If you missed it, the Indiana senators who cared more about decorum than winning at politics got fired last night.

One of them, Sen. Travis Holdman, took the loss as an opportunity to wag his finger at fellow Christians.

Holdman is correct that revenge is not a Christian virtue.

'Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.' - The Apostle Paul to the church in Rome, quoting Deuteronomy 32:35.

There's a problem with Holdman's logic here, though. First of all, the guy is assuming that all the people who voted him out of office are acting out of revenge. Second of all, he's scolding them while ignoring the fact that he failed to do his job.

Holdman was hired as a representative to represent the beliefs and wishes of his fellow Indiana residents. He is not their king. He is not a divinely-appointed prophet. He was a contract employee hired to do a service job.

Our politicians seem to have forgotten this. If a mechanic fails to fix my car, or a plumber fails to unclog my toilet, or a doctor botches my surgery, I am not seeking revenge by canning them.

But too many politicians seem to fancy themselves poet-philosophers who exist to guide us little people in the moral matters of the public square instead of serving us.

Christians are called to seek and preach the kingdom of God, which is not of this world. We are not to put our hope in manmade political systems. We are to understand how power corrupts.

But the reason the Founding Fathers created our system of governance with a set of checks and balances was precisely so that power could be wielded correctly. They created this system in accordance with their Christian faith.

Too many Christians have bought into the heretical lie that power is never to be used. You will find this teaching nowhere in the Bible, and yet in an age of self-righteous piety, we believe that it is better to hand our society over to Satan on a silver platter. Why? Because many Christians believe suffering by losing gives us the moral high ground.

The Christian understands that all authority comes from God, including the authority to appoint political leaders. There is not a king, president, or dictator who has ever ruled without Him allowing it (Daniel 2:21, Romans 13:1, Psalm 2:1-12, 1 Samuel 16:7, 1 Kings 11). However, God often gives us freedom to choose our own political systems, whether for good or bad (Deuteronomy 17:14-20, 1 Samuel 8-10). He has given us instructions to guide us in this matter (Exodus 18:18-21, Deuteronomy 16:18, Proverbs 8:1-16).

Over thousands of years, these instructions and their application (or lack of application) have informed the development of Christian governance. This is why America's Founders assumed everyone understood the idea that people have God-given rights, and the sole purpose of government is "to secure these rights."

It is why the Founders posited, that though God commands us to follow the ruling authorities, that there are times when a government becomes "destructive of these ends," and " it is [people's] right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government."

The American Revolution was not about revenge. The colonists tried to appeal to the king, then to parliament, but were denied again and again. They finally appealed to God in heaven - going all the way up the chain of command - and then Great Britain decided to pursue violence in order to challenge that appeal. The colonists decided to fight back and let God decide who was right.

Indiana voters did the same thing by voting Holdman out of office.

One last note.

Both sides of the political aisle now believe their political enemies are agents of evil. Democrats see Republicans as evil. Republicans see Democrats as evil. Real, kinetic violence is becoming the norm. We do not live in the America of 20 years ago. You must pick which side best acknowledges God's authority and commands (there is a correct answer) and then vote that way to ward off the hounds of hell. The alternative is actual war (it may still come to that).

You can pontificate about the moral high ground with platitudes, or you can roll up your sleeves and get to work (God never favors the former anywhere in the Bible).

Those who vote Republican believe Democratic policies are leading the nation into chaos and death. They are commanded by God to love their neighbor and rescue the oppressed, so they are voting to do that by electing an agent to do their will in office. If the agent then betrays them by capitulating in the name of good sportsmanship and tradition, it is cowardice and treason of the highest order.

Republican representatives:

Your job is not to be a pious Pharisee that lauds abdication of duty as moral virtue. Your job is not to scold fellow Christians for opposing you.

Your job is to represent the will of your countrymen that appointed you to be their political voice. Your job is also to reflect the authority of heaven, knowing you will have to give an account for every injustice that happened because you failed to act.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Not the Bee or any of its affiliates.