Pretended Neutrality and Politics

Moving On

I've already worked through some ideas about science and a more fully biblical worldview. Another arena, particularly at present, seems to rise to the forefront of our minds: politics. Phil Johnson of Pyromaniacs fame has been thinking through political involvement, gospel advance, and the major differences between the two.

Politics and the Apostle Paul

In this post, I'd like to get more fundamental than that: what does proper Christian involvement in American politics look like?

Probably the clearest passage on this comes from Romans 13. Paul writes,

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Clearly, proper political involvement for American Christians is willing submission to governing authorities, whether they are on the local, state, or national levels. Part of this willing submission is the payment of taxes to the government.

For first century Christians, submission to the government meant submission to imperial Rome. This was particularly powerful to Paul's original readers, for imperial Rome was by no means friendly towards Christianity. In fact, Peter and Paul were both martyred by Nero, according to tradition.

The central truth behind Paul's teaching in these verses is also the motive for obeying it: "there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." So even though Nero was a sorry, no-good, unbelieving criminal, he was in power because God put him there. Christians are to be good citizens, because they are subject to authorities which God put in place. By obeying the government, they were obeying God.

The lordship of Christ is a central foundation for a mature Christian worldview. Paul fleshes the political aspect thereof out in this text: as Lord, God establishes human governments and the human governors according to his will and purposes.

What About Us?

However, America is not an empire but a republican democracy. The leaders to which we are to subject ourselves are popularly elected into power. First century Rome was not a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" as we are (or aspire to be). This brings to my mind the following questions:

(1) Is proper subjection to the U.S. government a mandate to vote?
(2) How do political affiliations of any kind fit into the principles of Romans 13? That is, what does a fully orbed Christian worldview make of partisan affiliation? Is it to be shunned? Is it acceptable under certain conditions? If so, what are those conditions?
(3) The Constitution provides for the dissolution of the government should the people decide to do so. Is that biblical? For that matter, was the colonists' rebellion against Great Britain disobedience to Romans 13?
(4) What is the Church's role in politics, if any?

These are matters I hope to develop further in future posts.

Psalm Monday - June 9, 2008

Psalm 28

There is an utter helplessness that characterizes trust in God. If God is silent, David says, then he is no better than those in the grave. There is no pretense of ability or synergy here; without Yahweh's direct, merciful intervention, David has no hope.

I'm reminded of an edition of an NIV bible I saw on a secretary's desk in one of the offices where I work. It was labeled on the bottom of the front cover as the "Self-Help Edition." No, I'm not making it up (unfortunately). There is nothing more self-contradictory or oxymoronic than a "self-help Bible," for what David is here crying out is that Yahweh alone is our help. Otherwise, we're dead.

Oh, how often are we guilty of thinking, "If I could only do better as a Christian, then I'd really be blessed. If I could just read more and better, if I'd pray like so-and-so, if I could just pull myself up by my bootstraps spiritually, I'd get out of this rut." We are no doubt charged with working out our salvation with fear and trembling, but we do so with a profound sense of helpless trust. If it was not the case that God works in us to will and to do according to his good pleasure, we would go down in the pit, being dragged away with the wicked.

David cries out for judgment upon the wicked and separation from them, that he might not be tainted by their evils and judged in wrath himself. He sees their evils as offenses and affronts to God, and rightly despises such evil. Moreover, he fears lest such evil be found in his own heart as well.

Verse 5 reminded me of the last few posts about science (and the idea of spiritual neutrality in general this world wishes it had). The wicked human heart apart from Christ's grace refuses to regard the one true God as the one responsible for the world and the reign thereof. Sinners prefer anarchy and self-appointed autocracy over yielding to the true Sovereign.

Oh, how hardened my heart becomes! Oh, how the deceitfulness of sin hardens my heart. Thanks be to God, I am delivered from this body of death through Jesus Christ the Lord! Yahweh hears the prayers of his people, for he is the only God and the only One who can deliver! He is indeed the strength and shield of his people, the saving refuge of his anointed. Lord, be our shepherd and carry us forever.

Great Quotes for the Weekend

Martin Downes at Against Heresies posted a couple of really meaty quotes from John Owen and Samuel Rutherford.

John Owen:

...when the conduit of Christ's humanity is inseparably united to the infinite, inexhaustible fountain of the Deity, who can look into the depths thereof? If, now, there be grace enough for sinners in an all sufficient God, it is in Christ.

And on this ground it is that if all the world should (if I may so say) set themselves to drink free grace, mercy, and pardon, drawing water continually from the wells of salvation; if they should set themselves to draw from one single promise, and angel standing by and crying, "Drink, O friends, yea, drink abundantly, take so much grace and pardon as shall be abundantly sufficient for the world of sin which is in everyone of you;"--they would not be able to sink the grace of the promise one hair's breadth.

And on this ground it is that if all the world should (if I may so say) set themselves to drink free grace, mercy, and pardon, drawing water continually from the wells of salvation; if they should set themselves to draw from one single promise, and angel standing by and crying, "Drink, O friends, yea, drink abundantly, take so much grace and pardon as shall be abundantly sufficient for the world of sin which is in everyone of you;"--they would not be able to sink the grace of the promise one hair's breadth.

John Owen, Communion with God, p. 61-2

Samuel Rutherford:

If there were ten thousand, thousand millions of worlds, and as many heavens full of men and angels, Christ would not be pinched to supply all our wants, and to fill us all.

Christ is a well of life, but who knoweth how deep it is to the bottom?

Have a great weekend!