Text:      Daniel 4, Romans 13:1-7, Matthew 22:15-22

By:         Bro. Ezekiel Oghenekaro

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The question is: ‘Should a Christian take any part in politics?’ Should he or she:

• Vote in a general or local election?
• Join a political party?
• Become an elected representative?
• Join in political demonstrations or pressure groups?

What is really expected of a Christian?  What is the right thing to do?

Politics refers to a set of activities associated with the governance of a country, or an area. It involves making decisions that apply to members of a group. It refers to achieving and exercising positions of governance—organized control over a human community, particularly a state. Wikipedia.

Many Christians today, believe that the Bible teaches us that we should avoid all involvement in politics and that the answer to each of the questions above is ‘No’ according these group of Christians. But those who are not familiar with this point of view may well be puzzled by it. After all, is the right to vote not an important part of life in any democratic society? Isn’t democracy the best political system for a country, the way to ensure moderate policies and stability? Doesn’t this require all of us to participate by playing our part in the political life of our country?

Millions of respectable citizens vote; there are many sincere Christians who are active in politics; and it could be argued that it’s actually part of a Christian’s duty to see that their country is run properly. Surely Christians should exercise their right to vote, should try to get the right people into power and so help to improve society.It has even been suggested that it is un-Christian not to vote. What would happen, for example, if everybody abstained at election times? Wouldn’t it result in complete chaos for us all? How could such a selfish attitude possibly be compatible with a Christian outlook?
‘Society’s point of view’

Our society expects its citizens to take part in the political process. It is also true that there are many politicians who enter politics with the conviction that they can improve the lot of mankind. In the recent history of the Western world, a number of governments have had remarkable success in improving the quality of life of the average individual. There are also many leading politicians who are happy to be known as practising Christians, and who seem to have no qualms of conscience about the exercise of power in the interests of the public good.

All these points certainly look like reasons for Christians to be willing to play a responsible part in the way their country is managed, especially if it is ‘for the right motives’

God’s point of view

Everything so far in our discussion has been looked at from a purely human standpoint. The phrases used include expressions such as “the public good”, “the quality of life”, and “improving the lot of mankind”.

Now these expressions are all very well if you are a humanist. If you don’t believe in God, and you think that man is the author of his own destiny, then it’s perfectly reasonable for you to believe that we can manage our own political affairs in a way which will bring about a better future for the world.

But what about God’s instructions? What about the teachings of Jesus Christ? Surely, if we claim to be Christians, followers of Christ, then we cannot leave them out of our considerations. Quite the opposite in fact, we must look very carefully at what they tell us.
What Does the Bible Tells Us?

The Bible has much helpful and clear teaching on this subject; in particular there are three principles which we must consider. Briefly summarized, these are:

• God rules in the kingdom of men
• The teachings of Jesus Christ and
• The message of Apostle Paul in Romans 13

It is vital for Christians to understand these principles. They will help us to work out exactly how we should respond to calls to vote or become more deeply involved in the political process of the country in which we live.

First principle: “God rules …”

God’s claim is that He is King – King over all who worship Him now, and King in the past over the nation of Israel. He called the children of Israel to be “a kingdom of priests, a holy nation” (Exodus 19:6). Other nations and their leaders, particularly those surrounding Israel, were influenced by God, often without knowing the part they played in His purpose. One of these was king Nebuchadnezzar, an autocratic ruler of ancient Babylon who lived six hundred years before Christ. Like modern humanists who think that people can improve the world by their own devices, he refuted the supremacy of the God of the Bible in the control of human affairs. The Book of Daniel, in the Old Testament, gives us a picture of this great Eastern monarch full of pride at his own achievements. We read of him boasting out loud:

• “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30)

However, Nebuchadnezzar had a hard lesson to learn; three times in this same chapter the all-important principle is repeated that:

• “The Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will.”

To reinforce this principle, Nebuchadnezzar, the great ruler, was suddenly and dramatically struck down with mental illness, was driven away to make his home with animals, and was deprived of his kingdom until he humbled himself before God.
Nebuchadnezzar rose from the most humble background to be the leader of a great empire. The world saw him as a man who succeeded through his own abilities, yet his life was ordered by God to teach us that God, and not man, is ultimately in control.
When Nebuchadnezzar had his sanity restored by God, he was honest enough to acknowledge these lessons:

• “At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honoured him who lives for ever … he does according to his will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:34,35)

“He does according to His will … and none can stay His hand.” What implications there are in these words for us as we listen to the promises and the claims of the political leaders of our times! God’s rule, as Nebuchadnezzar came to know, “is an everlasting dominion …”
The principle illustrated again

It doesn’t really matter which era of man’s history you look into: if you see it from God’s point of view, His control is always in evidence. His hand can be seen, overruling and directing the will of men – whether or not they believe in Him. Sometimes, for our benefit, the curtain is drawn fully back, as in the example of Cyrus, the great ruler of the Persian Empire in the sixth century BC.

This example of Cyrus gives us a clear insight into how God works ‘behind the scenes’ with men and nations. In Isaiah 45:1, God refers to this powerful ruler as “His anointed”, even though Cyrus himself was not consciously aware of God’s direct involvement in his life. “I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me”, God said to the king (verse 4). The remarkable thing about these words is that they were given by God to the prophet Isaiah, and written down by him, about 170 years before Cyrus was born. At the time the name ‘Cyrus’ would mean nothing! Why did God tell Isaiah that He would control the actions of this man – why was He willing to smooth his path to victory after victory in his rise to power? The prophet tells us why: it was so that the political survival of God’s people, Israel, would be assured. It was done “for the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen” (verse 4). God’s purpose with Israel would be fulfilled by Cyrus, even though he didn’t know it at the time.

The principle still applies

Now you may wonder whether all this history is relevant to the politics of the twenty-first century. Surely this first Bible principle makes it clear that this really is the case. “The Most High rules the kingdom of men, and gives it to whom he will”, holds true today just as it did over two thousand years ago. The true Christian, the Bible-based believer, understands that God, and not man, is still in control of human affairs. Throughout the Bible, we are shown how the tangled web of local, national, and international politics – so many aspects of which are hidden even from those directly involved – is all in God’s good hands, both in history and in the contemporary world. “His dominion”, said Nebuchadnezzar, “is an everlasting dominion”. God never changes: this Bible principle still applies today, and it applies whether we recognize it or not.

Our personal response

Our personal response to all this will depend on how much we acknowledge the Bible as the word of God and how much we are prepared to listen to its message to us.

If we refuse to accept that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God”, and that it is able to make us “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus”, then Bible teaching about God’s control of human affairs will appear meaningless to us. If this is the case then we are justified in making our own fallible political decisions and to make up our own minds as best we may on the basis of what we see and hear in the world around us. But … we then need to live with the consequences of those decisions, especially when we get them wrong!

Jesus and Politics

 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk.  And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the money for the tax. And they brought him a coin. And Jesus said to them, whose likeness and inscription is this? They said, Caesar’s. Then he said to them, Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are God’s. When they heard it, they marvelled; and they left him and went away (Matthew 22:15-22; RSV).

Note that Jesus uses the term “to render”. This literally means something is to be paid back. He is stating, then, that there is a legitimate, valid responsibility to government. He is also pointing out that there is a valid responsibility to God. He does not present these two as being necessarily antagonistic. His words give a vital balance to political philosophy. The state is not to assume the power of crushing the individual into the realm of the unimportant if the words of Jesus are taken seriously.

Apostle Paul’s Message in Romans 13:1-7

 Romans 13:1-7 says, 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 he who 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 him 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; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be subject, 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 all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

OBSERVATIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. Relationship to Leaders

Since the New Testament stresses civic and political responsibility, how are Christians to look towards those who are in authority? Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing right you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the emperor (1 Peter 2:13-17).

The apostle Paul has spoken of the relationship of the Christian to leaders: First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

As Christians we are to be concerned about those who are in positions of authority. We are to encourage them by our prayers. It has become all too common to assume the role of the critic. The New Testament emphasis, however, is to be the citizen who supports and upholds those who are in authority. By such a positive involvement, we are going to have a much higher quality of people in government. There are times when criticism is justified, of course. However, to assume that all that we do in relation to political figures is to find fault with them is to act in direct contradiction to what the Scriptures teach.

1. The Christian and Citizenship Involvement “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarrelling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men” (Titus 3:1, 2). Christians are not to be parasites, but rather they are to be sources of inspiration and sources of service to the community. Christians should stand before their fellow human beings as the most public-spirited, community-interested of all people.

The role of the Christian is not to detach himself to some cloistered area. For us to talk about the evils of the day and then to refuse to put forth an effort  to  correct  these  evils  is  to  be  a  living contradiction.

1. Can a Christian Participate in the Political Area Without Losing His Faith?

No one is suggesting that being in the public eye is easy or without numerous temptations. But, then, anything that you do that is worth-while brings with it temptations. If a man is successful and he makes money, there is the temptation that he will misuse his money. If a man has great leadership abilities and he becomes an elder, there is a temptation that he will misuse his authority as an elder. In the Old Testament Daniel stands out as a devout servant of the living God. Yet, Daniel was associated with three pagan rulers.  He lived in a corrupt, luxury-seeking society. He lived in a land where the name of God had been perverted and twisted into a grotesque display of debasing idolatry. However, there has never been a more successful political figure than Daniel. He did not lose his faith. He glorified his God by being active and strong in the midst of that society. (The apostle Paul, without hesitation, used his Roman citizenship.) Yes, it is possible for a Christian to be a political leader without sacrificing his faith. Again I am not suggesting that this is easy, but certainly this is not impossible.  I am grateful that there are Christians who have been willing to face the crucible of public scrutiny and criticism to serve in political offices. We need more such people.

Conclusion

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them: and he said to him, All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me. Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan! for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve (Matthew 4:8-11).

This temptation was certainly one with political overtones. Satan promised Jesus supreme authority over the kingdoms of the world. Jesus emphatically refused.  Politics is not religion. There is no substitute for looking to God as the moral governor and the only one deserving to be worshipped. So as we look at the political realm today, may we keep in mind that this area is a legitimate human enterprise, but that it is not to be deified. So may we pray for those who are involved in governmental leadership, remembering that they, like ourselves, are simply human beings. Let us not expect perfection of them any more than we expect perfection in ourselves. Let us be good citizens encouraging that which is right, upholding those things that are good. Let us be salt and light.

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