Two Swords (4)

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil…For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain… Romans 13.3, 4

Good governments
We have observed that God establishes human governments of various kinds to serve, under the power of His Word and Spirit, for His right and good purposes.

Governments are God’s servants, as Paul explained. As God’s servants, governments either do His bidding, by sustaining justice and advancing what is good, or they resist His will by using their powers for purposes other than His.

Yet even rebellious governments remain in the hands of the Lord, and He will, in His way and time, cause them to serve His purposes, no matter how long or hard they resist.

How does a government wield its political sword in a manner agreeable to the will of God? By understanding and prosecuting its mission according to the Sword of the Spirit. Good governments make good laws and follow good practices, laws and practices which can be seen to reflect or derive from the teaching of Scripture and the practice of Christian rulers down through the ages. Good governments by their good laws and practices oppose and suppress all that is bad, everything, that is, which would promote the cause of the Lie and all its attendant evils (cf. Rom. 1.18-32), within its jurisdiction.

Use of force
When good laws prove insufficient to restrain evil and promote justice, governments may resort to force. Crime is defined as that which offends against the law, especially against the good Law of God. Crime upsets the balance of justice in a society because it fails the duty of loving our neighbors as ourselves.

When crimes have been committed, government must act to restore justice and righteousness. It must hold criminals accountable according to the standards of justice revealed in the Scriptures, and this can include the forfeiture of freedoms or wealth, or even life.

The preservation of goodness and justice is the highest calling of government, and rulers must not be reluctant to act swiftly and decisively to restore the balances when justice has been transgressed.

Force and other nations
This may entail engaging other nations in hostilities – war. When the preservation of a good, just, and orderly society is threatened by foreign powers, it is the duty of government to resist those powers and to preserve the divine order of goodness.

Nations may not engage in war for merely any purpose. A war is just when a nation whose good order has been assaulted or threatened turns to the power of the sword, all other means failing, to restore good order and suppress those who threaten it.

When the motive for war becomes something other than the restoration and preservation of justice and goodness, the good purpose of war is compromised and government fails to serve its Creator. Wars that are engaged, for example, to achieve or preserve some merely economic advantage may not necessarily be just. Nations that are engaged in wars must at all times make sure that their motives and ends are just, and that they are prosecuting this wielding of the sword in a manner consistent with God’s purposes and means.

The making and execution of law, the enforcement of justice, and the preservation of good social order – even if by means of war – are the primary functions of civil government. Many secondary functions may derive from these, but all such subsidiary duties and responsibilities must, like the major functions of government, find their proper place within the swath marked out by the Sword of the Spirit.

For only when government wields its sword according to the principles and precepts of God’s Word can it fulfill its calling as a minister of God to us for good.

It should begin to be obvious that good government, government as God intends it, cannot be accomplished apart from the Word of God. They, therefore, who have been entrusted with this Word, and who daily seek the Lord therein concerning every good work (2 Tim. 3.15-17), must be prepared to take their place in the work of civil government – to wield the Sword of the Spirit amid the sword of politics and government – for the benefit of their neighbors and the honor and glory of God.

Next Steps: Talk with a pastor about your church’s work preparing its members to participate in civil government. How might you help your church in this matter?

T. M. Moore

This week’s study, Two Swords, is part 1 of a 5-part series on The King’s Heart, a Biblical view of government and politics, and is available as a free download by clicking here. We cannot understand God’s view of government, or how to function in a political environment apart from faith in King Jesus and His rule. Order T. M.’s book The Kingship of Jesusto supplement our studies of God and government.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.