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Should Christians be Involved in Politics?
Many of us understand that we need to serve
others with love and compassion, but the question remains: Is politics an
area where we need to also serve people? Many Christians will say that Jesus wasn't
involved in politics. He also did not tell His followers to join any specific
political party or movement. But if we look at Y’shua Messiah’s (Jesus the
Christ's) stand in His day, we will see that He took quite an extreme
political position. He basically challenged the existing order by announcing
a new government - that is the Kingdom of God - and He Himself as head of it. At the time of Y’shua (Jesus), the Jews were
living under the government of the Roman Empire. People could worship the
gods of their choice, so long as they also worshiped the Roman Caesar, who
was seen as their god. Refusing to worship Caesar (the Emperor) was seen
as an act of treason, which was punishable by death. That is why so many
early Christians were persecuted by the Roman State, not because they were
involved in various religions, but because the Roman authorities saw their
religion as a threat to the state. The official religion of the day was Emperor
worship, this meant that it was a political offence to not worship the Roman
state. Christians were burned at the stake and eaten by wild animals because
it was perceived that they were involved in crimes of treason. Y’shua Messiah (Jesus the Christ) stated that He,
and not Caesar, had all authority in heaven and earth. His disciples
understood that God's Laws took precedence over Caesar's laws. In other
words, He challenged the political and spiritual authority of the most
powerful government in the world at that time. Y’shua (Jesus) told us to render unto Caesar what
is Caesar's and to God the things which are God's. The Bible makes it very
clear that when man's law violates God's Law, then we are to obey God rather
than man. And we see the disciples doing this in Acts Chapter 5. Let's imagine somebody, with the name of David,
living under the Mao Tse Tung regime of Red China. This young man, who is a
carpenter, living under this Marxist dictator, comes and tells Mao that he is
God and not Mao or the state. Further, he tells Mao that he is the way, and not
the state or the party. He also goes and tells his followers that they need
to disobey the laws of Red China if it conflicts with his 10 commandments. How do you think this person would be accepted in
China? Would he be perceived as a dangerous political revolutionary or just
as a non-conformist? We know that Y’shua’s (Jesus') disciples did not
get involved in politics, but that was because Rome was not a democratic
country. Political involvement, as we know it today, did not exist. We know
that Y’shua Messiah (Jesus the Christ) proposed a higher Law and a new King,
Himself, and the Christians of His day were prepared to sacrifice their lives
for Him. Many people think that the early church used to
"just preach the Gospel", which they think is very good and not
political. However, the word "Gospel" in the day of Caesar,
referred to Caesar's speeches and authoritative decrees. It should be obvious
that Y’shua (Jesus), and the early church, challenged the political and
religious people of their times, but the question still remains if God
expects us to become involved in politics today? What do we mean by the word 'political'? Well, in
today's life, we see this as the practice of governments in the civil arena;
politics usually refers to involvement and influencing those who govern. If we are going to fulfill God's purpose in
ministering to people's needs, then surely this means that we are going to
have to deal with social problems. How can we implement God's Word and demonstrate
love for the poor if we do not get involved in politics? How do we take care
of the poor, the widows and the orphans, without being involved in politics? At the very least, we play an indirect role in
being involved in politics by voting at the national and local elections. It
is very important to influence government officials because the poor are
usually impacted first by changes in the economy, and these changes are
generally brought about by new laws and policies as passed by government. God has also commanded us to liberate the
oppressed. We often find that the greatest agents of oppression in the world
are secular humanist and authoritarian governments. Wouldn't it be an
effective way of liberating the oppressed by influencing those governments to
pass laws that can help rather than exploit these people? Government policies can play a role in protecting
unborn babies, who are murdered by abortion. Through political laws a country
can protect women and children from the exploitative industry of pornography.
Sex and violence on television, women being viewed as sex objects and abused
and raped can be corrected by the passing of godly laws. Governments govern people, they will decide if we
are going to live as free people or oppressed people. They will also, by their
laws, decide on how we are going to worship God - whether it be freely or
under persecution. They will also set the standard of morality by the laws
that are enforced. The question is - by what standard are they going to
govern? The following four verses help us to understand
what God expects from Government: A wicked ruler is as dangerous
to the poor as a lion or bear attacking them - Proverbs 28:15 With good men in authority
people rejoice, but with the wicked in power, they groan - Proverbs 29:2
When rulers are wicked their
people are too, but good men will live to see the tyrants downfall -
Proverbs 29:16 Where there is ignorance of God,
the people run wild, but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know
and keep His laws - Proverbs 29:18 Governments must live and rule according to God's
purpose, they need to protect the innocent, punish the guilty and preserve
the peace, so that we can live peaceful and godly lives in our country. When God's Law comes into direct conflict with
man's law, then we as Christians need to obey God's Law above man's law. And,
this might also mean that we need to physically resist the wicked when they
oppose the Law given to us by God. In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 we are instructed to pray for
God's wisdom and for direction for our leaders so that we might "live
peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good and
pleases God our Savior who wants all men to be saved and come to a knowledge
of the truth." We know that the function God has given government
is the dispensing of justice and the restraining of evil (Romans 13:1-4). For God to demonstrate His justice in government,
He uses godly men and women in government, to do His will. Evil men don't understand the importance of
justice, but those who follow the Lord are much concerned about it -
Proverbs 28:5 A good man knows the
poor man's rights, the godless don't care. - Proverbs 29:7 We need godly men and women in positions of
authority, so that we may have a peaceful, just and moral society for the
people to live in. If the moral, righteous people of our country do not take
their responsibility in government, then we leave the doors open for our
nation to be governed by the wicked and immoral. We need to defend those who can't defend
themselves (Proverbs 31:8). We are to give fair judgment to the poor, the
afflicted and the orphans. How can this be done in a society, when Christians
remain outside the areas of politics and justice? Christians were told by the Apostles that they
must not sue each other in secular courts, but that they needed to go to the
church elders to settle their civil disputes. The Roman governors of the day
began to appoint the early church Bishops to positions as judges, because of
their reputation for integrity and high moral ethics. Rome became very
insecure because their court systems became corrupt and the only way to
correct this was for the Roman authorities to appoint godly men as the
administrators of justice. In England, we saw statesmen, like William
Wilberforce - who led the fight to abolish slavery. Christians such as Lord
Shaftsbury were also involved with correcting child labour abuses. Christians
brought about reform to insane asylums, they worked in prisons and have had a
great impact on every level of society. Christians established thousands of missions
around the world including orphanages, schools, hospitals and medical
clinics. Christians have led the way in bringing literacy and modern
sanitation to multiplied millions of people around the world. All these
reforms were brought about by social action of godly men. Many leaders in
Africa, for example, received their basic education from missionaries and
church schools. (It is very unfortunate that, although the Christians taught
these people to read, the Marxists and Atheists gave them something to read.)
We, as Christians, need to be represented in government. Here are some simple ways of you getting involved
in the process: 1. Christians need to pray every
day for our country and its leaders. 2.
We need to register to vote. 3.
It’s important to keep up with the legislation and contact our elected officials. 4.
We need to be informed
regarding where the various parties stand on moral/Biblical issues. 5.
We need to select, elect and actively support godly men and women, who are
prepared to stand for public office. 6. We need to vote on every Election Day - whether municipal or national. America is the only country that has ever been founded on the premise that the citizen is sovereign. As such, we are obligated to rule and govern ourselves, under God. The U.S. Supreme Court, in a footnote to the 1961 decision of Torcaso v. Watkins, stated that different ideological systems – including secular humanism could be defined as religion. Yet secular humanism claims to be “pure" of religion and morality. The Progressives Movement "All around the country progressives are fighting to make our world a better place to live. In the midst of an ascended right wing and the dominance of corporations over our daily lives, progressives continue to fight for affordable housing, better wages and working conditions, social justice, clean water and many other solutions to the ills that have long plagued their communities. And yes, most of us progressives also support policies to cut greenhouse gasses and thereby reduce climate change.” - Brendan Smith and Jeremy Brecher We believe that Brendan Smith, Jeremy Brecher, and their friends earnestly believe that they’re fighting to make our world a better place. However… “…God intends civil law to be a restraint against evil, not a source of spiritual deliverance (Romans 13:4). Ironically, those who believe in evolving morality are the ones who most vocally argue for salvation by legislation. Because they believe humankind’s problems arise from outward circumstances rather than sins of the heart, they hope to solve humankind’s problems through government programs and better education. In such a world, the State, not Jesus the Christ, is honored as the true redeemer. The spirit of Babel is alive and well. Men and women still crave human reform solutions to spiritual problems. At the heart of this crisis is a misdiagnosis of the basic problem. Humankind’s problem is not its environment; it is sin (Romans 6:23). The solution begins with spiritual redemption, not social reform or state-imposed order. Because nations are comprised of individuals, the solution requires a change in heart, which only God can do. The disposition of the individual influences what kind of people rule over him/her. Because civil governments are ultimately ruled by individuals, the state of their hearts impacts the prosperity of the whole nation or community. The bottom line is this: Freedom requires self-government; self-government requires righteousness. This explains why, “when the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan” (Proverbs 29:2). As God makes clear from Genesis, proper government begins with self-government and then extends to the family, church, and state, as each jurisdiction honors their God-ordained duties and boundaries.” founder and president of Vision Forum Ministries. What is Government's Real Nature? Understand Socialism's Nature See Separation of Church and State See Are We Causing Global Warming? Understand the Same Sex Sexuality Movement’s Real Nature Understand Islam Enjoy a simple explanation of the different systems of government throughout the world and the different economic principles underlying each type of government — illuminating the unique virtues of the U.S.A. Theocracy in Israel Israel's government was a theocracy: God was their invisible King who chose certain men to lead His people. There were no political parties, campaigns, or elections of popular men. As long as Israel continued under this form of government, depending on God and living righteously, they had victory and miraculous experiences; but when they demanded a king to be like other nations, they came to an end like others that forgot God. When they come back to God, the theocracy will be restored to remain forever (Genesis 49:10; Isaiah 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44-45; Daniel 7:13-14; Zech. 14; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15; Rev. 20:1-10; Rev. 22:4-5). See Israel See Government in First-Covenant Israel See the 21-fold Plan of God |
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