I understand why a candidate running for President of the United States, when asked about whether or not the sitting president is a Christian would want to stay away from the issue.  Presidential candidate, Rick Santorum was asked that exact question concerning President Obama’s faith by Bill O’Reilly in a recent interview.  His response, “Obama’s personal faith is none of my concern”.  From a political standpoint, I get that answer.  Our mainstream media with the influence they have will make a person pay for speaking with any moral certainty about anything that stands contrary to their postmodern views.  I have great respect for Santorum’s expression of his faith during the presidential campaign in spite of the onslaught of attacks on him for doing so.  But when he answered O’Reilly’s question that President Obama’s personal faith was none of his concern, though he didn’t, I want to make a case as to why not only should President Obama’s faith, but the faith of anyone who would lead our country concern us all. 

            First, we can act like it doesn’t, but where a person puts their trust and in whom they hold in the highest regard will influence everything about them, regardless of the level in which they lead.  That doesn’t mean that if they are a Christian they will never sin or make mistakes, for that’s not Christianity.  Christianity is realizing that you are a sinner deserving of hell, yet God, by His grace, loves you enough to save you in spite of that sin.  True recipients of that kind of grace live it out; it’s not something they just keep to themselves.  Where did the issue that our faith should only be personal come from anyway?  You don’t find that in Scripture.  That is nothing more than a man created concept that is a sin against God.  The truth is that God shines light on darkness and those who would desire faith not be lived out, but only personal are those who prefer their sin not be questioned.  Of course, our concern for saving faith should never be limited to those with great responsibility, but should be for all people, which leads to a second point. 

            Concern for one’s personal faith is important because it is a matter of heaven and hell.  Yes, there is a heaven and there is a hell and people will spend eternity in one or the other.  Now that does not mean it is for you or me to say who will be where, but the Bible teaches it will be one or the other.  But the most important point is not that someone just has faith, but in whom they put their faith in.  That will determine where eternity is spend.  Faith for faith’s sake saves no one.  It is only faith in Jesus Christ that truly saves.  This has to matter for a whole host of reasons.  It matters for appropriate God honoring leadership of our nation, states, communities, businesses and families.  It matters also because people’s souls are at stake.  No one is a Christian just because they say they are.  The Bible teaches that those who genuinely belong to Christ will reflect a spirit of obedience to God because they have Christ living within them.  Though never perfect, obedience to God’s Law will always be what the true believer’s heart desires. 

            So yes, my president’s personal faith does concern me.  It matters!  And no matter our political preference, our president should always a subject of our prayers.  I want him to be a Christian and I want Him to submit to the authority of God, the true King.  I want him to submit to the authority of Scripture in every way.  But I want my president to be a Christian because, as with every soul, his soul is at stake.  And whether our president remains Barack Obama or becomes Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich or Ron Paul, their being Christian and spending eternity with God will have been, is, or will be because they put their faith in Jesus Christ alone, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  Case closed.