Who will win??

In the next few months the UK will be having a general election and already the main parties are setting out their respective policies on various issues. Once the Prime Minister announces the date everything moves up a gear and the parties are expected to spend a fortune on advertising in the hope of persuading us to vote for them.

However, what party activists (and most of the electorate) don't realise is that the result has already been fore-ordained by God. The Bible, in a number of places, teaches that those in authority have been appointed by the Lord. Romans 12 v 1 states: ".....there is no authority except from God and those which exist are established by God". This is explicit enough as it clearly states that God appoints those in authority, be they local councillors, MPs, the Prime Minister, and the Monarch. Indeed, Daniel 2 v 21 is even clearer "He (God) removes kings and establishes kings". In making this assertion no distinction is drawn between political parties or systems. No qualification is issued on the question of whether or not the governing authorities have been democratically elected or have came to office as a result of a coup.

No doubt the question may be asked, "what about the wrong acts perpetrated by dictators, surely God did not put them in power?" That is a fair question and for the answer we need look no further than John chapter 19. The setting is the so-called trial of Jesus; He is standing before Pilate, the governor and Pilate says to Him "....do you not know that I have authority to release you. and I have authority to crucify you?". The answer from the Saviour should settle any debate about whether or not God appoints those in office - "You would have no authority over me, unless it had been given you from above". (John 19 v 10-11). It is clear that, humanly speaking, Pilate abused his office by handing over Jesus to a mob despite the lack of clear evidence against Him. However, that did not detract from the obvious teaching of the scriptures viz. that God is sovereign, He appoints our leaders, they are then accountable to Him for the decisions they make and the actions they follow.

Our responsibility as Christians is to acknowledge God's overruling providence in the affairs of government and to pray for those in authority - see 1st Timothy 2 v 1-2.