Covenant News Wire Service

God Among the Governors

God Among the Governors

By Gary DeMar / American Vision

Garry Wills has caused quite a stir with his article “Christ Among the Partisans,” published in the New York Times (April 9, 2006). I won’t rehearse the arguments presented by Eric Rauch in yesterday’s article.1 What I will do is describe, briefly, why it’s necessary that civil government and its governors to acknowledge the sovereign government of God (Isa. 9:6–7). While more Christians are steadily being convinced that the Bible has something to say about some social issues, like family and education where an immediate and personal moral impact is felt, there are others who still have trouble with a biblical view of economics, law, morality, and civil government. Like oil and water, religion and civil government are said not to mix. When the Bible does address civil issues, the argument is made that it only does so in the context of a necessary and unavoidable evil. In this view, civil government is more than dirty, it’s downright diabolic.

The claim is not being made that civil government (the political or legislative process) should be used to change or reform men and women (though the fear of punishment has an effect on people who might consider committing a crime). The purpose of God’s law as it relates to the civil magistrate is to restrain evil actions, to protect human life and property, and to provide justice for all people as it relates to its civil jurisdiction. Full story...

http://www.americanvision.org/articlearchive/04-13-06.asp

Posted by Editor at April 13, 2006 08:20 AM