“Today, many American Christians seem to mix up church and state. They believe the community of genuine believers in America is the people of God— both in heaven and on earth. But the nation of America isn’t the people of God; we don’t live in a theocracy. The sooner Christians realize this, the sooner the church can make a deeper impact as salt and light in society.” – Paul Copan, Is God A Moral Monster? [1]
For those of us who live in the U.S., a proper understanding of what it means that God is King can be difficult to comprehend. The ethos of this country is the entitlement to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Our nation was founded on democracy and runs by capitalism. We are probably the most individualistic culture the world has ever known.
And, our nation and society were founded on separating from an established monarchy (kingdom).
Therefore, it can be profoundly difficult for us to wrap our heads and hearts around the fact that God is King. At the heart of our worldview, which we are taught from birth, is rebellion against authority and personal autonomy. And whatever your views on the legitimacy of the revolution, the democratization of power and freedom from kingly authority underlie the way we view institutional structures even today. I believe this even informs why many American Christians are hesitant to submit to church-based authority; we carry our value for democracy into all spheres of life.
Now, in a democratic society, we are mostly allowed to do as we please as long as we don’t harm others. But, this is a unique and rare way of structuring a society. Under a king’s rule, people weren’t allowed to do whatever they wanted. The one on the throne was the ruler, and his commands were to be followed. There was no concept of individualism. Obedience to authority for the preservation of religious, cultural, political, and social order was the highest good.
And the same is true in God’s Kingdom.
He is a gracious King, and certainly He only does and allows what is for our best, but He is also the sovereign Lord, and our duty to obey His commands (Ecclesiastes 12:13). And when we see the great love that He demonstrated towards us, how could we do any less than give our full obedience?
“Jesus’ kingship is not something that remains in the future. Christ is King right this minute. He is in the seat of the highest cosmic authority. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to God’s anointed Son (Matt. 28:18).”– R.C. Sproul[2]
For Part 1 of this series, click here
For Part 2 of this series, click here
For Part 3 of this series, click here
For Part 4 of this series, click here
For Part 5 of this series, click here
[1] Paul Copan, Is God A Moral Monster? Baker Books, 2011.
[2] R.C. Sproul, What Is the Kingdom of God? Ligonier Ministries, 2019. https://www.ligonier.org/blog/what-is-kingdom-god/