THE CHRISTIAN CITIZEN of THE UNITED STATES

THE CHRISTIAN CITIZEN of THE UNITED STATES

MUST OBEY THE LAW...
BUT  
the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION IS OUR KING!

OBVIOUSLY, 
NOT ALL CITIZENS OF THE U.S.A. ARE CHRISTIANS OR THAT THIS COUNTRY HAS A NATIONAL RELIGION.

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY MUST BE A PERSONAL BELIEF                    SO TO FORCE SOMEONE. OR MAKE THIS A REQUIREMENT WOULD NOT BE A PERSONAL BELIEF.  

BUT WHAT OF CHRISTIAN LIFE?

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.         (1 Timothy 2:1-4)

Scripture tells us, as Christians--Evangelical Christians--All who believe in the inerrant Word of God: 

 Romans 13:1-6 "let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God..."

It would be a bad mistake to say that the Christian must think of Hitler, or Stalin, or Mao, as a "Minister of God." After all, Nero was Emperor, a "governing authority" of Rome, at that time of Paul. And he had Paul and Peter put to death, as well as thousands of other Christians.

What does Scripture say here?  The divine right of governing authority?

What about the pharaohs of Egypt or Nebuchadnezzar or Belshazzar of Babylon? God dealt severely with each. We need to exegete the Scripture and analyze a little bit.

 EXEGESIS OF ROMANS 13:1

"(pasa psuch). As in 2 Timothy 2:9; Acts 2:43. A Hebraism for paß anqrwpoß (every man). To the higher powers (exousiaiß uperecousaiß). Abstract for concrete. See Mark 2:10 for exousia. Huperecw is an old verb to have or hold over, to be above or supreme, as in 1 Peter 2:13. Except by God (ei mh upo qeou). So the best MSS. rather than apo qeou (from God). God is the author of order, not anarchy. The powers that be (ai ousai). "The existing authorities" (supply exousiai). Art ordained (tetagmenai eisin). Periphrastic perfect passive indicative of tassw, "stand ordained by God." Paul is not arguing for the divine right of kings or for any special form of government, but for government and order. Nor does he oppose here revolution for a change of government, but he does oppose all lawlessness and disorder."       Robertson's Word Pictures

Their only other option was move out of the country,  That's still happening in some countries. Obviously, civil governments have changed over the last 2,000 years. The United States have enabledChristians

Obviously we ought to pray for the kings and for all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, and if that doesn't happen right away we should continue praying for them. 

IN THE U.S.A., when we talk of "kings and all who are in high positions" or "the governing authorities" we're really talking about ourselves--THE U.S. CITIZEN ELECTING THOSE GOVERNING 

SHOULD THAT BE IT?  PRAYER-- THAT'S ALL THAT'S NEEDED?

HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT PERFECT--WE ALL SIN!  AS HUMAN BEINGS IN CHRIST (EVANGELICALS) WE ARE "BORN AGAIN" OUR WORLDVIEW CHANGES--WE RECOGNIZE WE NEED CHANGING--WE STILL TEND TO SIN--BUT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARD PERFECTION.  WE STILL NEED A GOVERNMENT TO LIVE IN A SOCIETY.

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary...."

As Evangelical Christians, we have other obligation: our families, our neighbors.

. And as we know from history when kings or (Caesars) didn't change then many Christians just had to suffer for being Christians. And they did suffer for their faith as martyrs--that's including all the Apostles.(Johns the only Apostle not executed, but he still suffered much persecution) 

Christians suffered state persecutions for 3 centuries.

Their only other option was move out of the country,  That's still happening in some countries. Obviously, civil governments have changed over the last 2,000 years. The United States have enabledChristians

IN THE U.S.A., when we talk of "kings and all who are in high positions" or 

"the governing authorities" we're really talking about ourselves--THE U.S. CITIZEN 

ELECTING THOSE GOVERNING US.. IN THE  U.S.A.-- THIS TURNS OUT WE THE PEOPLE 

 electing our --OUR GOVERNMENT--representatives who make our laws which as OUR 

governing authorities enact our laws.

"Our plan of government is a written document called The Constitution of the United States. The preamble to the Constitution begins with the words, "we, the people of the United States..."

It is we, the people, who gives Congress the right to make laws for the nation.
       LAWS ARE MADE LAWS BY AN ACT OF CONGRESS.
       LAWS ARE PUT INTO ACTION BY THE ACT OF EXECUTIVE.
       LAWS ARE JUDGED TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL BY JUDICIAL. 

It is we, the people, who give the president and his helpers the right to carry out the laws.

It is we, the people, who give our courts the right to judge our laws and to see that justice is done.

In a free government all people are important not just to big shots but the little people. We control our own destinies and the actions of our government. The government serves the people---it does not rule them. Ours is a free government!" (The GOVERNMENT OF A FREE NATION, California's state series, 1963, P 5)

 "The great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others.
 The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack.
 Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? ."  JAMES MADISON

Fortunately, for the United States, the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION IS OUR KING which protects our rights. Our rights come from God not from the government The U.S. President is only a man given powers by the Constitution.

"When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people.... To assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent decent respect for the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impelled them to the separation... We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain and in an unalienable of all rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...."  Declaration of Independence

"The Declaration of  Independence proclaimed to the world that the colonists had declared themselves free and independent from England. The Constitution is a plan of government written by the freedom loving Americans who established our great nation. It is the fundamental rules and laws by which our country is governed. The Bill of Rights is the first tandem 10 amendments to the Constitution. These Amendments safeguard the personal rights and freedom of the American people." THE GOVERNMENT OF A FREE NATION, California state department of education, 1963, page 11

As then above tells us, first 10 amendments:"Bill of Rights" is what this debate is about.  Strange as it seems some feel The first two amendments, our religion and our self-defense, at least one political party seems determined to eliminate it, "Wall of separation between church and state."  Piece by piece or by taxation or registration.  

Ever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government Lang its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

What a relief that must have been for the Christians when the government head a Roman Caesar started favoring Christianity. He immediately stopped the persecution and brought in many things favoring and elevating the Christians. As a Roman Emperor, he had enormous wealth and power. Where before they were meeting in houses, he now built huge basilicas and cathedrals