A Christian Approach to Political Change

Brian Collins

Christians today are often distressed by the increasing sinfulness of their society and by the fact that governing authorities often side with the sin and the sinner against Christian morality. Christians are right to mourn the sinfulness of their nation. However, some Christians argue that extreme times call for extreme measures. Some are urging Christians to work to put in place an explicitly Christian government—even if violent revolution is the means to this end. Others would not go to this extent. But they are willing to speak and act like the world to promote a politics that they think will advance their interests as Christians. How does the Bible instruct the Christian to think about how to engage in politics?

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY OVER GOVERNMENT DURING POLITICAL CHANGE

First, the Christian must believe that God is the ultimate sovereign who has created the institution of government and who providentially determines who holds governmental power. When Pilate asked Jesus, “Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?,” Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:10–11).[1] Earlier, Jesus told the scribes and chief priests to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Luke 20:25). Thus, the people were to pay their taxes to Caesar, and Caesar should have rendered his obedience to God (since he bore God’s image). When faced with persecution, the early Christians recognized that the same rulers who were arrayed against the Lord and His Messiah could only “do whatever [God’s] hand and [God’s] purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:28). Thus, Paul could say, “For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God” (Rom. 13:1).