Christians
need a robust, biblical and intellectual theology, including their theology of
government. Dr. Wayne Grudem gave the church a tremendous resource, Politics According to the Bible. He writes, “There should be a
distinction between those things that are governed by the church and those that
are under the authority of civil government.”
Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:21 NLT). The church does not tax people for better roads, organize a nation’s military, nor work towards lowering the national debt. The government is not responsible for the spiritual training of her people. That does not mean Christians should not influence the nation’s values – politics comes down to someone’s values legislated.
Government,
nations, borders, and law are God’s ideas. The Bible is replete with such
evidence. Government’s broad purposes are protecting her people, creating
sustainable infrastructure, and helping the economy prosper. The Church’s broad
purpose comes through disciple-making, serving others, and building society and
culture reflecting goodness and truth.
Sometimes
well-meaning people confuse issues, expecting government to be something it’s
not intended to be. Government is not church nor a parent.
The issues
of open borders and illegal immigration illustrates this reality. Some people,
opposed to deporting illegals, cite Jesus’ words to “love your neighbor as
yourself,” meaning, we should not deport them. Herein lies a basic misunderstanding
of government vs. church’s role. The government is not to be Jesus to the
world. The individual Christian is.
God entrusts
government with “the sword,” meaning power to enforce law, using force – and
sometimes death - if necessary. The apostle Paul wrote, “But if you do
wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are
God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Rom.
13:4 NIV).
Equally sad is
when an American citizen uses illegal drugs and causes the death of another
driver in a car accident. The drug user, arrested and incarcerated, is separated
from his family and friends. It is sorrowful. But the guilt does not lie on the
government for enforcing law – but on the law-breaker.
Government should
not turn a deaf ear or blind eye in the name of “being Jesus” any more than
when the Army is on the front line fighting a war – or when the FBI closes down
on a crime boss or sex offender.
As
government stays in its lane, the church and Christians have opportunity to
show love and compassion. Grudem suggests American churches should be a
wonderful home for immigrants here legally. And for illegals, he suggests the
church should “kindly but honestly counsel” them that the Bible teaches we
should submit to the law: “Illegal immigrants are obligated before God to obey
the immigration laws of the United States.” In some cases, Christians could
help illegals find immigration lawyers. Most cases require encouraging them to
leave and “apply for entry into the United States on the same basis as everyone
else, through proper legal channels.”
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