What happens when a candidate has at least six black marks against him?

Would you hire someone who many believe was responsible for inciting an insurrection on Jan 06, 2021?

Would you hire someone who was impeached in Congress not once but twice?

Would you hire someone whose rhetoric labels him as the ‘Biggest Bully in the U.S.’?

Would you hire someone indicted in a federal election interference case, in a Georgia election interference case, and a classified documents case?

 Would you hire someone who was convicted in a hush-money case and found guilty on 34 felony counts?

Would you hire someone who has been found guilty or liable for sexual abuse, defamation, civil financial fraud, and even criminal business fraud?

The logical answer is a resounding NO!

However, the beauty of GRACE is not logical. It is illogical. It won’t make sense to us humans because we are not God. To understand this grace, we need to know how it is defined.

Grace is defined as “God’s favor toward the unworthy”

A candidate with at least six of the above vices is unworthy of being hired.

However, this candidate has more than six vices that should disqualify him from even being hired.

But this candidate was still hired!

The only way that is possible is through God’s grace. There is no way of sugar-coating that.

It is beautiful to read an excerpt from the BibleProjectScholarTeam regarding grace.

According to the BibleProjectScholarTeam, “God's grace is a free gift, often described with terms like “undeserved” or “unmerited favor.” He doesn’t count peoples’ successes and failures to determine who receives his love or life. Instead, from the kind intention of his will, God gives all goodness freely, and in the Bible he describes himself as gracious.”

This candidate had successes but many failures that a public or private company would be hesitant to hire.

So, God’s grace intervened 100% for this candidate to be hired.

If we are honest, we will even question God why He allowed that candidate to be hired.

But do you know what I realized?

When we question God why He allowed such a candidate to be hired, we are working from a premise of LAW over GRACE.

The law will never allow such a candidate to be hired if it is just up to the law. However, it is not always up to the law.

Where sin abounds, grace abounds more. (Romans 5:20)

 How wonderful to know that!

Moreover, when we criticize another human being for their flaws, failings, and foe-like character, we tell God we are better than that person. We can even list ways we are better than that person. God will have none of that.

God will remind us that we are no better than that candidate, no matter how much we object.

“Well,” you may be saying, “what terrible people you have been talking about!” But wait a minute! You are just as bad. When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are talking about yourselves, for you do these very same things. And we know that God, in justice, will punish anyone who does such things as these. Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and overlook you when you do them, too?  Don’t you realize how patient he is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” (Romans 2:1-4, TLB)

The main point of this passage is to remind us that we are sinners who are shown God’s grace through his patience so we can repent.

It is also to remind us that we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

 As the Scriptures say, “No one is good—no one in all the world is innocent.”  No one has ever really followed God’s paths or even truly wanted to.  Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right; not one. Their talk is foul and filthy like the stench from an open grave.  Their tongues are loaded with lies. Everything they say has in it the sting and poison of deadly snakes.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  They are quick to kill, hating anyone who disagrees with them.  Wherever they go they leave misery and trouble behind them,^” (Romans 3:10-16, TLB)

When you read these verses, they could remind you of the candidate you would never hire. But the shocking part is that they also describe us realistically or figuratively at one point or another.

You may object, but your objection will not make the truth less accurate.

“Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is not. Do you remember what the book of Psalms says about this?  That God’s words will always prove true and right, no matter who questions them.” (Romans 3:4, TLB)

So now we return to grace again, for only God’s grace could have compassionately hired this candidate.

 ^“Yes, all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious ideal; yet now God declares us “not guilty” of offending him if we trust in Jesus Christ, who in his kindness freely takes away our sins.” (Romans 3:23-24, TLB)

“But isn’t this unfair for God to let criminals go free, and say that they are innocent? No, for he does it on the basis of their trust in Jesus who took away their sins. Then what can we boast about doing to earn our salvation? Nothing at all. Why? Because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds; it is based on what Christ has done and our faith in him. So it is that we are saved by faith in Christ and not by the good things we do.” (Romans 3:26-28, TLB)

Unless we understand the magnitude of God’s grace toward us, we will continue to judge others badly. We will continue to think that a particular candidate does not deserve to be hired by a company.

Let us not forget what the establishment tried to do to a woman caught in adultery.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. Moses’ law says to kill her. What about it?”  They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, hurl the stones at her until she dies. But only he who never sinned may throw the first!” (John 8:4-7, TLB)

“Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, sir,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11, TLB)

This is the beauty of GRACE. Showing favor to the undeserving and the unmerited showcases God’s grace. It was shown to the woman and now to the candidate. This is the only way I can explain it to understand how someone with so many flaws can again ascend to the company's top.

“For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another.” (Psalm 75:7, TLB)

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Romans 13:1, TLB)

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for he alone has all wisdom and all power. World events are under his control. He removes kings and sets others on their thrones. He gives wise men their wisdom and scholars their intelligence. He reveals profound mysteries beyond man’s understanding. He knows all hidden things, for he is light, and darkness is no obstacle to him. (Daniel 2:20-22, TLB)

The company for which God’s grace hired the candidate is to be the President of the United States of America.

The candidate that was hired for the position is President-Elect Donald J. Trump.

The community that God used is White Evangelical Christians, who voted 80% for Trump.

God did not just use Evangelical Christians to accomplish his purposes but beyond White Evangelical Christians.

You can find all the majority demographic percentages of those God used to hire President-Elect Trump at https://www.foxnews.com/elections/2024/general-results/voter-analysis.

In His grace and mercy, God can use non-believers too to accomplish His purposes.

AI states, “According to the Bible, the most prominent non-Jewish king God used was Cyrus the Great, the Persian king who allowed the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple after their exile in Babylon; he is often referred to as God’s “anointed” in the book of Isaiah, making him a key figure in the biblical narrative despite not being Jewish.”

Also, King Artaxerxes was used by God to send Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Furthermore, King Ahasuerus was used by God to make sure the Jews were not annihilated by Haman when Queen Esther obeyed the Lord and approached the king.

The point being is that the Lord in His grace and mercy can choose whom He chooses for His purposes. In this case, it is believed that President-Elect Trump was appointed for such a time as this.

Even if you did not vote for President-elect Trump, it is good to know God is still in control. Even though He has shown His GRACE to President-elect Trump, His grace will not be cheapened.

In other words, if President-elect Trump is not reflective of how God saved Him from two assassination attempts and rule how the Lord wants him to rule, the Lord can remove him from power. Just because God shows grace does not mean we can live our lives however we want to.

We must look no further than the Bible's accounts of what happened to Ananias, Sapphira, and Herod.

 ^“An appointment with Herod was granted, and when the day arrived he put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. At its conclusion the people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It is the voice of a god and not of a man!” Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness so that he was filled with maggots and died—because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving the glory to God.” (Acts 12:21-23, TLB)

President-elect Trump or whoever is appointed cannot take the role of God. He is just a man that the Lord chooses to use. My prayer is that he depends on the steadfast love of the Lord as he leads the United States of America, even though, sadly, we are a divided country with divided loyalties.

May God’s grace shine upon us this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

May we remember that Jesus is the Friend of Sinners, whether it is President-elect Trump or us.

In conclusion, may we reflect on the words to the song ‘Jesus Friend of Sinners’ by Casting Crowns.

Jesus, friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in Your name
But the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, friend of sinners
The truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You
But they're trippin' over me

Always lookin' around, but never lookin' up
I'm so double minded
A plank eyed saint with dirty hands
And a heart divided

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world
At the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners
Break our hearts for what breaks Yours

Yeah, (yeah), yeah

Jesus, friend of sinners
The one who's writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away
And the stones fall from their hands

Help us to remember we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy
Bring Your people to their knees

Nobody knows what we're for
Only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs
Crossed over the lines and love like You did?

Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world
At the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners
Break our hearts for what breaks Yours

You love every lost cause
You reach for the outcast (every outcast)
For the leper and the lame
They're the reason that You came

Lord, I was that lost cause (I was that lost cause)
And I was the outcast (and I was the outcast)
But You died for sinners just like me
A grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, oh, You are good
And Your love endures forever
Oh, You are good, You are good
And Your love endures forever

Yes, You are good (You are good)
And Your love endures forever
Oh, You are good, (You are good)
Oh, You are good, (You are good)
And Your love, (and Your love), endures forever

Jesus, friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world
At the end of our pointing fingers
But let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh, Jesus, friend of sinners
Break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause and I was the outcast
Yeeaah
You died for sinners just like me
A grateful leper at Your feet

Reddy's Right Rhetoric takes you into thr world of politics and shows God's grace hires haughty candidate compassionately. He can be reached at reddy4hisglory@pitt.edu