One question that arises from time to time is the relationship of Christians to “secular” society. What is our role in society? How do we take the radical teachings of Jesus and make them actual in the world? In our current unsettled political atmosphere I think this is a timely topic.
The first principle that applies to this issue is that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. This is what Jesus said:
My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.
This is not the only place where the New Testament tells us something like this. We see the following in Philippians 3:20:
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we take these passages seriously we are forced to conclude that we do not belong to the political system of this world. But how do we live out that not-belonging?
There seem to be a few options.
First, we could rebel. We could reject the authority of the world system and fight whenever it tries to impose itself on us. This is not uncommon — “cultish” movements will sometimes become extremely adversarial to the government to avoid allowing the government to interfere with their beliefs and practices.
But it’s clear from the above that Jesus did not intend for us to do this. The very fact that his kingdom is not of this world means that we, his followers, will not use worldly strategies against worldly targets. We are reminded that
… we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
If it has flesh and blood, it is not our target — even more, it is something — someone — we are trying to save! This is especially important to remember in a time of high emotion like the present when people are demonizing one another out of fear and out of the desire for power.
The second option we can call passivity. In that instance we simply go along. We allow ourselves to be pushed into a small corner where “religion” lives. Because this world is not our home, we act as though we have nothing to say to it.
I believe this option is a lot like “hiding the talent” in the parable in Matthew 25:
For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.”
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.”
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”
But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
“So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
“And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Instead of hiding that valuable thing God gave us, we are told by Jesus that we are the light of the world, and we are to
“Let [our] lights so shine before men that they see your works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
How does this work out?
First, it comes from loving our enemies. One of the most perplexing passages in the New Testament is found in Romans 13, where Paul says that we as Christians should obey the civil law. But because of the chapter break between Romans 12 and Romans 13, people rarely read this passage in context:
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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 the same reason 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.
In other words, our attitude toward civil authority should not be to treat them as the enemy. They are actually there as God’s servants for good. By resisting the authorities we resist God, who intended to use human authority to regulate evil and encourage good.
Even when evil people are in charge we are not to resist the civil authorities: Jesus told us not to resist the evil person. Because such resistance is always in the service of evil.
Instead, we must follow God rather than man. When the word of man stands against the word of God, we must follow the latter. But notice — in general this will not be the case. In general we are to pay taxes, revenue, respect and honor to the civil authorities. This is because doing so is good and right. By rebelling, treating those in authority with contempt, and stirring up dissension, we open the door not for God, but for Satan. Because those who are not Christian will take the cue from rebellious Christians and the result will be chaos and harm. In general rebellions and disruptions cause more misery than they solve.
As I said, there is one area where we must stand firm, and that is with regard to the word of God. As we obey the authorities, we must nevertheless refuse to allow them to suppress our loyalty to God. Thus with rulers like Hitler, we are right to oppose attempts to murder the Jews. As Christians we must live the way God wants even when it goes against the grain or even the laws of society. But in the latter case we must be absolutely sure we are following the Bible. Christians who engage in violent tax revolts, for example, are actually disobeying the clear teaching of the Bible. The Revolutionary War, therefore, was not Christian even though many Christians supported it and thought it was good.
Our main concern, one that overrides all others, must be the agenda of God. Thus we read the following:
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Note how Paul asks us to pray for those in authority because it furthers God’s agenda — that people be saved.
Too often we are tempted to try to re-make society so that society will be good without the people in it being good. This is not possible. People who do not know God will simply not know how have a good society, and it is futile to try.
Instead, we do more for the world by helping people come to know God from whom they can learn to live right and be empowered to do so by the Holy Spirit. But remember that even this is not of ultimate importance. The fact that someone becomes a better person is of no eternal value unless that person comes to know God. And to change society to make people better does not save them. Only bringing them to Christ can do that.
And that’s what our first priority must be in this time when people are so concerned with who will be the next president.