How should Christians view politics? ( Final Part)

 There is no doubt that our responsibility to government is to obey the laws and be good citizens (Romans 13:1–2). God has established all authority, and He does so for our benefit, “to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13–15). Paul tells us in Romans 13:1–8 that it is the government’s responsibility to rule in authority over us—hopefully for our good—to collect taxes, and to keep the peace. Where we have a voice and can elect our leaders, we should exer­cise that right by voting for those who best demonstrate Christian principles.

One of Satan’s grandest decep­tions is that we can rest our hope for cultural morality and godly living in politicians and governmental officials. A nation’s hope for change is not to be found in any country’s ruling class. The church has made a mistake if it thinks that it is the job of politicians to defend, to advance, and to guard biblical truths and Christian values.

The church’s unique, God-given pur­pose does not lie in political activism. Nowhere in Scripture do we have the directive to spend our energy, our time, or our money in governmental affairs. Our mission lies not in chang­ing the nation through political re­form, but in changing hearts through the Word of God. When believers think the growth and influence of Christ can somehow be allied with government policy, they corrupt the mission of the church. Our Christian mandate is to spread the gospel of Christ and to preach against the sins of our time. Only as the hearts of individuals in a culture are changed by Christ will the culture begin to reflect that change.

Believers throughout the ages have lived, and even flourished, under antagonistic, repressive, pagan gov­ernments. This was especially true of the first-century believers who, under merciless political regimes, sustained their faith under immense cultural stress. They understood that it was they, not their governments, who were the light of the world and the salt of the earth. They adhered to Paul’s teaching to obey their gov­erning authorities, even to honour, respect, and pray for them (Romans 13:1-8). More importantly, they un­derstood that, as believers, their hope resided in the protection that only God supplies. The same holds true for us today. When we follow the teach­ings of the Scriptures, we become the light of the world as God has intended for us to be (Matthew 5:16).

Political entities are not the sav­iour of the world. The salvation for all mankind has been manifested in Jesus Christ. God knew that our world needed saving long before any nation­al government was ever founded. He demonstrated to the world that re­demption could not be accomplished through the power of man, economic strength, military might, or politics. Peace of mind, contentment, hope, and joy—and the salvation of man­kind—are provided only through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

CONCLUSION

Political systems may influence society, but they are not the solu­tion to the world’s deepest needs. As Christians, our hope lies not in polit­ical agendas but in the life-changing power of the gospel. Our mission is to be the light of the world, shin­ing Christ’s love and truth in ev­ery area of life, including our civic duties. By focusing on the gospel and changing hearts through God’s Word, we carry out our divine calling. True transformation and salvation come only through Jesus Christ, and it is through Him that lasting change will impact our world.

Stay Blessed!

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By Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, the author