God gave us the Ten Commandments as a standard by which to live. At that time in history, man was doing what was right in his own eyes. Today, most of our laws as well as those of other nations are based on these commandments whether the government leaders admit it or not. Before going any further, take a brief look at the ten simple rules God put into place for us and for the good of society in Exodus 20:1-17.

When you’re not feeling well, there are some good first steps to take. One of them is to reach for a thermometer, to check your temperature. Knowing your body’s internal temperature can be a good indicator of whether or not you are fighting a disease. Too high a temperature means you should probably seek medical attention or some medicinal treatment.

But what if you were sick and the only treatment you sought was a thermometer? What if you confused the indicator for the cure?

An individual’s political stance is the outgrowth of one’s deepest philosophical beliefs. This is a big part of why there is such political polarization in our country today, and why it is often so difficult to find common ground between different political ideologies. Much of the tension can be traced back to two distinctly different philosophies: the Secular view of government’s role is distinctly different from the Bible’s view of government’s role.

In America today, the greatest ongoing injustices and inequities we currently face stem primarily from unbiblical ideas and policies that have been allowed to take root in our land. These policies have done great damage and brought incalculable pain, especially to the weakest of society.

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. (Proverbs 29:2)

God’s Word shows us the best way to live. Believers are supposed to live righteous lives marked by virtue. We are supposed to honor and obey the government. But when the wicked rule, they harm the people by enacting unjust laws and unbiblical policies. So Scripture also authorizes civil disobedience, that is, obeying God’s law when doing so requires disobeying human edicts. But biblical civil disobedience doesn’t mean we can just do whatever we want, and it doesn’t mean we can disobey any law we don’t like. So what should we do when the government becomes unjust? And what should our civil disobedience look like?

Nebuchadnezzar was king of the whole known world. His empire was vast, his word was law, and his temper was infamous. That’s why the actions of the three young Hebrew men were so remarkable. Throughout their service to the king they had shown courtesy and obedience, but now they refused him to his face. Stubbornly, defiantly, they disobeyed his command. What would cause these otherwise respectful men to act this way? Aren’t God-fearing people supposed to obey the government?

He could have had anything. All he had to do was ask. It would be his.

Few people have ever had such an opportunity. No conditions. No expectations. No restraints.

“What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”

It was a breath-taking generosity.

The charges of racism levied against the United States of America as a whole are very grave. We have experienced and chronicled countless tales of racially-charged police brutality, mass incarceration, and the tragic murder of young Blacks, particularly men.

Ethnic minorities endure continual unwarranted suspicion, false accusations, and unprovoked assaults. Slavery, Jim Crow, the Ku Klux Klan, purposeful disenfranchisement, lynching, and redlining have brought incalculable pain.

Does the Bible deal with human/earthly government? 

Yes. God instituted human government in the beginning with Adam. In Genesis, God created the world and established Adam as the head of the world government at that time.

God gave Adam dominion over all the animals, plants and every living thing.

America was not handed freedom as a gift. Liberty was not bartered at a treaty table. This country was not bequeathed independence by a benevolent tyrant. America fought for freedom.

Our nation was born in the crucible of war. Independence was declared and liberty secured because courageous men and women chose to risk a “leap in the dark” over the inevitable dismal prospect of subjugation.

In his book, Rules of Engagement, Chad Hennings relates a story about how he and his fellow A-10 pilots coped with an inflight emergency.

During the Gulf War, Hennings and his wingmen were a flight of four A-10’s traveling from Bentwater/Woodbridge in the U.K. to Incirlik, Turkey. Over the Mediterranean Sea, Hennings’ A-10 began to lose oil pressure, forcing him to shut down one engine…

It is not enough to hear the Word – we must do what it says. Over the past 13 articles, we’ve looked closely at what the Bible teaches about Racism, and we’ve applied it to our personal lives. But there is another step: Evaluate.

Now that you know what God’s Word says, look closely at the ideas that are being presented in the culture around you and compare them with the Word of God.

It happened from time to time.

Someone in the audience would ask what he thought was a trick question.

This was supposed to be some kind of test.

The trap nearly always caught the trapper.

In the Old Testament, Moses instructed the Israelites to teach their children the scriptures and pass their faith in God and His greatness to each generation. This was a command that they did not always obey. Consequently, they were at war with their enemies, oppressed, continually drawn away to worship idols, and finally carried off to Babylon. Likewise, we have not been faithful in passing on our Christian heritage to our progeny. Consequently, there has been a lack of knowledge of the true foundation on which this nation was birthed.

You are about to leave to go to an important meeting or date – quick! – check the mirror! Is everything in place, everything ready, everything in tip-top-shape? How crazy would it be to look in the mirror, see that something needs to be adjusted, but then walk away and do nothing? You’re probably thinking you’d never do that, but this is the same picture the apostle James uses about people who only hear God’s Word without doing what it says…

Are the messages you hear around you teaching that God gave government the responsibility to enact justice by punishing those who do wrong and commending those who do right? Are they teaching that justice requires every person be treated equally (not that there must be equal outcomes) and that those who commit offenses must personally make them right, and this payment then brings an end to the matter? Are they teaching that government should apply the principles of equality and equal restitution to all areas of law? Are they promoting Biblical values in ways that are consistent with Scripture? Are they teaching the need for Jesus to heal the hurts caused by sins of injustice, and that only Jesus can give us the love required for forgiveness and virtue?

When they heard the message of John the Baptist, the people asked him a brilliant question: “What then shall we do?” They understood that they needed to apply God’s truth to their lives, and respond with action (Luke 3:7-17).

This is also the question we need to ask as we consider God’s instructions on government and justice.

It went off like a fire alarm in the night.

It thundered across the legal, political and cultural landscape of an already deeply divided nation.

For many, it was the death-knell of women’s rights; for others, a liberty bell of life.

There is so much confusion and disagreement about the role of government! It’s little wonder, considering the many different types of government (monarchy, oligarchy, democracy, republic, etc.), and the many different political parties (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Communist, etc.). How are we to know what viewpoint is correct? Why do we even have a government, anyway? What is its purpose?

These days going to the gas station can be a scary experience. There’s a certain amount of fear – just how much is it going to cost to fill up? But there’s another question we don’t consider as often – how do we know how much gas we just bought? What if the pump charged you for 15 gallons, when it only gave you 10?