A Christian's Relationship to the World

I have been mulling over this topic for months, trying to understand what the Bible teaches about our responsibility to the place in which we live. I have come to believe that God is concerned about each person's individual, personal growth in godliness and Christlike-ness, not about making their life comfortable and easy or about transforming a large group like a governing body or a country as a whole single entity. Any change to a large entity such as this only comes as a result of changes to the individuals who make up that entity.

I feel very passionately about this. It grieves and sometimes even angers me to hear Christians rant about injustice towards those professing to follow Christ, call for "holy war" and other retaliation, and become completely distracted from what's really important by political activity. I want to grab them by the shoulders, look them straight in the eye, and demand, "Where do you get the idea that we're supposed to have a comfortable easy life, devoid of persecution? Where do you get the idea that God is about reforming government and protecting freedom of speech and religion?" Obviously not the best way to go about it, I know.

But as I read my Bible, my answer to these questions is, "Certainly not from Jesus!"

Jesus spent 33 years on earth at a time when God's people, the Hebrews, were being oppressed by the Roman Empire. At no time did he ever "take on" the Roman government, assert any authority over them to make them change their policies towards the Hebrews, or call on the Hebrews to revolt or even to participate in non-violent protest. Jesus' message to his followers was to live in peace with all men, to render to Caesar what is Caesar's, to submit to the ruling authorities, take care of the poor and needy, and most importantly to pursue personal godliness and maturity.

Jesus promised us that we would be hated. He told us to expect harsh treatment, to be misunderstood, to be told to be quiet. He told us that what He cares about most is our conduct in the midst of these harsh circumstances. So when I hear Christians embark on their own "holy war" and call for taking over government and get totally consumed by it, I want to wring my hands and rend my garments. At best, this type of behavior profanes Jesus' precious and holy name. At worst, it is idolatry -- they have created a god of their own design who doesn't match the God of the Bible. They then put their faith in that political messiah, not in Jesus Christ.

So I wanted to share where I am right now. I continue to pray for God to show me how He would have me function in the place in which He has me. I have a human, finite mind that cannot grasp everything, so I know that He will continue to teach and shape me. I pray that He will do the same for you, and that perhaps by sharing what He has shown me so far, it may help you think through this issue as well.

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What is the Christian's attitude toward their government to be?

Romans 13:1-7 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 because of this 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.

So much of what I hear from Christians today is completely disrespectful, forgets that God has instituted government, and seems to demonstrate a faith in government for answers, not in God.

Governments are put in place because people are sinful. We Christians tend to forget that people, left to their own devices, always do the wrong thing! This is why we need government -- to protect us from each other. People do horrible things to their spouses, to children, to total strangers. One of government's functions is to protect the people from the sin inherent in us all. We will not do the right thing on our own, and people without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit within them cannot do the right thing.

We should be involved to the degree that our specific government asks its citizens to be. We should use our God-given wisdom to make choices that care for our people and reflect the values we believe to be right. But we should not put our faith in government.

How does the Bible teach us to respond when government wrongs us or when people single us out because of our faith?

Titus 2: 7-8a In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned,

Our reputation before the watching world is important to God!

Matthew 5:43-48 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Part of our personal sanctification and growth in Christlikeness is to learn to love our enemies and pray for them. We must trust God to take care of us and our families as we obey his commands and reflect Him to all.

Why?

Titus 2:8b so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Our conduct ("integrity," and "seriousness") and our words ("soundness of speech") are a living testimony and will shame unbelievers, if that conduct and speech cannot be condemned.

For how long?

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

God will come at the end of the age and set everything right. Until then, we must wait and live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.

What are God's priorities for us?

Titus 2:14 to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

God is about our sanctification and salvation, not about giving us an easy, comfortable, perfect life. No matter what our circumstances, we are to submit to, respect, and honor our governing authority; we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you; we are to model Jesus' love for all; we are to grow in our own spiritual maturity and Christlikeness. God is at work in each of us to sanctify us; nowhere does the Bible say that Jesus came to build a Christian nation, or that the United States is now God's country... in we are Gentiles and represent Babylon and Assyria and all the other pagan nations that God uses. When Jesus returns at the ultimate end, He will install himself on the throne of the world all by himself without any "help" from us!

What are we to do when we see injustice?
Pray!
How should we pray?
Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Notice that the answer given is not "and God will step in and solve the problem and ensure that you are never mistreated and your children are never taken away and your freedom remains intact." The answer is "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 143
My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm of David.
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
  Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous before you.
  For the enemy has pursued my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
  Therefore my spirit faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
  I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
  I stretch out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.
Selah

  Answer me quickly, O LORD!
My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
  Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul.
  Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD!
I have fled to you for refuge!
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
on level ground!
  For your name’s sake, O LORD, preserve my life!
In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your servant.
John Piper, in a sermon on this psalm entitled "How to Argue with God," said in part,

"David's life was endangered and he was crying out for protection and preservation. But sheer existence, the hunger to stay alive, did not so dominate David's mind that he forgot the point of living. Why go on living? For the believer earthly life is not an end in itself. There are reasons to live which justify the desire to stay alive and one of those reasons is to do God's will, to walk in the way God has appointed (vv. 8, 10).
"Do you plead with God to make you more joyful, more loving, more patient, more kind, more gentle, more earnest, more disciplined, etc.? Or do you only pray that he get you out of this and that financial pinch or sickness or predicament at work. If so, call to mind that God did not create us and redeem us merely to live and live well off; he created and redeemed us to be holy as he is holy, to walk in his good will and so bring glory to him. So let's be like David, and every time we hunger for life and safety, let's express to God that we desire spiritual vitality and godliness just as much as life itself.
"How can we go on functioning when we know that there are hostile forces surrounding us who may from time to time break in and do us harm? Won't this rob us of all peace and put us always on edge and make us tense? Yes, it will, until we have sought God like David and prayed earnestly and argued our way before him into his peace.
"Let's remember what Jesus taught his disciples to pray: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." We all have an enemy whose hostility against us never ceases and who is bent on our real destruction, that is, the destruction of our faith. So when we read these psalms it would not be contrary to their spirit if we remember our arch-enemy, the evil one, and then pray that God would deliver us from his power and destroy all his forces.
"How does David propose to get the godliness and the safety that he wants? The obvious answer is by prayer. This simple fact is especially encouraging to me because David was a great man; we know he was handsome and strong and wise and sensitive and often had lots of human power at his disposal. Yet David unhesitatingly takes on the role of a beggar before God."

In summary, I believe that God is most concerned about my personal growth in godliness and Christlikeness, not about making my life comfortable and easy. In fact, I grow the most when things are hard and I have no choice but to depend wholly on Him for my peace, my hope, my words, my actions, my everything. He has told us that our mission here on earth is to make disciples of all nations. Do not be distracted by the word "nations" -- this refers to people groups, not governments. This is a personal work, done by each of us, focusing completely on a person's standing with God. The governmental system in place is peripheral, not the main focus.

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Mark 16:15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

Luke 24:45-47 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem."