abstract: The fate of the nation does not hang on the next election. Rather, it hangs on the faithfulness of Christian men and women who live righteously, and who are committed to building strong Christian homes and strong Christian churches.

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by William Einwechter

As we approach the first national election of a new millennium, it would be wise for those of us who profess to be Christians to ask ourselves a few pertinent questions.

1. How do we view politics and our role in politics? Do we view it as a distinct aspect of our service to Christ? If not, we should. We often make the mistake of compartmentalizing our world into the sphere of the sacred and the sphere of the secular. Politics, of course, is consigned to the secular realm. But the lordship of Christ knows no bounds. He is Lord of all--all nations, all rulers, all men, all institutions, and all spheres of life. The Father has put all things under His feet. There are no secular and sacred realms to Jesus Christ. He has been commissioned by the Father to overthrow all the enemies of righteousness and establish the rule of God and His law in every area of life (Ps. 110:1-2).

   Politics, therefore, is for us a realm of service to Christ. When we Christians participate in the political process, we do so as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. Our duty is to press the crown rights of the King of kings in the sphere of politics. Politics, for us, should not be seen merely as a secular duty based on patriotic, personal, or community concerns. Rather, it is a sacred duty based on our desire to honor Christ and advance His kingdom. How much time each individual Christian gives to politics depends on his or her gifts and callings.

2. What standard of ethics do we apply to politics? Those who accept the secular/sacred dichotomy usually apply a different standard of ethics to each. The sacred realm is governed by special revelation as given in the Bible, while the secular sphere is governed by natural revelation as discerned by reason. Thus, politics being a part of the secular is governed by reason or, as many prefer to state it, by "natural law." But, as we have seen, the secular/sacred distinction is false. And if it is false, then it is equally false to have a different ethical standard for different areas of life. As all of life is under the authority of Christ, so all of life is under the same ethical standard, the Bible--the Word of Christ. In Revelation 19:13, it states that Christ's name "is called the Word of God." It is by the divine Word that Christ rules, judges, and conquers His enemies in every sphere.

   From Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God is held forth as the only perfect and infallible standard of truth and ethics. Man's reason has been corrupted by the fall and cannot serve as a valid ethical standard for any area of thought or life. Christians must take the revealed truth of Scripture as the starting point for all of their thinking and action in politics.

   This does not mean that we should not use our minds to reason through the problems of politics. We must. The very nature of biblical law requires that we do so. For example, many of the precepts of Scripture that deal with civil law are cast in the form of case law. The nature of a case law is to establish justice in a particular case, so that the judge will be able to use his reason to reach a just decision in all related cases. So note carefully what God expects of the righteous judge--that he begin his reasoning with the revealed standard of God's written law. This is what God expects of all of his servants as they serve Him in the civil sphere, either as citizens or magistrates. We reason from the Scriptures. We do not reason autonomously. We begin with the "statutes and judgments" of the law of God, and then seek to apply the righteousness revealed in them to our political circumstances and civil law today.

3. Where is our loyalty? Politics puts great emphasis on loyalty. Each political party seeks to instill a deep sense of loyalty in its members, for this is essential to the party's success. The goal is to have each member vote for the entire party ticket, and to have each politician support the party leadership and endorsed candidates. Loyalty is honored and rewarded. In this matrix, many succumb to a "my party right or wrong" mentality, or to the idea that political influence and position are dependent on party loyalty.

   Loyalty, or faithfulness to a just person, ideal, or legitimate cause, is a virtue. However, if that loyalty becomes our highest good, the object of our loyalty becomes an idol. For we Christians our highest loyalty must always be to Christ our Lord. Jesus Himself taught us that even loyalty to our family must take second place to Him--"he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me" (Matt. 10:35). If this be so in regard to one of the most natural and biblically blessed loyalties among men, how much more in regard to political loyalties. We must never lose sight of the fact that our first allegiance is to Jesus Christ, and we must never compromise that allegiance, regardless of what it might cost us politically. Let us also remember that the Lord has said, "for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. 2:30).

4. What are our expectations in regard to politics? Christians often have misplaced expectations of politics. Some think that it is futile for Christians to engage in any kind of political activity because the whole process is under the power of evil. They believe that powers that be and the institutions of politics are irredeemable, and they best give themselves to more spiritual pursuits. This kind of thinking denies the mediatorial reign of Christ (cf. Ps. 2:6-12; 110:1-2; Dan. 7:13-14) and the authority that Christ has conferred upon His people to take dominion in politics (cf. Dan. 7:22, 27; Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 2:26-27). It is true that much of the political sphere is currently inhabited by many ungodly men and is not very sympathetic to an explicitly Christian approach to politics. Yet, the battle is the Lord's, and He is able to establish His authority through His obedient servants in the political realm. When and how is His prerogative; ours is to be faithful.

   On the other hand, there are those Christians who put too much faith in politics. They believe that politics is a (if not the) primary means of societal change. They perceive the state as the chief institution for ensuring a good society. The state, they believe, is responsible to manage the economy, educate the children, protect the citizens from crime, provide for the poor, and shape the morality of the people through proper laws. Therefore, if America is to be a Christian nation, Christians must first take control of the political sphere.

   But of all the governments established by God--and there are four: self-government; family government; church government; and civil government--civil government is the least important, and it is dependent upon the other governments for stability and effectiveness. The state's role is quite limited according to the Bible. It primarily has a reactive rather than a proactive task. The state is charged with meting out God's justice to those who disturb the public peace by harming their neighbor or his property. The state is an agent for punishment of criminals (thus satisfying justice and also deterring further crime), and the one that ensures that proper restitution is made to the victims of crime. The state also has a role in national defense and a limited police function.

   A true Christian reformation in America will not be attained by political means. It will be through evangelism and discipleship, Christian education, faithful stewardship, and acts of love and service. It will be through the institutions of the family and the church that a societal change for righteousness first will come.

   We must be biblical in our expectations in regard to politics. The sphere of politics is not an impenetrable fortress of evil, and neither is it the key to societal reformation. Politics is important but not all-important (as some would seem to make it), having a limited but necessary function in society. In regard to criminal justice, it is critically important because God has assigned this duty to the state.

The fate of the nation does not hang on the next election. Rather, it hangs on the faithfulness of Christian men and women who live righteously, and who are committed to building strong Christian homes and strong Christian churches. It depends on parents who train their children to love God with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to keep His Word. It depends on pulpits where the Gospel is declared, the law of God is taught, and the crown rights of Jesus Christ are proclaimed. It depends on the church taking seriously the mandate to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. When these things happen, reformation in the political sphere is bound to take place.

William Einwechter is the editor of The Christian Statesman and of the book Explicitly Christian Politics. He is also the author of Ethics and God's Law: An Introduction to Theonomy. He serves as a teaching elder at Immanuel Free Reformed Church in Ephrata, Pennsylvania.

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