SHOULD CHRISTIANS PARTICIPATE IN POLITICS OR RESIST EVIL

 

 

Christians are now experiencing escalating persecution worldwide. Even from the Evangelical Church, we are receiving criticism, which parallels what we hear from the secular West – Christians shouldn’t be involved in politics. This criticism takes many forms:


“Should Christians ever bring legal charges against their persecutors?

Some feel that we shouldn’t and cite:

• Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them… Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:14-19)

They reason that, since we must “bless and… not curse” and “never avenge” ourselves, bringing legal charges isn’t an option. Instead, we are to trust that God will bring “vengeance” (justice) - “the wrath of God” - on the Day of Judgment.

However, “the wrath of God” is not reserved for that Day alone. According to Paul, “the wrath of God” is also meant to be exercised through the court system:

• 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. (Romans 13:1-4)

God also takes vengeance through the “governing authorities.” They are His invention to bring about justice. Therefore, to “leave it to the wrath of God” is to respect the justice systems of the various nations, oddly even the oppressive Roman Empire. If God has instituted them, we must also support what is of God. This means that we shouldn’t hesitate to bring the matters before those whom God has ordained, unless the Church can adjudicate them.

Paul repeats that we are required to submit to these authorities in the next verse. He then instructs Christians to pay them “taxes” (13:6) and “honor” (13:7).

How do we honor them? By respecting their office, by being witnesses against evil (Eph. 5:11) and even by pressing charges, when appropriate! If we know a gang is committing rapes and we fail to testify against them, then we become moral accomplices and bring disrepute upon our faith by allowing them to continue unchecked.

We also honor the authorities by allowing them to do their job.  It is not our job to bring justice. We cannot form vigilante groups or take revenge. However, we can help the governing authorities by bringing to them charges of criminal wrongdoing. If we fail to do this, we are guilty before God:

• He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 17:15)

If we give the wicked a free pass, our God is not pleased.

“Is it ever right to use physical force against the evildoer?”

Some would argue that personal physical force is never justified:

• … if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:20-21)

They argue that, if we are to overcome “evil with good,” there is no place for physical force. However, this teaching, along with many others, pertains to individual Christians not governments. Very few of the teaching in the New Testament were directed towards the authorities in their public roles. There was certainly no expectation that their Roman over-lords should “overcome evil with good” or to forgive their enemies. Instead, the authorities, whoever they were, ruled by fear – by the sword (Rom. 134). Anything other than this was unthinkable.

Ideally, the civil authorities are the ones to exercise justice and administer punishment, but what would happen if kidnappers broke into a home with young children? Should not the husband protect his family in the absence of the police? And what if the husband didn’t protect his family but misapplied the Jesus’ teaching about turning the other check, saying “You want my three-year-old-daughter? Take my four-year-old also.”

Such a response would be ignorant and bring disrepute upon the Church. The next victim could then rightfully say, “Since you didn’t resist the kidnappers, you enabled them to come to my home on the following night!”

Of course, this scenario is absurd, but it demonstrates where this foolish thinking about non-resistance can take us. Instead, even Jesus suggested that physically resisting evil was sometimes acceptable:

• Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. (Matthew 24:42-43; Luke 12:39)

• If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed. A thief must certainly make restitution, but if he has nothing, he must be sold to pay for his theft. (Exodus 22:2-3)

The homeowner had a perfect right to protect his family, even with the use of physical force. Even Jesus Himself resorted to physical force when He drove the money changers out of the temple.

 

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Some Christians argue that we shouldn’t even advocate a political position or even vote. They argue that the Western world hates the Church to such a degree that they refuse to hear the Gospel. Certainly, we are surrounded by those who hate the Church and malign us:

• “Religious fanatics who run the country…are close to realizing their vision of a heaven on earth: an American theocracy.” (Robin Meyers, Why the Religious Right is Wrong)

• “We must resist before fundamentalists do what they have promised and turn the world’s oldest democracy into a theocracy ruled entirely by ‘righteous men.’” (Mel White, Religion Gone Bad)

However, we mustn’t be put off when the world hates us. Jesus warned about this, even when Christians weren’t involved in any way in the political process”

·       "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. (John 15:18-20)

Instead, we must take our cues from the Bible:

·       But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."…Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29)

While we not required to ignore the opinions of the non-believers, these opinions should never over-ride the requirements of the Scriptures. Nor should they force us to be silent about sin and injustice, even in high places:

·       Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephes. 5:11)

The apostles exposed hypocrisy and sin:

·       At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!" (Acts 23:2-3; Jesus also – Matthew 23)

Sometimes, we are guilty if we fail to speak out

·       But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' (Ezekiel 33:6

Some Christians believe that it is illegitimate to instruct others how to vote. This is common among those who had opposed President Trump. Pastor Tim Keller had claimed:

·       “when it comes to taking political positions, voting, determining alliances and political involvement, the Christian has liberty of conscience. Christians cannot say to other Christians “no Christian can vote for …” or “every Christian must vote for …” unless you can find a biblical command to that effect.”

Well, there are no verses instructing us to intervene in a mugging or even to call the police. However, many verses instruct us, in general, to intervene:

·       So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. (James 4:17)

Certainly, we have liberty of conscience, but this shouldn’t require pastors, teachers, or others to not persuade. “Liberty” and freedom of speech should not require anyone to close their mouths especially in the important arena of politics.

Does our political activity interfere with evangelism? When the Church has failed to speak, we have damaged our credibility. For example, one atheistic publication had written:

·       European Christianity failed to prevent the mass slaughter between the faithful in the Great War and actually contributed to World War II, insofar as conservative churches supported fascism. The failure of the churches to provide sound moral guidance may help to explain the Continent’s postwar lack of enthusiasm of religion.” (“The Big Religion Questions Finally Solved,” Free Inquiry, Jan. 2009, 29)

Trying to please the world is misguided (James 4:4). It is better to focus upon pleasing God.