How Can A Christian Seriously Support President Trump?

I get this now and then.  Someone will say to me, "Pastor Rich, how can you being a Christian support Trump?  And to top it off, you're a pastor!"

 

It's so easy! Let me tell you how -- "I am commanded by God to do so."  Plain and simple.

Get ready, because here comes the passages:

Romans 13:1-7:

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. 3 For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. 4 The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. 5 So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience.

6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

Here's a few observations from this passage:

1. v. 1 - "all authority comes from God and all have been placed there by God."  Yes, even the ones in North Korea and China.  Even the one the Israelites were under in Egypt. Even the one that was ruling at the time Paul wrote this who was the infamous pagan, Nero!  You have to look pass the government or person to the God who is behind it all. He has His reasons for putting in place certain governing authorities and the people under such authorities.

2. v. 2 - "So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished" -- Notice -- "anyone."

So hey, let's rephrase the question. A better question is not "How can I as a Christian support Trump," but "How can you as a Christian NOT support Trump, and think you are in a right standing before God?"  When you jettison what the Bible says, it's all pure delusional!

3. Notice v. 4 says that "authorities are God's servants." Yes, even the bad ones.

"The bad ones! How can this be?"

Listen, do you seriously think that God is restricted in His almighty power to use only good and moral ones to accomplish His will?  Here's a news flash: God can use anyone He chooses -- the good, the bad and the ugly to achieve His ultimate purposes!  God will not and cannot be restricted.

Can you explain why God called a very corrupt and wicked king such as Cyrus "His anointed" and "my shepherd" (Isa. 45:1, 24, 28)?

Why? Because God is able to use the wicked to bring to pass His righteous ways. Don't ever think for one moment that God cannot fulfill His ways unless He conforms to your way of thinking.

Isa. 55:8-9:  “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

Furthermore, do you think that the crucifixion of Jesus was a plan gone awry?  Check out this passage:

Acts 4:26-28:  The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.’ 27 “In fact, this has happened here in this very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28 But everything they did was determined beforehand according to your will."

God used wicked Herod, wicked Pilate, the wicked Gentiles and the rebellious Jews to bring to pass the perfect plan of God which was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.   If it were up to the moral, Jesus would not have died. So God left it up to the immoral to kill His Son -- which was God's intended purpose.

So stop saying, "How can you being a Christian support Trump?" Better to ask yourself, "How can being a Christian, NOT support Trump?"

"But pastor Rich, Trump treated women badly." Yes he did. And you know what?  So did King David. He stole another man's wife, committed adultery with her and then had her husband killed to try to cover up his sins (see 2 Sam. 11). God never demoted him as king and God never told anyone in Israel to stop following him.

"But pastor Rich, David repented."  Yes he did. How do you know that Trump hasn't repented? Does he have to go on national TV and cry in front of the camera like Jimmy Swaggart?   And even if Trump didn't repent, God is not commanding His people to not support him as their president.

Keep on reading the rest of Romans 13 and tell us, how can you, who professes to be a Christian, NOT support Trump.

And while you are thinking of how to do that, let me give you another assignment.

1 Peter 2:13-17: For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.  Fear God, and respect the king.

Notice verse 13 - "submit to all human authority." Not just a Democratic President, but also a Republican.

v. 14 - "or the officials HE HAS APPOINTED." Who is behind all appointments to public office? God!

v. 15 - "It is God's will. . ." How are you going to skip around this?  I know how. Just pretend this passage doesn't exist.  What are "honorable lives" in verse 15? Lives that are submitted to present day authority -- whomever or whatever it may be.

I did not agree with Clinton or Obama when both served two terms. But they were my presidents and I prayed for them. I did not agree with a lot of their ideas, moral behavior and stance on life, but as long as they were in office, they were my presidents.  I submitted to them because I chose first and foremost to submit to God.

You see, my friend, if you got a submission problem toward Trump, just admit it, you also got a submission problem toward God.

For the non-Christian this does not apply. But if you profess to be a Christian, you are obligated to do something with Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2.  Those passages are the Word of God. What are you going to do about it?

So my question to you, dear Christian is this: "How can you, professing to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus Christ, NOT support this current president -- Donald Trump, in light of the biblical passages I presented here?"

Take time to give me your biblical rebuttal. I'll be patiently waiting.