Romans 13:1
Next Saturday 7th December, 2024, Lord willing Ghana goes to the polls to elect the next President for the country and 216 Parliamentarians to represent 216 constituencies across the country. There are 12 people contesting for the Presidency and about 800 for Parliament. Who will you vote for? What are some of the things you will consider in voting? I am not going to obviously tell you who to vote for. And I won’t tell you who I will vote for. But in light of the elections, I want us to consider a few thoughts that will be guiding principles for us about how we approach politics and especially elections. Elections in Ghana as we all know has always being tensed. I remember in my teenage years, I was so scared of elections because of what was going on in some West African countries. Namely the wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. But we thank God that our nation has gone through a number of elections peacefully.
On Friday, the Presidential candidates signed a peace pact, where they promised to maintain the peace of the country, during and after election. Listen to a few words from the speeches of the Presidential candidates of the two major parties in Ghana, NPP & NDC
Every general election in Ghana, since 1992, has had its own dynamics, and the stakes are always high. Yet, we have never abandoned democracy because it is the right way forward (H.E Vice President Bawumia)
Let us pledge to promote peace. Let us work together to create an environment that is conducive to free, fair and peaceful elections. We owe it to ourselves and future generations to preserve the peace that we have enjoyed for so long (H.E Former President Mahama).
This morning, I want us to look at what I have titled God’s Government. We will consider this under four broad headings: The Sovereignty of God In Government, The Responsibility of Government, The Responsibility of Citizens, The Redemptive Implication Of Government. This sermon is to give us some peace and assurance, that whatever happens in the election, God is in control. And we can be confident that ultimately, God’s will will prevail in this election: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases” (Psalm 115:3). He calls the shots!
Now what do I mean by God’s Government? I mean to say that whoever wins the election is the one God wants to win. No candidate is going to win this election outside of God’s will. We are not going to wake up after 7th December and it will be said that Satan has foisted a candidate upon us. No, we can gladly affirm that the will of the people in election is the will of God.
The Sovereignty Of God In Government
The Sovereignty of God, I believe is a common subject to all of us by now. We understand it. We uphold it. We have heard it here severally. Simply, the Sovereignty of God is God’s total control over his creation. It means that nothing happens outside of God’s control. And we find this expressed in our text (Romans 13:1). There are two things we can observe in this text with regards to government (i) The Source of Government’s Authority is God (ii) Government is God ordained. This tells us that whoever wins this election has their authority from God and have indeed been put in place by God. God is not neutral about politics or national government so that we will argue a disinterest in politics by God. Our Reformed confessions affirm God’s sovereignty in civil government. Both WCF(23.1) and LBCF(24.1) says
God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, has ordained civil magistrates to be under him, over the people, for his own glory and the public good; and to this end has armed them with the power of the sword, for defence and encouragement of them that do good, and for the punishment of evil doers.
In other places in the Scriptures, we find a similar expression of God’s sovereignty over government clearly expressed.
Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,[b] whether it be to the emperor[c] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good (1 Peter 2:13-17)
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding (Daniel 2:21)
These texts clearly tells us that God, the apostles, the prophets and the Bible indeed have an interest in politics. Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour, who died to save sinners and will one day establish his kingdom is indeed the ultimate ruler who is seated at the right hand of Majesty and is ruling over the lives of nations. Jesus is not indifferent about what goes on in a nation. And you and I shouldn’t be. We should be interested in matters of the state. And if we can serve in any capacity in public serve, we must not think to be a Christian is incompatible with public office. Here again the confessions come handy
It is lawful for Christians to accept and execute the office of a magistrate, when called thereunto: in the managing whereof, as they ought especially to maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth; so, for that end, they may lawfully, now under the new testament, wage war, upon just and necessary occasion
The Responsibility of Government
Imagine a society without laws and rules? Everybody doing what they want. If you drive, imagine everyone drives in the direction they want. Based on how much of a hurry you are in, you can move in a direction that takes you to your distination fast regardless of whether you are putting others in danger. Or imagine that people can easily meet you on the street and because they are stronger than you, in broad day light, they will beat you up and take your phone because they want it and nobody can stop them. Or you are hungry so you good to a food vendor suppossedly to buy food and after getting the food you walk away without paying. Or someone is stronger than you and they one day come to your home, beat you up and drive you and your family out of your home and takes over your home? What kind of chaos can you possibly imagine what such a society will be like.
It is precisely for such chaotic instances and more that government exists. And government responsibility is clearly stated in our text: verse 3: “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” This means simply that rulers or government exists to promote peace and order. Without government the chaotic scenes I painted is highly possible. So how does government promote peace and order?
Restrain Evil
Government exist because human beings are evil, sinners by nature. If we are left on our own without retrain, we will produce a society that cannot be lived in. So one of government’s responsibility is The Restrain of Evil. To restrain is to stop people from evil. Rulers therefore exist as a restrain on evil. There are indeed various laws that restraints evil in our societies. Ruleras are a terror to bad conduct or evil means rulers put fear in the hearts of evil doers. That’s the point of the verse 3: to restrain evil. To stop people from carrying out their evil desires and agendas. This is the reason laws exist. So it will serve as a deterrent to evil.
In Reformed Theology, there are three uses by which God’s law is used. This is commonly called the threefold use of the law, which is attributed to John Calvin. The first purpose of the law is to be a mirror reflecting the holiness of God and our weakness. In that sense, we see the holiness of God and then see our own weakness. When this happens, the law of God drives us to Jesus to seek grace for salvation because we indeed realise we cannot match up with the holiness of God. Often, people look to other people and they think they are good people. No brethren, matched with the perfect law of God, none of us will be aquitted and discharged. Our only hope of a relationship with God is through faith in Christ. Jesus then lived and kept all of God’s law perfectly, so that sinners who believe in him will be saved.
The second use of the law is to restrain evil. “The law, in and of itself, cannot change human hearts. It can, however, serve to protect the righteous from the unjust. Calvin says this purpose is “by means of its fearful denunciations and the consequent dread of punishment, to curb those who, unless forced, have no regard for rectitude and justice” (Institutes 2.7.10). This is a true picture of human beings. We have to be forced to comply with law and threathings, else we wont comply. Goverment in that sense restrains evil. The second use of the law then commonly finds expression in secular laws. We have a constitution which is the highest law of the land. It basically points us to how we are to live in this country. And then it has various punishments for acts of crimes or breaking of laws. The third use of the law, for us as believers is to reveal to us what pleases God.
Punish Evil
Government doesn’t only restrain evil by making laws, they punish evil. If there are laws which are not enforced, then the laws are primarily no good. And I think one of the complains about laws in our country is enforcement. The laws are there, but they are not enforced. Verse 4 tells us that the ruler doesn’t bear the sword in vain. The sword here represents the symbol of authority granted government (three levels of authority Sword(civil discipline), Rod(parental discipline), Key (church discipline) ). So governemnt has been granted the authority to punish evil. That’s why people are put in jail for various crimes. It is the law in motion. Where government is not punishing evil, then a chaotic situation will ensue
Reward Good
“Do what is good and you will receive his approval” This points us to the fact that, Government is there for good citizens. If you are law abiding, if you don’t break the law, you can walk about confidently and freely knowing you wont get into trouble with government. But if you are engaged in any form of evil, you will definetly incure the judgement of the law.
The Responsibility of Citizens
What is our responsibility as citizens in a nation? The text is clear: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (v.1). Subjection, that’s obedience. The same thought of subjection is expressed in v.5: “Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience.” As citizens of the nation, we are to live in obedience to the laws of the land. A Christian is under obligation to be a lawful citizen. vv.6-7 expresses what this obedience looks like. For many of us, we cannot evade taxes because our taxes get deducted at source. But I guess if we had the chance we may be tempted to because we will argue the roads are bad, living conditions are not good etc. But God has not conditioned our payment of taxes on good governance. Payment of taxes and obedience has been conditioned on the authority of government. Obedience then means that on Saturday, as a citizen, you are to contribute towards a peaceful election. Go to your polling station, vote, go home and go and observe.
This said, government’s authority is not absolute, it is delegated authority and where the state steps beyond their boundary to lead people to disobey God, we can resist government. And there are indeed Scriptures that also point us to such direction. Daniel was charged not to pray. He prayed. The three Hebrew boys were faced with idolatry, they disobeyed. Peter and John were tasked not to preach in the name of Jesus, they didn’t comply. There are times where justly we must disobey government’s rules: LGBT, Abortion, same sex marriage, etc. Now in our resisting, rightly, we may still incur the judgement of government as he has the power, but we will incur the pleasure of God.
The Redemptive Implication Of Government
Of everything we have heard this morning, one may ask, how do we look at it in the larger scheme of God’s salvation?. Goverment, we can argue provides a limited expression of justice on this earth, until the last judgment comes. Goverment is God’s temporal representative on earth to punish sin. Government is God’s temporal expression of his wrath. Goverment is God’s temporal means of vengeance. It is there in the text (vv. 4-5) Government is described as a servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
Now, this clearly points us to an ultimate Government in future, where God will judge all humans for sin. As a Christian church, we believe in a last judgement where God will avenge and his wrath displayed over sinners. One day, all of us will stand before the judgement seat of God. And how we will fare, is what we have done with Christ revealed to us as God’s atonement for sin.
God has appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteousness, by Jesus Christ;1 to whom all power and judgment is given of the Father; in which day, not only the apostate angels shall be judged,2 but likewise all persons that have lived upon the earth shall appear before the tribunal of Christ, to give an account of their thoughts, words, and deeds, and to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether good or evil (LBCF 32:1).
As we go into this election, we are all seeking peace, the rule of law, prosperity etc. But what politics offers, pales in comparison to the peace Christ offers. For in Christ, God and man have been reconciled. By all means let’s seek peace, but let’s also seek the ultimate peace that comes through Christ and his redemptive work on the cross. For in Christ, the wrath of God is satisfied for us who have believed not to be condemned:
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