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Jumpstarter 7 of 10

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Question 7

The lesson’s Baptist/Jefferson story argues that political involvement can have long-term unintended consequences, and Bercot says they “would have…done God…a great favor if they had simply voted on their knees.” What does that phrase imply about how God does (or does not) work through elections, and how would it change the way your church community talks about candidates and political fear?

Another way to ask: What does it mean to say people should have “voted on their knees”? How might that change how your church talks about candidates and political fear?

Direct Answer The phrase implies elections are not the “real power”; God remains in control, and Christians should approach political decisions with humble prayer rather than confidence, panic, or hero-worship. It would push churches away from fear-driven campaigning and toward seeking “the man of [God’s] choice” through dependence on God.

Support from Transcript:

Bercot shows unintended consequences: Baptist support for Jefferson eventually helped a trajectory where courts “essentially banned religion…from our schools and our courthouses.”
He says Baptists were “naive” about Jefferson, later known to be “no Christian at all,” who “belittled the Bible” and removed miracles and Christ’s deity from the NT.
He highlights irony: modern Southern Baptists oppose today’s secularizing policies, yet “it was their ancestors” who helped start the nation “down that road.”
His concluding counsel: they “would have…done God and the Kingdom of God a great favor if they had simply voted on their knees, praying that God would put into office the man of his choice.”
This fits his earlier critique that activists act like humans control outcomes, while “God is in ultimate control.”

Discussion Follow-ups How would your church sound different if it refused to speak as if “everything depends on this election”? What would change in how you talk about opponents if you truly believed God could overrule outcomes?

Jumpstarter 7 of 10