During the days of the early church, government often oppressed Christians. Still, God inspired Paul and Peter to tell their readers, including us, to be good citizens. This means more than just paying taxes and obeying the law. We are to pray for our leaders, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence,” showcasing Christ so people might be drawn to the truth and accept it in their lives (see 1 Tim. 2:1-6). Moreover, especially in a free country like ours, Christians have a duty to contend for what is right in the marketplace of ideas. This includes voting according to biblical values. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The church…is not the master or servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool.”
Romans 13:1-7
1 Peter 2:13-17
Martin Luther King, Jr. quoted by Philip Yancey, What’s So Amazing About Grace?, 238. See http://communityofjesus.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/martin-luther-king-jr-on-the-church-as-the-conscience-of-the-state/.
Copyright © 2014 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.