By Daniel Bobinski
This is the fourth installment in my series on the biblical worldview. So far we’ve covered Theology (Who is your God?), Psychology (Who are you?), Biology (Where did you come from?), Philosophy (What is real?), Ethics (How do we determine right and wrong?), and Sociology (How should we organize society?). In this issue we’ll tackle two more facets of a worldview: law and government.
Where Does Law Come From?
Suppose a state’s legislature votes to legalize something that’s always been considered wrong. Does the vote suddenly make it right? Now let’s flip it. What if a government makes it illegal to do something that’s always been considered acceptable? Does making something illegal suddenly make it immoral?
These are debatable questions, but a more fundamental question is, “Who has the authority to define justice?”
In a biblical worldview, the ultimate lawgiver is God. Human governments may pass laws, but the real issue has to do with morality. With that, you’ve probably heard people say, “You can’t legislate morality.” That statement may sound logical, but it’s wrong, because all laws are based on morality. The real question is, “Who’s morality are we going to legislate?”
If laws merely reflect the opinions of politicians, judges, or society’s majority, then they can change whenever public opinion changes. Today’s right can become tomorrow’s wrong. Scripture presents a different picture. God’s laws flow from His character, and since God does not change, His moral principles do not change, either.
The Bible teaches that God reveals His moral law in two ways: general revelation and special revelation.
Romans chapter 2 tells us that God has written His law on the human heart. This is general revelation. Even people who have never opened a Bible possess a conscience that bears witness to basic moral truths. This is why virtually every civilization recognizes that murder, theft, and perjury are wrong.
But conscience alone leaves gaps. It tells us theft is wrong, but not how a society should structure courts, weigh evidence, or punish proportionately. That’s where special revelation comes in. Scripture gives us specifics that conscience cannot.
As an example, the Ten Commandments name concrete dos and don’ts. Then there’s the Mosaic law, which establishes actual legal protections, such as one standard of justice for rich and poor alike (Leviticus 19:15). It also sets limits on retribution. An “eye for an eye” created a cap on punishment, thus curtailing escalation.
The biblical worldview permeated early American culture, which is evidenced by our founders taking extra care to state that rights do not come from government, but from our Creator.
Unfortunately, a growing number of people are taking the opposite position, saying rights come from government. The problem with that? If governments create rights, t/ey can remove those rights whenever they want.
Consider how law factors into non-biblical worldviews:
As you can see, without a transcendent Lawgiver (God), justice ultimately belongs to whoever possesses the greatest power. When that’s the way laws work, law no longer restrains power; it becomes power.
What Is Government Supposed to Do?
Once we understand where law comes from, the next question naturally follows: What is government supposed to accomplish?
According to Scripture, government exists to promote justice, restrain evil, and maintain public order. Romans chapter 13 describes civil authorities as servants of God who punish wrongdoing and encourage what is good.
At the founding of America, in his essay Federalist No. 51, James Madison wrote, “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.”
Said another way, government is necessary because human beings are sinful. However, the biblical worldview says that government must remain limited. The same sinful nature that makes government necessary also makes concentrated political power dangerous.
America’s founders understood this well. That’s why they designed a system of divided powers and separated our nation’s judicial, legislative, and executive authority.
One question often asked is, “Should Christians become involved in politics?” Personally, I’ll let the founders answer that question. Records show that 55 of the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence had strong Christian affiliations, and 11 of the 13 original states required office holders to publicly declare a faith in biblical principles.
Their reason for this requirement was not to create a theocracy. They simply believed that someone was more likely to be ethical and moral in the performance of their duties if they believed in an all-knowing God who was aware of their motives and intentions.
Christians in politics should never create a theocracy. A Christian’s participation in politics is about protecting the liberties of and pursuing justice for all people – because all people are made in God’s image.
Why Unified Thinking Matters
Law and politics are inseparable because one naturally flows from the other. If law is merely a human invention, then government becomes society’s highest authority. But if law originates with God, then governments must be accountable to Him.
Personally, I believe Christians should avoid two opposite errors. One is withdrawing from public life as though politics doesn’t matter. The other is treating politics as though it matters more than the gospel.
Followers of Christ should vote thoughtfully, engage respectfully, pursue justice faithfully, and always remember that no political party, elected official, or government program will ever accomplish what only Jesus Christ can do.
Our hope rests in the King whose justice never changes, whose authority never fails, and whose kingdom will never end.
By the way, if you’ve missed the earlier installments in this series, you can find them under the “Columns” tab at ChristianLivingMag.com. Just search for “worldview.”
Daniel Bobinski, Th.D., serves as Education Director at the Biblical Studies Center in Boise, Idaho. Reach him at [email protected].
