In recent years, the American political scene has come to resemble the combination of a war, a carnival, and a Jerry Springer reality show. What was once characterized by discussion and debate is now dominated by vitriolic accusation and partisan combat. Evangelicals have felt the brunt of the situation, with mainstream media and progressive activists viewing us as ignorant, bigoted, and phobic. It’s no wonder we’re tempted to view the political sphere as inherently dirty.
Yet, the Bible’s perspective on government and politics transcends the current American situation. Its treatment of the political sphere goes deeper than partisan bickering, presidential elections, and conspiracy theories. It paints a picture of government and politics as a sphere corrupted by sin, yes, but inherently good and in need of Christian influence.
Often, Christians seeking an understanding of the political realm mine the Bible only superficially, casting a glance at Romans 13:1-7 (respect law and order!) or Matthew 22:15-22 (pay your taxes!). However, such surface-level explorations fall short of capturing the essence of politics or discerning the political needs of our day. A more complete understanding emerges when we take seriously the Bible’s holistic message and its specific teachings about matters of contemporary political dispute.
The Bible's perspective on politics is that government is a sphere corrupted by sin like all others, but government is inherently good and in need of godly Christian influence.
The Bible’s overarching narrative unfolds in four acts: the creation of a harmonious and just world, the disruption caused by human sin, the redemption initiated through Christ’s sacrifice, and the anticipated restoration of all things under God’s reign. This storyline offers rich insights into contemporary political engagement, emphasizing a politics that anticipates and embodies the forthcoming Kingdom of God.
Stated politically, the story takes on new dimensions. God created the world to include many spheres of culture, including politics, so the political realm is not inherently bad. We see the disruption caused by sin as depraved humans have corrupted and misdirected politics so that it often perverts justice instead of upholding it. In response to the corruption and misdirection of politics, God calls Christians to walk uprightly in the public realm, pointing toward redemption as they seek to bring healing and redirection to this sphere. This we must do until the anticipated restoration, when Christ returns to set the world to rights, once and for all abolishing the injustices of this world.
Thus, as Christians, we must live in the tension between the already initiated and not yet fulfilled kingdom. We are called to engage politically in ways that reflect and promote God’s justice and peace, eschewing idolatry of any temporal power or ideology. This engagement is not about seizing control but about testifying to God’s ultimate reign, manifesting a public life that aligns with the gospel’s transformative power. In a phrase, our lives must be previews of God’s coming kingdom.
But how can our lives serve as a political preview of God’s kingdom? By conforming to the Bible’s teaching on specific political realities. Here are a few examples among many that could be offered.
The Hope of the World: Political ideologies such as socialism strive for a utopia and view their political programs as saviors of the world. Thus, as Christians, we must never neglect the most important political assembly of all—the church’s gathering on Sunday mornings. Through Word and Table, we remind the world that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the hope of the world.
The Dignity of All Humans: Sadly, many Americans see no inherent value in human life. Thus, as Christians, we must never cease to remind our fellow citizens that all human beings are created in the image of God. We must be pro-life from womb to tomb, rejecting political agendas that promote abortion, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide.
The Importance of Law and Order: An increasing number of Americans undermine the enforcement of law and order. But God ordained government for the very purpose of achieving public justice through lawmaking and law enforcement. Thus, we must resist movements that seek to defund the police, ignore immigration law, or otherwise flout public justice.
The Necessity of National Defense: God gives the government the power of the sword and calls it to protect the nation from encroaching enemies. Therefore, we must support our nation’s defenders and secure the homeland.
The Good of the Whole Nation: In recent years, our nation has devolved into identity politics based on race, gender, and class. But Scripture calls Christians to seek the good of all people, not merely the interests of our own “tribe.” Thus, our political engagement should reveal Christian love for all human beings.
The Primacy of Marriage and Family: For the past seventy-five years, our nation has increasingly undermined marriage and family, the most basic institution in creation and history. We have encouraged sexual immorality, legalized abortion, redefined marriage to include homosexual couples, and more. Thus, even in the face of enormous social pressure, we must continue to uphold God’s design for marriage and family.
The Priority of Religious Liberty: Our Founding Fathers had the foresight to view religious liberty as the “first liberty,” the freedom that enables all other freedoms. Yet, in our day, progressives continually elevate nondiscrimination law over religious liberty, seeking to punish Christians for our beliefs about what God has said regarding sex and gender. Therefore, we must stand our ground, affirming the right of every American to align their life with their deepest religious convictions and to do so without fear of reprisal.
In a dysfunctional and vitriolic political context, Christians are called to be an island of moral sobriety and social sanity. As the world falls apart, we must embody a politics that mirrors the hope, justice, and mercy of God’s imminent reign. This commitment involves not retreating from the public square but reimagining it as a platform for demonstrating the transformative power of the gospel. By advocating for policies that uphold the sanctity of life, the dignity of all individuals, and the principles of justice and peace, Christians can offer a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, a beacon of light in a world often clouded by political turmoil.
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