“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,
for there is no authority except that which God has established….”
- Romans 13:1
This July 4th marks anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Apostle Paul in the above verse reminds us that we have government because it is God’s will that there be government in this world. God has established government to provide people with peace, security and protection.
One might ask, “How can a Christian serve both God and country at the same time?” In Matthew chapter 22 we have Jesus’ words, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” According to Jesus there is no conflict. Both must be honored and served. The Christian with one foot in heaven still has one foot on earth. Should conflicting demands be made on our loyalties, the Bible gives us the answer, “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)
Governments can be cruel, because we are living in a sinful world led by sinful leaders. When governments in Christian nations, however, provide people with peace as God intends, the proclamation of the Gospel usually is in full swing and there is a rapid spread of Christianity. Christians need to pray for those in authority, “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives…” (1 Timothy 2:2). These prayers should not be made simply so that we can be more comfortable in this life, but that hopefully this type of peace will provide opportunities for people to come and know the peace of God which surpasses all understanding.
The history of the world is littered with wrecks of once powerful empires. In each case pride and arrogance played a large part in their demise. With each succeeding generation these empires became less responsible and more morally and spiritually bankrupt. What do you see when you consider the actions of our nation’s people and government leaders today? Do you see pride and arrogance? Do you see moral and spiritual bankruptcy? Do you see less responsibility?
How many unborn are being killed in our country each year? What about a divorce rate that is nearly one in two? Consider how many billions are spent each year on gambling, drugs, alcohol, and immoral entertainment. How many millions of children in our country do not go to church and receive absolutely no religious instructions? Is it any wonder that our country will become even more morally and spiritually bankrupt?
It has been said that our country is a “Christian” nation. Is it? There’s a lot of praying that needs to be done.
There’s a lot of work for Christians to do. As we see the moral and spiritual decay all around us, we must pray that God would direct our nation and ourselves to live, not just for ourselves or for the moment, but for him who died and rose again. We need to pray that God would use us as his “lights” in this world.
On the 4th of July many of our citizens proudly display “Old Glory.” Many Christians in our country will do this as they rightly conclude that God has shed his grace on us and our country. We also know, however, that many haughty empires now lie in dust. Will our country sometime in the future be one of them? Only God can change the hearts of people through the Gospel. We have this Gospel and our Lord wants us to share it. So let us as citizens of two kingdoms not only raise with pride “Old Glory,” but also “Lift high the cross; the love of Christ proclaim.”
