Some thoughts about Paul Shirk’s Book, Come Out of Her My People
As quoted in the Summer 2009 issue of Media Spotlight (which I usually agree with) Posted here 6/15/09
Paul Shirk states:
“If God has ordained government and rulers over the affairs of this life then it cannot be said that He is indifferent to earthly government, but rather that He has a specific will concerning it.”
Of course God is not indifferent to earthly government. That does not mean that He has expressed in the Bible what civil governments should do.
All authority exists by God’s will and for His purposes, though none of the individuals who are in power in those governments are necessarily endorsed by Him. God raises up kings and He takes down kings. How God deals with these rulers is His business.
Those who have not been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ are enemies of God. There is nothing they can do to please God. God’s calling for individuals, whether in power as rulers or not, is to repent and trust in Jesus.
For Christians, the important question is what has the New Testament called us to be concerned with?
Yes, we are to exemplify and proclaim Biblical morality, but only in the context of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yes, we are to obey civil government.
But there is not a single command in the New Testament that tells us to concern ourselves with how worldly governments constitute themselves.
There is great pressure for professing Christians to become politically active to one degree or another.
I recommend we derive our priorities and zeal from specifically what the New Testament commands and not try to contrive extra biblical agendas for the assembly of Christ.