Government, it’s one of those things that just about everyone has an opinion on. Some like it big, others think it should be small. Some think it should be dictatorial and others democratic. Some people go to great lengths to work for it, trust me, it took nearly a year to get through my Naval Officer paperwork. Yet, some go to great lengths, off the grid they say, to get away from it. Some blindly trust it, others well… Dare to say whatever you think about it, this much is true, in our world we will be under it, and this is by God’s design. So, what is God’s design for government and when government doesn’t align with that design what do we do? I think these are the questions our text has us wrestling with here today

Through these past few weeks, we have been observing how corrupted men through corrupt institutions have been conspiring against Paul. This isn't a new theme in the NT. Jesus suffered the same persecutions through His ministry. This is a point that I believe Luke wants to make crystal clear. As Christ suffered so that many may live, so Paul suffered that many may come to life. And, God is accomplishing His purposes through His ordained means. In both instances of Jesus and Paul, this comes by the hand of the state, and this is of great significance to us today.

Festus is a prime example of the condition of God’s ordained institution of government under the influence of fallen man. In Romans 13 Paul tells us that the civil magistrate is intended by God to be a gift, but as we can see, under the manipulation of fallen humanity it can become a means of persecution. Unlike the aim of Jewish leaders, Festus’ intentions were not to destroy Paul, but to secure peace in the realm. This is not a bad goal in and of itself, but it is being pursued in the wrong way. Justice pursued by injustice. Unfortunately, for Paul this meant that in order for Festus to reach his goal, Paul’s life may be the cost. What the Lord instituted as a means to restrain sin and uphold justice, can at times become the very means of injustice when abused by rebellious humanity. Through Paul’s imprisonment under Felix and Festus and his eventual death under Nero, if we can see anything clearly, it is this reality.

Faced with this reality, how can we say that the government is good?

Why Civil Government is Good

We referenced this passage before, but I believe it will serve us to go back and take a look at exactly what Paul says about government in Romans chapter 13:1-7.

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Paul is clearly teaching that the government, and its officials only have their authority because God appointed it to be so. When Jesus was being questioned by Pilate in John 19 and Pilate asked Him didn’t He care that Pilate had the power to let Him Go? Jesus responds with “the only power you have over me is the power God gave you.” This is clearly related to his office as governor of Judea. No government official attains their position apart from God’s providence, and the power they wield is ultimately given to fulfill God’s plans.

The purpose of government in a fallen world is threefold, it is to: restrain evil, administer God’s wrath on injustice, and promote human flourishing. In this sense, we can come to understand that government is actually a gift from God to enable his people to worship Him freely. This has been the Christian understanding of government from the time of the ancient church in the days of Augustine all the way up to our contemporary moment.

We saw previously that Paul's actions attest that he certainly believed in God’s good purposes for government. When he spoke uncharitably to Ananias the high priest, and immediately upon hearing that he was the high priest, he repented. Clearly Paul was attempting to submit to the authorities and give honor where honor is due, for though the men or women might be corrupt, the institution is for our good.

We can see this played out in a variety of areas in life, but let’s look at two examples from the Bible. God gave the law to Moses to be a teacher and tutor for God’s people, so that they may better know God and know how to be more like Him. In the Old testament days, the law of Moses was the civil law because they were living in a theocracy. Yet, the Pharisees twisted and added to God’s law in order to serve their purposes. God gave the temple and sacrificial system in OT times so that people could commune with God. But fallen and corrupted man took the temple and made it a way for man to control God. This is evident in the Jews bringing the Arc of the Covenant into the battle with them, so that like some talisman or enchanted tool, it would secure their victory over the Philistines. This didn’t end up to well for them. What I’m trying to show here is that people have always taken God’s good gifts and twisted them in order to serve themselves. It doesn’t mean the gift isn’t good just because it is manipulated by bad people. Government is no different.

Knowing this, people are often tempted in two ways. The first is that because governments are often controlled by corrupt people, we are tempted to reject and rebel against it. A good example of this was the refusal to wear a seatbelt when that law first came into effect some years ago. Paul didn’t do this. Jesus didn’t do this either. Even bad governments produce some good. It is a gift that we have order and law enforced in our society.  Paul appeals to his rights as a Roman citizen to be tried in Caesar’s court. That is a protective benefit, and we can see it served Paul well in this instance. We as Christians living under the government of the United States of America have rights as well, and it is a principle of good stewardship to exercise those rights for the good of God’s people. A practical application could be our right to vote for laws promoting God’s design for human flourishing concerning what bills we choose to pass or reject.

Amendment Four is coming up on the Florida ballot in November. This amendment would make it legal for women to have abortions with almost no restriction. Here is something very practical. As Paul exercised his right as a citizen to have a trial in Caesar’s court, so we should be good stewards and exercise our right as citizens to vote against this amendment.

I am not talking about politics here, but the fact that Christians are always for life and detest anything that takes away the dignity of those made in the image of God. I want to be sensitive here, I know that in a fallen world people make mistakes and as the scriptures teach us we are to welcome those who repent with celebration, because this is also you and me... But laws serve as locks. An old boss of mine once told me that locks don’t serve to stop thieves, true criminals are going to cut the lock or break down the door. Locks serve to help keep the honest man honest, they act as an extra barrier and a reminder of what the tempted person is doing. Laws like locks are teachers. 

The Second temptation is that because we know government is a good gift from God, it is always right, and people must obey. We live in a very politically motivated world. If there is any idol in America besides money that might compete for the throne of our hearts, it would be power through politics. People who are tempted in this way are also tempted to make their political party their identity. We often think that if we are in control of the government everything would fix itself, that redemption flows from the top down. If we can just seize the top ranks of power, everything else will work itself out.

We must hold ourselves in check here. Yes, it is often better that a true believer be in leadership than a non-believer, but if we think that having a Christian leader will set everything right, we are placing too much hope in man where it should be placed in God.

What we have been talking about is God’s ordained design for government, but what about when a government doesn’t do what it was designed to do? What do we do when the institution designed to promote the good starts to promote evil?

What are we to do when the government opposes our Christian faith?

         Paul makes it clear through his teaching in Romans 13 that we are to submit to our civil authorities. Our submission to authority is therefore an act of worship, God has commanded it. We must submit to civil authority when possible.This can be things like paying our taxes on time, or even refusing to defame the civil leader’s office like people on social media so often do. It can be hard to imagine that paying our taxes is an act of worship. Even further, Peter tells us that we are to pray for our civil leaders, that they would fulfill their ordained vocations. But another verse we must pay close attention to as well is verse 3,  “for rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” It is an unfortunate reality that in this world sometimes governments punish what is good and reward what is evil. Every apostle except for John met their death under this circumstance, yet both Peter and Paul both taught that we are to honor our authorities and pray for them.

         We cannot capitulate to the sinful demands of any government, We must remain faithful no matter what. Government cannot force us to renounce our faith or to live in a way which basically testifies to the same. Under every trial that Paul faced, he maintained his defense through both word and deed in consistency with his faith. Even more so, he took every unjust action carried out against him as an opportunity to share his faith. Just think of all the people who heard the gospel proclaimed just by attending Paul’s trials. All the Jews in the public square who accused him, the religious leaders, the civil leaders, I mean Felix’s wife was nearly converted because of this. There is something powerfully compelling in our testimony when we cling to the truth, and God’s church has been appointed to herald it. Because of this it comes under persecution by powers who are threatened by truth, but through persecution the church flourishes. Throughout history where the truth is not only spoken, but lived out in despite the opposition of the world, redemptive acts have taken place.

         The church has shined its brightest in the darkest of times. In the ancient days it was Christians who took in the abandoned Roman children who were left out to die by exposure. Under China’s “one child law” it was the Christians who in recent times were doing the same. It was the church who made the first hospitals, schools, and ministries in service of the orphaned. Ancient Roman culture marginalized the weak, the poor, the widow, the fatherless, the disabled, but it was the church who sought them out. In the medieval world when plague ran rampant, it was the Christians who stayed and put their life on the line to offer care to the sick. At the time of the Reformation it was Christians who called to account the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church, at the cost of many saints’ lives. During the days of the slave trade, it was Christians who led the charge of the abolitionist movement. You see, the power of the Christian testimony is grounded on the foundation of God’s truth, but it is a power exercised through the outworking of love and service to our neighbors.

In a fallen world, it is quite possible that a fallen government will ask us to say things we cannot say and do things we cannot do under threat of persecution or prosection. We cannot do these things, that is the exciting part to hear. The hard part to hear is that we will face persecution and suffering when we don’t, because the Christian life is not tit for tat, but love in the face of transgression.

1 Peter 3:13-17 tells us 13 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.

         There is a temptation to give in to civil pressures which would compromise the truth that is in us. This could be for comfort, upward mobility, or because simply we don’t want people to dislike us. This temptation is more often associated with the left leaning churches. There is an equal temptation to stand for truth but in aggression and without love. Conversely, we are called to make our defense for the Christian faith with love, gentility and respect. I think this is more the temptation that we face. Our camp is good at holding to our Christian convictions, but in our angst, we can communicate the love of the gospel in a very un-loving way. How we testify to the gospel is important. And living consistent with love for neighbor and love for God can be more persuasive than the greatest apologetical argument. Ethical Christian living testifies to the world that we actually believe what we teach. Our Christian Ethic is a powerfully compelling element in and of itself. More to come on this in our upcoming equipping hour class the Theology of the Christian Life, or Christian Ethics. 

         So, if we are forced to resist the commands of our civil leaders how are we to do it? First, by clinging to the truth, with honor, gentility, and respect towards our leaders. Second, by living right before God, we won’t be very effective witnesses if we don’t have a right relationship with God ourselves. Third, by our submission to our authorities in all things that do not compel us to sin. When we do these things, the genuineness of our lives will testify to the genuineness of our hope. Let us never forgot the one who laid down His life, so that His testimony would be proved true for the salvation of many. Jesus’ incarnation is the prime example of God using a corrupt government to accomplish His purpose of salvation through the persecution of the innocent. This is why we are called to pick up our cross and follow Christ, nor our swords. Swords are the way of  worldly kingdoms, but the cross is the way of the heavenly kingdom.  

Through Government under the Control of Fallen People God Accomplishes His Purposes. This is a hard issue, especially in an election year when political turmoil is at its highest. In our lifetimes alone we have experienced the benefits of government, while also witnessing its failures. But we leave knowing this, that what the enemy means for evil, God intends for good. We know that Festus and the Jews through all their political scheming served this purpose, to get Paul to Rome where Jesus promised he would go. We too have a promise, that all things work to the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes. That’s us beloved, and no matter who wins the election this year or in all the years to come, Jesus is king, and His plans will never fail. Let’s pray.