Government | Week 4 | Invading Mountains Series

An often-misunderstood phrase “Separation of Church and State”  

Great booklet regarding this topic called “The Separation of Church and State-What The Founders Meant”, David Barton. 

The common thought by those who speak the loudest about “The Separation of Church and State” is this: QUIET Christians should keep to themselves and be uninvolved in the political process.  Christians should focus solely on spiritual matters.  I am certain you’ve heard this statement “Don’t bring politics into the Church”. 

Gnostics Error – “Heresy”–Voice that opposes scripture   

God established three institutions for the benefit of man: Family, Government and Church. 

One of the functions of Government was and is to SERVE the people!

² When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan. ~ Proverbs 29:2 NASB1995

The other function of Government is to PROTECT its people!

What the Word Says 

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ² Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. ³ For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. ⁴ For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. ⁵ Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. ⁶ This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. ⁷ Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.  ~ Romans 13:1-7  NIV

The text says to “submit to governing authorities” because they are given by God.  But there are CONTEXTUAL limitations to submission. The single most important concept for correct interpretation is CONTEXT…What was the context to the original hearers and how was it applied to them. 

A totalitarian government is defined as a system of law where the state exerts extreme control over the population, forcibly subjugating individuals it’s laws and the religious practices of the state.

¹³ Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. ¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. ¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him. ~ Mark 12:13-17 NIV

Biblical Context! 

Here’s the difference, we live in a Republic that fought in very costly wars to break free from the tyranny of oppressive governmental rule. We have one Divine King, and we are citizens of two governments. First we are citizens of The Kingdom of God and Second, we are citizens of the United States.

The Founding Fathers on Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible-Wallbuilders, May, 2023   For decades accusations against the Founding Fathers have abounded. One of the common criticisms is that the Founding Fathers were a collective group of atheists, agnostics, and or deists who wanted a strict separation of church and state, resulting in a secular government and public square. Some go as far as foolishly writing that these allegations are so evident that no actual evidence or proof is needed to substantiate their claims. – Historical Redaction  

While these charges are blatantly false, it can likewise acknowledged that not every Founding Father or early American leader would fit in the category of born-again Christian (although most of them could). However, the overwhelming majority of Founding Fathers and early leaders wrote openly, and often about the influence of Christianity, the Bible and Jesus on their lives.

Thomas Jefferson

SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE; DIPLOMAT; GOVERNOR OF VIRGINIA; SECRETARY OF STATE; THIRD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.

James Madison

SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION; AUTHOR OF THE FEDERALIST PAPERS; FRAMER OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS; SECRETARY OF STATE; FOURTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

A watchful eye must be kept on ourselves lest, while we are building ideal monuments of renown and bliss here, we neglect to have our names enrolled in the Annals of Heaven.

Congress, U. S. House Judiciary Committee, 1854

Had the people, during the Revolution, had a suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, that Revolution would have been strangled in its cradle… In this age, there can be no substitute for Christianity… That was the religion of the founders of the republic and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants.

The origin of the Separation of Church and State 

You might be surprised to know that the term “Separation of Church and State is NOT in the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, nor is it in the Constitution at all!   It’s NOT found in the Bible either!  

On January 1, 1802, Jefferson replied to the Danbury Baptists,

“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ …thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.“ 

• The Separation of Church and State was INTENTED to keep the State out of the affairs of the Church.  It was designed to PROTECT the church from the state, NOT the state from the church!

• The United States of America was founded on freedom OF religion, NOT freedom FROM religion.

• We are in the mess we are in because we have allowed for the separation of RIGHTEOUSNESS from the STATE

• The church isn’t getting more Political, Politics are getting more Spiritual

Two Words: Policy and Responsibility 

Policy

Both parties are filled with people who have glaring imperfections and who often fall into their own misconceptions.

Policy–  don’t vote Personalities vote Policies!

Believers have to keep in mind, we are NOT looking for a Commander and Priest we are looking for a Commander in Chief that values the sovereignty of our Nation.  

The gospel IS about Right/Wrong- Good/Evil and we have remained silent for too long.

Either believers are misrepresenting the Truth, or the Truth is being Misrepresented to you!  

We don’t go to the polls to elect one person – 10’s of thousands of people that will carry out various agendas that flow from the election-we have to start right here in our own County by protecting our children who attend public schools. 

Responsibility  

Biblical president for being involved in government …Joseph, Ruth, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther– for such a time as this… Daniel, Jeremiah, Peter and John, The Apostles, John the Baptist – Paul

80-90 Million Christians in our Nation, BUT that’s not all, American Christians often represent another trillion Christians around the world.  We have always set the stand to hold the line for Religious Liberty and Freedom around the globe. 

1. My vote doesn’t matter – if you don’t think your vote doesn’t matter and you don’t vote you are inadvertently canceling out those who do vote.  Even if you don’t vote – in effect you are voting!
2. I don’t have Time – Think about the generations who have gone before us that bled and died for our freedoms.  Surely, their sacrifice wasn’t in vain.
3. America isn’t the final answer for the world, but I still believe in the goodness of America
4. Jesus is the final answer – without Him we are truly lost!  Nothing is going to save our Nation short of preservation that allows for the manifestation of the Spirit of God to visit us again in revival.

In the midst of political COMPLEXITY, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to look past PERSONALITY and VOTE for BIBLICAL POLICY! 

Words of Knowledge

• We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who has an infection in their tooth, this has been an ongoing issue.
• We believe the Lord wants to heal someone who has been struggling with acid reflux.
• We believe the Lord wants to heal someone with a lingering ear infection.