Question: "How should a Christian view politics?"
Answer: If there is anything that will spark a spontaneous debate, if not an outright argument, it is a discussion involving politics—even among believers. As followers of Christ, what should our attitude and our involvement with politics be? It has been said that “religion and politics don’t mix.” But is that really true? Can we have political views outside the considerations of our Christian faith? The answer is no, we cannot. The Bible gives us two unassailable truths regarding our stance towards politics and government.
The first truth is that the will of God permeates and supersedes every aspect of life. It is God’s will that takes precedence over everything and everyone (
Matthew 6:33). God’s plans and purposes are fixed and His will is inviolable. What He has purposed, He will bring to pass, and no government can thwart His will (
Daniel 4:34-35). In fact, it is God who “sets up kings and deposes them” (
Daniel 2:21) because “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes” (
Daniel 4:17). A clear understanding of this truth will help us to see that politics is merely a method God uses to accomplish His will. Even though evil men abuse their political power, meaning it for evil, God means it for good, working “all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (
Romans 8:28).
Second, we must grasp the fact that our government cannot save us! Only God can. We never read in the New Testament of Jesus or any of the apostles expending any time or energy schooling believers on how to reform the pagan world of its idolatrous, immoral, and corrupt practices via the government. The apostles never called for believers to demonstrate civil disobedience to protest the Roman Empire's unjust laws or brutal schemes. Instead, the apostles commanded the first-century Christians, as well as us today, to proclaim the gospel and live lives that would give clear evidence to its transforming power.
There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (
Romans 13:1-2). God has established all authority and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (
1 Peter 2:13-15). Paul tells us in
Romans 13:1-8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us—hopefully for our good—to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, Christians should exercise that right by
voting for those whose views most closely parallel our own.
Having said that, it should be noted that one of the grandest deceptions of Satan placed within the mind of man is to believe that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. This nation’s hope for change, for a better life, is not to be found in the halls of Congress or in the White House or in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a huge mistake in thinking that it is the job of our politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.
The church’s unique, God-given purpose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. Our mission lies not in changing the nation through political reform, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.
Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, pagan governments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world, the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their governing authorities, even to honor, respect, and pray for them (
Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they understood that as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. The same holds true for us today. When we follow the teachings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be in the first place (
Matthew 5:16).
The bottom line is this: political entities are not the savior of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested through Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any national government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that redemption could not be accomplished through the power of man, his economic strength, his military might, or his politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope and joy—and the salvation of mankind—is accomplished only through His work of faith, love, and grace.
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