By David Mitchell
Founder, C.E.O. TRADEway

I have heard from many of you about the presidential race.   Some of you are against Trump, for various reasons.  I want to say that you have raised some true points—points that are very important in the discussion.   I have been pondering the events of the past few days and have rolled all your thoughts over in my mind.

I am writing, again, to thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ, some who have been supporting Trump; and some who are not supporting him, but are interested in why I have in the past; and some who just don’t feel, as Christians, they can vote for a man who has divorced several times, and not lived a godly life.   These are all important observations.  I have spent a great deal of time thinking about your thoughts, and re-thinking my own positions in the light of your arguments, and certainly in the light of the recent audio of Trump saying some vial and foolish things.  And I have spent time praying.  I know you have been praying too.  

There have been very sound arguments from some of you that God might not bless his children for voting for an ungodly man.  There have been good arguments that Trump is an unknown, or that his temperament may not be right.   I agree with these points, and feel that they are all important considerations.   I think, too, that there are other ideas that we must consider along with these.  I especially wish to explore exactly what the Word of God says about a Christian supporting a non-Christian for President.  I hold the Word of God as the highest authority in all discussions, and I know most of you do as well.  I will get to what the Bible teaches about this later, but first let me say a few more things to you.

Having supported Trump from the beginning (mostly because I believed he was the only electable candidate).  I was devastated by the remarks he made eleven years ago that the liberal media held for years and brought out a few days before the election.   For some time I was depressed about it.   However when my wife, Charlotte, and I discussed what had transpired, she told me, “Look, we know the devil is trying to shoot every arrow he can to discourage Trump and conservatives, because that is his way.  God will prevail, and Trump is still the man God has placed before us who lines up with our ideas of freedom, the economy, and anti-abortion.  He is the man who would put the correct Supreme Court judges in place.  He is the man we will still vote for, not because we agree with his world view, but because we agree with many of his political positions, and almost none of Hillary’s.”  Charlotte has a way of causing me to think clearly and to focus on the simplicity of the big idea, in the midst of many and varied important points to contemplate.

I have said in the past, it is not so much about personalities and emotions, as it is about the issues, and Trump comes down on our side, the Biblical side, on most of the issues, while Hillary strikes out on most all the issues such as abortion, homosexual marriage, how to revive a stalled economy, how to encourage corporations to come home to America and hire Americans, and how to energize small business to hire millions, the inheritance tax….  Hillary has no clue, and is on the unbiblical side of all these important issues.   

While I agree that Trump’s personal life does not match our ideas of how to live, as Christians, I believe that history has demonstrated that men and women can be great leaders in government and in the military, and have dubious personal lives.  So, while the personal life of Trump is an important consideration, it is not the only consideration.   His political views match up with biblical teachings on what makes governments work, while Hillary’s match up with what the Bible implies will not work, but are doomed to failure.

She has also failed at her current job, but that is my opinion, and you can have a different one.  I feel her main responsibility is to protect her ambassadors, and to use the influence of the goodness of America to stop despots in the world who are harming and killing innocent men, women, boys and girls.  If you look at the anarchy in the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East, she has failed.  However, I know most of this may be because she has to follow her boss’s lead, and he hates America extending influence anywhere.   So, we can disagree on these points, but the fact that her policy positions are on the wrong side of what the Bible teaches in the areas I listed above, are not debatable (and these are the areas that affect us most).  

Trump understands economics completely.  I almost forgot my own exhortation in the light of recent events.  I was disgusted at the man.   But, disgust is an emotion.  Charlotte got me thinking with my head again.   Charlotte reminded me that I had said often to others, “Stop looking at the personalities through emotions, and look at their platforms with the intellect!”  I found it fascinating that she, being a female, was not as disgusted at Trump’s words as I was.  I believe she understands he is not saved, and she understands the depravity of man (she hears that doctrine my sermons, and sees it in her own devotion time, in the Bible), therefore she did not have high expectations for a lost man from a moral point of view.  She knows that lost men have made good statesmen often in American history, and their immoral private lives have NOT kept them from leading the nation with brilliance.  This is true from our founding fathers, through our wars, and to the present.  It is just historical fact that God has used ungodly men both in Bible times, and in modern history, for His own purposes.   God has, and always will do this, as long as sinful men exist.

Some have said that my logic is too simple.  However, classical logic IS simple when you understand it.  In its simplest form, you have a major premise, you have a minor premise, and you have a conclusion.  If your two premises are correct, in other words if you have NOT introduced fallacies, then your conclusion, by the laws of logic, must be correct.  

To me, it is a simple as this:

1.  Not to vote for Trump is a vote for Hillary.

2.  Hillary will raise taxes, support abortion and gay marriage, hurt business so that they cannot hire, raise the inheritance tax to 65% so that you cannot obey the Scriptures when they say lay aside for your children and grandchildren.

3.  Therefore we must vote for Trump.

Some have said, it is not that simple, he is a vile man who does not represent Christianity with his life.   I have never said that I thought he was a saved man, and by definition, one who is not saved is depraved.  In fact all of us are depraved during the moments of time we walk in the flesh, and not in the Spirit, even as Christians.  Our old man is depraved; our new man is holy.   This is why Jesus did not think highly of sinners who cast stones at other sinners.   

With regard to this, how hypocritical is it for the liberal press, and Hollywood, and secular liberals, who spew out cursing and vile life-styles every day, to judge this man for words he said 11 years ago?   The words, though ungodly, were less despicable than the words I heard in the locker room at Mexia High School while I was playing football, or words I heard in the male’s dorm at Baylor, a “Christian” college.   I’ve heard implications of similar things in off-color jokes before I stopped going to pastors’ meetings as a young man (believe it or not)—that’s why I do not go to them, and I do not mean to say they are all like the ones I attended in Dallas years ago, that was just my experience.  I do not say this to excuse Trump, but I say it to ask, is the liberal press and are secular liberals who know not God eligible to cast the first stone at anyone?   …And is it right for us, as Christians, to cast a stone at the “woman caught in adultery,” or a man who said unwise, boyish words?  The interesting thing is that none of the boys or young men, or pastors involved in these ungodly discussions in my experience hated women, they all adored women, and none of them ever abused a woman as far as I know, it truly was locker room talk, as Trump said his was, and so I understand it.  There is such a thing, especially among lost people.

Now, with that said, we would wonder if a man like Ben Franklin may have said similar words about all the French women he spent time with, yet all agree he was one of our greatest statesmen.  How many others could we bring up?  Some reading this loved Bill Clinton and believed he was a good President, but while Trump said some distasteful words, Bill DID some distasteful things with an intern in the oval office, and Hillary helped cover it up!  Yet we had pretty peaceful days, and a pretty good economy under Bill Clinton, and we all love him now that we have had Obama!  Bill looks like a giant of a President with hindsight, yet his personal life was unclean!  (Of course I say this somewhat in jest, while there is some truth to it.)

Lost people do what lost people do, but they can be great knee surgeons, or fine airline pilots, and they can be fantastic statesmen.   It all depends upon their skill sets and their philosophical, economic, and political beliefs.   The office of the President is not a holy position, though it is ordained of God.  There are many cases in Bible history when men of God counseled, worked with, and perhaps admired lost, secular Pharaohs and kings.  

I have said from the beginning, we are not voting for a pastor, we are voting for a President.  When choosing a knee surgeon one does NOT choose the best Christian, one chooses the best surgeon, who may well be a reprobate!  What our nation needs, since the Lord Himself did NOT raise up a Christian leader this time and put them in the position to run, is a great surgeon.  Nothing Trump says, or has said in the past, changes the fact that he is a great “surgeon,” with regard to economics.

Most people don’t make the connection between economics and politics, but, really, if you have strong economic practices in place and you add to that, freedom, then you have the potential for a great country.   

Think about practical economic ability for a moment.   Trump’s dad gave him a loan  from $1 to $14 million, depending upon who you believe.   Let’s say it was $14 million.   I, myself, have built more than one company into a several-million dollar company, but can you imagine the ability and wisdom it takes to turn $14 million into a $10 to $14 Billion (with a “B”) dollar empire?   People who say his dad handed it to him don’t know the facts, and most likely don’t know much about entrepreneurial business either.  Trump built that!  This man is supremely able to save our nation from economic desolation, whether he is a saint or a sinner, he has the skills and the history proving it!  

Now, let me speak a moment to those brothers and sisters who say, “I just cannot vote for a reprobate, because I’m a Christian and I have to support a Godly Christian person.”  While this idea can be understood, it is not pragmatic, considering the fact that we do not have an electable Christian person in the race at this moment.  But what does the Bible say about this, isn’t that the only true authority?  Would the Bible allow us to vote for a non-Christian, if that person stood against abortion, homosexual marriage, and stood for lower taxes, stronger military, and could get our nation out of debt, protect our borders, and protect us from terrorists, and eliminate the inheritance tax?

Exactly what does the Bible say about whether we can vote for a non-Christian or not?

The most important passage that I have regarded as very important in my business career is also applicable to our responsibility to vote.   Both business and government are secular, and we Christians must have dealings with non-believers in order to function in this world.  I have never yoked together with lost people as partners in business, but I have worked with many, and done business with many.  This is allowed explicitly in Scripture.  The Apostle Paul makes this clear in the following passage:

1 Corinthians 5:8–13

8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.

11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? Do not ye judge them that are within?

13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

The passage begins by how we ought to have Christian fellowship not with malice or wickedness, but sincerity and truth.   This speaks of who we fellowship with as Christians, who we become close to and are yoked together with (vs. 8).

Paul next says he had already written to these Christians telling them not to hang out with (i.e. fellowship, become buddies with) fornicators (i.e. lost, ungodly people) vs. 9.

Verse 10 is very important because it is one of the only places where we have explicit teaching (though the Bible implies this in many places, such as Joseph and Pharaoh, etc.) that it IS permissible to do secular business with unbelievers (fornicators, covetous people, extortioners, even idolaters).  Paul says if this were not allowed, then we would have to “go out of the world.”  In other words, we could not even live in this world.  vs. 10.

The Scripture is clear, whether Trump is a “fornicator” or whatever he may or may not be, does NOT preclude us from doing business with him as long as his policies can prosper our families and our nation.  While it would not be Biblical to have Christian fellowship with him (i.e. be his buddy) it is Scriptural to vote for him, if his policies follow what God has ordained what government should be about (and they do).

Paul follows up in vs. 11, saying we are not to fellowship with, or keep company with, or be “buddies with” a man who “calls himself a brother” and is a fornicator, etc.   Trump has not claimed to be born again.  He has not claimed to be a righteous man.  In fact he honestly said he had never asked God to forgive him.  He is a man of the world.  As far as us doing business with him, or voting for him (government is secular, not church fellowship) the Bible, in its full authority, says we have to be able to do this or we would need to “go out of the world.”  Paul goes on to say, further, that we are not to judge the people of the world, God’s place is to do this.  We are only allowed to judge those who claim to be Christians and do these things. vs. 12, 13.  We are to put such people out of the church.   But, people of the world we are not to judge, and not to have Christian fellowship with (be buddies with), but we ARE allowed to do business with them.

So, there is no doubt in my mind that the Bible teaches we may, with a pure conscience, vote for a non-Christian, as long as the man (or woman) is equipped to carry out political (not necessarily personal – 1 Cor 5.8) policies which match most closely with what we believe the Bible teaches will help our nation be successful.

Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.”   My prayer is that you will be set free to vote for Trump, because this is a vote against Clinton who would be perhaps the devil’s end game in destroying our nation.   It really IS as simple as that.

Look at the policies, not the personalities.   Neither candidate is holy, yet both have been presented to us by God Himself, and we are supposed to pray, and make a decision, and vote.  Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.  It is clear that not to vote for Trump will in fact benefit Hillary.   This is my opinion and my reasoning to the best of my ability to explain it.  This is not meant to suggest that you should follow my example, I am simply reasoning together with you, Scripture in hand, about the dire need for Hillary NOT to win this election, if you care about the nation our children and grandchildren are growing up in.

Pence got it right when he gave his speech Monday night backing Trump, and saying this is not about two people, but about two futures.  

I understand that God is Sovereign and I rest in that.  However, at the same time I understand the Bible teaches clearly that the Sovereign God holds us accountable for our decisions and our actions.  

If we contribute to the demise of the greatest nation of human history, the nation which printed more Bibles, and sent out more missionaries into the world than any other, God will hold us accountable for this.  As Pence said, we are called to forgive as we have been forgiven, and to show grace as we have been given free grace.   This old audio brought out from 11 years ago was a tool of Satan.  It did not reveal anything new about Trump, in reality, and there is always the possibility that he is a better man now than he was 11 years ago—look at his children.  Could they respect a man who was like that tape made him sound?  They DO respect him, so apparently those may have been silly words, not real actions.

Satan knows that many Christians do not study to show themselves approved unto God, and are not aware that God Himself tells us we CAN do secular business with unbelievers, in fact we have to, or we would have to “go out of the world.”  Satan knows the Bible, but he also is aware the few Christians do, so he can use sin, and division, and deceit to bring about his purposes.  Do not fall into that trap.   If Clinton wins because we do not vote against her, by voting for Trump, this nation may well be done.  

Why not realize the Bible frees you to vote for this man, perhaps most qualified to get our nation out of debt, than any other man or woman alive?  

Why not realize that through faith and our prayers, Trump could actually be born again in the days to come?   Do you believe he is a worse man than you and I were?   Are you saved?  Did you change?  Why can’t he?   Think about this, it is a trap of the enemy, to get you to focus on Trump’s past, rather than what God will do in his life in the future.  Only Scripture can set you free to change your mind.  Scripture has the authority to set you free.   I beseech you to vote for Donald Trump and give our nation another chance at freedom, if God frees your conscience to do so by speaking to you through His written Word.

By David Mitchell
Founder, C.E.O. TRADEway