Politics and God's Plan For His Church
By Rev. Dallas E. Henry
Sep 5, 2008 - 10:00:00 AM
Have you noticed that in recent presidential races, the candidates made their faith a paramount issue in their political debates? One commentator remarked, “What a person believes really shouldn’t matter because religion and politics don’t mix.”
There are varying political opinions in the church, but few Christians believe that religion and politics do not mix. In fact, the Bible addresses many political issues. The Scriptures talk about the role of government, how we should respond to political leadership, and many of our laws are taken from the Book of Deuteronomy. For more information about our nation’s foundation, I recommend looking at the writings of David Barton. You can visit his web site at www.wallbuilders.org
Christians should be concerned about politics because God is concerned about politics. I Peter 2:13 tells us that we are to submit to the governing authorities and I Timothy 2:1 urges us to pray for those who lead. Saying that religion and politics do not mix is usually just an excuse so people are relieved from their political responsibilities. It is interesting that we are quick to sing patriotic hymns in church and politics and religion can mix on that realm, but they cannot mix when we talk about our responsibility to be involved in elections. The Bible is not silent on politics.
It is important that Christians be involved in the process. We should be concerned about all elections. We should be concerned about who is leading us because they decide what freedoms we have and don’t have and what rights we have and don’t have. One might ask how we, as Christians, should interact with the government. What does the Bible say about issues that relate to this? During critical times in the history of our country it was important to be informed and to see what our Biblical responsibility was with the government and not to simply withdraw and avoid. The same is true today.
Today, it is illegal for the church to promote a particular candidate. But we have the freedom to vote, which is an opportunity to voice our opinion. We all have opinions based on Biblical morality and political events can include some of the most heated debates there are. As leaders, we should address the misguided mindset that politics, voting, and religion do not mix. Our faith definitely comes into play in our decision making while voting and in every other decision we make. Sometimes we are quick to separate every issue in life, but we should not always do that.
When considering Christianity and Politics we must first understand that God, His Word, and His Son Jesus Christ are foundational parts of our government; that should never be forgotten. There is a good reason that “In God We Trust” is on our currency - and a good reason our Pledge of Allegiance contains the phrase “One nation Under God” - and there is a good reason that The Declaration of Independence speaks of “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” and the certain “unalienable Rights endowed on them by their Creator.” We hear a lot today about the separation of Church and state, which many are discovering is not in our constitution. No matter what laws are passed to keep the church away from the government you cannot truly separate the church from the government. It is important for us to take time and look into the Scriptures and see, first of all, what the Bible says about the purpose of government, secondly to see what the Bible says about our responsibility as Christians, and thirdly how the church should Biblically interact with government.
Rom 13:1-13 “Let every soul be in subjection to the higher powers: for there is no power but of God; and the powers that be are ordained of God. Therefore he that resisteth the power, withstandeth the ordinance of God: and they that withstand shall receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. And wouldest thou have no fear of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise from the same: for he is a minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is a minister of God, an avenger for wrath to him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For this cause ye pay tribute also; for they are ministers of God's service, attending continually upon this very thing. Render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything, save to love one another: for he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: love therefore is the fulfilment of the law. And this, knowing the season, that already it is time for you to awake out of sleep: for now is salvation nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far spent, and the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk becomingly, as in the day; not in revelling and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and jealousy.”
Rights of the Government
We live in the best country in the world. Sometimes we take for granted the freedoms, the rights and the privileges that we enjoy as Americans. We can talk a lot about how we disagree with certain aspects of the government, and how we don’t always like how things are done, how we don’t like the politics of it all. The truth is we are blessed to have the government in place that we do. Paul made it very clear in Romans that government is a God appointed institution. In fact the government is one of only three God given institutions, the family and the church being the other two. The Scriptures also make it clear that the government has a very specific role. There are some people today who do not like any form of government, but without a government we would have chaos. The government was established for a reason. The passage above gives us a few of those reasons.
Government is to: Punish the Guilty
One right the government has, that God has granted, is the right and the authority to punish the guilty. God has set it so that the government sets the laws in place, which the people are to follow. Some people say that you cannot legislate morality. It is a fact that no amount of laws will change a person’s heart, but where does one draw the line? God established and set up government for the purpose of putting laws into place. One reason we have government in place is so the government can punish those who are guilty of breaking the laws that are in place. Although God is a God of love, He is also a God that loves justice. Government has been given authority from God to do that. Paul said that government is an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Government is to: Reward the Innocent
Another function of the government that the Scripture tells us is that the government is to reward the innocent. Romans 13 tells us that the government is God’s servant to do you good. We all know that there is corruption in politics and the innocent are not rewarded every time, but one Biblical function of government is to reward the good. The government should work for and reward those who do not break the law. Christians should not have an anti-government mindset because God has established the governments that exist. God had a reason for appointing government. One reason was to establish a written moral code by which people are to follow. Another reason is to punish those who break that law. The Scriptures speak of what the government is to do.
Then we have: The Responsibility of Christians
People need to know what their responsibilities are to the government. What do we have to do? God has given certain commands that Christians are to obey as it relates to the government. These responsibilities mean that we do not have a choice in the matter. Whenever there is a command in Scripture to follow, we should obey it.
Christians have been commanded to:
Obey the Government
Laws have been established and we have been commanded to be obedient to those laws. Otherwise, when we break the laws of the land that have been established by our governing authorities we are breaking a command of God and sinning against God as well. We are told not only to obey, but to submit to that authority. Our old/human nature resists people who have authority over us. Our flesh does not like it when people give instructions or tell us we have to do something. We don’t like the idea of submitting to anyone. However, God tells us to submit to the authority of the government. I Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
There are three reasons why we should submit to the laws of the land:
1. For the Lord’s Sake
Peter said, “submit yourself for the Lord’s sake to every authority…” One reason why we should submit is because it is what God wants us to do. Many people have a rebellious attitude and feel that they do not have to obey the laws that have been established, but like it or not, we must submit to the Laws of the land because God says so. Even Jesus emphasized this with the idea of paying taxes; we are to pay what we owe. We may not like it, but we still have to obey because God said so.
2. For Our Sake
We should also submit for our own sake because if we do not we will be punished. This may be a very practical point, but one reason why we submit to the governing authorities is because the government has authority and power to punish us if we do not.
3. For Others Sake
Peter said that through us doing good and obeying the laws we will silence the talk of foolish people, or non-Christian people. One main reason we, as Christians, should obey the government is because it is not a good witness to unbelievers if we do not submit and obey.
We are to obey the laws of the land, but there is a higher authority than the government. The question automatically comes up of what happens when the laws the government establish conflict with God’s Laws and commands. The obvious answer is we obey God. Peter and John were arrested and they were commanded by those who had authority to no longer speak in the name of Jesus. If they had obeyed that command they would have disobeyed a command of God to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. In Acts 5:29 they said, “judge for yourselves whether it is right to obey God rather than man, but we cannot help, but to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
They disobeyed the law but were willing to submit to the law of the land which may have meant imprisonment or even death. Remember a law went out during Daniel’s time that forbid anyone from praying, but that was one place Daniel could not compromise and one law he could not obey. We are to obey the government so as long as it does not violate God’s Word, which has higher authority than any government.
We should make it a priority to pray for those who lead our nation. We have actually been commanded to do that. We need to pray for them to have wisdom in the decisions they make because those decisions affect our lives. We need to be praying for morality and issues that are near God’s heart. Prayer changes things and whether we agree or disagree with someone’s political agenda we have a command to pray for them. We need to have times when we pray for our nation and its leaders, we have no right to grumble and complain if we don’t pray for our leaders. Christians do have responsibilities to the government. I Timothy 2:1-3 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”
Interacting Together
Thirdly, the question arises of how we interact together and how involved Christians should be in the governmental process?
a. Separation of Church and State
There is a lot of talk in the world today about the idea of separation of Church and state. This is a hotly debated issue. Courts are voting to remove the Ten Commandments from courthouses and public places, while people like Judge Roy Moore try to take a stand on principle. Courts have removed public prayer from schools and there has even been talk about removing the word “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance as well as removing the phrase “In God We Trust” from all currency. This is all done under the idea of keeping church and state separate.
The idea of separation of church and state, which, by the way, is not part of our Constitution, came from a letter assuring a church that the state would not be imposing rules on it, or start a “State Church”. I was not a fear of the church influencing the state. These things are just evidence of a nation that continues to distance itself from God and Christian principles. The best thing we can do is to get involved to affect the state, not by violent protests, but by lobbying for our opinions, and by changing people’s hearts through the message of the gospel. Christians must admit that one of the reasons why the Ten Commandments are not tolerated, and God is not a word we can promote, is because the Church, for the most part, has been silent and has not done its job as the Salt and the Light. The primary responsibility we have to our nation and our government is to show Christ and through that change, laws may change.
b. Voting
It is also very important for Christians to vote. Too many sit around and complain about the issues. The truth is if we don’t act we have no right to complain. It is very important for believers to be involved in the election process to choose men or women who support Godly values. Voter apathy among Christians is alarmingly high. In the 2000 presidential election, more than 2 out of every 5 Christians failed to exercise their privilege to cast a ballot.
Uninvolved Christians sit back while unborn children are murdered for convenience sake and do not have a say.
Uninvolved Christians sit back while the sins of sodomy become the norm and we remain silent.
Uninvolved Christians sit back while evolution is taught to children in schools and Christianity becomes oppressed and does not have a say.
Uninvolved Christians sit back while God’s name is removed from every aspect of culture and have no say.
When Christians do vote, we have the duty to not be ignorant. We have an obligation to vote the will of God and not for someone just because they are affiliated with a party or because that is the way we have always voted or even worse, whether we “like” them or not. We need to take seriously who we vote for because our leaders have an impact on our society. James Dobson said, “The laws of a nation have a significant influence on the nation’s moral climate, for good or for ill. This is because laws can either restrain evil or encourage it, and because laws also have a teaching function as they inform people about what a government thinks to be right and wrong conduct.”
In 1883 in Allentown, New Jersey, a wooden Indian - the kind that was seen in front of cigar stores - was placed on the ballot for Justice of the Peace. The candidate was registered under the fictitious name of Abner Robbins. When the ballots were counted, Abner won over incumbent Sam Davis by 7 votes. A similar thing happened in 1938. The name Boston Curtis appeared on the ballot for Republican Committeeman from Wilton, Washington. Actually, Boston Curtis was a mule. The town’s mayor sponsored the animal to demonstrate that people know very little about the candidates. He proved his point. The mule won!
Marriage and Homosexuality
It is sad to say that there are some lawmakers who want to remove our right to have a political opinion about marriage and it’s sanctity. These are hot topics, but on this issue God has clearly spoken. Perhaps some people have forgotten two little cities names Sodom and Gomorrah and the reasoning for God’s judgment on those cities. Homosexuality is a sin even if society and politicians say it is not. People who practice homosexuality were not born that way and they are not just acting out whom they are. Homosexuality is a sin. God made man and woman to live together. He made it so it was one man and one woman for life. Marriage is a gift of God, but, today, people are perverting that gift. Romans 1:24-27 “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever . Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.”
Homosexuality is sin just like any other sin, and we need to stand up and show that we value the sanctity of marriage. In Canada, right now, a preacher can go to prison for using the Bible to address homosexuality, because portions of the Bible are viewed by the Canadian government as hate speech. This is a political issue that the candidates have opinions on and their opinions may affect our life and our freedoms as Christians. Christians must be informed in the voting booth.
Abortion
There are some politicians who would have us believe that life is not valuable until it is born. They would tell us that as long as a baby is in its mother’s womb it is just a fetus or an embryo, but God’s word teaches us that life is precious and we do not have the right to give or take life. Psalm 139:14-16 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.”
Life is precious to God at creation. Abortion is an easy way out. Abortion is the most crude and wicked practice taking place in this nation, and we do not have the freedom to have an opinion on an issue where God has spoken. God’s judgment will come on this nation unless she repents. We have the right and the privilege to make an impact. When we vote, many issues may be on our mind, but we must remember that there are some areas where we cannot compromise.
We live in the best nation on this earth, and the reason is because it was founded on the value of human life; on Christian/Biblical principles. We are blessed to be a part of a much greater Kingdom, the Church, where Christ is the head. We have the promise of a home in Heaven one day if we are in Christ, free from the cares of the world. Until then we must live in the world, and hopefully make an impact for Christ in it. We cannot remove ourselves from these issues; they are real and running from them won’t solve anything.
As Christians, we have a responsibility of obedience to the government, but more than that, we have a responsibility of allegiance to Christ. We need to let God’s Word be our guide in the things that we do. The primary responsibility we have to our nation and our government is to show Christ and become active so laws can change.
Our legislators need to hear from us and when they do, they must act. The Christian Civic League has a wonderful tool called The Citizens Action Center, which makes it very easy to contact our lawmakers in Augusta, and it’s free and can be done from the comfort of your home or office! The CAC is activated whenever there is an issue in the Statehouse that Christians need to speak into. There really isn’t any reason why we can’t communicate with our representatives in Augusta.
Lord, keep us faithful. Amen.
Focus Action Candidate Commentary
Join The ADF Pulpit Initiative
Children Incapable of Self-identifying Sexuality
The Pursuit of Teen Girl Purity
Putting Adolescents At Risk
Example of Tolerance; Lady Under Fire
Some good news
Christmas In July
Mike Heath; Influential Leader
Gays Want to Boot Dr. Dobson
The League was formed in 1897 to name and confront sin. We do so because of the love of Christ, knowing that He is the only eternal answer to a sin-infestation. Psychology isn't enough. Counselors can't do it. There isn't enough money in all the world to hire enough politicans and policemen to reign in sin and the devil. The only solution is both the most costly and least expensive. The only solution is the righteousness of Jesus Christ -- the gospel.
Consider this your invitation to partner with The Christian Civic League of Maine as we proclaim the uncompromised truth of God’s Word in the public square. The League has a public voice that churches and even denominations don’t have. By supporting the League you are becoming that public witness.
Thank you for your prayers and support. You can also invite Michael and Paulie Heath to your church for a League Sunday. Mike is prepared to share a message on Christian Citizenship and Paulie is prepared to sing a few song specials. You can contact Paulie Heath at (207) 215-6886 to make the arrangements.
© Copyright by Christian Civic League of Maine.
All rights reserved.