Bulletin Articles
When Rulers Rise and Fall
Governments operate on the basis of people who exercise power in one form or another. Sometimes rulers can be oppressive; sometimes they can be helpful. Those who are under rulers may agree or disagree with those in power, and history is filled with rebellion against what is perceived as bad authority. Earthly rulers come and go; the only One who abides forever is the King of kings and Lord of Lords.
Christians operate with a different mindset from the world. We are to seek the things above where our true King sits on His throne, setting our minds on things above (Col 3:1-2). We are first citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20). Yet we also realize that we are in this world and need to shine as lights in the midst of crooked generations (Phil 2:14-16). We do not ignore what is going on in the world, and we seek to exert positive influence as we can in the circles in which we move. As Jeremiah put it, we “seek the welfare” of the place in which we reside as exiles (Jer 29:7). Yet our first allegiance is to our Lord, and no worldly government can ever take His place.
While history shows a great number of governments based on the rule of monarchs, many of us now live under a government that gives us some sort of say in who gets into power. When we participate in the process, we are still Christians and need to do our work under the principles given by God in Scripture because “It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Col 3:24). God has given us various principles to understand relative to governments and powers. Our overarching principle is to trust God in all things, as the psalmist said:
“It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9)
Human rulers will not be our saviors, so, “Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation” (Psalm 146:3). With this in mind, we offer the following principles to consider, for while the kingdom of Christ is not of this world (John 18:36), we also live in a world where kingdoms and rulers regularly rise and fall.
When the latest results (elections, etc.) are in and whoever wins is in power (like it or not, agree with results or not), Christians need to remember:
1. The kingdom of God remains unharmed and will always continue well past any current administration (Dan 2:44). The kingdom of God does not depend on the kingdoms of men to thrive. Again, our trust is not in men but in God. God’s kingdom does not exist at the mercy of earthly powers; earthly powers exist by the mercy of God.
2. Rulers rise and fall according to the will of God. “He does according to His will in the host of heaven” and “no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35). Even a ruler as powerful as Nebuchadnezzar came to see this. Whether we understand why a person is in power does not change this. We do the best we can with the information we have, but final results are in God’s hands.
3. We are to pray for those in positions of power (1 Tim 2:1-2). Whether we agree with them or like them is irrelevant to the need for our prayers. We seek to live quiet, tranquil lives of service, and prayer is integral to this. Pray for rulers to love justice, to be humble, and to seek the Lord in their lives and decisions.
4. We are to honor those in power (1 Pet 2:13-17). We understand that we obey God over men, but Christians are not insurrectionists. “Honor” does not mean endorsing everything, but it does mean we submit to authorities appropriately (Rom 13:1-7). Christians are to be respectful.
5. Never speak evil of others, including those who are ruling (see Jude 9). It is not our place to bring railing accusations against those who are on other ends of the political landscape. While we are free to critique actions and policies, and while we do call out sin for what it is, we are still to speak with dignity and respect.
6. Love your neighbor. Love your enemies. People who think differently and have differing values are still people made in God’s image. This is not saying that all are saved or right with God. But we are still to show love and grace toward others as we seek to speak the truth in love. So far as it depends on you, be at peace with all (see Rom 12:18).
7. Most importantly, Glorify God in all that you do. Whatever happens now will change soon enough, and all will stand before the Lord’s judgment seat (2 Cor 5:10). Knowing this, we seek to persuade others to be reconciled to God. In the meantime, we are to live as lights in a dark world (Matt 5:14-16; Phil 2:14-16).
