God ordained governments for man in his unredeemed condition in the world. The Christian is saved out of the world, and is no more called upon to go back into it to engage in politics than was Israel called upon to go back into Egypt; though governments are for the Christian, as well as for the world-as they are for all men. As a doer of good in the world the Christian is not to decide for himself what he is to do. His path is marked out by the word of God. The Word marks out for him a far higher witness and more powerful influence for good than he could ever have as a politician. In separation from the world, he sheds light upon it, praying, interceding for all men, and for those in authority. In mingling with men in politics he belies his own character at the start,* as if Israel had gone back into Egypt to reform it, or as when Lot went down into Sodom and sat in the gate. *Suppose a soldier slays an opponent, a fellow Christian he had been with in prayer a month before:this he professes to be ready to do, in war, if he is a voter.*
But it may be said we are to mingle with men to reach them. But we are not to give up our character, which is separation from the world, and from every unequal yoke, or we cannot reach them with the testimony of God. As in Noah’s time the ark was his testimony and the place of refuge, so now the Christian’s testimony is the gospel:"As sons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life " (Phil. 2:15)
In short, God ordained governments in mercy to men and to the Church; but He ordained the Church for a different purpose, a purpose upon which thorough confusion is thrown by the very thought of a Christian in politics. The very thought is a refusal of God’s purpose, and a determination to substitute one’s own purpose, and be a doer of good on mere human grounds.
And this brings to mind the root of the difficulty- the heart not submissive to the truth of God as to the fallen condition of man. This pervades the Church to its confusion and exposure to heresy in many ways. The heart is not serious, not in the realization of man’s awful condition by sin, not really submissive to God as to His judgment of the world. Any link with the world defiles. "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing." As to God’s providential interfering or overruling in the governments of men the Christian is to be fully alive. He is a priest, and is to intercede, to pray, to give thanks " for kings " and "for those in authority " and "for all men," that we may lead godly and peaceable lives (i Tim. 2:i). He is to be an example of orderly conduct, and ready submission to the law (Rom. 13:1-8; i Peter 2:13-17).
How precious a true Christian testimony! how jealous should we be to maintain it pure; how falsified it is and ruined by politics, as by any kind of worldliness.
A second general consideration is this, the exhortations of Scripture imply separation from politics, as for example the one above referred to in i Peter 2::"Obey every ordinance of man." Evidently men who make these ordinances are a company of whom the Christian forms no part, he is outside of them, but he is to obey the laws the make. It is like that word in Heb. 9::"As it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Here again "men " are a company of which the Christian forms no part, he will never come into judgment and may not come into death, and will not come into it as having the sting of sin, and approaching judgment. It is an appointment for "men" but not for the Christian. So "men" are law-makers, but the Christian is separated from that company by the cross. He is a new man under Christ, the Head of a new and heavenly race.
A third consideration is this, already suggested necessarily but it may be more definitely stated:a Christian engaging in politics must act without guidance from the word of god, and therefore without faith and "whatsoever is not of faith is sin" (Rom. 14:23).This alas, is no difficulty with many, and reveals afresh a root of confusion in this matter:in submission to God and to His word, human judgment displacing the spirit of obedience from the heart, and so lowering the tone of life and testimony of the Church in general. But any one who knows the blessedness of peace with God through the assurance of God’s word is glad to apply the Word at all times, and is consciously weak if he goes beyond it or acts without it. "Thus saith the Lord" he must have for every step, and he finds guidance in the Word for everything. Otherwise how could it be to him, "a lamp to his feet and a light to his path"? (Psalm 119:105).
Let us apply this briefly to various relationships and duties. In the relationship of a parent, of a child, of a husband, of a master, of a servant, of a subject under the government – in all these relations light is shed on the Christian’s path; but none at all on his path as a politician, he has gone beyond the Word, and must act without it. In fact he is acting merely as a man, a natural man, not as a spiritual man, not as a Christian. We have an illustration of the Christian place of honor and sanctification in the place accorded Mephibosheth by king David. "Mephibosheth shall eat bread alway at my table," was the king’s word. Ziba and his servants and his sons were commanded to till the land for Mephibosheth, and to bring in the fruits to him, but Mephibosheth was to eat bread at the king’s table as one of the king’s sons. Ziba was the servant of Saul. Saul’s kingdom a type of the power and governments of the world that are to pass away before the coming Kingdom of Christ. Ziba’s servants and sons may speak to us therefore of the men of this world, and of its governments who, occupied with earthly things, really serve the children of God. Whatever is done to promote good government and prosperity is a service by God’s appointment for His glory and for blessing for all men, but especially for His own (i Tim. 4:10). But the Christian, like Mephibosheth, is at the king’s table as one of the king’s sons. He is a priest unto God and has too high and holy an occupation to turn aside to the work of the servants of Saul.
For a Christian to be even prime minister or President would be but a misuse of time and opportunity. Saul’s servants are doing this work. The Christian is a worshiper of God, and one who is to hold forth the word of life, and to be a witness for Christ, to walk as He walked, to " follow His steps"-leaving us an example (i Peter 2:21).
No steps of His can be found in the arena of politics. The following His steps will most certainly lead in a direction wholly apart from anything of that kind. Even the world can see this. They know very well the inconsistency of a Christian in politics.
Peace and joy are in the way of separation from the world, and the taking up our cross and following Christ, afar from Egypt’s turmoil and unrest, and ungodly principles and ways. What we need is to have a clear perception of our heavenly calling. We wait to be taken to heaven where Christ is, and then He will appear and rule this world at last with perfect government, and establish a Kingdom that shall be forever (Dan. 7:27).
Israel departed from Egypt and commanded repeatedly to be carefully separate from the Canaanites; and Abraham, called to leave his country, answers plainly to the equally plain teaching and commandments of the New Testament, as to the path of separation from the world, enjoined upon us.
Let us rejoice in our happy deliverance, and let us give thanks to God that we have been called to such an honorable testimony. May we by example and exhortation help one another, and seek the salvation of souls.
May we abide in Christ. In Him we are blest with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. By Him we have access to the very presence of God. No defilement is admitted there. Nothing that is of the spirit of this present evil age, but what must unfit one to approach Him.
Let us walk upon our high places, and see that no wile of Satan mars our worship and our testimony.
"Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown." "Behold I come quickly."
What if the priests who marched round Jericho with the ark and blew the trumpets, had left the ark and had gone into Jericho to work reform. Yet such is the course of Christians who go into the world to make it better. It is confusion and disobedience. Let us suppose Paul to have been turned aside from his work in the gospel to a political career however great, the thought is heart-breaking, and yet how many are ensnared and robbed of their crown, in this and kindred ways; for the unequal yoke is a snare in every line, whether in business, or marriage, or benefit societies, or politics. Do we not desire to honor the Lord, not to dishonor Him; to comfort our brethren, not to grieve them-to be true witnesses for Christ? "If any man serve Me let him follow Me." "What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness, and what concord hath Christ with Belial, or what part hath he that believeth with an unbeliever, and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols, for ye are the temple of the living God, as God hath said:I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be My people. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty."
E. S. L.