10 Truths - 3- The Gives Gives Guidance for Govern.

10 Truths –3 - The Bible Gives
Guidance for Government
Memorial – The beheading of St. John the Baptist Friday, August 29, 2008
We continue with Coral Ridge’s “10 Truths about Christians and Politics. 29- 31
The Bible is very much a political handbook. After all, its central figure is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” and many of its lesser characters – Moses, Joshua, Samson, Deborah, David, Solomon, and Daniel – were all political leaders. Two Old Testament books are called “Kings.”
The Bible gives us both the Mosaic legal code – a detailed set of civil laws designated for ancient Israel, but with clear applications for modern states – as well as a set of first principles to guide our thinking about civil government.

Lord of All – including Politics:
The first such principle is that God is sovereign – even over politics. The psalmist cries out that “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). “To deny that this area {politics} of decision-making is to be affected by religion is to deny the lordship of Jesus Christ over a particular are of life.” writes historian Gary DeMar, president of American Vision.

God also determines who’s up and who’s down. Civil rulers, ultimately, are “elected” by God: “But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psalm 75:7). Pharaoh held sway over Egypt and the children of Israel – but only because God placed him there for a reason. “But indeed for this purpose,” Gold told Pharaoh through Moses, “I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name be declared in all the earth” (Exodus 9:16.

A PRIMARY PURPOSE OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT IS TO PROVIDE ORDER AND JUSTICE TO RESTRAIN THE WICKED ACTS OF MEN SO THAT CITIZENS MAY BE FREE TO SEEK GOD. PAUL TOLD GREEK THINKERS THAT GOD ‘MADE FROM ONE BLOOD EVERY NATION OF MEN TO DWELL ON ALL THE FACE OF THE EARTH, AND HAS DETERMINED THEIR PREAPPOINTED TIMES AND THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR DWELLINGS, SO THAT THEY SHOULD SEEK THE LORD”(ACTS 17:26-27) Toward that end, Christians are told to pray “for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
Separation of Church and State in the Bible:
The Bible also teaches – and this may surprise you – the separation of church and state. Now this doesn’t mean a wall should quarantine Christians from the civic life of the nation. Rather, this is a biblically based distinction which allots to church and state separate duties under God’s sovereign reign. The ancient Jewish king Uzziah discovered that distinction, to his great regret, when he tried to usurp the role of the priests.
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P.S. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. has written a provocative book, Render unto Caesar. Raymond Arroyo interviewed the Archbishop on EWTN last week. Abortion violates human dignity and the common good. The right to life is foundational & supports the rest of our structure. The book is reasonably priced.
George H. Kubeck, Duplicate and or translate into Spanish and Vietnamese.