Jeff Samuelson, former U.S. Foreign Service officer and pastor, said during an appearance on American Family Radio (AFR)'s "The Stand Radio" program that the key lies in understanding the Christian identity while living in a political world.
Drawing from his time in American diplomacy, Samuelson pointed out that Christians hold a unique position.
"We have a dual citizenship. We are at the same time citizens of Christ's kingdom, the spiritual kingdom, the church and citizens ... of an earthly nation. And so, we've got to manage these different things ... we don't get to switch off the Christian part when we engage with politics," Samuelson stated.
In his new book “Walk This Way: Political Engagement for Bible-Believing Christians,” Samuelson urged believers to bring patience and grace to heated conversations, especially at the family dinner table. Rather than reacting emotionally, he advised taking a step back and filtering political debates through faith and prayer.
"Every Christian has a calling from God. In each of those, you serve God and love your neighbor, and each of us has a calling as a citizen ... you are a part of this," Samuelson said
Ultimately, Samuelson emphasized that civic engagement isn't something to fear. By resting in God's sovereignty, Christians can approach the voting booth with peace and confidence.
They should also be voting with their Bibles open.
With the midterm elections right around the corner, political commentary often gets bogged down in party lines and partisan debates. However, on American Family Radio (AFR)'s "Jenna Ellis in the Morning" program, Troy Miller, president of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB), shifted the focus to a bigger question.
"What is our role as citizens, and then specifically, of course, as Christian citizens, when it comes to the governance of our country?" Miller asked.
He emphasized that foundational principles must come before party politics, warning that a major issue facing society today is a decline in biblical and civic literacy.
"Bible literacy in our country is kind of at an all-time low. A lot of people don't understand the founding principles in Christianity that make a difference all the way through society. We wouldn't have a lot of these public debates or political debates on issues if Christians were more foundational in holding to life, sexuality, marriage, all of these sorts of things, even economics," Miller stated.
Instead of relying on political campaigns or party platforms to dictate values, he noted responsibility starts within local communities, churches and individual citizens to uphold truth and moral integrity.
"The way our country works in this constitutional republic is it should be the other way around. The people should be the representation of those principles, and it is those who are trying to represent those people who should be looking at the electorate as the source, not the other way around," Miller said.
