As Christ followers, we are to love even our enemies by
doing good to them. Nor are we to seek to avenge ourselves against those who
have assaulted our children. Instead, we would refer the matter to the
designated authorities. However, if we require our police, elected officials,
and government to merely forgive, it would lead to chaos and bitterness. If my
neighbor assaults me, I would be disappointed if the police took him into
custody to merely show him how much they love him without warning him against
assaulting me. We would be equally disappointed with a president who cared so
little about the welfare of children that he granted every pedophile freedom
from prison with the guarantee that they would never be arrested again.
These are examples of role confusion and the resulting
breakdown of a nation that fails to fulfill its divinely designated roles. While
the Christian must lead the life designated by the Scriptures, we would also
require this of our elected officials who have been assigned a different role.
The judge is not to tell the convicted rapist that since he is a good Christian,
he will let the rapist go free. This would constitute a betrayal of their
ordained role. We have courts and police so that we do not have to play these
roles. This frees us up to love and provide for others:
·
Romans 12:16–21 Live in harmony with one
another… 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.” To the
contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink”… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Scripture continues with the designated complimentary roles
of public officials:
·
Romans 13:1–5 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.
Consequently, we do not attempt to punish our neighbors but
leave this task to God’s designated authorities to exercise God’s wrath.
Likewise, we should not require the government to feed and forgive our enemies.
That’s our job. This is why we do not expect government to provide a host of
entitlement programs. Instead, this should be the responsibility of the Church,
family, and community. Besides, when government takes over these
responsibilities, we encounter many unintended costs like the breakdown of
families, communities, and even Church. Besides, those who are “helped” are
often harmed.
However, the “Christian” Left are often disdainful of these common-sense
role distinctions. For instance, one had written:
·
“There are Christians who are preaching and
practicing the ministry of Jesus, the son of God, who himself was unhoused and
undocumented and sided with the poor, the sick, the indebted, the incarcerated
and the immigrant, while decrying the idolatry of tyrants.”
If Jesus was unhoused and undocumented, this doesn’t require
us to tell the government to allow all undocumented aliens. Yes, Jesus’
ministry had been concerned for the poor and the sick. However, these were the
ones who had cried out for His help, who were receptive to His message rather
than the religious leadership. However, these observations have nothing to do
with the question at hand: “What is the role of the government?” Is it, and not
the family, community, and Church, to fulfill all of our needs? Are entitlement
programs able to produce gratitude and the desire to live Godly lives? Yet the
Left and their cancel culture will do almost anything to fulfill their
oft-discredited ideal of a Marxist world, even to denigrate those who are
trying to follow Jesus:
·
And then there are Christian nationalists, whose
religion of empire is more akin to the worship of Caesar than the Jesus of the
scriptures. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/inside-the-christian-left-s-battle-for-the-bible-and-the-country-opinion/ar-AA1J3RUl?ocid=socialshare
Have you ever met a Christian nationalist? I do not even know what they are. However, this term is a convenient fear tactic to malign Biblical Christianity. Instead, there is nothing in the New Testament about the use of violence or foul play to disable those who oppose us. Instead, Jesus simply warned us about the oppression we will have to endure:
·
John 16:1–4 “I have said all these things
to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues.
Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering
service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the
Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes
you may remember that I told them to you. I did not say these things to you
from the beginning, because I was with you.”
Nothing has changed. Instead, now, if not murdered, we had
been largely excluded. However, we know
that this world isn’t our treasure, but an eternal heaven with our Savior.
I respect a government that maintains order by protecting all, irrespective of color and origin, by punishing evil-doers:
1 Peter 2:13–15 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 evil and to praise those who do good. For this is
the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of
foolish people.
Jesus required no less (Matthew 23:2).
15 comments:
Bob Lachman here. Danny you wrote: “What is the role of the government?” Is it, and not the family, community, and Church, to fulfill all of our needs? The role of government is not in opposition to the family. Government makes the rules by which we live among others in peace. As you pointed out government enforces whatever rules are agreed upon by our representatives. When the rules promote the common good above the individual's good there is increased domestic tranquillity and when it promotes the individual good above the common good there is strife. That could also apply to the family and to the Church as well as the other institutions/organizations that make up what you label as "community". Jesus commands us to be servants to one another. In countries that make rules regarding universal healthcare do you think those rules make the family bonds weak? Do you think that with universal healthcare the Church will be made weak? Do you think that by subsidizing the food industry through food assistance programs our Churches are made weak? Doesn't the act of subsidizing the production of more food strengthen our communities?
Bob, So good to hear from you again. I agree with much of what you have written. There are times when I think that the government should step in, in times of dire need when non-governmental sources are unable to shoulder the load. However, I have seen so many cases where government has dis-empowered the roles of family, community, and church to the overall detriment of the nation and of its people. Socialism/Marxism has consistently proved to be a dismal failure.
One notable exception has been in Israel where many of the Kibbutzim had been founded on Marxist principles. However, these communities had free speech and its members could join and leave as they wished. However, perhaps in every case, they have reverted to traditional values and practices,
Can you describe briefly what you understand 'Marxist principles' to be .
I see on the streets of NYC alot of young people now promoting Marxist ideologies. I think that it is a response to a corrupt Capitalistic American Government . - including professing 'Christians' .
Marxism means that the government controls all, especially the tyrant at the top. Everything you do is regulated. It is associated with genocide to gain and keep control, and it has been a failure wherever it has been imposed. Marxists hate traditional morality and especially Christianity which they regard as enemy #1.
Do you know anything about Karl Marx's personal religious background . From what I understand , he stayed with his wife until she died .
He came from a Jewish family which had converted to a Christian faith, probably for convenience sake.
I think several of his children killed themselves, but best for you to check it out yourself on Google. I think that this reflects something about his values and the viability of his theories.
Do you know anything about how or why several of his children killed themselves ? What was your source of information about that ?
I'm sure you can find it on a google search.
Okay thanks . Your Online ministry is a blessing .
Thanks NJP!
Your bible quote says those in authority are messengers from God. Do you believe the North Korean government, who has essentially enslaved its citizens and tortures them for even the slightest infraction, are the representatives of God's wrath? Let's use a different example: The Communists... Mao and Stalin - They were authorities in their countries, were they also God's authorities? Or do we as a citizenry have the responsibility to put in place a government that will treat our neighbors and us with love and compassion? That doesn't mean not having consequences to our actions. We can reprimand a child for doing wrong, but still love them. So too can we reprimand the criminal and put them in jail for doing something wrong -- But shouldn't we teach them in jail what they did wrong, and how to do better when they get out? Shouldn't we rehabilitate them so they can be productive loving members of society? Shouldn't we expect our government do do that, as the nordic countries do, and as America did before the 1970's when prisons' focus changed from reforming to punishment? Wouldn't that be more in line with Christ's teachings of love and compassion?
Garrett, Good questions: “Do you believe the North Korean government, who has essentially enslaved its citizens and tortures them for even the slightest infraction, are the representatives of God's wrath?”
Indeed, they are God’s servants, but they aren’t being faithful to their calling and role. But do they know that they have been called by God? Yep, They know God, and He has written His laws on their hearts and mind making them accountable. They even know that when they violate His laws, they will be held to account:
• Romans 1:32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.
You appropriately take it one step further: “Or do we as a citizenry have the responsibility to put in place a government that will treat our neighbors and us with love and compassion?” Yep! But I would add that the #1 responsibility of the police and courts is to maintain the rule of law and to protect the innocent.
This brings us back to the essay and the case for role distinctions. As individuals, we are to love while the government is to render judgments. You again counter appropriately: “But shouldn't we teach them in jail what they did wrong, and how to do better when they get out? Shouldn't we rehabilitate them so they can be productive loving members of society?”
That would be the ideal. However, what we teach them in jail is often counterproductive. We teach them that they are essentially good and that they should learn to love and trust in themselves along with feeding them a lot of positive affirmations rather than teaching them that they are responsible for their criminal activity and need the forgiveness of God. Consequently, many have been rehabilitated through faith in Christ.
I had been in great need of rahab. and saw five highly recommended psychologists, and each left me more screwed up than I had been before. It has only been through Jesus that I could begin to face myself and to find the love of God which had transformed me.
I think that people who defy.their consciences , such as they are , are miserable and don't live very long . But none of us really knows everything about what is true that has been revealed to them and our opinions about such things are flawed by our sinful nature .
I particularly like you first statement:"I think that people who defy.their consciences , such as they are , are miserable."
Consequently, they have declared a perpetual war against their conscience and are living a schizoid existence, always trying to prove themselves worthy when they know that they are not.
Praise the Lord !
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