What Does the Bible Say About... Politics?
It’s been a wild month for politics in America. Former President Trump was almost assassinated, while on the other side of the ballot President Biden dropped out of the race and Vice President Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee. The chaotic political scene and upcoming election occupy center stage in the minds of many Americans today.
While politics ought not dominate our minds, they do warrant our attention. Governmental decisions have direct impacts on our lives, and while we see around us vastly different approaches to prompting political change, some ways are far better than others. Knowing how to rightly consider and interact with the government proves relevant for us all.
On Sunday, Pastor Michael preached on Mark 12:13-17, teaching us a biblical perspective on politics. Michael shared that God ordains government, God is sovereign over all things, God designed distinct roles for the church and the state, and God calls Christians to be faithful to Him and good citizens.
When Jesus said to render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s, He affirmed cooperation with the government. Rightfully enforced, government is a helpful establishment that maintains social order and punishes wrongdoing.
With that being said, governments exercise limited authority. God is sovereign over all things, including governments. Rendering to God that which is God’s involves surrendering our very selves to Him.
Now, while worldly governments should enforce just laws, it’s easy to see this is not always the case. When we must choose between obeying God or obeying the government, we should certainly obey God. The state possesses a distinct role from the church, and it does not possess the authority to dictate our obedience to the Lord.
Recognizing a separation of church and state, Christians should stand for justice and seek to enforce good moral standards in governments, but should not seek to enforce Christianity through the government. As Christians, we impact societies by making disciples, not by seeking to use Christianity as a vehicle to drive political change. When Christians faithfully share the gospel, societies are impacted for the better. When Christians prioritize policymaking over evangelism and discipleship, the power of the gospel is forgotten.
It is important for Christians to engage in politics with wisdom. As Michael also noted, we should recognize the difference between straight-line issues and jagged-line issues (straight-line issues being issues where there exists a straight line from a biblical principle to a political position, and jagged-line issues requiring a multistep process). Straight-line issues include abortion, gender, and marriage. Jagged-line issues include tax policy, healthcare, and gun reform. We should not equivocate between morally heinous acts and issues on which reasonable arguments exist on both sides. When voting, we should consider which issues are most important, show patience and grace to others, and resist sinful anger.
Finally, it’s important that Christians keep the main thing the main thing. While we should engage in politics, our labors should display that our ultimate hope is not in the establishment of an earthly country, but in the revelation of a heavenly one.
Resources:
Giving God and Government Their Due — Ligonier Ministries
Political Flag-Waving Isn’t Enough — John Piper
Reflection Questions:
How does recognizing God’s sovereignty inform how we should interact with the government?
How should straight-line issues impact our approach to voting?
Evaluate your attitude this election season. Are you more emotionally invested in the state of American politics, or the eternal destinations of those around you?