THE CHRISTIAN AND POLITICS (Part 2)

In previous Thinking Thursday episodes (2nd, 9th, and 16th March 2023), where we spoke on governance, we saw that civil leaders, whether Christian OR NOT, are God’s servants, and He put them in place. As we ponder on politics, let’s do a quick recap.

A Quick Recap

Romans 13:1-7 – Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment.

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’s sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

READ ALSO: THE DOMINION MANDATE (PART 1)

More Scriptural Evidence

The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:13-17 instructed us: Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Daniel 5:21 – He was driven from human society, his mind was changed to that of an animal, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like oxen, and his body became damp with the dew of the sky until he came to understand that the Most High God rules over human kingdoms, and he appoints over them whomever he wishes.

“Whomever He wishes” includes both the non-Christian and the Christian.

Does God Appoint Non-Christians as Rulers?

Jeremiah 27:3-9 Use it to send messages to the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. Send them through the envoys who have come to Jerusalem to King Zedekiah of Judah. Charge them to give their masters a message from me. Tell them, ‘The LORD God of Israel who rules over all says to give your masters this message. “I made the earth and the people and animals on it by my mighty power and great strength, and I give it to whomever I see fit. I have at this time placed all these nations of yours under the power of MY SERVANT, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made all the wild animals subject to him. All nations must serve him and his son and grandson until the time comes for his own nation to fall. Then many nations and great kings will in turn subjugate Babylon. But suppose a nation or a kingdom will not be subject to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Suppose it will not submit to the yoke of servitude to him. I, the LORD, affirm that I will punish that nation. I will use the king of Babylon to punish it with war, starvation, and disease until I have destroyed it. So do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim to predict the future by divination, by dreams, by consulting the dead, or by practicing magic. They keep telling you, ‘You do not need to be subject to the king of Babylon.’

So, what should the Christians’ role be in the realm of politics? We’ll see in future parts.

READ ALSO: THE CHRISTIAN AND POLITICS (PART 3)