One of the ongoing issues in the church is how the church relates to the state. Should the church set up a theocratic government like Israel, or not? Those who argue in favor of Christian states are often called “theonomists,” but they don’t always assume the title for themselves. That makes it difficult to know how to argue. 

There are two sides of the issue:

1) If we’re to be considered elect exiles and are to be on the lookout for a better, heavenly country, and if Jesus is building the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16, which I take to be the church, though others do not) apart from any national borders and governments, does the progressive revelation of Scripture make it possible to call any nation a Christian nation?

2) But then, you have to ask yourself, why would Christians not lobby for godly legislation? Why would we not fight and preach against laws that permit abortion, euthanasia, human trafficking, etc.? Does the Bible not command us to preach righteousness, pray for the emperor, and call our contemporary Herods to repent like John the Baptist?

All men and women have the law written on their hearts, and that we call natural law. Humans are moral creatures, even though we regularly depart from those morals.

We have a divine command for human government from the covenant with Noah in Genesis 9. In addition to the call to be fruitful and multiply, God tells Noah, “[5] And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. [6] “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.”

Right here we have a call for justice. We have a call for human watch-care over other humans. “By man shall his blood be shed.” We need godly government that is dependent on divine revelation, not vengeance or vigilantism (no matter how much I want to be Batman).

But that is not the same as a theocracy. That is yet to come. When Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah, the physical borders of Israel did not expand to include Assyria.

We can affirm several things: Jesus Christ reconstituted Israel to include Gentiles; the Mosaic law was good and necessary; the church is the culmination of the covenant with Abraham, not the covenant made at Sinai under Moses; and ethnic Israelites will be ingrafted once more both during the church age and predominantly before the second coming.

Wow, can you see how all these issues are interrelated?!

One of the ways that Christians can love their neighbors is by fighting for the place of natural law in our legislation. Godly governments are made up of godly people. So, Christians can and should take part in politics.

The Confession continues, It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate when called thereunto; in the management whereof, as they ought especially to maintain justice and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each kingdom and commonwealth, so for that end they may lawfully now, under the New Testament wage war upon just and necessary conditions.

There have been Christian groups that did not permit their adherents to hold public office. One example is the Mennonites who formed in the 1500s. The Anabaptists (who were not the forerunners of the Baptists) also formed in the 1500s and went so far as to call government diabolical. If the covenant with Noah is still binding on all his offspring (Genesis 9:9), how can we call human government devilish?

I am of the mind that some Christians are actually obligated to hold public office. The exiles from Judah living in Babylon in Jeremiah’s day were told to work for the welfare of the city, not abandon it and let Babylon run roughshod.

Jeremiah 29:4-7
[4] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: [5] Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. [6] Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. [7] But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

Paul says that public servants are appointed by God (Romans 13:2), God’s servants (Romans 13:4), and God’s ministers (Romans 13:6). That does not mean we obey ungodly commands. Think of Daniel and him disobeying the king’s edict commanding idolatry. Speaking of Daniel, men like him and Joseph were used by God in mighty ways serving in civil, non-Israelite, quite unholy governments. 

Proverbs 14:34-35 says, “[34] Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. [35] A servant who deals wisely has the king’s favor, but his wrath falls on one who acts shamefully.”

God’s people must unequivocally fight for righteousness. But we do so, in one sense, from within the belly of the beast. That doesn’t mean there are never times to retreat or flee persecution if the opportunity avails itself, much in the same sense as Paul tells slaves to gain their freedom if they are able. But in principle, Christians should have no reservations about the Christian holding the office of a public servant. 

We didn’t get to touch on the issue of waging war, but that’s quite a heavy topic best suited for another day. Perhaps we will next time, as well as how the ordinary Christian citizen can pray for those holding public office, regardless of office holder’s spiritual state.