strangers and sojourners
1 Peter 2:11 – “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against the soul.”
Hebrews 11:13–16 – “They confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”
Philippians 3:20 – “Our citizenship is in heaven.”
2. Separation from worldly power
John 18:36 – “My kingdom is not of this world.”
Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world.”
John 17:16 – “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
3. Holy living and witness
Matthew 5:13–16 – “Let your light shine before others.”
2 Corinthians 5:20 – “We are ambassadors for Christ.”
1 John 2:15–17 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world.”
4. Peace and non‑violence
Matthew 26:52 – “All who take the sword will perish by the sword.”
5. The Great Commission
Mark 16:15 – “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel.”
Matthew 28:19–20 – “Make disciples of all nations.”
2 Timothy 2:4 – “A soldier does not entangle himself in the affairs of life.”
All these verses point in one direction: the Church has no political vocation but a heavenly mission. Believers are called to bear witness, not to rule.
What the Bible actually says: our sole calling
Christ did not call His followers to write laws or reform empires, but to make disciples of all nations. He did not send them with political power but with spiritual authority. The apostles did not call for reform of the Roman Empire, but for repentance and faith in the Son of God. “You shall be My witnesses, to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
The power of the Gospel lies not in influence but in truth; not in majority but in faithfulness. Our mandate is not to dominate the world, but to let the light shine in its darkness. Whoever mingles that with politics dims that light and confuses the Church’s calling with the pursuit of power.
Our only calling is therefore: to bear witness to the truth of Jesus Christ. That witness can never be placed in the service of earthly ends, for it belongs to another Kingdom—one not built by human hands, but by the will of God.
Conclusion
Until Christ returns, no election, party, or leader—however moral or “Christian”—will realize His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is not elected but proclaimed. The Church is called to witness, not to rule; to serve, not to dominate.
Refraining from voting is not an escape from responsibility but faithfulness to our true calling. It is a refusal to mix the holy with the temporal, and a confession that our hope lies not in laws or leaders, but in Christ alone. “For our walk is in heaven, from which we also await the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20)