The Only Commission
The only commission given to the Christian is to save souls and make disciples. And not to effect policy change in legislating morality. Legislating such change cannot permanently change human hearts. Only the gospel, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can effect real change in society. We are to share the gospel to everyone but when we take sides in politics, we end up losing the evangelism focus.
The Sovereignty Of God
All governments are ordained by God. God is sovereign over all the affairs of the world and we can trust Him over all national and foreign affairs. God has revealed through His Word how the world will end with lawlessness increasing by the day till it climaxes. We are not to be alarmed and we should have hope because we are already pre-warned. As such, it is something we cannot stop. We can never make any society truly righteous until Christ our Lord comes again and set up His perfect Kingdom. Instead of political activism, we should glorify God in our little sphere of influence by exalting our Lord through good works, witnessing, and exhibiting good conduct.
Submission To Governing Authorities
Our Lord came in a time where there was slavery, persecution and oppression. He never tried to effect political change although the people were looking forward to it. Instead He said,” Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Matt 22:21. Instead of political revolution, He started a spiritual revolution in the hearts of men.
During the apostles’ time, the believers faced severe persecution under the wicked Nero. Yet Paul and Peter exhorted us to submit to the governing authorities and live godly exemplary lives. Rom 13:1. 1 Pet 2:12-15. We are also exhorted to pray for those in authority over us and the salvation of their souls so that we can live tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. 1 Tim 2:1-2. Titus 3:1-2. So when we see our leaders act unrighteously, the first response is to pray rather than protest, since it is God who ordain these governments in the first place.
Citizenship In Heaven Not Earth
Our true citizenship is in Heaven. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. Our priorities are to advance the Kingdom of God and not kingdom of the world. So when we spend time on making the world a better place to live, is that advancing the Kingdom of God or kingdom of the world ? Even if we manage to Christianize governments through political means, do you think we can change the heart of the non Christian society through political power instead of the power of the Holy Spirit ? We should pursue spiritual pursuits instead of political pursuits.
- gleaned from an article by Dr John MacArthur, “God, Government And The Gospel”.
