Why Christians Must Wage Political Warfare for Christ's Kingdom

By: Thomas F. Booher

 

Why Christians must wage political warfare for the sake of Christ’s glory & kingdom.

1)      Christ's kingdom not being of this world (John 18:36) does not mean Christians should refuse to engage in politics or customs of a given people/nation.

a)      Jesus was on trial and would not have his servants fight to deliver Him from crucifixion, for crucifixion was the very purpose the Father sent Him to earth (Jn. 12:27-28).

b)      Christ came to be the atonement for sin after living a righteous, perfect life for His people and proclaiming the Gospel of His kingdom (Lk. 4:43).

2)      Christ's kingdom comes through preaching the Truth, living righteously, & blood atonement -- as planned by the Father in Heaven.

a)      But this power from heaven comes down to earth.

b)      After Christ is risen, He tells His disciples "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you."

3)      Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Mt. 6:10).

a)      We are to then pray for our daily bread, forgiveness, and to not be lead into temptation but delivered from evil.

b)      Why? "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever" (6:13).

4)      Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, but comes into this world and overcomes the world by His authority, and that authority is manifested and disseminated through His Church, His body which He is working through by His Word and Spirit.

a)      The contents of the kingdom are not political/earthly power in itself.

b)      The heavenly kingdom comes to earth by baptizing and teaching the Word of God. The Word of God reveals God Himself, His goodness, His attributes, His power, glory, plan, and purpose for all things.

c)      Indeed, it reveals His kingdom and how we are to live for it/Him.

5)      But this is not God's only authority. His sword of government wielded by His government ministers also promote and establish Christ's kingdom on earth and His will done on earth as it is in heaven (Romans 13).  

a)      Surely then, Christ's kingdom also has something to do with receiving our daily bread, having our debts forgiven, and being delivered from evil and not led into temptation.

b)      Reading your Bible and praying doesn't in and of itself secure you a job, a spouse, a house, a home, etc. If someone does not work, he is not to eat (2 Thess. 3:10).

c)      So daily bread must be received by honest work, honest work that serves others with your skills, labor, time, and fulfills the mandate to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, having dominion over all animals/creation itself (Gen. 1:28).

d)      So hard work serves others/loves neighbor with our services, is the means by which we receive money/food to live, fulfills the dominion mandate, and promotes the kingdom of God (which is the Gospel that Christ proclaimed) according to the Lord's prayer in Matthew 6.

6)     However, Matthew 6 goes on to warn about living for riches and the treasures of this world.

a)      We are to lay up treasures in heaven. You cannot serve God and money, so live for God, seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and you will have enough money/food/clothing/shelter so that you need not worry about these things.

b)     Indeed, if we “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things will be added to you” (Mt. 6:33).

7)     Does that mean food and clothing are not necessary pursuits?

a)      No, they are, and the heavenly Father knows we need them (Mt. 6:32). The exhortation in Matthew 6 is to refrain from seeking after these things as if they are the most important thing in life, more important than Christ and His kingdom.

b)     For the Gentiles/unbelievers seek after all these things as the essence and greatest good/joy of life (Mt. 6:32). And why? Because they do not seek Christ and His kingdom.

8)     Now, what does this have to do with politics/government?

a)      Well, we all worry about rising taxes, rising costs of living, gas prices, home prices, etc.

b)     Whether we like it or not, to one degree or another, government and politics has to do with these things and with the restraint of evil.

c)      Does Matthew 6 then mean not to worry about how tyrannical, evil, and brutal our government is, since we are to first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and despite how despotic our government is, simply reading our Bibles and praying will ensure deliverance from starvation and nakedness? No!

9)     Consider -- Romans 13 tells us to be subject to the governing authorities, for they are appointed by God and derive their authority from God.

a)      To resist a lawful government is to resist God and His ordinance; to do so brings judgment on oneself.

b)     Rulers are to be a terror to evil (13:3) & praise good works (13:4).

10) Why would the governing authorities praise good works that we do?

a)      Because they are “God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain;

b)     for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil” (13:4).

11) So we must be subject to lawful government & pay taxes B/C our rulers are God’s ministers.

a)      The word for minister in Romans 13 is the Greek word diakonos, which can mean servant and is the word for deacon in the NT).

b)     So we must render taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs are due, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor (13:5-7).

12) The first definition of Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary for politics is this: “Activities that relate to influencing the actions and policies of a government or getting and keeping power in a government.”

a)      It should be obvious that politics relates very much to the Christian who desires to seek first Christ’s kingdom and righteousness.

b)     The Lord’s Prayer begins and ends with the Kingdom of God, that it would come and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven, for the sake of the glory and power of God’s kingdom being established and advanced here on earth.

c)      The middle of the prayer asks to not be led into temptation but delivered from evil.

d)     We see from Romans 13 that the job of punishing evil/wickedness in the civil realm is the governing authorities acting as ministers of God.

e)      If we want righteous governors who actually promote good and punish evil, we should vote for politicians who will do such.

f)       Further, Christians should run for government office, in order to be a minister of God, restrain evil in this world, & promote & praise good as defined by Scripture.

g)      In this way, government promotes the kingdom of God and is a means by which we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

13) But this is all made explicit in 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Here Paul exhorts that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks is made for all men, and particularly kings and all in authority.

a)      Why? Simply so that they may be saved from sin? No, but rather “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.”

b)     We are commanded to pray that our governors rule well so that our life is free from danger, distress, and disturbance as much as possible this side of glory, and that we may do so with godliness and reverence in service to Christ and His kingdom.

14)  2:3-4 adds, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

a)      The “all men” has already been defined as “kings and all who are in authority”.

b)     At this time in the NT Church, no kings and few governing authorities were converted.

c)      But, if we pray that they would rule well in spite of their hard hearts, this promotes the salvation of those benefiting from a “quiet and peaceful life” that can be lived for Christ.

d)     Indeed, the command here is to not merely pray that these governors would rule well, but that they would be saved, so that they would rule well according to God’s Word.

15) But is the Mediator and Savior the righteous governor or politician?

a)      No, they are but ministers, deacons, servants, serving under the authority of God, whether they realize it or not.

b)     1 Tim. 2:5-7 goes on to say that “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” No merely human King is God, and the Christian ultimately has no King but Christ, who indeed is God and not merely man.

c)      There is no neutrality and there is no authority that is neither for nor against Christ/His kingdom. You are either seeking first His kingdom and righteousness, or you are living in rebellion against it and are seeking to destroy it.

d)     This is true for all men, but especially kings/all governing authorities given their power/influence, which is why we should especially pray for them, that they rule well and be converted to Christ.

16) Rev. 11:15 tells us that “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever.”

a)      God is worshiped and praised in Revelation 11 for exercising His great power and reigning over all the wicked nations and making them His by judging them in His wrath.

b)     In turn Christ rewards His servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear His name. God will “destroy those who destroy the earth”.

c)      This is not a mere future possibility but a present reality being progressively realized.

d)     Remember, we are praying that Christ’s kingdom come to earth and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven NOW.

e)      The kingdom begins like a small mustard seed yet grows into an enormous tree that birds nest in (Mt. 13:31-32).

f)       The Kingdom is growing like leaven (Mt. 13:33), working its way through the pagan nations by the power of the Gospel regenerating individual hearts and uniting men to the risen Christ.  

g)      Wicked kings (not to mention false teachers/pastors) are fighting against the growth of the mustard seed, they are trying to remove the leaven of Christ’s kingdom. They offer themselves as a god to take away all your ills (this world's ills of food, shelter, clothing) by wealth redistribution, taking away your freedom for your "good" and "protection", etc. They promote sinful lusts rather than righteous virtues, the fruit of Satan rather than the fruit of the Spirit.  

h)     Rulers’ & false teachers’ sinful hearts are in league with Satan, & Satan has orchestrated all rebellion, lies, and tyrannies from the beginning.

17) These wicked nations and their kings were already denounced back in Psalm 2.

a)      There we are told the nations rage and people plot a vain thing. The “kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us.’

b)     But God responds, “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure:

c)      ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’ ‘I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

d)     Further, “Now therefore, be wise, O kings: be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

e)      Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.”

18) We see here that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world, but it breaks into this created world, just as God the Son, the king of the heavenly kingdom, broke into this created world in the likeness of sinful flesh, to condemn sin in the flesh so that we might live righteously according to His law while led by His Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4).

a)      But is Christ still here? No, He came from the Father, and must return to the Father to be given authority from on high to pour out the heavenly gift/power of His kingdom, which is the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:28; Eph. 4:7-16).

b)     From where does Christ reign? “I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion” (Ps. 2:6).

c)      Where is Mt. Zion? In heaven. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirit of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:22-24).

19) So understood rightly, engaging in politics is to engage in holy war.

a)      It is to pursue Christ and His kingdom by seeking righteous peace and prosperity in our land, for our families and friends and homes, so that we may serve God faithfully and freely, live for Him, and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

b)     It is to prepare for the glorious return of King Jesus as He inherits the nations  (Ps 2:7-8) and the righteous Kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into His kingdom (Rev. 21:24).

20) But Christ’s kingdom and its power coming from heaven means the core of the Gospel (repentance for remission of sins, regeneration and new life in union with Christ, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our hearts so that we know, understand, cherish, and live out God’s Holy Word, prayers for the souls of all men including rulers, etc.) must be proclaimed in the world and believed in by men.

a)      Indeed, the “mystery of godliness” must be proclaimed and made known –

b)     “God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory” (I Tim. 3:16).

21) In conclusion, ask yourself – do our governing authorities promote/praise good and punish evil?  Do they leave us alone and hedge us in righteous judgments/mercies so that we may “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence”? The answer to this is obvious.

a)      I hope now the solution to this is also obvious. Vote, but don’t just vote, tell others why you are voting, for Christ and His kingdom.

b)     Consider running for office if there are no good candidates, and run for the sake of Christ and His kingdom.   

22) But never forget that food, clothing, and shelter are not the essence of the kingdom of God.

a)      This is what the unbelieving Gentiles seek to multiply and live for as their Master.

b)     We seek righteousness, holiness, the Truth, the conversion of sinners and the destruction of the wicked reprobate.

c)      We do not seek our glory, fame, honor, kingdom, and power, but Christ’s glory, fame, honor, kingdom, and power.

d)     For He shall reign forever and ever, and we are receiving His everlasting kingdom, which cannot be shaken (Heb. 12:28).