After months of prayer and Christian leaders calling Believers to action, the American people earlier this month voted decisively to reject the anti-America and anti-God policies of the Democrat party and elect Donald Trump. It was a victory for the unborn, for children, for national security, for Biblical morality, for Israel, and for the church. And yet, well-known pastor John Piper was less than pleased with the results, referring to the re-election of Trump as an “evil.”
“Presidential election results. Having delivered us from one evil, God now tests us with another,” Piper wrote on X.
While his comments are troubling, especially considering the weight many in the church place on his opinion, it shouldn’t surprise us.
During the 2016 presidential election, Piper actively worked to dissuade believers from voting, saying at the time that both candidates (Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton) displayed “flagrant wickedness.” According to Piper, too many Believers feel “obligated” to vote, treating it as a “binding duty” to impact the nation that is not their home. During that election cycle, Piper told his congregants that, while he was intending to cast a vote, he had “no intention of voting for either of these presidential candidates.”
In 2020 and 2023, Piper carried on his efforts to discourage evangelicals from casting their votes, insisting that going to church every Sunday is more impactful than going to the ballot box and reiterating his stance of not voting for either candidate. On the topic of abortion, Piper snubbed the idea that “Roe and SCOTUS and Planned Parenthood” are effective battlegrounds to defend the unbornโa position that should have been corrected following the overturning of Roe v Wade and many States that now significantly protect life as a result.
It is the fault of many pastors, who instruct their flocks to view elections with apathy, that many evangelicals over the years have neglected to stand and uphold Biblical truth in their nation by voting. Church leaders had a direct role in forging this atmosphere of indifference.
During the Presidential election earlier this month, many evangelicals, by Godโs hand, were woken up to what was at stake. The lives of unborn children, religious freedom, the protection of young minds, and Americaโs relationship with Israel all hung in the balance. Numerous Christians became frustrated with the silence of pulpits on these critical issues. Doubtless, many were compelled to turn off the John Pipers of the world and tune in to American churches willing to speak upโsuch as those led by Jack Hibbs, Gary Hamrick, Skip Heitzig, or Greg Laurie.
Far from being viewed as “evil,” the election results were a miracle. God, by His will, selected a leader over America who would work to restrain the corruption, moral decay, division, and anti-Israel policies that gripped the nation over the last four years.
We should be celebrating the election results for many reasons. America’s treatment of Israel, for example, weighed heavily on the minds of Christian voters. Donald Trump’s election means that the Jewish State will once again have a friend in the United States. Given the implications of Genesis 12:3, we know that this means blessing for America.
Blessing Israel, however, isn’t a deciding factor for pastors like John Piper, who label Israelis as “Christ-Rejecting Rebels” who have forfeited their right to the Promised Land.
In an article written by Piper, the preacher claimed Christians “should not be partial to Israel or to the Palestinians.” Referring to Israel as “treacherous, treasonous people against God,” he insisted that “a people in treason” have no legitimate claim to God’s covenant promises, including as it pertains to the land. With comments like that, I am left wondering why so many in the church still hold Piper in high regard.
Even on the topic of religious freedom, Piper believes political leadership doesn’t play a substantial role. Stating that both political parties are pathways of “destruction,” Piper told pastors that if one day religious freedom is gone, they are only going to wish they had not “diverted their [church’s] attention onto the strategies of politics.”
The apostle Paulโwho faced intense persecutionโdid not share Piper’s beliefs that politics and religious freedom do not go hand-in-hand. Instead, Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy to pray “for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” Why? Because our freedom to live Christian lives unincumbered by the government is directly related to those in positions of authority within that government.
It would be hard to imagine that Christians in Paul’s day, had they been given the opportunity, would not have voted and advocated for leaders who would protect their liberty and align themselves most with Biblical truth.
We should praise the Lord for the election of a leader who will preserve the freedom of Christians and hinder the ungodly agendas and lawlessness in America. Make no mistake, it was an act of mercy by God towards the nation.
We should also praise the Lord for all of the followers of Christ who did not listen to pastors like John Piper and votedโknowing that politics should never be considered trivial when the policies and issues before them are Biblical.
