In Political Leaders Do Not have the Final Say, I addressed that any government’s existence, necessity, and authority is temporal and limited. Although this is the case, many Christians have failed to grasp this reality. In light of this, Daryl Hart, author of Secular Faith, remarked,
The Achilles heel of many Christian politicians, American or not, has been the failure to recognize the impermanence of secular politics, that it is a temporary arrangement to restrain evil and promote justice until the dawn of a new period in the history of salvation (pg. 41).
Not only is this the case, but speaking in general terms, it is known that some have fallen victim to placing an excessive dependence upon political reform and have used excessive power and ungodly tactics in ascertaining their position. It is for these reasons why some Christians may deny political involvement or speak against those who are involved.
Even though these instances have blackened the eye of Christianity in certain respects, they do not merit Christians to retract from obeying the will of God in submitting to our form of government. This is why Daryl Hart continued by, saying, “Even though the politics of the earthly city may proceed from selfishness or irreligious motivation, its authority is still legitimate and something in which believers may participate.”
So, the question that begs to be answered is this, “What are we to make of these historical and contemporary examples?”
In response, it is wise for us to heed the sound advice of Stephen Monsma and Mark Rodgers, who said:
… history also teaches Christians to move into active political engagement only after careful reflection and much prayer. This is not an area to rush into with maximum of enthusiasm and good intentions and a minimum of thought and planning (Toward an Evangelical Public Policy, pg. 326).
This is why as Christians; our submission to the governing authorities of America should be marked with a high level of humility. Not only because of the lessons of history, but due to the difficulties of applying basic principles of the Bible to contemporary policies and situations (ibid., pg. 329).
As Christians we are not to be plagued with a high level of inactivity, we are simply to move forward with a high level of humility, love (link with post on love), empathy. In clearer words, “do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2.3-4).
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