I’m seeing a lot of strong public comments being made by which professing Christians are impugning the character of others. The divisions seem to run so deep that we’re talking over each other … and around each other … but not with each other. We’re not all going to agree on politics, nor should we – I guess that goes without saying – but I’d like to devote some time and energy today to the broad subject of how we view and relate to government.
I’m speaking directly to my fellow Christ follower now. Until our Perfect King Jesus returns – and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of Christ in the fullest sense (Revelation 11:15) – you and I are dual citizens. We’re citizens of the common kingdom, which includes everyone, but we’re also citizens of the redemptive kingdom – the kingdom of God. One day these kingdoms will be united as one, but for now we in Christ’s Church are dual citizens – though our highest loyalty is to the kingdom of God (Philippians 3:20).
We know from the Scriptures that, as believers, our posture toward the state should be one of subjection (Romans 13:1-7). God alone put the state into rightful authority, and our subjection to the government is an act of worship in the sense that we fear the Lord first. So it’s our reverence for Christ which leads us to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” (Matthew 22:21) by way of respecting the law and paying our taxes and other debts. We humbly recognize that government exists for our benefit as it promotes societal order. It’s one of the many reasons why we respect and pray for those in authority over us (First Timothy 2:1-2). When Jesus returns, “the government will be upon His shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6). Until that Day, we’ll live under imperfect forms of government and imperfect leaders. Charity is required.
But there were times when the same Paul who insisted on our humble submission in general demonstrated the appropriateness of understanding and invoking one’s own legal rights. In Acts 16:16-40, Paul and Silas were accused of crimes by slaveowners whose income they’d gutted by freeing a fortune-teller from demon possession. The men stirred up a lynch mob, and Paul and Silas were beaten severely. Paul was a Roman citizen, a privilege enjoyed by less than 10% of the empire’s populace. Among a citizen’s rights were freedom from beatings without trial, but Paul had to stand up for himself in order to be treated with any modicum of decency. Years later, Paul averted a flogging by insisting that his civil rights be respected (Acts 22:22-29). Two years later, Paul was a prisoner at Caesarea, facing an unjust trial before the Jewish high court. To avert a prejudicial tribunal, Paul again demanded his due process (Acts 25:1-12).
We in these United States have been blessed with “certain unalienable rights” with which we have been “endowed by our Creator” – to quote the Declaration of Independence. Our Bill of Rights expressly tells the government what it cannot do, as our Constitution purposefully limits government to specified powers. Historically speaking, we enjoy unique freedoms in America. These liberties include, thankfully, our right to unhindered religious belief and worship (please note: both). As I’ve said many times, the best way to protect a freedom is to exercise it.
When infringements of rights go unchallenged, governments are de facto emboldened to push the envelope until the rights are eroded. The sad legacy of human government has been that ambitious and self-absorbed rulers, gripped by the lust for power, have gained more and more control over the people. This saying is not original with me, but it always fits: “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
Whether we’re discussing government, or politics, or any other sphere of life, you and I – just like the Apostle Paul – are called to a ministry of love and truth. Friends, “grace and truth” are never an either-or, but they’re always a both-and (John 1:14).
So how do we who straddle two worlds love our neighbor – including our fellow follower of Christ – for such a time as this? I’ll offer four suggestions.
1. Keep yourself informed. Many of the issues in the public square are complex and nuanced, and they can’t be reduced to simple soundbites without obscuring the truth. At times throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus wore His lawyer hat. When He argued that the disciples were free to pick grain on the Sabbath, when He defended the adulterous woman, and at other critical moments, Jesus insightfully applied the law to uphold justice, to promote goodwill among people, and to spotlight the grace of God. If ever you and I needed godly wisdom, we need it now.
2. Be a model citizen. To live consistently as such citizens, you and I need constant fellowship with our Lord. Unless we stick close to Christ and stay in His Word, we’ll be blind to our own idolatry – political and otherwise. Good citizenship is part of good discipleship, and humble but vital engagement with our legal system can play a huge role in the health of our communities and in cultivating a context where the gospel can flourish. If I might add, right now especially, a Christlike tone is especially important among those of us who bear Christ’s name.
3. Be willing to get your hands dirty. It’s my conviction that the legal aspects of Jesus’ ministry are widely misunderstood. Surely Christ’s desire is that we His people use the law to secure the rights of others to hear the gospel and be set free from sin, shame, and spiritual darkness. If we’re going to serve others in our Savior’s name, then we’ll have to meet them where they are. Quite frankly, that means moving our influence into the muddiness of broken relationships among suffering image-bearers who might make us uncomfortable – at least at first.
4. Never forget the power of love. It should not be lost on any one of us that, after his most succinct treatise on the believer’s relationship to government, Paul devotes the very next verse to the “debt of love” which you and I owe to all people. The apostle goes on to conclude: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:8-10). Love for Christ and others is our secret superpower … our most exquisite tool of influence … and our scheme of greatest impact for the common good.
You and I, because of Jesus, see people through a unique lens. We accept the fact that we’re all fallen and fallible, and desperately in need of grace. We’re needy, one and all. And we look not to the methods and madness of this world to bring ultimate hope to any of us – only Christ’s gospel can do that. Even when politics serves us well between this world and the next, it’s just a temporary fix. But we’re heading in a spectacular direction, as we “look forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10).
I’ll close by quoting the great theologian, Wynonna: “Love can build a bridge between your heart and mine. Love can build a bridge. Don’t you think it’s time? Don’t you think it’s time?”
Pastor Charles
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