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Samuel Adams, the Father of our American Revolution, stated,

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present…to please an individual—or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

(Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256, in the Boston Gazette on April 16, 1781.)

Why did America’s Founders teach that voting was so important?  First of all, they believed that the Bible taught it.  Indeed, in Genesis 1:26, where God tells why He made man, one of His three reasons was that man might “have dominion.”  “Having dominion” means, first of all, that we rule over our own desires.  We call this “internal self-government” (America’s Founders often called it “virtue”).  But that internal self-government must be allowed to grow out into the culture.  We must also “take dominion” in the institutions of the culture.  I refer to the home, the church, and civil government—for those are the three structural institutions by which God builds every nation.  If we do not lead in those institutions then those who do not know and walk in the truth of the Scripture will lead; they will “take dominion” and lead us into destruction.  For lost people can only think according to their selfish root of sin, and the Bible is plain that,

“Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

(James 1:15)

This is what we have been experiencing in our land (and that at breakneck speed these last eight years).  But voting is the primary way we “take dominion” in civil government.  Voting makes the citizen the government, instead of the government office holder being the government.

Secondly, our Founders knew, as Sam Adams stated, voting was first of all a “vow to God.”  Noah Webster defined the word vote in his first American dictionary as a vow.  He then defined “vow” as “a solemn promise made to God.”  So they believed voting was a solemn vow to God that we were taking dominion like He had created us to do.  It is for this reason there is no acceptable excuse for an able-bodied citizen not to vote!  If we don’t vote it simply means we are either ignorant about voting, or in willful disobedience to God about voting!!  And there is no excuse for either!

A third reason for voting is that God created civil government.  The Bible states in Romans 13:1, “All power (or authority) comes from God.” It is His institution for making sure one person does not harm another, thus maintaining order so the home, church, and civil government can operate in society. If God created civil government and commanded His people to “select” their rulers, as Deuteronomy 1:13 tells us, then should not His people be the ones first at the polls to vote?  Should not teachers in the church be the ones who are teaching the importance of this to the church and society?  The questions are simple; the answers are “YES!!”

But to vote, you must register, which is a very simple process.  And your church can legally have a voter registration day at any of your meetings.  But you must register in most states at least 30 days before the election.  Thus, you should make it your goal to register in September.  Don’t wait!  Your children’s liberty is at stake.  It is literally in your hands!  REGISTER TO VOTE NOW!

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—and for your children!  And you won’t like what that brings to you.  I’m Don Pinson; this has been Think About It.