Landscape and Perception
*90% australians do not want any party to win
*Popular perceptions - mix of both
eg: salvation army, australian christian lobby
*75% people think Christians are too involve in politics
How involve should we be in politics?
God and government in the Bible
*Genesis 1:28: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
*Genesis 2:15-16: The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
*Genesis 2:17: but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
*Genesis 12:2-3: “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
*Genesis 50:20: You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
*Exodus 18:21,23: But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.
If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
*1 Samuel 8:7, 9, 22: 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.
Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”
The LORD answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
*Isaiah 10:1: Woe to those who make unjust laws,
to those who issue oppressive decrees,
*Jeremiah 29:4, 5, 7: This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
*Jesus did not start a political party but avoided and diliberately was not involve with the government
*Romans 13:1, 3, 5:
Submission to Governing Authorities
1 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.
Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
*Rejecting Rome's political act means rejecting Rome altogether
Five Biblical Principles
1. God desires, more than anything else, that He be Lord of our lives
2. God sees human government as a necessary consequence of our sin
3. God allows us to dictate our preferred form of government
4. God expects government to provide justice and welfare
5. God wants his people to seek the common good regardless of the government system
God and the government system
*Acts 5:29: Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
380BC- Christianity became the official religion of Rome
426BC- Augustine completed his book 'The City of God'
City of Man
(doesnt want injustice)
City of God
(everyone is equal, take care of people)
Justice
both share common values
*Romans 1:20: For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
*Romans 2:15: They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)
*Aquinas introduced the natural law- where everybody beliefs is the same regardless
*C.S Lewis claimed that there may be different but similar shared beliefs and that the government should only deal with this area
*Whoever was in charge with the area was given the chance to be a protestant or a catholic but that would mean that the government is in charge and that the government would interfer with the church
*Locke saw Protestants and Catholic at one country that did not kill each other
*Why? because the head of the area did not care who was in charge (there was religious freedom)
*Government and the church separated - who was in charge then? No one has the right and is allowed to be in charge thus we appoint, give consent
*Hence, the beginning of consent base rule- DEMOCRACY
Christianitism Politics Today
*Polis : means city
*Polites : means citizen
*Politika: means affairs of the citizens OR about the way we live together, the science of government
*The Bible does not say much
*In other words, we can freely be involve in the government but we cannot bring the government in
*Ephesians 2:8-10: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Jesus
*Healing
*Matthew 8:13: Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.
*Matthew 9:22: Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
*Matthew 12:15:
God’s Chosen Servant
15 Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill.*John 8: 2-11: 2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
*Matthew 5:33-44 (Very political):
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.Eye for Eye
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,*Power relationship completely changed
*Matthew 5:3-10: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
*If a person is nude, that person will be embarrass and the people around who see you will also be embarrass
*Be attitudes!
*He turns the injustice around
*Luke 1:52-53: He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
*1 Corinthians 1:27-29: But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
All in all, if we follow the example of Jesus, Christians are NOT political enough!
**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**
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