Christians and Government

How involved should a Christian be with politics? It depends on who you ask. Some would answer that a Christian should have nothing to do with politics. Government is a part of the world system and we are called to a life set apart from the world. Others would say that government is an institution created by God and should be used to advance God’s kingdom.

So, who is right? In the book of Acts we find a helpful insight. Christ has risen from the grave and appeared to the disciples. Their question to Him in chapter one verses six was, “Lord is at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” In other words, the disciples wanted to know if now was the time that Jesus would establish His Kingdom on earth and bring all His enemies into subjection, like David did when he was king. But instead of inaugurating the end time Kingdom, Christ ascended to rule from heaven with a message of forgiveness and grace until that time when the Father will set in motion the final judgment. A similar example was when James and John wanted fire called down on a Samaritan village which rejected Jesus. Obviously, they understood their Old Testaments well. But Christ’s rebuke showed that change was in the air.

We live in a time represented by the parable of the wheat and the tares recorded in Matthew 13. The tares were to be allowed to grow among the wheat until the harvest which Jesus said would be at the end of the church age. As believers we are called to co-exist among unbelievers. This does not mean that we must approve of their choices, but we must recognize that for a time God is allowing them to make a choice.

So how then are we to function as Christians in this present age? Again, scripture provides the answer. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul states that, as Christians, we have been given the ministry of reconciliation and the word of reconciliation. “Therefore…” Paul concludes in verse twenty, “… we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” As ambassadors, we plead the interests of our country using persuasion, not force. We do not attempt to make the host country a colony by the sword.

Does this mean then that as Christians we should abandon the public square as some have done? Hardly. Instead, we should be actively engaged; not in an attempt to make the public square “Christian,” but to use it to call others to Christ. We need to quit attempting to modify behaviors through legislation, and instead seek to transform hearts through the proclamation of the gospel. This message consists of calling all men to God’s standard of holiness, but with the understanding that it is only available through faith in the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, this proclamation is not the job of the government, but of the church. The government’s role is to punish evil. The church is to continually call the government to the righteous standard which defines good and evil.

As Christians, our message is one of forgiveness and reconciliation through repentance. The means we use is persuasion in our kitchens and public squares. We are living in an age when those who oppose us are not to be treated as enemies or removed from the land through judgment, but as captives to be rescued and delivered. Does our passion create hatred and anger towards others or compassion and humility because of our depravity?

Let us use our vote to call our government to God’s righteous standard; but at the same time, let us use our words, attitudes and actions to persuade people concerning the gospel. How much we need to grasp that God’s kingdom is not advanced when gay marriage is outlawed, but when a homosexual accepts Christ as Savior. Let us vote for God’s righteous on election day, but let us be busy sharing the gospel message every day.