When any pastor talks about government and citizens, he steps into a dangerous minefield. Everything he says could be judged by those listening as political rather than theological. And in that way, he can offend people of any political stripe sitting in the pews. Add to that the fact that each church’s tax exempt status rests legally upon the fact that it will not be overtly politically, and the field becomes even more loaded with potential danger.
And yet I step into this field with confidence. I seek to define nothing other than what government is to do according to the scriptures and how citizens are to relate to those given to lead. And with that we stand securely with God and no other. We speak not on behalf or against anyone other than him.
So what is it that the government is to do for those under their care? Well, biblically the answer is quite simple. They are to punish evil and reward good and therefore keep the peace. To put a little more meat on that bone, they are to reward things like obedience to authority, fidelity to marriage, and truthful speech. They are to punish things like the destruction of human life, stealing, and greed. And they are to do this work with the best interest of those under their care always at the center of their thoughts. They are not to lord authority over those under their care, but use their authority precisely for the reason God has given it to them, for the good of those under their care. Their authority is God-given and they are to remain aware of that. As Jesus told Pilate, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.†They remain always under the authority of God and should conduct themselves with the humility appropriate to that reality.
And what about those who are citizen and not Caesar? What is it that they owe to those entrusted authority? Well again to put is most simply and scripturally, they are to submit to their authority. So long as they do not command what God has forbidden or forbid what he has commanded, citizens must live under their authority peaceably and with respect for them as ones given by God for their good. They are to live according to the law even if they are not sure it perfectly rewards good or punishes evil. They are to pay taxes even if they are not convinced that everything they support is wise. They are to be ready to do good when the government calls upon them. They are to be good and helpful to our country when and where they can.
And perhaps most noteworthy, Christian citizens are to pray for their leaders often. We pray that they would be able to fulfill their duties faithfully before God and man. We do this in humility recognizing that the load laid upon them is often heavy.
This is all based on the biblical understanding that God himself uses government for his purposes. He is the one who creates such order in the world. And therefore we live within this order as part of our lives as his children.
Some of you may have been given positions of governance at a city or school board level. Perhaps some of you serve now or will one day serve at a county or state level. Who knows? Maybe a future president is reading. But if you are given authority to govern others, you must always remember two things. God is the ultimate authority who has given you power in that area and he has given it to you that you might reward good, punish evil, and serve those under your care. But if you are entrusted with such authority, you must always remember that power can so easily goes to the head. And when you realize that you have not governed as well as you should, it is time to stop and confess such sin when necessary to your constituents and certainly before God.
And for the rest not called to govern but to be governed, you must truly examine how well you do at submitting to the authorities God has placed over you. While most of you do not outright rebel against it in obvious and public ways, you also certainly are not always perfectly respectful at times of the governing authorizes. It is so easy to be found with disrespectful words or actions in your lives when it comes to those given to govern. It can particularly easy to be disrespectful and very hard to remember to pray for our leaders especially when we do not agree with their political convictions. But this too is sin, sin which must be confessed before God.
Yes, even this relationship between the governing and the governed is not removed from God eye’s or plans. And so missteps here are not merely guffaws to be chuckled at but sins to be confessed. And any sin must be taken to the cross. It must be taken before Jesus, the king who punishes evil and rewards good, and through his death and resurrection serves the people under his care flawlessly. There under his authority we find both forgiveness and the power to live as his children as Government and Citizens. Amen.
