Study more on this topic and other related topics in the American Patriot’s Bible (Thomas Nelson), edited by Dr. Richard Lee, at www.americanpatriotsbible.com.
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"...Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." Matthew 22:21
These are challenging times for America. The nation that has served as the light of liberty for the world seems to be weakening down to her very foundations. There are many American who are openly expressing great concerns about our nation’s future in the generations to come.
Thomas Jefferson, America’s third President said, "God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure...?" (Refer to APB pg. 514)
I too have the same concerns but even greater concerns that the Church of Jesus Christ is failing to fulfill her responsibility in the public and political arena in our great nation.
To lift our Country back to the level of decency and morality designed by our Forefathers, Christians must become the "salt" and "light" Christ commissioned us to be in our personal Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and world.
Our Lord tells us in our text, "...Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." Matthew 22:21
Unfortunately, some have misconstrued this as meaning that Christians have no place in Caesar’s public arena. That is far from the reality of what Jesus was saying. It is clear that He has commissioned us that we are to give of our time, our efforts and influence to the things of God, but also to the actions required for creating a godly government (Caesar’s).
Yet so many Christians in our nation fear that their involvement in the political process is somehow "unchristian" or outside of the realm of Christian responsibility. But nothing is farther from the truth. "POLITICS" is not a dirty word and it is not somehow spiritually "taboo" for the followers of Christ to be involved in the political processes of our nation. In fact, I believe God expects it from us all.
Billy Graham stated," If America is to survive, we must elect more God-centered men and women to..." (Refer to APB pg. 316 for quotes)
1. POLITICS AND WHAT IT IS.
Simply put -- Politics is People.
First it is people who vote. Second are those who receive the vote. When elected they become the representatives who provide public policy and direction in government.
Politics in America has to do with its citizens because it is citizens through the elective process who control their representative government. When we embrace the "political processes" that bring about change for the betterment of our fellowman, we are being that "salt and light" commissioned by our Lord.
2. POLITICS AND WHAT IT DOES.
Now when we see what politics does. We see how ordinary people once elected to public office have extraordinary power over our daily lives.
Politics establishes government and government through its branches and policies sets the rules by which society operates. Thereby, government in a great way controls our manner of living, by using taxation, laws, and ordinances as means of control.
(Refer to APB Subject Index for materials).
3. POLITICS AND WHY IT IS NEEDFUL.
Politics and government walk hand in hand.
A. Government is needful because it is God’s Idea.
Romans 13:1 "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."
v. 4 speaks concerning the people in the government God establishes, "For He is God’s minister to you for good." Who is He? He is the servant of God who gives righteous leadership in government.
Proverbs 29:2 "With good men in authority, the people rejoice but with the wicked in power they groan." Good government is God’s idea.
2. Government is needful for Civil Order.
Without government chaos would rule.
(Humorous Illustration)
A Surgeon, an Architect and a Politician were in an argument over whose profession was the oldest. The Surgeon said, "Mine is the oldest, because Eve was taken from Adam’s rib, and that took surgery."
"No" said the Architect..."Before Adam and Eve the world was created out of chaos, and that was the work of an Architect." Then quickly the Politician said, "Well now, politicians were first, after all, who do you think created the Chaos?"
Romans 13:3-4 "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil...do what is good, and you will have praise from the same...but if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not hear the sword in vain: for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."
When government is ruled by those do good, law and order prevails as God gives them power to bring judgment upon those who practice evil.
4. POLITICS AND OUR CHRISTIAN REPONSIBILITY.
Once again we must be reminded that good government is God’s plan and His desire is that godly men and women represent us. But godly men and women cannot get into leadership unless they are elected.
A. The mistaken idea that God’s people have no place in political activity.
Well, look at those in Bible who involved every level of political activity.
1. Abraham. God told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation of people. This is politics at its beginning.
2. Joseph. Joseph was raised by God to become second in command of the most powerful nation of his time; he was the Vice President of Egypt!
3. Moses. Moses was the "Lawgiver." Most of the laws of Moses are still on the legal books of our day.
4. Daniel. Daniel by his influence changed a King and his kingdom.
5. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the Prophets, spoke against the Politics of their day and called their nation back to God.
6. David...David was King of Israel. The Leader of his nation.
Simply put -- you can’t separate Politics from Word of God or the people of God and no earthly government will never be pleasing to God unless Christians are part of it.
2. The mistaken idea that politics is not spiritual.
I’ve heard politicians say, "Let us take care of the government and you can take care of your religion."
But how will be take care of our religion if we loose the right to practice it? If we lose the right to send missionaries around world to evangelize the lost?
What good is all of our spirituality if a future government strips away our right for religious freedom in our Land?" Politics is Spiritual if it guarantees our Religious Liberties.
Martin Niemoller was a German pastor during the Second World War who failed to cry out against the atrocities of Adolf Hitler. He later became a victim of a Nazi Concentration camp. He issued a warning that we must heed today about Christian responsibility in the face of an ungodly government. He stated:
"In Germany, they first came for the Jews, but I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew: then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. And then they came for me...and by that time there was no one left to speak up."
3. The mistaken idea of the Separation of Church and State.
Is there truth in the idea of separation of church and state? Indeed there is, but it is not as some may think.
The First Amendment was added to U.S. Constitution on December 15th 1791 along with 9 other amendments which are known as our "Bill of Rights".
First Amendment dealt with denying prohibiting the establishment a National Denomination, and therefore, granting freedom for American to choose their personal religion for the generations to come. It states:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; of abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
In 1802 President Thomas Jefferson wrote a personal letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in Danbury, Conn., for the purpose of calming their fears about the new Government forming a National Religion. Within the letter Jefferson refers to the protection provided to the Church by the First Amendment as states,
"I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ’ make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State."
(Refer to APB page 862 for reference)
United States Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehoquist Wrote:
"The ’wall of separation between Church and State’ is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned."
If the process of government is ordained by God then each and every follower of Christ has a responsibility to be involved in the election of Godly people to public office.
Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence served in the administrations of three presidents. Asked about his political affiliations, he explained, "I have been alternately called an Aristocrat and a Democrat. I am now neither. I am a Christ-ocrat. I believe all power...will always fail producing order and happiness in the hands of man. He alone who created and redeemed man is qualified to govern him." (APB pg. 1446)
Our earthly challenge is that we too be Christ-ocrats meaning that as we involve ourselves in the political processes afforded to us by our Founding Father, we will do so in the spirit of Christ, rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and God what is God’s.
