The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 1301-T, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 22." A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©1982. All Rights Reserved.
Question
I have a question about Christians relating to government. In a situation
where you are living under a government which is atheistic, humanistic, and is
actively persecuting Christians, at what point can a Christian begin to resist
that government? Is there any biblical justification for a Christian to
passively resist in the case of just not cooperating or actively resisting in
the case of taking up arms against a government? Also, how would you operate, if
you were a pastor in the Soviet Union?
Answer
Well, that is a
fair question. I am not, the Lord knows, that I am here because He wants me or I
don't know whether I would survive that. But, let me just say this, shocking as
it may seem, "The powers that be are ordained of God," Romans 13. "The powers
that be are ordained of God." Now, that doesn't qualify them ethically, does it?
Okay. So, I believe, that we are to be subject to the king, 1 Peter 2, to the
government or those in power, to the people in power, the government, the
authority, so forth, so forth, so forth. "The police bear not the sword in
vain," Romans 13.
I believe, we have to take a role of servitude, a role of submission to government. Therefore, the only ways in which we can react against that government are ways provided within that government to react. And, it is not our alternative to react politically or economically or materialistically or philosophically. The only liberty given to a Christian in a framework of government is to react against a system religiously or spiritually, so that we would have no basis to take up arms against a government, as I see it. We could choose, passively, to resist based on religious or spiritual conviction. And, in doing so, we would need, then, to accept the inevitable consequence. And, the classic text on that is Acts 4 and 5, because Peter is drawn into the Sanhedrin. They were in a hostile government, right? They never took arms against the government. They tried to make Jesus do that, and He never would do that. They tried to force Him to take over, knock off the Romans, get rid of the Herodians, set up the Kingdom. He never did that. He never spoke against slavery. Not only did He not speak against slavery, He used a slave all through the New Testament as a model of what a Christian ought to be. So, He never tried to eliminate social injustice. What He did do was speak the truth in the midst of a hostile society and take what came. And, it comes to that in Acts when Peter preaches, and then He is called before the Sanhedrin, and they tell him, "Look, be quiet. You are filling Jerusalem with your doctrine. We will not hear any more of it." And, He simply says to them, "You judge whether we ought to obey God or man." I believe, the only time we have a right to violate the laws of the land in which we live is when we have clearly revealed in scripture a higher law given by God, and in so doing, we, then, take the consequence for that behavior. Okay?
Now, let me say it a step further. That means that we are not politically
oriented, even if our government is atheistic, and it kind of works out that
way, even in the United States, and humanist, and it sure is, and materialist.
It is not ours to fight against the government. It is ours to realize that our
only weapons, Paul says, are not what? Carnal. But, what? Spiritual to the
pulling down of strongholds. The weapon of the church is not voting. Do you know
that? It is not voting. That is a citizen’s issue. The weapons of the church are
the Word of God, and changed lives, and spiritual power. And, that is what we
need to use. Okay?
Questioner continues
So, if you are a pastor in Russia, you just preach the Word and take what
comes?
Answer
That's it. And, take the consequences.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers"
by:
Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin
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