One of the great arguments today is over the extent of Government interference or intervention in life. There is hardly any area of life that the modern city/state has not crawled into. Education, health care, business, farming, entertainment, radio, television, the internet and the list goes on. There is talk that they (whoever they is) even want to control the back yard barbecue. What is troubling is the government bureaucracies seem incapable of managing themselves let alone anyone else. Vet’s Administration cannot care for all the vets, IRS cannot explain the tax code if you call them, Immigration can’t do much about illegal immigration, the Post Office has trouble delivering the mail on time at a cost that is not ridiculous, and on and on it goes.
The Biblical view of Government is that it has one task, and that is to protect the innocent. The implication continues that we live quiet and peaceful lives so that Christ can be witnessed to and people can come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Timothy 2
1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people.
Government does not have the call to evangelize but it does exist as God’s ordinance to create a climate where “mission work” can go forward. The government is not called to establish a religion but to allow the free exercise of religion by creating the environment that allows for a peaceful life.
We see more and more around the world that not only are governments not able to protect the innocent, but they are becoming more hostile to the Gospel and Christians in general. Is it not interesting that people who study such things will tell you that terrorists look for areas of the world that are either ungovernable, or where the governments are so caught up in being all things to all people that they neglect protecting their people from evil doers?
We need to pray for our missionaries over seas. Chaos can ensue in a mission field at the drop of a hat, a natural disaster, a political crisis, tribal and ethnic politics and any number of things that we cannot imagine. At the same time the church must remember that in God’s “economy” we exist as church to witness.
Paul tells us God’s intent in Ephesians 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.
