Denial and Affirmation Five

We do not believe that political means can establish the kingdom of God, but we do believe that God has appointed governing authorities to do good and that, for citizens in Christ's kingdom, King Jesus’ rule and reign transcends all other citizenships and partisan ideologies and transforms how we live in the world. 

Commentary 

Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (1Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). He conquered death by his resurrection (1Cor. 15:54-57) and ascended to the right hand of the Father where he now rules and reigns over all things (cf. e.g., Matt. 28:18; Heb. 2:8). When Jesus returns, he will vanquish all his enemies, including even death itself (1Cor. 15:25-26; Heb. 10:13), and he will finally be fully recognized in sovereignty and glory as at his name “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:9-10) and he will be crowned with glory as Lord of all (Rev. 11:15). 

All who follow Christ are citizens of his Kingdom (Eph. 2:19; Phil. 3:20). God’s people are sojourners and exiles, living in a world that is not our ultimate home and in nations that are not our ultimate citizenship or allegiance. Still we are called to seek the good and the welfare (Jer. 29:4-7; 1Pet. 2:9-11) of wherever God has placed us (Acts 17:26). Our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom transcends all others and unites those who otherwise are divided by walls of hostility (Eph. 2:14). 

God has appointed governing authorities (Rom. 13:1), and there are no kingdoms or rulers outside of his sovereignty (Dan. 4:17). Governing authorities have a God-given calling to serve for the good of all and as an instrument of justice (Rom. 13:4-7). As citizens of Christ’s Kingdom, Christians are still called to submit to governing authorities (Rom. 13:1; Tit. 3:1; 1Pet. 2:13), to honor and respect them (Rom. 13:7; 1Pet. 2:17), and to pray for those in authority over us (1Tim. 2:1-4). While recognizing human authorities, we must not forget our ultimate allegiance or the means of the coming of Christ’s Kingdom. Christ’s Kingdom will appear when the Son of Man, with all his angels, comes in glory and assumes his throne as King and Judge (2Tim. 4:1; Matt. 25:31-32; Acts 17:31; 2Cor. 5:10). 

It is worth noting that, in addressing Simon Peter, Christ gave the Church the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt.16:19), while government has been given the sword (Rom. 13:4). When Peter tried to take up the sword and protect Christ, people got hurt and using the sword did not honor Christ as King (Jn. 18:10-11). Still today, when the Church reaches for the power of earthly kingdoms, we see that political power is not the pathway of Christ’s Kingdom and people get hurt. No human political ideology, party, or power can establish Christ’s Kingdom and equating any nation, ideology, or party as the outworking of his Kingdom can only minimize the truth of the gospel and the witness of the Church. 

History shows us the dangers of diminishing the gospel by making it a mere tool to achieve political ends or by trusting political means to establish the Kingdom. We must not put our trust or our hope in princes or human authorities (Ps. 118:9; 146:3-4), nor in the structures and means of earthly power (Ps. 20:7). From Constantine’s questionable motives to the politicization of the papacy through the ages, to state churches in Europe, which our EFCA forbears rejected, to instances of forced conversion in some colonial regimes, the alignment of the Church with earthly political power has resulted in ugly consequences. 

This, however, does not mean that we advocate separatism as the only right pathway. While the Church must be clear on its alignment with Christ’s Kingdom alone, as individual Christians, our citizenship in Christ’s Kingdom and submission to him as our King transforms the way we engage in the public sphere, including political involvement. We are free to see the weaknesses and strengths of varying political perspectives, with the freedom not to be bound to toe the party line.