The Church and Government are both important, yet different, God created three separate institutions. First, he gave us the home (Genesis 2: 18-25). Next, he instituted government, for he knew that man could not govern himself (Jeremiah 10:23). Finally, God created the church (Acts 2:41, 47). Just as the government cannot take the place of the home, the church cannot take the place of the government. Each of these organizations is unique. While there may be some overlap and similarities among the three, they are each different and vital in their own ways.
The founding fathers of the United States ensured that the government would not infringe upon matters of faith. People could worship God in a way of their choosing. But there would be no state or national church, as had been the case in England. They understood that the fledgling nation could not thrive, probably not survive, without strong homes and strong churches. Just as they would not tell someone who to marry, they would not tell someone how to worship. The Church and Government would complement one another.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison notes that 9 of the 13 original colonies had some form of religious test for elected officials. (Center for the Study of the American Constitution; Department of History, ND) It is undeniable that the founders of our great nation intended faith to buttress, complement, and inform the functioning of the newly formed government. Sadly, that influence waned and is all but invisible in public life.
Richard John Neuhaus penned The Naked Public Square in 1988. In it, he laments the decreasing role of faith in public policy. He sees the death of democracy as the certain end of a faithless system. (Neuhaus, 1988). The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, published in 2023 documents the growing unrest in some religious, Christ-believing communities. Some seek to retake American democracy by force. This “Christian Nationalism” is the subject of a future article and ought to be rejected.
As noted previously in THE Kingdom and I Pledge Allegiance, there is only one Kingdom of import. Only the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. It is this divine kingdom that we are to seek before all others (Matthew 6:33). Paul says, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). Today, we are strangers waiting to go home (Hebrews 11:13). We must not be overly concerned with the petty political polemics of the day because this world is not our home.
To be sure, we “salt” this world with the glory of Christ and hold up a light in the darkness (Matthew 5:13-16). We are ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). Christians can and should participate in the political process. They should vote and should exercise every venue to influence our elected officials.
But Jesus draws a line. He says, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:15-22; c.f. Romans 13:7). We clearly have obligations to the Church and Government and to live our daily lives for Christ. I think we know which is most important. To which, the Church or Government, God or politics, will we devote our time and effort this week?