Click the Play button to begin
Welcome to another episode of Mission Possible: Truth and Freedom! I pray today’s topic will ground us further in our understanding of America’s need for Christians to not be silent. We all know that America fought its independence from Great Britain for (most importantly) freedom of religion. But they also wanted us to be a country free of tyranny. If you saw the coronation ceremony for King Charles … indeed an historic event, there was a section where his son William and then the people pledged their allegiance to King Charles. What do you think?
Prior to the War of Independence (the Revolutionary War), no small stir occurred when Pastor Jonathan Mayhew stood in his pulpit to guide his parishioners away from “Unlimited Submission to the Higher Powers.” To be clear, some colonial ministers of the era were guiding their people in the opposite direction, toward a blind submission to the English authorities, though that group represented a small minority.
This had all come to a head because the colonies had gotten word that the English Parliament intended to force on America the Episcopal Church to become its State Church. This, of course, provoked spirited disapproval. After all, the most motivating reasons settlers and colonists came to America revolved around their escaping the persecution instigated by the state church of England. Freedom of religion was their deepest hope. Eventually, of course, we received Freedom of Religion in the Bill of Rights.
Here is my paraphrase of Pastor Mayhew’s sermon.
Other than his obvious discourse that no, of course you don’t give unlimited submission to the government, especially when they characterize themselves as promoters of tyranny. He established that it is obvious that the affairs of civil government should fall under long and careful moral and religious deliberation. Yes, there is a sense in which Christ’s Kingdom is not of this world, however, that did not prevent the apostles from laying down guidance for the expectations of civil rulers and the duty of their subjects. So, it is only right and proper for all who acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ and the inspiration of the apostles through the Bible, to endeavor to understand the teaching concerning this matter that unlimited, unquestioned submission is not appropriate.
This sermon was published later by popular demand where he addressed head-on the notion of preaching politics instead of Christ. But he made himself clear as he introduced the scripture II Timothy 3:16 with an entreaty “I beg it may be remembered that ‘all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.’” He concluded that those parts of Scripture which do “indeed relate to civil government should most certainly be examined but they should also be explained from the pulpit.” This made it clear to his audience that the pulpits of America have the responsibility to address public policy. The government, any government, is equally subject to doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. And who can best do that but godly leaders who tap the wisdom and morals of Scripture?
Our very liberation from the English Crown was a civil and political step, via the Declaration of Independence, and interestingly the Declaration appealed to the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God” in its first paragraph. And in its last paragraph, after all the Injuries, Abuses and wrongful or illegal encroachments of the then King of Great Britain were enumerated and spelled out, we announced our independence by doing what? By “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions.” In that very document we asked God to hold us accountable according to His righteous standards, righteous standards found in the Scriptures. That’s not something tyrants, or even more sadly, many modern Americans are in the habit of doing.
Concerning things political or civil, God and religion did not serve as an afterthought to our founding fathers, nor to the citizens of the time. God was not patronized as a postscript or a footnote when public policy was up for discussion. Instead, religion, specifically the Christian principles of religion, contributed to making the political environment what it was and endowed the newly formed nation with the wherewithal to start off on the right foot.
Last time I checked II Timothy 3:16 is still in the Bible. I’ll include verse 17 so we can take a look at the context, “all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Before you conclude that this verse is only for a “man of God,” I’ve concluded that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Shouldn’t our very government be “equipped for every good work” and shouldn’t we take them to task when they fall short of that objective? If we value “doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness” that exalts good and rebukes evil in a society (and in its nation) but the Scriptures are not accessed for insight, and our pulpits kept and remain silent, then we are fooling ourselves. Biblical standards have a universal reach and a universal expectation. And all people everywhere will stand before God to be judged by Him. Is it any less vital then that we call for our leaders, small and great, church and secular, to acknowledge the correction of such standards, embrace their greatness, and then live and rule by them?
Why? So that they, too, can make a successful appeal to the “Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of their Intentions.” Not to mention … it’s imperative for freedom!
I’m Tammy Reneé. And this is Mission Possible: Truth and Freedom
“Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life!”
- 1 Corinthians 6:3
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
- Galatians 5:1
Announcer: Freedom will prove the ultimate evidence that truth was allowed to have its way . . . Godspeed.
0 Comments