Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter 2:13-17 NIV)
The relationship between the Christian and politics has always been fraught with complications and confusion. That tension is certainly not diminished amid the heated rhetoric of a presidential election. Christians can be easily overwhelmed by the twofold temptation of obsession and abdication. There is a simultaneous pull toward overvaluing and undervaluing the role of government and a resulting tendency either to obsess over politics and current events or to abdicate our responsibility to engage thoughtfully with the community and culture in which God has called us to live.
The Bible is replete with stories of God’s people serving in civil government. Consider Joseph, Daniel, Nehemiah, or King David. Moses served as leader, lawgiver, and judge. In Romans 16, Paul sends greetings from “Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works.” He similarly sends greetings from “those who belong to Caesar’s household,” in Philippians 4.
In many Old Testament cases such involvement was within the peculiar setting of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, but that only emphasizes the point. When God set the nation apart, He ordained a government and laws. While God’s law for His people was unique, the idea of rules and rulers is not. From households to tribal communities to the most advanced societies, the universality of some form of organization, leadership, and authority structure underscores not only its necessity, but the reality that government is divinely instituted by God for the good of His creation.
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. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:1-4 NIV)
That said, government in a sinful, fallen world will always be devised and carried out by sinful, fallen people. It will always be given to the foibles and failures of mankind: corruption, abuse, injustice, self-interest, short-sightedness, and the like. The shortcomings of humans and human systems will always leave us wanting for the perfection and real justice of God’s Kingdom rule. In the meantime, we live under various authorities in this earthly kingdom, in which we now live as foreign ambassadors on temporary assignment. (1 Peter 2:11-12, 2 Corinthians 5:20)
Because we live as elect sojourners in this world, representing Christ and His Kingdom amid this present darkness, we are subject to both the authorities of this world and the authority of our true King. Ambassadors participate in the life of their host country, but they must never forget who they are or the kingdom to which they belong. We, as aliens and strangers here, are subject to the law of the land, yet we remain subject to a higher authority. We must not disregard or flout any rightful authority, but we must always conduct ourselves in full submission to the highest authority over and above any lesser authorities.
The goal of our Christian living is God’s glory; therefore, the way we think and act in the public or civic arena (including on social media!) must reflect His glorious character accurately and compellingly. Christ has made us free people, but our freedom’s purpose is God’s glory. Whether in private devotion or in public policy and debate, we live for Him.
By the time you read this, local and state primary elections will have been recently completed, and the campaign machines of the November general election will be in full swing. As mentioned above, we will inevitably face the dual temptation of undervaluing its importance (“There’s no reason to vote; God is in control. Besides, I don’t fully agree with or like either candidate/position, and it’s probably all rigged, anyway.”) or overvaluing it (“This election will determine the fate of the nation and society, and if we get our guy/our proposal, then everything will be right. If we don’t, it’s doomsday.”) Regardless of the outcomes, both of these approaches are wrong, especially for the Christ-follower. In the words of Chuck Colson, “The Kingdom of God will not arrive on Air Force One.”
We must simultaneously recognize God’s good design for government in restraining evil and promoting human flourishing and abstain from seeing any human government as our source of hope and ultimate justice. He has chosen to place each of us in a particular context, and we are to embrace that context with diligence, responsibility, zeal, and biblical wisdom. To that end, we pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2), we work for God’s justice in the world around us (Proverbs 21:15, Isaiah 1:17, Micah 6:8, Matthew 5:16, Mark 12:30-31), we strive for the prosperity of our community (Jeremiah 29:7), and we submit to earthly authorities (Ro. 13:1, Titus 3:1, 1 Pe. 2:13), but we steadfastly obey the Most High God over those authorities (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29; cf. Daniel 3:1-30, 6:1-28).
As you seek to reflect the reality of Christ, let the truth of God’s Word inform your politics—both in position and in expression. Never abdicate the responsibilities of earthly citizenship, but never let them supplant the primacy of our new identity in Christ. We must live according to who we are in Christ, not where we are in this world of sin. By speaking the truth in love, we can become salt and light in a dark and decaying world as we represent our King and His Kingdom.
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