Thank God For Good Government

A couple months ago I found myself in the emergency room of St. Lukes Hospital, Houston, hooked to a monitor, waiting for the results of some tests. I had experienced angina pains and the doctors were concerned that I had suffered a heart attack, that my heart had been damaged. For hours I waited with my wife and children in a small room, waiting to be admitted to the hospital's cardiac care unit. Finally, shortly after midnight, they wheeled me into an elavator and up to my room where I was hooked to blinking machines and monitored throughout the night. In the morning the doctors came by to announce that I had not had a heart attack and could go home.

I mention this personal incident as an analogy of secular government. We live in a rebellious, fallen world. Satan and his minions are behind this rebellion against the good and gracious rule of our Creator and rightful King. Consequently our bodies and all of creation suffer. As the apostle says, God subjected creation to futility in hope that it will finally be set free from its bondage and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Romans 8:20-21).

I was born into that rebel world. Like all mankind, I suffer from the futility the apostle Paul speaks about. I was born into sin. My very nature is to sin. And so my body, together with the rest of creation, suffers. For nearly eighty years my sinful body has been growing old and dying. One day this body will indeed die, as have all men before me.

But even in this fallen world of men, our heavenly Father provides us with an emergency room otherwise known as governments. By means of these worldly or secular governments the Father continues to preserve life. In this way He demonstrates His continued love for His creation. This is why Jesus told us that Pilate, Caesar and all governments derive their authority from God. When they  do their proper work, good governments preserve order, punish evildoers, protect citizens and provide for their well being. In this world such governments operate by means of  law and that law is enforced by the fear of punishment and rewards for those who do good.

Jesus answered (Pilate), “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” John 18:36 -ESV

The Jews had falsely delivered Jesus over to Pilate in a trumped up and illegal trial. Jesus said to Pilate that if he was indeed a king with a worldly kingdom there would have been a battle. Jesus' soldiers would have fought the Jews to protect their king and his right to rule. But he was not such a king, though king he was. Pilate, however, was a worldly ruler, with authority ultimately derived from above, from God (John 19:11). 

So Jesus teaches that good governments must be respected. Pilate at that moment represented such a government of good law and order. The Jewish Sanhedrin on the other hand was operating contrary to its own nation's laws. The members of that worldly government—for that is what it was—were driven by greed, a desire for personal power and wealth and hate. As such Jesus' servants would be within their rights to resist that government's decisions, even with force if necessary. 

It is not within the scope of this blog to spell out the details of what is and what is not good government. I must leave that task to those better equipped to study and write about natural law. Even as I write the citizens of my own nation are arguing back and forth about the election of a new president and other rulers. Voters will soon cast their votes to decide by this democratic process who these rulers will be. These rulers will pass laws and argue back and forth in the coming years about what is best for the citizens of this country.  These laws will be based upon the Law of God written into our hearts. And in this way our gracious Father will continue to provide a measure of  peace, unity and goodness within my country— but it will always be imperfect, because we live in a fallen and rebellious world, a world of men ever tempted to follow the ways of the prince of darkness and his kingdom. 

But the day approaches when our true King will return. And then all will be put right and true peace, harmony and goodness will reign forever. Meanwhile we Christians join with others in whatever ways we can to promote peace and care in love for our neighbors. And, going back to what I mentioned in an earlier blog, this is why the church I served joined Interfaith in The Woodlands, Texas, to assist in caring for the very human needs of our community.