You don’t need to be active on Twitter to know that people today are deeply divided over politics. I want to add “more than ever” but that sounds like hyperbole. It does seem that there are more arguments and divisions because of politics today, but these things are not new. Perhaps it is just more apparent because of social media. While debating politics is somewhat normal then, there is a part of this that is deeply troubling to me: seeing believers bicker and divide because of this issue.
This week, we look at Daniel’s strange dream of four creatures that represent four kingdoms. Because we will rub shoulders with worldly governments, this is a good time to take a step back and think more broadly about this issue, hopefully so that as we approach teaching kids this session, we won’t bring any unwanted baggage with us.
The Reason Government Exists
Governments are not evil. (I know, I know. But hear me out.) Governments can, and often will, do evil, but they are not intrinsically evil. This is an important distinction that we have to keep in mind. Governments are not evil in themselves because Scripture tells us that God appointed them. We see that in our Daniel passage this week, but we also see it clearly in passages like Romans 13:1-7.
1 Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. 2 So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. 4 For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. 5 Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience. 6 And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s servants, continually attending to these tasks. 7 Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. (Romans 13:1-7 CSB)
Notice that the end of verse 1 tells us that God instituted governments. (Again, we need to be clear that this does not mean that God sanctions all that governments do. He does not. Governments will often abuse the authority God has given to them.) Then in verse 4 we see the purpose God has established governments: to stem evil in the world.
This idea is echoed later in 1 Peter 2:13-14.
13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. (1 Peter 2:13-14 CSB)
Once again we see that governments are sent out by God with the purpose of restraining evil (in part by punishing people who commit evil). Government, then, like all of God’s gifts is intended to be for our good.
Not the Reason Government Exists
I want to take a minute to clarify an important point which I hope is already abundantly clear: that government was not given by God for the salvation of people.
I hope that you just read that with disbelief that anyone would think such a thing. But it does seem that some believe that government is salvific in two ways.
First, some would see government as the agent to save us from evil around us. The idea is that we can legislate morality in our culture. Again, to be clear, government can and should certainly stem evil. And believers should advocate for laws that are just. Abortion is, perhaps, the best example of this. As believers we should fight for laws that ban abortion and that honor all of human life. The mistake here, though, is believing that government can produce moral (e.g. God-honoring) behavior. It cannot. Why would we believe that secular government passing laws could do that which God giving His Law in the Old Testament could not do?
Second, some would see government as an agent to save people out of the evil around us. To be fair, I am not sure many would say it like that—that simply and straight-forward—but I think we can see that this is an undergirding belief for the behavior of some. These would be our brothers and sisters who have come to believe that the hope for our culture rests more in what our government can do than what the gospel can do. Again, they would not necessarily say these words, but their behavior supports it. These would be those of us who are known more for our political affiliation than what church we are members of. These are those of us who deep down might believe that to be a Christian means you have to be of the right political party. And these are people who tend to believe the first idea above as well: that if we can just get the government to do what it should—legislate morality—people will flee evil and come to Christ.
How We Should Engage with Politics
Some believers like to say that we should not be involved in politics—that politics are worldly and we should operate on a higher level. I would disagree with that. Politics comes from Greek and Roman words meaning “affairs of the cities,” “of the citizens,” or “of the people.” In other words, to be political is to be part of our community, something which Scripture calls us to do. So opting out of politics is not the right way to go. Neither is going all in on politics as I intimated above. If people know more about who you voted for in the last election than who you trusted in for salvation from sin and death, that’s a problem. If your social media profiles mention your allegiance to a political party before your allegiance to Christ, that’s a problem. If you decide on issues through a political lens first, and then a gospel lens, that’s a problem. But so is it a problem if you abstain from political involvement. In this area, as is the case with so many other areas, balance is the key. Here are five suggestions that might help you walk such a balance:
- Be a good citizen by obeying government. We saw our command from God to obey our government in Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2. We could add Matthew 22:21 where Jesus commanded His listeners to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. So unless a law violates God’s law (see Acts 5:29), we are to obey our government.
- Vote responsibly. While we are to obey our government, we are to also recognize the times when it acts unjustly and stand against such injustices. We should advocate (even protest at times) for laws that align with the gospel, which we can do without falling into the trap of believing that such laws are the answer for the ills that plague our society.
- Watch your diet. I’m not talking about the food you consume, but rather the media that you consume. I was guilty of this in the past as I consumed news that only came from one biased source. As humans, but even more so as believers, we should strive to develop empathy. We should seek to understand what others think and feel about issues, which can be done without agreeing with them. A good way to do this is by consuming media from a variety of sources and having real conversations (not shouting matches) with people who believe differently from us. Which leads to the next suggestion…
- Extend grace. We are a people saved by God’s lavish grace, and yet, we seem to be quite stingy with extending grace toward others. This should not be. We should be a people marked by grace, kindness, and gentleness. All of which can be displayed side-by-side with conviction and steadfastness for what is right. Jesus is the model of this, isn’t He? Don’t forget that person in a different political part is an image bearer of God. Don’t forget that person on Twitter is not just binary code, he or she is an image bearer of God. Strive to be generous with grace, stingy with condemnation, quick to listen and value, and slow to find cause to divide into “us vs. them.”
- Pray for your leaders. Resist the easier path of praying in general for your leaders. Rather, seek to pray as in much detail as possible, which means trying to understand as much as you can about your leaders. Do they have a family? Do they have any personal needs? Politicians, no matter the letter after their names, are image bearers of God as well. They too deserve our love. Pray for them through that lens as you also pray that they govern with wisdom and justice.
If we are Christians, God will sustain us. The unchanging God has revealed his plan, and his plan is to sustain and to preserve his people in him … In Christ’s sacrificial work of atonement on the cross, [God’s] power and mercy are made most clear. In the end, that is our only hope for survival.” — Mark Dever
Mark Dever, The Message of the Old Testament (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2006), 667.
Preschool Tip: The imagery of this session can be challenging for your preschoolers. While we strived to make the four creatures as least scary as we could in the Bible story picture, use discernment in whether or not you should display that picture and how you discuss these critters this week.
Kids Tip: While the kids you teach are far too young to vote and most will likely be barely interested in politics, do not assume that they are immune to politics and gloss over it. As always, focus on the Christ Connection, but consider taking the opportunity to unpack as deeply as you feel is needed some of the ideas of politics in this post. Not only might this address what they see around them (perhaps their own parents’ behavior) but it helps prepare them for the day when they do engage in politics.