Government & the Rule of Law
We look to the government to educate our children, sponsor the arts, and provide healthcare. No wonder it is referred to as the “savior State”. The question is: Should the government be fulfilling these roles?
"Let [Christians] boldly assert the cause of Christ in an age when so many, who bear the name of Christians, are ashamed of Him: and let them consider as devolved on Them the important duty of suspending for a while the fall of their country, and, perhaps, of performing a still more extensive service to society at large; not by busy interference in politics, in which it cannot but be confessed there is much uncertainty; but rather by that sure and radical benefit of restoring the influence of Religion, and of raising the standard of morality."
- William Wilberforce
As citizens living in the modern world, we tend to expect our governments to solve every problem we face.
When a natural disaster devastates our community, we ask for government funding to rebuild. When our neighbor drops below the poverty line, we encourage him to seek aid from government programs. We look to the government to educate our children, sponsor the arts, and provide healthcare. No wonder it is referred to as the “savior State”.
The question is: Should the government be fulfilling these roles? According to Scripture, the government is responsible for maintaining security and preserving liberty. It has been given authority to punish evil and uphold good, but it has not been empowered to raise children, determine Church doctrine, or otherwise interfere with the sovereignty of the other social spheres. Its purpose is to provide the protection necessary for people operating in the other spheres to execute their roles and responsibilities before God.
By improperly expanding its authority, the government creates a number of problems in society. As citizen statesmen working in the realm of law and government, we must be diligent about pursuing policies that confine the State to its God-established jurisdiction.
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