What's Right with the Government?
BY DAVID FEDDES
Romans 13:1 ANGRY. DISGUSTED. That's how a lot of people these days feel about politicians and judges and police officers. Most of us love and appreciate our country, but we aren't so fond of our leaders.
What gives us such a negative attitude? Among other things, the people in Congress don't even bother to balance their own checkbooks, let alone the federal budget. And those running for office keep promising to change things, but what they are best at changing seems to be their own stories. Add to all this some tough economic times and you get a lot of grouchy citizens.
Established by God
If you are among those who think there's almost nothing right with government, you may find it hard to swallow what the Bible says in Romans 13:Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience (vv. 1-5).Twice in this passage, Paul says the authorities have been established by God. When politicians win elections by slinging mud at their opponents and pandering to opinion polls, how can we say they are established by God?Paul even calls the authorities God's servants. Now, we may call a politician lots of thingssome of them unrepeatablebut we sure wouldn't call them "God's servants".
And when Paul says that the authorities promote good and punish wrong, doesn't he know about unjust laws and police brutality? If government punishes wrongdoers, how come so many of the criminals that are caught red-handed can go free on a technicality?
Corruption even then. In case you think Romans 13 was written at a time when government was all that it ought to be, maybe we should look at the situation prevailing then.
Paul lived under the rule of the Roman Empire. We may not like some of this year's election campaign tactics, but in the Roman Empire, there were no elections. We may think our government doesn't do enough for working people, but back then, slavery was commonplace. We don't like to see our government using public funds for questionable projects, but the Roman government sponsored games for entertainment in which gladiators fought one another to the death!
In Paul's day, the tax collectors were notorious for taking extra money to line their own pockets. And the names of two Roman emperorsCaligula and Neroare synonymous with sexual perversion, incompetence, and cold-blooded murder.
Firsthand experience. Paul himself knew the darker side of government through personal experience. He had been publicly whipped without a trial. He was detained in jail at Caesarea by Felix, who was looking for a bribe from him. He later had to spend years in a Roman prison without having been convicted of any charge. Surely, Paul could write a long list of what's wrong with the government.
Instead, the Lord moved Paul to remind the Roman Christiansand all of usthat "the authorities that exist have been established by God." This truth is the key to understanding what's right with government even when there's a great deal wrong with it.
Why does God establish authority structures? To keep evil in check and to impose some kind of order on a society that might otherwise be chaotic. Government cannot make a bad society good, but it can play an important role to prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
Proper Perspective
When Paul wrote Romans 13, the Roman government was far from ideal, but things were much worse in many of the barbarian regions outside the empire. At least under Roman law, people couldn't kill and plunder each other as they pleased.The only thing worse than a bad government is no government at all. Consider what happened earlier this year in Los Angeles. Which had worse consequences: the excessive use of police force to subdue a suspect, or the rioting that resulted in hundreds of people killed or injured and a large section of the city destroyed?
Life without government isn't freedom; it's chaos. Perhaps the most important function of any government, therefore, is simply to keep people from destroying one another.
So what's right with government? It's there! This may not sound like much, but it's a lot better than having no government at all.
Scapegoat. Some of us can't see what's right with the government because we expect too much from it in the first place. When things haven't gone as well for us as we'd like, we need somebody to blame. So we blame the government. In effect, we have made an idol out of government, and when our idol doesn't perform all the miracles we expect, we get upset.
But how can we expect any government to make a perfect society out of imperfect people? Even if our government were doing its job perfectly, marriages would still fall apart, parents would still abuse their children, people would still use drugs and alcohol, and many would still get the AIDS virus.
Much of what happens in society is simply beyond the control of government. It's the outgrowth of men's sinful behavior.
Church and state. Another thing government can't doand shouldn't try to dois to create faith in the one true God. The Bible says God establishes the authorities; it doesn't say the authorities establish God.
When politicians win elections by slinging mud at their opponents and pandering to opinion polls, how canThe Lord has given the church, not government, the task of spreading faith in Him. God Himself is on the throne of the universe, and our final destiny is in His hands, not in the hands of any political party.
There is something very right with our government, therefore, when it stays away from promoting faith or enforcing spiritual commands. Instead of trying to get the government to do what the church and parents should do, we should be thankful for the freedom of religion we enjoy under our political system.
Sometimes it's helpful to stop asking what's wrong with the government and deal instead with what's wrong with ourselves. A healthy relationship with Jesus and a new perspective on life will help us far more than any politician or judge could.
Knowing the Lord
This means that what's most important now is not who have been elected this year, but who is the Lord of your life. Jesus Christ can do for you and your family many things that the government can never do."It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes," we read in Psalm 118:9. Politicians come and go, but the kingdom of God lasts forever. Your ultimate happiness depends on whether Jesus is running your life.
Once we know the Lord, we also begin to relate to the government in a healthier way. We are content with whomever God has put in power and we submit to the government and obey its laws, as long as they are not in direct conflict with God's law.
We submit not just because we're scared of being punished, but because we want to please God. As verse 5 of Romans 13 puts it, "Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience."
Respect and honor. And even when people in power fall short of perfection, we know they serve an important purpose and need our support, because Romans 13 declares,
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (vv. 6,7)Christians are to pay their taxes in full and to pay them willingly. When you lie on your tax forms, you may fool the government, but you're not fooling the God who established it. We also owe our leaders respect and moral support. It's much easier to criticize and mock politicians than it is to be one.This is especially true of law enforcement today. It is a difficult and sometimes very dangerous task. Those whose jobs are to keep law and order in our violent society are putting their lives on the line. Most of these men and women don't deserve ridicule; they deserve our respect and honor.
Perhaps the most important way for us to support the authorities that God has established is to pray for them. Pray that they know the Lord, and pray that God will give them the wisdom to do their jobs. So, in closing, let me call your attention to I Timothy 2 and suggest that you keep that command in mind:
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyonefor kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. oRev. David Feddes is radio minister on The Back to God Hour, a ministry of the Christian Reformed Church, 6555 W. College Drive, Palos Heights, IL 60463.