Ordained of God
Pastor Don Carpenter / General
Election; Government, Politics and National Identity; Stewardship / Romans 6:1–6
A Biblical overview of what government was originally designed to do.
A parishioner had dozed off to sleep during the morning service.
“Will all who want to go to heaven, please stand?” the pastor asked.” – All stood, except the sleeping parishioner.
After they sat, the pastor continued, “Well, will all who want to go to the other place please stand? At that moment, somebody suddenly dropped a hymnal, and the sleeping man jumped to his feet and stood sheepishly facing the pastor.
The sleeper mumbled confused as to what was going on. “Well, pastor I don’t know what we’re voting for, but it looks like you and I are the only ones for it!”
(Dan Thompkins. (2008). Sermons of Dan Thompkins.)
On Tuesday November 3 many of us will have the solemn privilege and responsibility to vote. When you think of all the believers who have ever existed through out history, few have had the right to vote. While the Bible does not tell us which party or candidate to vote for or against, it is important that we do not act like that sleeping parishioner. We should not only vote, but we should know Biblically why we did what we did.
Having said that I believe that it is an individual decision. Each one of us should do the research and then reflect upon what we have learned from the Bible about God’s design for government. We may come up with different conclusions, but we will all answer to God, not each other, for our ultimate decision. Let us step back from the mud slinging and rhetoric, and prayerfully consider what a government and a citizen looks like that has been ordained by God.
A Government Ordained By God.
Protect From Evil Doers
Romans 13:3–4 KJV
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Ordained of God – appointed
?????b: to cause someone to be in a state involving an order or arrangement—‘to cause to be, to be placed.’ ??? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ??? ???????? ?????????? ‘for I am a person who is under authority’ Lk 7:8.1
1 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 150.
The use of kakos may be broadly divided as follows: (a) of what is morally or ethically “evil,” whether of persons, e.g., Matt. 21:41; 24:48; Phil. 3:2; Rev. 2:2, or qualities, emotions, passions, deeds, e.g., Mark 7:21; John 18:23, 30; Rom. 1:30; 3:8; 7:19, 21; 13:4; 14:20; 16:19; 1 Cor. 13:5; 2 Cor. 13:7; 1 Thess. 5:15; 1 Tim. 6:10; 2 Tim. 4:14; 1 Pet. 3:9, 12; (b) of what is injurious, destructive, baneful, pernicious, e.g., Luke 16:25; Acts 16:28; 28:5; Titus 1:12; Jas. 3:8; Rev. 16:21
1 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 211.
Acts 16:28 KJV
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
Acts 28:5 KJV
And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm.
• This is not a broad legislation of morality
• This is targeting those folks and organizations that cause others intentional harm.
• Abortion
• Robbing/ looting/ rioting
• Policemen or soldiers who cause intentional hurt outside the scope of law enforcement.
• Corporations that harm others as they shortcut safety and ethical protocols.
• Terrorist nations and individuals.
• The government has been given lethal authority to deal with evil doers both foreign and domestic.
Praise Those That Do Good.
1 Peter 2:13–14 KJV
Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
Isaiah 5:20 KJV
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; That put darkness for light, and light for darkness; That put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
• Law abiding citizens commended
• Law breaking citizens corrected
• Never should the roles be reversed.
Protect the Freedom of the Individual
1 Timothy 2:1–2 KJV
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
• The God ordained government is designed to deal with those who intentionally hurt others in order to then let the others just live their lives.
• The government may do other things, but that was not their original design.
“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public offices let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose as rulers men who rule in the fear of God…. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect this duty and place unprincipled men in office the government will soon be corrupted….” – Noah Webster
A Citizen Ordained By God.
Subject to obey laws.
Romans 13:1–2 KJV
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Subject to pay taxes
Romans 13:5–6 KJV
Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Stewards of the Environment
Genesis 1:28 KJV
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Stewards of Wages – earned and paid
Matthew 20:12–15 KJV
Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?
Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
• Personal ownership
• That is Thine
• What is mine
Stewards of Personal Property and Assets
Acts 5:1–4 KJV
But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
• The government did not compel benevolence
• The church had a voluntary giving program.
• This was not forced wealth redistribution.
• The property was his own
• The $ received was his own.
• The problem was misrepresenting how much was given.
Acts 5:7–10 KJV
And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
Tuesday is election day. God has ordained a government with a focused purpose. The God ordained government protects us from evil doers, those that cause intentional hurt. The government is to praise ( not harass) those that do good. The government is to protect individual rights so we can be left alone to live our lives as accountable to God. Individuals citizens are to be subject to laws. Voting actually gives us a voice as to who makes those laws. Individuals are to pay taxes. Voting gives us a voice as to if those taxes are being used to deal with evil doers or being wasted on things that the government was never designed to be a part of. Voting helps us be free to act individually as stewards of our environment, our wages, our income, our property and our choice of charity.
You are wrong if you do not vote.
You are to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s. Our Caesar [in the United States] is a government of the people by the people for the people. One vote may make the difference.
ONE VOTE made Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of the Commonwealth and gave him control of England. (1645)
ONE VOTE caused Charles I to be executed. (1649)
ONE VOTE kept Aaron Burr – later charged with treason – from becoming President. (1800)
ONE VOTE elected Marcus Morton governor of Massachusetts. (1839)
ONE VOTE made Texas part of the United States. (1845)
ONE VOTE saved President Andrew Johnson from impeachment. (1868)
ONE VOTE changed France from a monarchy to a republic. (1875)
ONE VOTE admitted California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho into the Union. (1850, 1850, 1889, 1890)
ONE VOTE elected Rutherford B. Hayes to the Presidency, and the man in the Electoral College who cast that vote was an Indiana Representative also elected by ONE VOTE. (1876)
ONE VOTE made Adolf Hitler head of the Nazi Party. (1923)
ONE VOTE maintained the Selective Service System only 12 weeks before Pearl Harbor. (1941)
ONE VOTE per precinct would have elected Richard Nixon, rather than John Kennedy, President. (1960)
I’m only one but I am one. I can’t do everything but I can do something and what I can do I ought to do and that by the grace of God I will do.
Brett Blair, Sermon Illustrations, 1999. Illustrations for October 20, 2002. www.e-sermons.com