OPINION:
“Let those people in Washington, DC bicker all they want. It has nothing to do with me.” I hear this all the time from people of faith. Our system is supposed to encourage participation, but it seems to foster disillusionment instead.
Christians shouldn’t fall for this way of thinking. In my video course “Should Christians Avoid Politics?: Debunking Four Myths that Keep Christians Sidelined” — available free from Summit Ministries — I take viewers back to Scripture to show three reasons why the “It’s not my problem” way of thinking is a myth, and that good citizenship is imperative.
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First, God gave government authority
Political authority means the power or right to make decisions in civil government. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 13 that all authority is from God and that therefore believers ought to obey the governing authorities.
I’ve heard people say, “That means whatever the president tells us to do, we must do.” But that is not at all what this passage means, especially in the United States.
SEE ALSO: Jeff Myers: Should Christians avoid politics?
In America, the people govern. Elected officials work for the people, not the other way around. If the people govern, and God wants us to obey the governing authorities, that means that God wants us to be involved.
The opening move of this involvement in the journey of citizenship is to vote. A vote is not a “like.” It is a hiring decision. The question is not “Which candidate do I have a good feeling about?” but “Who should I recommend be hired to run the government according to the principles of the Constitution?”
In some nations, citizens are slaves of the state. Not in America. Our founders designed a Constitutional Republic that would operate according to the people’s will while maintaining checks against mob rule. A good government is like a traffic cop that enables the free flow of commerce and freedom, for the benefit of those who are in charge — the people.
Begin to rethink your role in a culture of partisan divides as Dr. Jeff Myers exposes four lies that silence Christians, keeping them sidelined in politics. Access the full series from “Summit Talks” here.
Second, God gave all authority to Jesus
Scripture teaches something odd about government that most Christians have never considered. In Acts 17 the Apostle Paul told his Athenian audience that God made every nation and determined their periods of existence and boundaries so that people might look for God and find him. How is this possible? Greece had given the world a common language and cultural understanding. Romans had given the world a communication system and roads. These opened the way for the spread of the gospel.
When governments operate properly, they pave the way for truth to spread. And what is that truth? According to Matthew 28, it is that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth, and that believers should teach everyone everywhere how to orient to it.
This doesn’t mean Jesus is running for president. It means that the teachings of Jesus are a sure way of grasping reality itself so that we can be free to flourish. In John 8:32 Jesus said that if you follow His teachings “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”
This kind of freedom is factually observable. The Berkeley Center at Georgetown University found the freedom to proclaim this message — religious freedom — is strongly related to political and economic freedom. Spiritual freedom and physical freedom go hand in hand.
Third, in response to Jesus’ authority, we are to be a blessing
Galatians 3 says that God will bless the nations of the earth through those who believe in Jesus. One way to be a blessing, and one that believers alone can offer, is to pray for our leaders.
Political leaders desperately need prayer. Every decision they face is impossible. Any easy decisions get made by people down the chain of command. Yet every decision they make can affect people for decades. They need wisdom and they need it now.
So, we have three foundations stones of Christian citizenship:
- Authority comes from God, and in America, He has given it to the people
- God gave authority to Jesus so that reality itself might open itself up to us through Him
- Therefore, we must live our lives to be a blessing
As I tell my students at Summit Ministries, “If you’ve got a vote, you gotta vote.” But your vote isn’t about you. It is about everything. It is about God being at work bringing people to a knowledge of the truth.
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Dr. Jeff Myers is president of Summit Ministries. As an educator and entrepreneur, Dr. Myers has become one of America’s most respected authorities on youth leadership development. Focus on the Family founder James Dobson referred to him as “a very gifted and inspirational leader.” Evangelist Josh McDowell called him “a man who is 100% sold out to preparing the next generation to reflect the character of Christ in the culture.” Through his speaking engagements and media appearances, Dr. Myers has become a fresh voice offering humor and insight from a Christian worldview. He is the author of 18 books, including the “Understanding the Faith,” “Understanding the Times,” and “Understanding the Culture” textbooks which are studied by tens of thousands of students. Dr. Myers holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Denver. He continues to engage college students through an exclusive Signature Leadership Course series offered with Unbound, a project-based education company that prepares high school and college students to become leaders for Christ in the real world. Jeff and his wife Stephanie and their family live in Colorado.
Summit Ministries exists to equip and support rising generations to embrace God’s truth and champion a biblical worldview. Through conferences online, in Colorado and Georgia, and Summit’s gap year semester, tough questions are raised (and answered) and students are equipped to stand firm in their faith. Summit’s worldview curriculum for Christian schools, homeschools, and churches trains the next generation to love God with their hearts and minds. In all of these things, Summit desires to see generations of Christians mobilized to transform a broken world.
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