Jesus, King of Kings (and Prime Ministers!)
It was under the tyrannical and vindictive rule of one of history’s great dictators that a Jewish man instructed the early followers of Christ to ‘submit…to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.’ (Rom. 13:1) This writer, the Apostle Paul, went on to suffer and die at the hands of the very government he described as ‘established by God.’ For a Christian, there can be perhaps no greater test of faith than to trust that the rulers of this world are under God’s control and direction. Paul lived in an age when children could legally be put to death by their parents for any reason. He himself spent many years in prison and house arrest, was beaten regularly and often tortured, simply for sharing the Good News. The Roman emperor Nero killed Christians for entertainment, using them as human lamps to light his evening parties. Yet still Paul says, ‘He who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.’ (Rom. 13:2)
Whatever happens on this election day, the Bible is clear: the results are ordained by God. Our next Prime Minister and the remaining 649 MPs are in His control.
But this does not mean that our participation in government is passive. Long before the birth of the modern democratic republic state, Christians have been thoroughly invested in and engaged with the rulers of this world. Whether today’s election results elate or deflate us, our response is the same: our hope rests in God.
“when it comes to sorting out the problems of our world, Christians are in fact the only people with direct and intimate access to the only one who can change things”
As citizens of a nation in which we theoretically exercise a degree of democratic influence, it is easy to fall into the understanding that our vote is the primary access point we have for shaping the country and cities we live in. Alternatively, feelings of frustration and impotence can overcome us when the political tide turns against our beliefs and ideals. But to paraphrase American evangelist Sean Smith, when it comes to sorting out the problems of our world, Christians are in fact the only people with direct and intimate access to the only one who can change things. When things aren’t going as we would like, we are privileged to have a relationship with the God of whom the Bible says, ‘The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.’ (Prov. 21:1)
Saint Paul may have instructed us to submit to the governing authorities, but that doesn’t mean we are powerless to affect our environment. Far from it. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul sets out a formula for change. ‘I urge, then…that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made…for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.’ (1 Tim. 2:1-2) The key to achieving peaceful and quiet lives with our government, Paul says, is prayer. Of course, this is not a comfort to us unless we have a right understanding of prayer: if prayer is a means of self-therapy, meditation or mindfulness it is of no use to us at all. But if we believe that prayer is the greatest fulcrum for leveraging change that exists in our world, if it is not only access to the God who created heaven and earth but also wields the same influence on Him as the requests that a child makes of a father who loves him beyond all ability to describe, if it can summon legions of (actual, not metaphorical) angelic hosts to accomplish God’s will…then it is not only our solace in difficult circumstances, but it demands our action. Christians ought to feel as influential and participatory in government as the MPs that we elect.
“Christians ought to feel as influential and participatory in government as the MPs that we elect.”
Finally, why does all this matter? Why has God created a system that requires us to submit to authorities – good or evil – and a world in which our primary empowerment for affecting change is through prayer, an action that – let’s face it, however powerful it might be – often feels more like inaction? Paul gives Timothy the answer in the verses immediately following those quoted above. Because ‘this is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.’ (1 Tim. 2:3-4) The human instinct to change people is to be loud, to be heard and to be violent. But Jesus came to our world quietly, unobtrusively, peacefully. He gave his life, hanging impotently on a cross, to show us that God’s ways are not our ways. The government of Jesus’ day were responsible for his death: yet through that ignominious death (and glorious resurrection), an empire – and our world – was forever changed. God desires that all people, from all walks of life, be saved. This includes Paul’s Emperor Nero, the rulers of our world, and whoever our next PM and MPs might be. If we want to see God’s kingdom come to this earth, we must use His methods to achieve it.
Click here to read advice on the election from Evangelical Alliance.
Josiah English