Government: What’s a Christian to do?

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that beare ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” (Romans 13:1-2)

Government: What’s a Christian to do?

Have you ever listened to a Bible teaching on Romans 13:1 and come away believing all an American Christian can do is vote, and then trust God for everything that happens after that? Well if we lived in a country where all we were allowed to do was vote, that would be true, but that is not the case in the United States. Voting is only one of several activities that the government (whom we are submitted to), encourages it citizens to exercise. It could be argued that if you’re not exercising all your liberties [as they pertain to government function and personal citizenship], then you are not wholly submitted to these higher powers.

What are those activities? Here’s the short list:

Rights, Responsibilities, and Duties of a U. S. Citizen (and Christian)

• Vote
• Serve on a jury
• Run for office
• Become eligible for federal grants and scholarship
• To communicate with the world.
• Demonstrate and/or protest
• To express and/or publish one’s opinions or those of others.
• To practice one’s religion
• Support and defend the Constitution
• Serve the country
• Participate in the democratic process
• Respect the rights, beliefs, and opinions of others
• Participate in your local community
• To enjoy equally the rights, privileges and protections of personhood as established by law.
• To petition an official for redress of grievances
• To petition a court for redress of grievances
• To petition a legislator
• To help enforce laws and practices and to resist those which are not

Jesus Didn’t Do These Things

Jesus didn’t vote either. One reason may have been because the government in Jesus’ day gave little or no such freedoms to their citizens. I suspect if the topic of voting was brought to His attention (and if voting was a liberty granted by Caesar), Jesus would have said ‘vote,’ and vote wisely.

Without any doubt, there is ‘no authority except from God, and those governments and officials that exist are established by God,’ but ask yourself, is God establishing these offices based on our civil participation (or lack of participation) in the legal process?

• Do we get political tyrants because we have only voted and did little else?
• If our government grants us liberties and we ignore them, can we consider ourselves submitted to these higher powers?
• Are we resisting the very ordinance of God laid out in Romans 13:1-2?
• Are we in fact getting what we deserve?

How do these things line-up with Psalm 37?

Do not fret because of evildoers, Be not envious toward wrongdoers.  For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Psalm 37:1-3

It cannot be argued that Christians are ‘strangers and pilgrims’ here on earth, but nowhere in the Bible are we counseled to forgo our responsibilities towards stewardship in citizenship. Quite frankly I believe the United States is in the downward spiral that we’re in because Christians have not been faithful with these duties. Some Christians don’t even vote! That is a complete failure in submission to Christ Jesus and His ordinances regarding this matter. If something is wrong with government locally, federally, or on the state level, and we’re sitting on our hands and biting our tongues until the next election, then we deserve whatever political wrath that comes down the pike.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Genesis 1:28; Colossians 3:23-24)

Consider the list of liberties above and how God would have you exercise your freedom as a citizen subjected to those with authority over you.  If you have been given rights by your government (like voting) and you ignore those rights, you are submitted to apathy and negligence rather than those who rule over you.

What are your thoughts?

Please use Bible Scripture to support your position if possible.

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My Civic Duty?

But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” 1 Samuel 8:6-7

I voted today.

I rode my bike to the polls so at the end of the day I would not feel like the effort was a total waste of my energy. You could possibly conclude from that remark that I am not entirely thrilled with the election process and/or the candidates vying for my precious vote.

Be that as it may, riding home I found myself musing over some portions of scripture, not remembering exactly where in the Bible they were found.

I looked it up when I arrived home. 1 Samuel 8:6-7.

The passage is convicting and as it relates to my experiences today, I found myself compelled to mull over, “What in God’s name is civic duty and how does it line up with the ‘truth’ revealed in the Romans 13:1-4 verse?”

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 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. Romans 13:1-4

Civic Duty

I looked it up.

‘Free Dictionary’ told me that civic duty is, “The social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force.”

Frankly, that definition frightened me a little.

In another location, civic duty was equated to citizenship and this definition was provided, “Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities. ‘Active citizenship’ is the philosophy that citizens should work towards the betterment of their community through economic participation, public, volunteer work, and other such efforts to improve life for all citizens.”

Okay.

I can live with a philosophy as long as it maintains that the truths found therein are derived from the God of the Bible. Plainly said, a philosophy without God is a lie and a sure path to destruction. Our true citizenship is in Heaven; therefore, the force that propels and binds the Christian is not social, but Spiritual.

Consequently can we say that God desires to use us towards the betterment of our temporary homes through our active participation? Yes, I believe we can draw that conclusion, as long as we are seeking God’s will and direction in the choices we make.

Hence, prayer is a critical component.

Confession Time

I’m ashamed to tell you that this man of prayer forgot to pray before I voted today. I merely voted along party lines; the ones most closely associated with the same godly, moral standards I embrace. I fear if I had prayed beforehand, I might not have cast a vote at all.

In that light, is not voting a viable option?

I think it is, but I’m not entirely convinced.

Perspective 

My son is retiring from the United States Navy in less than a month and I surely do appreciate that he and thousands before him, risked their lives in order to preserve my right to freely choose.

 

Thanks Dan!

And thanks dad, my World War II veteran!

And thanks Pop Pop, my World War I and World War II veteran!

And thanks to all the unknowns!

In honor of your service I promise, if Christ Jesus should tarry, to cast or not cast my future votes as wisely as I can.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men – 1 Peter 2:9-15

Related articles

• Pressure Fit for a Princess (choosingkidfree.wordpress.com)
• Jury duty: unfair burden or civic obligation? (cbc.ca)
• Ballot Casting and other fish tales (mikespub.wordpress.com)

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