Government

This blog is in response to three things. First is a study we did in lifegroup about our role in mission with specific reference to our role in our community. Secondly I am responding to my son-in-law's question posed to me about the role of the Christian in government. Thirdly it is appropriate in view of the upcoming elections.



This is obviously a big topic and people have written books on the subject. Don't worry. The first area is how we are to respond to our government officials. It is pretty clear from Scripture that we are to be under the authority of those over us ( Titus 3: 1-2, Rom. 13: 1-7, I Pet. 2:13-21). There is not much to argue about there except in cases of injustice and civil disobedience, but that is beyond the scope of this discussion.



The second idea is how involved we should be in the political process. This is relatively new since for 1700 years very few people had the ability to be involved. I maintain that part of loving people is to love the community in which you and your neighbors live. Jerimiah 29:7 says for us to seek the peace of the city to wherever He sends us. Christians for centuries have done this as evidenced by all of the hospitals, orphanages, ect. that have been built by Christians. However in recent times that has become blurred as our government, in the name of compassion, has taken over the role of defender of the poor. Unfortunitely, the Church has been only too willing to give this responsibility up. Thus people on the outside do not see a clear distinction between Believers and nonbelievers. At the same time, Christians have begun to hide behind the "walls" of the church, huddling in our groups and not engaging nonbelievers. How much better would it be if we were the ones who ran for the city council or school board, served in our neighborhood associations, PTA, and numerous other organizations alongside our nonbelieving friends and neighbors.



Lastly I need to address the more recent idea of conservative evangelical Christians equating their ideals with American patriotism. We need to realize that government is not the answer or the way to change the moral behavior of its people. The answer to these problems is the gospel and we need to be about the business of introducing the gospel to the people. There seems to have been some melding of the current Republican party with the "Moral Marority" and the "Religious Right", as if our goals were the same and this was the way to achieve them. While I agree that generally Republican idealogy is more in line with mine, it is important to realize that Republicans do not have a lock on truth, patriotism or morality. In addition, in practice most of the elected Republicans have sold their souls and do not vote the idealogy. I think we would even be surprised at Jesus' reaction to all of this were He here. He would probably be a lot more liberal than we would like to admit. The worst thing that happened to Christianity was in the 4th century when the Roman government merged with Christianity and for a thousand years it lost its idenity and uniqueness. In America we need to be careful to avoid selling ourselves to politicians and hoping they will do what we do not have the gumption to do.

Now I am not saying that we need to stay out of the political process, only that we do not trust in it. We need believers to run for office, we all need to be informed and vote, volunteer for candidates, push for righteous legislation and social justice. In the words of Jesus, we need to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.