The turning point of debate in the political climate in America today seems to revolve around this question: what is the purpose of our government? This question touches every issue, and involves every branch of government. The President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court all have differing opinions that they present to the public. Some feel that government should regulate and control everything, so as to provide a greater sense of general order. Others feel that the government should have as little power as possible, and leave most decisions up to the individual. Still others think it necessary to change everything about the current system because it doesn’t seem to be working at all. But who is correct?
According to Scripture, government is a good thing. In fact, Scripture states that God establishes governments Himself (Romans 13:1), and says elsewhere that all good things come from God (James 1: 17). Scripture also provides Christians with instructions to follow the laws of the government over them; Jesus gave the directive to the man asking about paying Caesar’s taxes (Matthew 22:21) and Paul calls Christians to submit to their earthly authorities (Romans 13:2). Paul also states the purpose of government: “For he is God’s servant to do you good…an agent of wrath to bring punishment to the wrongdoer” (Romans 13: 4). Government is intended to provide a framework for society in which good is promoted, and evil is punished. God holds governments accountable for how well they perform this duty.
In most places, the people have little to no say in who governs over them. But in America, the people have all they say; the rulers are elected by the people’s vote. Because of this, God will hold the people accountable for the actions of the government, and Christians have a greater responsibility to be active in the governmental system.[1] This can mean anything from running for office themselves to writing letters to their congressmen to passing out fliers in the streets. But the easiest and most effective way for American Christians to bring positive change to their government is to vote for leaders who support Christian values! In this way, Christians can bring the government back into a state of obedience to Scripture, and feel positively about submitting to it.
Following on that, it was in the news today a new Republican candidate for the 2012 presidential election has emerged. His name is Thaddeus McCotter, and he currently serves as Representative for Michigan's 11th District. Having been thus far disappointed with the "well-known" choices we currently have for our next president, I checked this guy out. And he seems pretty awesome so far. Here is a link to his website: http://mccotter.house.gov/
There you can find more information about him and what he stands for, current legislation he is sponsoring, and votes he has made in the past. All in all, he looks to be a good choice, but I have some more digging to do. I encourage you to check him out yourself, and to carefully research all the candidates we have before you vote. And please, VOTE. In addition to being a civic responsibility, it is the best way Christians have to positively affect our culture. I can't stress that enough.
[1] Richard Land, Fulfilling Our Cultural Mandate, Marriage Resources for Clergy (Jan 2011), http://www.marriageresourcesforclergy.com/site/Sermons/sermon09.htm#top
