Biblical view on government

[TonyChanYT]

Believe it or not, God is the King, Psalm 47:

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing praises with a psalm!

The above is the ultimate reality. However, people don't want God to be King. To compromise, Deuteronomy 17:

15a you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose.

God would choose a man to be king.

Gideon got the right idea. Judges 8:

23 But Gideon replied, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you."

People rejected God to be their King. 1 Samuel 8:

7 And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.

Soloman got the right idea in 1 Kings 3:

9 Therefore give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of Yours?"

But things got worse. They chose their own kings without consulting God, Hosea 8:

4a They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not.

God had to depose the bad kings, Daniel 2:

21a He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others.

Jesus didn't want to be an early king in John 6:

15 Then Jesus, realizing that they were about to come and make Him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.

People are responsible to their king and their God separately, Mark 12:

17a Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”

Romans 13:

7 Pay everyone what you owe him: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Jesus emphasized on the Kingdom of Heaven, John 18:

36 Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

Jesus rules in the believers' hearts.

Even when bad kings rule, God is in control. Romans 13:

1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.

They can be deposed by God as well. We are to obey governments unless they contradict God. Acts 5:

29 Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

Jesus spoke to Pilate, John 19:

11a Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.”

God desires to be the King on earth, but people rebel. Jesus introduced the Kingdom of God on earth in the believer's hearts. This is a spiritual reality. Christians believe that Jesus is King. We are to obey him besides our earthly rulers. When they contradict Jesus, we follow Jesus' teaching.

 

[Randy Kluth]

This is a big subject, and it has seemed that almost nobody agrees with me. That's okay--I have to state what I believe is the truth. I'm a "theocrat" in the biblical sense (not, a Christian "nationalist.") I don't just believe that Jesus rules in our hearts--I believe he also rules among peoples. If he rules in individuals He can rule in collectives, as well--in societies as well as in nations. It all depends on where the people are at.

I believe that kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall. People can begin with an inspired word from God and build a kingdom based on God's ideal. But the same people can backslide, and compromise, turning away from God to their own selfish interests.

And so, God's Kingdom began with Israel, but in the end Jesus said the Kingdom of God would be taken from them and given to another people, which I believe to have been Roman Civilization--a most unworthy and yet receptive civilization in the end. And from Roman Civilization came European Civilization, along with a Christian impact upon the whole world.

But today we see European Civilization backsliding, as Israel did, giving up their Christian religion to compromise with pagan beliefs. Today, we have a full-scale apostasy taking place in the world, although there are still significant pockets of Christian groups everywhere.

So yes, God's Kingdom lives in the hearts of individuals. But it can also rule in nations. But the way things are going, God's Kingdom will have to be fully removed from the world, as well. And as I see it, Antichrist is already on the horizon.

And this is when, I believe, Jesus' Kingdom will defeat the kingdoms of the world and install His own Kingdom on earth by force. It will be a Kingdom that will no longer allow Israel to be defeated, and will no longer prevent the expression of Christian society. Just my belief....

 

[gordon7]

Predictions for the end, men despise government, they talk about it, this thread does, but show no belief in following..


2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Jude 1:8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

 

[Prycejosh1987]

God desires to be the King on earth, but people rebel. Jesus introduced the Kingdom of God on earth in the believer's hearts. This is a spiritual reality. Christians believe that Jesus is King. We are to obey him besides our earthly rulers. When they contradict Jesus, we follow Jesus' teaching.

That is why i believe that when Jesus called Himself the King of the Jews, they knew exactly Who He was claiming to be. Not the literal King in a natural sense, but spiritually. Which is divine. Its hard to acknowledge and many would rather not. I think seeing Jesus as King defines our faith and what it means to be christian. Muslims see Jesus as the messiah but never explain why. Hindus and Sikhs see Jesus as a moral teacher. But only Christians see Him as The King.