Church and State?

 

READ 1 Samuel 11–14

Separation of church and state initially protected the church from being subject to the government. Those countries without that protection have thousands of Christians meeting in secret because their government has made Christianity illegal. In others, the church is strongly ruled by politicians not the Lord.

Misunderstanding this law’s purpose can lead to governing authorities deciding that Christian teaching and principles should not be allowed to influence politics, even deciding what God calls sin is okay and His goodness is now considered evil.

The idea that God should not be the ruler was common in the pagan world, but in the OT this became the demand of God’s people. When they saw the power of their enemies, they demanded a king and Samuel appointed Saul. However, God did not change His order of things. They were still to obey Him:

And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. And now behold the king whom you have chosen, for whom you have asked; behold, the Lord has set a king over you. If you will fear the Lord and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you and your king. Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. (1 Samuel 12:12–16)

The Lord used weather to show them they had sinned in asking for a king. He sent rain when it normally did not rain. Samuel said, “Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel. (12:17–18)

This shook up the people. They asked their prophet to pray that they would not die as they admitted their sin in putting a king over God. And Samuel said to the people:

“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” (12:19–25)

Having a king did not absolve them from obeying God. That included the king. When Samuel didn’t show up for an important offering, Saul took matters into his own hands. This was a role forbidden to him and when Saul did arrive and asked, “What have you done?” this king fudged the truth about his actions. Samuel said to Saul:

“You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (13:6–14)

The current principle of keeping church and politics separate is not biblical. That is, a government or state cannot absolve the church and God’s people from obeying God, nor do political leaders have freedom to do whatever they want to do without obedience to God’s principles. Governments have no license to call good what God calls evil, any more than they have the right to tell the church how to worship. However, we who believe in Christ and follow Him need to submit to the ruling authorities in all ways — unless they directly demand that we disobey God. (Discernment is needed at times to decide the difference between His commands and personal preference.)

This is practical for me. I try to drive the speed limit, obey all laws, and avoid griping about political authorities. Instead, the Lord urges “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way . . .” (1 Timothy 2:1–4) Prayer is seldom a sin!