Last week I intended to include this information in that posting, but I
expanded the introductory remarks to such a degree that I decided to take a deep breath and finish the idea this week. This is that posting.
The first purpose for having Civil Government is to keep God’s fallen children from killing themselves until they repent, return to their Abba Father, and begin to walk by faith. God Himself ordained the institution of Civil Government, including the power to take human life (Genesis 9:5-7). However, since it is given the ultimate authority to take human life, Civil Government’s activities are severely limited by God’s Law. Those activities are limited to only TWO CLEARLY DEFINED TASKS;
1.) Protect law-keepers – “First of all, then, I urge you to offer to God petitions, prayers, intercessions, and expressions of thanks for all people, for kings, and for everyone who has authority, so that we might lead a quiet and peaceful life with all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1, 2 ISV)
2.) Punish law-breakers – ”Every person must be subject to the governing authorities, for no authority exists except by God’s permission. The existing authorities have been established by God, so that whoever resists the authorities opposes what God has established, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
“For the authorities are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you like to live without being afraid of the authorities? Then do what is right, and you will receive their approval.For they are God’s servants, working for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for it is not without reason that they bear the sword. Indeed, they are God’s servants to administer punishment to anyone who does wrong (i.e., commits an external “crime,” not simply an internal “sin,” which Civil Governments cannot address—there are no “hate-crimes”).
“Therefore, it is necessary for you to be acquiescent to the authorities, not only for the sake of God’s punishment, but also for the sake of your own conscience.
“This is also why you pay taxes. For rulers are God’s servants faithfully devoting themselves to their work. Pay everyone whatever you owe them—taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due.” (Romans 13:1-7)
These two Scriptures define beautifully the ONLY TWO BIBLICAL REASONS FOR HAVING CIVIL GOVERNMENT—to punish law-breakers and to protect law-keepers!
What about education, post office, road construction, welfare, health care, regulating the economy, etc.? These all fall naturally within the jurisdiction of the free-market of the individual, the church or the family. My 75 page book, Let Earth Receive Her King – Does Jesus Rule Over All the Nations, deals with these issues in detail. It is available free, in PDF form, by clicking here:
Let Earth Receive Her King (2).pdf
What governing document is our Civil Government currently following as it “protects and punishes?” Next week we’ll take a look at our Constitution. Is it “infallible” like the Bible? Some give it that kind of authority. Should we?
