Stop trying to save the world - 28 April 2009 |
|
Someone asked me the other day what ‘political’ stuff like this is doing on a blog by a Christian Minister.
Good question.
There’s a lot that could be said (and, indeed, has been written) on this subject. See for example John Owen, Sermons to the Nation (Works, vol. 8). But here’s one (brief, cursory, incomplete) way of looking at it.
The Bible teaches that God delegates authority to certain categories of people (civil rulers, fathers, husbands, ministers) which is to be exercised prayerfully, in love and in accordance with his word over other groups of people (citizens, children, wives, believers).
Sadly, most of the time this authority is exercised in a manner contrary to the word of God. Either responsibility is abrogated, which leads to anarchy; or it is over-extended, exercised in areas beyond the remit God has given, which is tyranny.
Examples of the former would include a father failing to teach his children about Christ from the Scriptures, a husband too lazy to work to provide for his wife, and a minister too preoccupied with golf and cream teas to devote himself to the ministry of the word and prayer.
Examples of the latter would include a father demanding that his children get up at 4am to clean the house while he lounges around in bed until midday, a husband beating his wife for burning his toast, and a minister threatening to excommunicate church members who failed to attend church every day of the week.
The latter failure (i.e. tyranny) is also exhibited when a government places on its citizens requirements which the Bible gives it no right to impose. That, I’m afraid, is where most modern governments go wrong. They try to do too much – for example, creating a database of all citizens’ emails and phone calls.
Now, here’s the key thing (for our present purposes, at least). Since God has not authorised governments to do this (and lots of other things they try to do as well), he will not equip them to it competently. The inefficiencies and failures of many modern government projects are thus signs from God that they’re trying to do stuff they have neither the right nor (therefore) the ability to pull off. They should concentrate on doing what the Bible tells them to do (see for example Romans 13) and leave saving the world to The Expert.
‘Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no saviour,’ … declares the LORD. (Isaiah 43:10-12)
Posted by Steve Jeffery · Topics: Current affairs, Minister's Blog