How a Biblical Worldview Shapes Public Policy - 10/6 & 10/13

We are a little behind on these posts. This one is for the sermons delivered on 10/6/24 and 10/13.

In this 2 part message, Pastor Shane attempts to guide the thoughtful Christian regarding a biblical worldview as it shapes public policy and the political arena. Click here for the recording of this 10/6 Service, and you can fast-forward to 25:40 to get to the start of the sermon. Click here for the recording of this 10/13 Service, and you can fast-forward to 25:40 to get to the start of the sermon.

Our text comes from Romans Chapter 13.1-7

1 Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.

2 Therefore, whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;

4 for it is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a servant of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for the sake of conscience.

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.

Introduction…

• You have heard it said “politics and religion don’t mix”

• If they don’t mix, they don’t separate very well either, if you are a biblical Christian- slj

• “This is America.  Don’t tell me how to vote.”

• Are you an American citizen first, or a Christian?  Where is your ultimate citizenship? (Philip 3.20- in Heaven)

• I have no intention of telling you who to vote for- that is against the law (Johnson Amendment)

• I do intend to show you how a biblical worldview impacts how you see public policy

What does Scripture say about?

• The sanctity of life- abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment

• The rule of law- police, etc.

• Immigration

• Paying taxes

• Judicial philosophy (Supreme Court)

• Stewardship of earth

• Biblical gender assignment and affirmation, and human sexuality

• Welfare reform, and a work ethic

• Many, including many in the church, do not have a biblical grid through which to see these issues

• Many simply want to vilify their political opponent in conversation, social media, the press, etc.

• The left has shifted further left, and the right, further right

• A moderate in either camp is increasingly isolated

• As a moderate conservative, I plan to vote for a conservative political philosophy, as I always have

Your biblical worldview must inform your public policy ideas

• Mine began in the Jr hi library with Time, Newsweek, US News and World Report, Cronkite, Sevareid, Brinkley, Shaw, Jennings, etc (most all news today is biased)

• It continued through HS and college, to this very day

• The average college student today is woefully uninformed

• I read a balance of news virtually every day of my life- left, right, center; WSJ

• To not know, is ignorance (we are all ignorant about something); to choose to not know, is stupidity

What is happening in the text?

• V1- Every (pas- all; this means us) person is to be subject (hupotasso- to come under, be subordinate) to governing authorities (Paul clearly has in mind here the state in particular, and authority, both civil and Christian, in general)

  • There is no (legitimate) authority except by God, and those that exist are established (tasso- to appoint) by God (Does God allow evil authority?  He uses it for His own purposes, in His sovereignty- Pharaoh, evil OT kings, Rome)

  • What of those like Stalin and Hitler?

• V2- Whoever resists authority opposes the ordinances of God (Should we resist evil authority? Yes, as there are plenty of biblical examples of this) those who resist authority bring judgment on themselves (If you don’t listen, you’ll have to feel- Dobbins)

• V3- rulers are not the cause of fear (fobos) for good works, but for evil (kakos); do what is right, and you’ll not have fear, but praise from those in authorityMarks of a biblical Christian, after conversion- discipleship

• V4- those in authority are servants (diakonos- from which we get “deacon, or minister”) of God to do good (agathos); if you do evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword (machaira- a short, defensive weapon) for nothing; (but rather, for a the reason of discipline); authorities are servants of God to bring His wrath on those who practice evil

• V5- it is necessary to be under the authority, not only because of wrath/punishment, but more importantly, for the learning of right and wrong (conscience)

• V6- this is why we pay taxes; rulers are ministers (one who cares for another, leitourgos) who devote themselves to the rule of law

• V7- give to them what is due- tax, full performance (telos- completion), respect, honor (worth due to position)

How this plays out in the life of a biblical Christian

• We are to give positional honor to those in authority (honor is positionally granted; respect is incrementally earned, over time); ex, President Clinton

• God has ordained legitimate authority; to resist this, is to resist His representative

• Authority serves both reward and punishment, in accordance with the rule of law, both biblical and secular

• Legitimate authority helps us learn right and wrong

• Our taxes support state services

• Thus, we are to give those who serve on behalf of the state what they are scripturally due- tax, submission, honor

*Next week we will see how this plays out in

1. The sanctity of life

2. Biblical gender assignment and affirmation

3. Judicial philosophy

4. The rule of law

5. Just war

6. Paying taxes

7. Immigration

8. Welfare

9. The stewardship of Earth

10. 2nd amendment rights

Pastor Gary Hamrick, Ezek 33.1-5
Cornerstone Chapel, Leesburg VA

1. God uses flawed, sinful people

2. Vote policy over personality

3. Keep a pro-Israel policy in mind, via Scripture

4. Vote for religious freedom

5. Keep biological gender in the forefront

6. Vote pro-family

7. Vote pro-life

8. Vote!

(Thx to Larry Hamsher for sharing this with me)

The sanctity of life

• Abortion

• Euthanasia

• Capital punishment

• Life begins at conception- Ps 139.13-14

• We do not have the right to self murder

• Some crimes call for the life of the evil doer- CP seen through the lens of both the OT and NT

Biblical gender assignment and affirmation

• God created male (ish) and female (isha), Gen 1.27

• God determines gender

• Via a birth defect, a small number of people are born intersexed (1-2%)

• Any sexual activity outside a the marriage of a man and woman is sinful, either homo or heterosexual

Judicial philosophy

• The single most important thing a president will do (other than crisis leadership) is nominate to the Supreme Court

• Roe would not have been overturned were it not for the nomination of conservative justices

• Just because the SC affirmed same sex marriage does not make it right; to call this marriage in a biblical sense is wrong

• The Supreme Court is in some ways ground zero for spiritual warfare, because it is an indicator of the spiritual values of a our nation

The rule of law

• The Old and New Testaments generally affirm the rule of law, both sacred and secular; our Rom 13 text affirms this as an agent of God

• Lawless in the streets as a result of George Floyd’s murder was still wrong

• The storming of our nation’s capital on January 6 was just as wrong

• As a law enforcement chaplain for 7 yrs, I saw some of the finest people I’ve ever known, up close and personal, and was proud to serve them and their families

• Respect for the rule of law is taught to little children, and modeled by parents- you get what you stress, and model

War- Scripture, Augustine

• Examples of just war are throughout the OT; Paul uses war and soldier imagery at teaching points in the NT

1. Wars must be fought only on legitimate authority. 

2. The cause must be just.

3. The war must have right intention.

4. *It must be a last resort, all other attempts having failed or being unavailable.

5. *There must be a reasonable hope of justice, or a reasonable chance of success, in order to prevent poin­t­less wars.

6. *There must be discrimination. Non-combat­ants should not be directly or intentionally attacked…

7. *There must be proportion; that is, there must be a balance between the good achieved versus the harm done. (Augustine’s Just War Theory)

Paying taxes

• Render to Caesar, Mt 22.20-22

• Tax revenues should be spent on those legitimately in need- the elderly, children, the infirm, veterans, etc.

• Infrastructure for the common good- roads, institutions, etc.

• We should care for our citizenry first, and…(next slide)

Immigration

• We are a nation of immigrants

• Immigration should be safe, fair, and legal, with a clearly defined process

• Porous borders are harmful to national security

• “When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.” (Lev 19.33-34)

Welfare

• This is reserved for those genuinely in need- children, the elderly, veterans, the infirm, etc.

• Those who can work, should work- 2 Thess 3.10-13

• “A man’s hunger drives him on…” Prov 16.26

• “Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.” Eph 4.28

• In America, your work ethic will largely decide your level of prosperity; if you travel abroad, you will learn that “wealth” and “poverty” are largely relative terms; 1, 2, 5 talent people
  

Stewardship of Earth

• The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, Ps 24.1

• Depending on who/what you read, global warming is an issue

• One day, Earth as we know it will be destroyed, and God will create a new Heaven and a new Earth, Rev 21

• In the meantime, we are to steward and have dominion over it as best we can, Gen 1.26-28

The 2nd Amendment

• As a lifelong sportsman and gun owner, I believe in the 2nd amendment

• I have many ministry colleagues who are pure pacifists- they do not, would not own a firearm, according to Christian conviction

• I respect their position even though I do not hold to it

• We need to learn to respect people’s opinions which we may not personally hold

• In Luke 22.36 when Jesus is about to send out the Disciples, He tells them to take 3 things

  • Money

  • A traveling bag

  • A sword (machaira- a short, defensive weapon) if they don’t have one, they are to sell their cloak (their outer garment) in order to buy one

• Why did He say this?  He does not explain…

And so…

• To what extent will you allow a biblical worldview to impact your thought on public policy?

• Who decides this?

• A biblical worldview that does not inform how you see politics and its leaders is not a biblical worldview