By: James Matlock

Hello from the front porch, where we gather for conversations about the Simple Truth. Today I am speaking to my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Texas and the rest of our nation were shaped in significant ways by Christian philosophy and the moral vision of the Bible. The Declaration of Independence speaks of rights endowed by our Creator—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and the Constitution was designed to secure those God-given rights against the overreach of government. For decades, many Americans have grown accustomed to living under a cloud of fear: fear of threats foreign and domestic, fear of economic insecurity, fear of disease, fear of environmental catastrophe, fear of social division. Scripture calls us back to a different posture.

“Do not be afraid” appears repeatedly throughout the Bible—often cited as roughly 365 times across various translations and contexts—as a steady, daily reminder that fear is not meant to be the governing force of the believer’s life.

Corruption, Trust, and the Need for Discernment

One of the most pressing issues of our time is the corruption—or the appearance of corruption—among elected representatives. For some it seems almost routine; for others it arrives through pressure, intimidation, or the quiet erosion of principle. Citizens rightly desire truthfulness and transparency from those who hold public office. Yet trust cannot be naïve. We are called to exercise discernment: the practice of looking past surface appearances, separating truth from noise, and evaluating motives and policies with careful judgment rather than reflexive emotion.

Discernment is not cynicism. It is the practical outworking of wisdom. James 3:13–18 gives a clear standard by which to measure both ourselves and those who lead:

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Leaders who govern by fear, division, or the steady expansion of control at the expense of constitutional protections fail this test. From this point forward, believers should press their representatives on whether their conduct reflects the meekness of wisdom or the disorder that springs from selfish ambition.

Testing Claims Against Truth

In recent decades the public has been told repeatedly to “follow the science,” yet science itself is a method of inquiry that requires evidence, replication, and openness to correction—not a set of pronouncements beyond question. Citizens have every right to examine the record:

• The Patriot Act, enacted after the attacks of September 11, 2001, expanded surveillance powers in the name of security.
• The Affordable Care Act promised both protection of the doctor-patient relationship and greater affordability; its results remain contested.
• During the COVID-19 pandemic, official messaging often discouraged open debate about treatments, origins, and risk-benefit calculations. Vaccines were presented as “safe and effective,” yet serious adverse events and long-term questions continue to be discussed in medical literature and among the public.
• Claims about atmospheric CO₂ frequently emphasize danger at current levels (around 420+ ppm). Industrial hygiene standards, such as those from OSHA, set much higher long-term exposure limits for workers at 5,000 ppm, while plant growth benefits from elevated CO₂ and begins to fail below 200 ppm. These facts invite careful weighing rather than alarm. We are closer to losing our food supply than the extinction of man. Truth is, CO₂ doesn’t become a threat to humanity until we hit 25,000 ppm atmospheric CO₂.
• Border policy, surveillance infrastructure (including cameras and data centers), and resource-management narratives (water, weather) have all been framed in ways that expand governmental reach while asking citizens to surrender ordinary freedoms.

None of these observations requires conspiracy thinking. They simply require the biblical habit of testing everything and holding fast to what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). When officials or experts demand unquestioning compliance, the wiser response is patient, evidence-based scrutiny.

Remembering Whose We Are

In the midst of these debates, Scripture recenters us. Jesus said:

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? (Matthew 6:26–27)

We are children of God. Anxiety does not lengthen our days; trust does. It is therefore our responsibility—not the government’s—to stand against the real evils of the age. God has given each believer gifts, trained us in truth, and called us into service toward one another.

Paul reminds us of the nature of the conflict:

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

This is spiritual warfare conducted with truth, prayer, and courage, not merely political tactics.

The Excuse of Unworthiness—and God’s Answer

Some will say, “I am not qualified. I have nothing to offer.” Scripture answers that hesitation directly:

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20–21)

Others fear the opinions of people. To them the Lord says:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

Other people’s opinions of you are ultimately none of your business. The decisive question is whether God is for us:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

A Final Charge

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5–6).

I am calling the churches. Pastors, deacons, and ordinary members alike: the church has been too quiet and too accommodating for too long. Scripture does not forbid believers from evaluating candidates and policies; it supplies the standards by which to do so. Faithfulness will sometimes make people angry. Those who hear the undiluted word have two choices—repent and grow, or walk away. The message has been diluted long enough.

Put on the full armor of God daily. Stand. Speak. Serve. The harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace—and that peace is grounded in truth, not in the absence of conflict.

May the God of peace equip you for every good work.

#faith #politics #church #government #elections