God Works Through Governments
Have you ever heard the Church should stay out of politics? Well, God works through governments. He always has and He always will. God exerts His influence and carries out His purposes through Governments.
Daniel 2:21 tells us of God’s involvement in governments and government regimes, “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings.” God uses human processes to accomplish His purposes. In some countries leaders inherit the right to rule through a monarchy. In some countries, leaders are selected through family dynasties. Other countries give their people the rights to determine their leaders. Despite the human process, God uses human processes to set up the governments He wants to use to carry out His purposes in His appointed times and seasons.
The idea of God working through governments is not just a truth written about in the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul continues the idea that God uses Governments in the New Testament. In Romans 13 Paul writes, “There is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Paul was writing to Christians who were living under the evil Roman emperor Nero. Instead of writing to separate God from government, Paul is reminding believers that government is an extension of God’s rule over humanity.
Why does God work through governments? I think the simple answer (Maybe too simplistic of an answer) is: people. God uses governments because they organize and execute justice on behalf of the people they represent. Of course, there are governments that abuse people and I believe this grieves the heart of God. However, the purpose of God working through governments comes back to people.
Revelation gives us a picture of why God might care so much about every government that represents nations and why God works in and through governments. John writes in Revelation 7:9, “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Every nation, every tribe, and every people are represented in Heaven according to the revelation John received.
This Heavenly picture gives us a glimpse as to why God would work through governments that lead and represent the nations. It is the people that God cares about. He doesn’t necessarily care about who wins and who loses as much as He cares about the people that are affected by the elections, policies, and edicts passed down by governments to the people.
God works through Governments because of God's work through His Son. Jesus was sent to seek and save the lost. Jesus was sent to show the love of God to the nations of the world. It is the people God is after and that is why God is active in governments and politics to carry out His will and His purpose on earth for His glory and the redemption of mankind!
The Church can not stay out of politics because God has worked in and through governments in the past and will do so in the future. One of the main reasons God will work in and through Governments is because of the people of each nation. It is the same reason God works through the Church; people. God’s heart has always been attentive to people and therefore it is people that should have the attention of our heart.