Can a Christian Be a Politician?
- Clarence L. Haynes Jr.Contributing Writer
- PublishedJun 06, 2024
Over the last several months, a question has been rolling around in my mind. Recent events in the political arena have not quelled the question but have stoked the flame of it even higher. Is it truly possible for a Christian to be a politician? Regardless of which side of the political aisle you fall on, I wonder if these two identities coexist. I don’t ask this with a political agenda, but in all sincerity, especially as our politics have gotten more divisive (and it seems more nasty).
What Is a Christian?
Before I can answer this question, I believe defining what a Christian is is necessary. Some people believe that if you go to church once a week, pray occasionally, and try to be a good person, that makes you a Christian. If that was the standard, then I guess you could be a Christian and a politician. However, that is not the standard.
To carry the name Christian means you represent Christ. You have been born again, and your sins have been washed in the blood of Jesus. To be a Christian means you love Jesus first and foremost, representing him in everything you do and everywhere you go. You seek to obey him in every area of your life, and, most importantly, your allegiance is to Jesus before anyone or anything else. To be his disciple means you will take on the mantle to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him, no matter the cost.
Using this as the definition of a Christian, that’s why I wonder if it is possible to live like this and be a politician. Crosswalk.
