(Notice: As Christian Pastor, I appeal to Christians to remember who they are, Whom they represent, and why true Christianity is extraordinary. It is because of faith in the only Omnipotent, Holy, and Awesome God and His Son, Jesus Christ.)

The present predicament involving Donald Trump, an audiotape, and the Republican Party was predictable. Out of 328 million people and 16 other candidates, Republicans chose a man with clearly a moral deficiency. However, in spite of many warnings, they bull-headed Donald Trump as their nominee. They should have known before nominating him that Trump’s sordid past would become a factor. In the preceding months, Evangelicals have supported him to the extent that they have bullied fellow believers who refused to join the love fest for “the Donald”.

When I say “predicament”, I am not implying that the 11-year-old audiotape adds to the moral depravity of Trump. That is not my point. My point is two-fold. First, the likelihood of Trump being elected is greatly diminished.   Second, Evangelicals are now forced to make an even greater compromise to support him. If he loses, they will have gone for broke, with the stakes being the last remaining moral authority of Christianity.

This situation was made possible because from the top leadership to the pew-sitters, professing Christians long ago decided that there were only two possible choices in this election. They decided that anyone, no matter how uncouth, who they believe could defeat their hated enemy, Clinton, would have their full support. That decision is indicative of the dark period that we are in. This is a period of great and intense deception and apostasy. Thus, there is a dearth of genuine faith in quantity and quality amongst Christians.

In a critical situation, it is impossible for someone without a spiritual perspective to trust God for hope and a solution. That principle does not change because millions of professing Christians are in the same critical predicament.

I have asserted that there are three options in this election. No, I do not mean a third party candidate or a write-in candidate.   The problem people had with my position was that it took not only faith to accept it, but to even comprehend it. Some individuals responded by accusing me of being a Clinton supporter, sanctimonious, or some other insult. They are convinced that only an earthly solution can solve this earthly dilemma.

Consider that in 2 Kings 6, Elisha was trapped in the city of Dothan. Surrounded by the King of Syria’s army, there appeared to be no way out of the predicament but to surrender and be executed. Elisha knew of another solution. Had he told it to the King of Israel, or to his lowly servant, they would have disbelieved it. You know the story. Elisha prayed and God intervened. (2 Kings 6:17)

In this election, God’s intervention was and is the third option that the overwhelming number of professing Christians has rejected. There is no reasoning with them. All of their arguments default to the fixed notion that there are only two options. Further, if you do not accept their option, then you are supporting the other one. They offer a type of “faith” statement such as, “God will save ‘the Donald’ and use him as He did King Cyrus.” That implies that God would violate Trump’s free moral right of choice.

The main factor that drove and still drives this mindset is fear. Professing Christians have a deep fear of Clinton. That fear is so powerful that it has become hatred in not a few of them. Both fear and hatred are detrimental to development or function of faith. Faith is what this great fight has been about.

I asked the question long ago that many refused to answer. “How bad would the candidates have to get before you would not vote for either of them?” At present, both candidates are much more despicable than ever in the history of the nation. To support either of them will take, not just a holding of the nose as some insist, but a compromise of the essential values and nature of Christian character. Professing Christians are being forced to consider the third option. Will they accept it?

How much will they tolerate and compromise before they fully invest their hopes in faith? Sadly, the majority will vote no matter how despicable “the Donald” is revealed to be. They would vote for a homosexual, a lesbian, even a transgender individual if he or she made the promises that they want to hear. It is truly a steadfast and deep belief that there is only hope in the earthly realm. They drape a thin membrane of religion over it and call it faith.

The predictable response will be something to the effect, “You mean that you’re going to just pray and have faith in God?” The word “just” is telling. When all one has is “just” God’s intervention, it is when faith is actually faith. There is no need for faith to get Trump elected any more than it is for a sports team to beat a rival. Such an end is simply a matter of mechanics, or as Solomon wrote, “time and chance”.

Another common response is, “If you don’t vote, you will be responsible if Clinton wins, the SCOTUS is loaded with liberals, and democracy is destroyed.” None of these or other consequences of Trump losing is the fault of non-voters. The fault is with the professing Christians who chose him in the primaries. The fault also lies with the ones who refuse to pray, who refuse to trust by faith that God will deliver us from a scurrilous president. To refuse to trust God, but invest in an earthly option no matter what the compromise, is not living by faith, but gambling with luck.

Sadly and tragically, many professing Christians will declare that Trump is “saved” and his past sins are under the Blood of Christ. They will re-double their efforts to get him elected and intensify their bullying of the fellow Believers who refuse to vote for him. They are invested in an earthly solution and refuse to exercise faith. They may claim that they are exercising faith by believing God for a Trump victory, but they are attacking the ones who are putting their hope and trust fully in God. How can that be faith? There is not one hint in God’s word that it is faith. If they continue to support him now, Christianity may be tarnished to the extent that its honor may never be restored.

In conclusion, it must be pointed out that no matter how much faith or praying we do, given the raunchy condition of the secular realm, if the great majority of professing Christians refuse to trust God, there will be grave consequences.

“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.  Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 14:13-14

Hopefully, professing Christians will realize what is at stake here. It is not the procurement of “great nation” status via the pragmatism of voting for whoever promises that end, no matter how vulgar that person may be. It is and has always been a question of whether or not God’s people are going to trust Him, or the “arm of flesh”.

If we cannot trust Him now, how are we going to trust Him if our status becomes much worse? How far will we go to cling to our earthly dependence? How can we believe in miracles, in the Coming of the Lord, in the promises of God, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, the power of God’s word, and much more that requires faith, if we cannot turn to God in trust during such a critical hour? How indeed!