A brief survey of the Bible and its principles will show that it has directives for all areas of life. Does this include civil government? Is God as concerned about the structure and principles of political systems as He is about families? Or has God left the area of political systems for man to develop according to the needs of a particular era or to satisfy the desires of a particular people? Or does the Bible claim “neutrality” in certain areas of life, leaving man to create his own directives? For example, is there a Christian economic system? Or is the study of economics a neutral enterprise? Does the Bible set forth directives in the area of science? Are there certain creational laws that God has established to order the universe? Is it possible to develop an educational system from Scripture? Can educational facts have any meaning if they are not related to God and His word? Can one really be “educated” if Christ is not at the center of his life, giving meaning to all facts and experiences? Are there commandments that address the issues of business?
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus is Lord and that His lordship extends over all the facets of society and its institutions, including the family, economics, science, education, and for this study, civil government. There is no realm of society where the lordship of Jesus Christ can be ignored. When political systems rule, they rule in accordance with a law system. This is inevitable. There can be no neutral law system. “It must be recognized that in any culture, the source of law is the god of that society”[1]. If man is the source of a society’s laws, then man is the god of that society. If society ignores the governing principles that God has set forth in His word, then that society is competing with the Lord of all creation. But Scripture is clear; God does not compete with His creation: “That they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the LORD, art the Most High over all the earth” (Ps. 83:18). God shares His glory with no man, society, or political system: “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8; 48:11).
There are many who would say that the Bible has no business in the so-called secular realm. The Bible is useful for spiritual matters but not the substantive matters of civil government, law, economics, politics, and science. Times have changed and the Bible is an out-of-date book. So say many in our day. But the Christian has the duty to follow the only true King and the commandments of His kingdom. If we truly love Jesus Christ, we must follow His commandments. When His commandments speak to civil government, we must obey. A. A. Hodge, the great Princeton theologian of a century ago, had this to say about the Christian’s duty to obey Jesus Christ in all areas of life, including civil government:
A Christian is just as much under obligation to obey God’s will in the most secular of his daily businesses as he is in his closet [in prayer] or at the communion table. He has no right to separate his life into two realms, and acknowledge different moral codes in each respectively-to say the Bible is a good rule for Sunday, but this is a week-day question; or the Scriptures are the right rule in matters of religion, but this is a question of business or of politics. God reigns over all everywhere. His will is the supreme law in all relations and actions. His inspired Word, loyally read, will inform us of His will in every relation and act of life, secular as well as religious; and the man is a traitor who refuses to walk therein with scrupulous care. The kingdom of God includes all sides of human life, and it is a kingdom of absolute righteousness. You are either a loyal subject or a traitor. When the King comes, how will he find you doing?[2]
To deny that there is a biblical system of civil government is to say that God has no standard of righteousness and justice in this crucial area. If men and nations can pick and choose the system of civil government they desire, man becomes ultimate and God becomes subordinate to man’s desires. How could a system of civil government ever be evaluated if the system is arbitrary at the very start? If a group of disenchanted citizens wished to overthrow the first arbitrary government, what standard of justice would prohibit them from doing it? If any man-made governmental system is legitimate, then it follows that all man-made governmental systems are legitimate. Those who have the means, the power, and the influence are the ones who rule. Because all of life is to reflect the character of God, we must expect civil government to reflect His character as well. No two competing systems of civil government can be right. Only the Bible can be our guide in determining which is right. The experiences of history and the desires of men are of little consequence if they do not support or reflect the system of civil government outlined in Scripture. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn” (Isa. 8:19-20).
Endnotes:
Gary is a graduate of Western Michigan University (1973) and earned his M.Div. at Reformed Theological Seminary in 1979. Author of countless essays, news articles, and more than 27 book titles, he also hosts The Gary DeMar Show, and History Unwrapped—both broadcasted and podcasted. Gary has lived in the Atlanta area since 1979 with his wife, Carol. They have two married sons and are enjoying being grandparents to their grandsons, Calvin and Paul. Gary and Carol are members of Midway Presbyterian Church (PCA).
Have you proved it or have you assumed it? Your piece comes across as being more of an assertion than an argument from Scripture. Was this piece meant to be part of a larger work because, as it stands, it begs the issue. Merely saying that the Bible clearly says something doesn’t make it so.
Is God in control? What is going to happen if you can’t get people to see your point? Is God’s will going to be thwarted? How much does our efforts contribute & to what: making life a little better for a little longer? There seems to be an underlying argument that you do not want to state; what is it? How important is our rol, & ultimately what is the end result? Is it a mere relative difference in this life?
I rarely get into scriptual dialogue for obvious reasons, but I succumbed because I would like to think that what I have to say may help someone looking for answers.
Randy posed a question that many people are wondering…” how can the Clergy live with themselves in view of what Jesus said?”. Therein lies a much overlooked flaw, in that the Clergy ( some church leadership) are guilty of failing to tell the the people the whole story, in many cases, because they do not know the whole story themselves, and some really believe they are doing an adequate job.
Gary DeMar and other fine ministers such as James Kennedy and Chuck Baldwin are doing a fine job…but we need more of them! Pasters and churches do not get people saved…only Christ is qualified for that job. The l;ate James Kennedy said in one of his sermons said that” God is about politics”. It took several years of research before I began to understand what he meant.
The term ‘separation of church and state’ has been in use for so long, that it has become accepted as true, when exactly the opposite is true. Basically it was taken from Constitutional documentation and ammended, or altered out of context.
God is intimately involved in the affairs of men, whether it be political,cultural,spiritual or ideological, and He always has been. God wants us to be well informed as to what is (really) happening to our world, but church leadership need to be accurately informed first. We need to bear in mind that individual churches, regardless of denomination, have their own agenda, and they do not want that agenda disrupted by something they may consider controversial to their views. Remember Paul saying to the churches ” and so you have split Christ into a thousand pieces?”.
In seeking the truth and to lay the groundwork, I initially found 3 books that helped bring all key elements, or pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, into play…The Bible. The Creature from Jekyll Island and The Battle for the Mind. Of course there are other sources of information that followed. But with research, prayer and study, I was amazed at how I managed to connect the data from these books that, at first, appeared to have little in common!
Needless to say (again) it is impractical to attempt a reasonable dialogue and share 3 years of research into this short format.
God bless everyone looking for answers. I believe He encourages an enquiring mind.
Stan
How can I buy same material to teach people here in Brazil? (it can be in eglish because I can translate it) what material do you advice me to buy? We are starting a reformed church in my city and we want ot spread the reformed message in all our state at Bahia. Please give same advice and I need you to help me because you make part of this movement as chairman and you can advice me, pray for me. I am working with children too, I am a teacher in a public school and I need material to work you can say to me the price of the books and how can I buy and recieve here in Brazil
Thank you
Djalma, what is the spirit of the people of Brazil, would you describe them as people who hunger for truth? Would you say that the doctrine of salvation through faith in Christ is well received by most people? What religion is most prominent? I ask these questions to better understand the means of preparations and the scale of avidity necessary to claim Brasilia for Christ.
Also, how long have you been a Christian? Who are the dominant people groups that make up the social structure? Are there any restrictions concerning religious freedom?
One resource I would recommend is found on the internet at positiveaction.org. They have some very good materiel for developing curriculum and bible studies.
In Christ!
Unfortunately Stan, the bible doesn’t speak of an awakening of the church in the end times. However, it does prophesy of a great falling away from the faith. That doesn’t mean we are excused from our responsibility to preach the good news, but it does speak to the urgency of the hour inwhich we live. How about that, Jesus told us what to look for and it is coming to pass. Not a sign, just a sign of the times.
Very well put. This should be posted all over the country. I love the way you framed the argument regarding if God is not the center of the believer’s thought life, then who is. We are indeed not Republican or Democrats first, but Believers or where it applies Non-Believers. All other areas of life get their influence from that foundation. Many in the church have it wrong. You, my brother, have it right, nailed, on lock down. Excellent job.
Has anyone ever considered that it was CAIN who built the first city..I am sure it was complete with maybe a king and/or rulers…The descendants of Ham also built a city, namely Babel…
Maybe these kingdoms/governments are not what God had in mind…
Hello Randy,
All our comments were awaiting moderation, they stay up after they have edited them for such content as profanity etc. Good questions and unfortunately the Scriptual, Cultural/Historical and Political issues that need to be addressed are so intertwined covering centuries of cultural developement, that it would be impractical to open a reasonable dialogue in this short format.
Good luck in your quest for answers. And a word of encouragement….many of the answers to your questions ARE out there. Perseverance & patience does eventually pay off.
Stan
Paul directly addresses this issue in the first 7 verses of Romans 13. That seems pretty clear to me; and allows for man’s punishments to be less than the punishments set out by Moses under God’s direct rule of Israel before God allowed Israel to have their own King (Picked by God). The commandments were not changed as they are being changed today. All kinds of sexual sins are being allowed today which were prohibited under the Law and severely punished. But Jesus allowed the woman caught in adultery to “walk” instead of being stoned to death as required by the Law. Roman law, on the other hand, was the civil law of Israel because they were conquered by Rome. Roman Law did not allow the Jews to take anyones life; only the Romans could kill a guilty person – and they had to be guilty of a crime punishable by death in Rome: which Adultery was not. So God allowed the Romans to rule Israel and God allowed them to be judged and tried and punished under Roman Law.
God’s Law given to the Jews was Strict, but Fair; the punishment matched the crime: and God judged sexual sins, including homosexuality very harshly. Picking up firewood on the Sabbath was punished by death because it was direct rebellion against God. We as Christians should continue to recognize that God’s Laws are what God would have in force if we were not allowed to govern ourselves. They are God’s standards for our lives. This especially applies to the first four commandments which tell us what God tells us are all sins directly against Him. Civil Law normally does not cover these things; although so-called “Blue Laws” were an attempt to encourage Christians to stay home and rest and work on our relationship with God on that day instead of shopping. Tithing is another command which is the Standard set by God and one which Christians should strive to comply with. Our desire to comply with the commands of God and actual compliance will add to our rewards in heaven. We should strive to be obedient to God’s Law. God expects it. But we must obey the Civil Laws of our day and time or suffer the consequences. Those Laws, Paul says, are put in place by God. Generally we will not have a hard time complying with the civil law if we obey the commandments first. Many Christians routinely violate the traffic laws; and that is rebellion against God just as stealing is.
Jesus put this issue to bed when he told the Religious leaders to “give unto Rome what is Rome’s”.
How can todays Clergy live with themselves after what Jesus says in MT: Ch.5 VS.17-20, most of them anyway? Please ask Gary if all these comments I’v made pertain to his aticle, for I would surely like to know his opinion?
Does Jesus view todays Clergy (Priests, Pastors, and Parsons) as He did the Biblical Clergy (Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes)? Todays Priests have set up Special Masses just for homosexuals, Pastors are preaching tolerance to homosexuality because it is not their fault they are like they are, and Parsons want speacial laws passed to protect homosexuals’ rights and let them marry, all this despite what GOD says in LV: Ch.18 Vs.22 & Ch.20 Vs.13, not all Clergy but most. Todays Priest, Pastors, and Parsons preach against, march against, and picket sites of capital punishment, despite what GOD says in NU: Ch.35 Vs.16-21, not all Clergy but most. Are the Clergy of today trying to be more tolerant than GOD about homosexuality, and more compassionate than GOD about about capital punishment? GOD (triunal Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) is the great teacher of all time, past, present, and future, proven by the Torah and the Bible. Do the Clergy of today not believe what Jesus says in MT: Ch.10 Vs.24, LK: Ch.6 Vs.40, or JN: Ch.13 Vs.16, or do they believe the student can become greater than the teacher and change His words and precepts? All this proves that EC: Ch.1 Vs.9 is true!
Did I lie, or does the Bible really say what I expressed? Has Political Correctness scared us away from telling GOD’s truth? If not, then why is my comment awaiting moderation? If we fear offending someone by telling GOD’s truth and and censor that truth, is that not like being lukewarm to GOD and His truth, if so then what is Jesus going to do to us? Its easy to proclaim a view, but harder to live up to it. Thats the root of this countries problems, whose people claim to be 80% plus Christian, they think they can profess but do not have to perform, and the Clergy enables this by their tolerance and silence.
I think you are on the right track Randy. mat. 5:19 says, “Whoever breaks the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them , he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” If everyone kept Torah like our Messiah did, this world would be a better place!!!!!!!!!
Ask Gary if Allah is the same God as Yahweh or is he a false God? According to the Torah and the Bible, Yahweh allowed Assyria to defeat and enslave Israel and Babylon to defeat and enslave Judah, because their people allowed foreigners to set up altars to false Gods and assimulated the foreign worshipers of those false Gods into their societies by marriage and other means, despite Yahweh’s warning against this. Soon after, some of Yahweh’s people converted and started worshipping these false Gods. Why did the peoples of Israel and Judah allow this in their lands despite Yahweh’s warnings against it? Were they trying to purposely upset Yahweh, or were they simply being tolerant to a kind people who only wanted to live peacefully and worshop their own God. Today in the USA their are over 2,100 Mosques and more under construction, while Chtistians are converting to Islam daily. If Gary truly believes what he’s written in his article, then why isn’t he and other Clergy speaking up against this, or does Yahweh not care anymore? Do we really learn from the Bible?
It is difficult for anyone to speak out against Islam without suffering the consequences. There is a fine line between speaking out and being intolerant. Not only will the Muslims come after you, so will our legal system. Just look what happened to Juan Williams. Islam is the powerful world religion that will destroy Christianity. No one in government is defending Christians, but the world seems to be behind Islam, and their leaders know it.
I discovered Gary DeMar through personal research, and I have added him to my growing list of people that NEED TO BE HEARD by the other 310 million people residing in the USA! It is encouraging to see intelligent spiritual leadership making the connection between God and His involvement in the affairs of men. The late James Kennedy said in one of his sermons that “God is about politics”. This is hopefully a sign that some of the churches are beginning to wake up!
I agree
Straight to the point and clear. Great article.