Word of Salvation – March 2025

 

The Government And The Gospel

 

Sermon by Rev. John Westendorp on W.C.F. ch.23 & Isaiah 44:28 & 45:1

Reading: Isaiah 45:1-13; Westminster Confession – ch.23

 

Singing:        BoW.115       Not to us be glory given
–                      BoW.103a     Praise my soul the King of heaven
–                      BoW.110       The Lord unto my Lord has said
–                      BoW.117       Hallelujah, hallelujah all you people

 

 

Introd:            The relationship between Church and State has always been somewhat controversial.

I recall a very clear example of that controversy from many years ago.
A previous Qld Premier had introduced some controversial legislation.
Many churches spoke out against the legislation and took the Premier to task.
He demanded that the church stick to preaching the gospel and keep out of politics.
Was he right… or was he wrong?

 

We all agree that there are some very obvious boundaries between the Government and the Gospel.
The Government, for example, may not interfere with the message of the Church.
When the rulers told the apostles to stop preaching Jesus they took a firm line:
We must obey God rather than man.

Nor may the Church take upon itself the role of the Government.
That was the great trouble with the church in the Middle Ages.
Popes and bishops ruled like secular princes.

 

But there are many other issues where the relationship is far less clear:
Should Scripture Classes be taught in government schools around our nation?
Should our government-funded Medicare pay for the abortion of thousands of babies?
Ought we as Christians fight for legislation to close shops on Sundays?
May churches, like Hillsong, receive government funding for their social programs?

 

The W.C.F. gives some helpful insights into the relationship between the Government and the Gospel.
First it tells us about the true nature of government.
Then it spells out some tasks of the government.
And finally it mentions the responsibilities we have towards those in authority.

 

A]        GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED BY GOD FOR HIS GLORY.

 

1. Again I want to tie all of that in with some things the prophet Isaiah says about government.

Isaiah lived and worked in a time when Governments were fighting for world dominance.
Isaiah predicted the rise of Babylon as a world empire.
And that under Babylon’s king Israel would be taken into captivity into Babel.

The kings of these world empires were referred to as king of kings.
That’s how Daniel spoke to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:37.
And that’s how Artaxerxes spoke about himself in Ezra 7:12.  King of kings!

 

But now Isaiah portrays the King behind these kings of kings.  God is the great king-maker.
In an earlier chapter he says that God subdues kings; removes them from their throne (40²³).
But God also raises up other kings and gives them power for world dominion.
IOW: government… and kings… and civil magistrates… are established by God.

 

Here we see that very specifically as Isaiah prophesies that God will raise up king Cyrus…
A pagan king from the Empire of the Medes and Persians.
Notice how the Lord speaks about this ruler whom He will raise up.
At the end of chapter 44 the Lord calls him “My shepherd” (44²⁸).
In chapter 45:1 he is called the Lord’s “anointed”.
Furthermore God will use Cyrus to dethrone other kings.

 

This truth that God ordains rulers to reign under His authority is seen in many other Scriptures.

So it’s no wonder Paul says in Romans 13: The authorities that exist have been established by God.

 

2. Our W.C.F. says that God has ordained them for His own glory.

That comes out in a number of ways when we consider Cyrus.

 

First, God’s glory was demonstrated in the timing of this prophecy.
Isaiah wrote these words a hundred years before Cyrus was even a glint in his father’s eye.
So when Cyrus eventually becomes world ruler he finds his own name in the Hebrew Bible.
Can you imagine the impact that had on this man?
The God of the Hebrews had appointed him as ruler more than a hundred years earlier.
So God was glorified in the very way Cyrus was appointed.

 

On top of that there is then especially the role that Cyrus will play in Israel’s restoration.
God will order – thru Cyrus – the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
God will ensure – thru Cyrus – a start on the restoration of the temple.

And all of that is not just about a city and about a temple to Yahweh.
All of that ultimately plays a role in the coming of Messiah Jesus.
So Cyrus plays a part in the Gospel of the coming Christ – to God’s glory.

 

Cyrus is only a very special and pointed example of the truth that God ordains rulers for His glory.
My problem is: I’m not sure how the appointment of our present government is for God’s glory.
I have even more questions how Hitler’s government could possibly be to God’s glory.
But I believe it.
Because God tells us that even Pharaoh was raised up for that very purpose.
Scripture says that it was so that God might show His power and glory thru Pharaoh.
And if that is true of an evil government like Pharaoh’s then it’s true of any ruler.

 

3. Our W.C.F. also says that God has ordained government for the public good.

Again we have some very clear pictures of that in Isaiah.

God raises up rulers for the cause of public righteousness and justice.

 

The problem is that many rulers and governments don’t realise that they reign for the public good.
So they abuse their power… and they become dictators and tyrants…
until the Lord overthrows them and sets up other rulers to deal with those tyrants.

That’s a pattern we see repeatedly in Scripture and throughout Isaiah.
Many of the Kings in Israel were not reigning for the public good.
So elsewhere Isaiah gets stuck into them for their evil ways (like Ahaz in Isaiah 7).
And when it all gets too much God raises up king Nebuchadnezzar.
Specifically to put down Israel’s evil kings.

 

The point is that God gives the sword to rulers… to punish wrongdoers.
And with the sword of Nebuchadnezzar God punishes Jerusalem’s wickedness.
The problem is that after a while things are no better in Babylon.
And so with the sword of the Medes and Persians God punishes proud Babylon.
And so Cyrus too will reign for the public good.
That’s why in 45:13 God says that He will raise up Cyrus in His righteousness.

 

The government that God ordains, He ordains for the common good.
And how could it be any other way?  A perfect God appoints governments.
And He appoints them so that under Him they will rule well in human affairs.
Our government serves for the public good.
But that doesn’t mean all their decisions are always spot on.
In this world government will always be less than perfect.
And repeatedly power has corrupted rulers so that they bring about evil and not good.

 

B]        CIVIL GOVERNMENT’S DUTIES AND EXCLUSIONS.

 

1. To help us further, the W.C.F. also spells out some specific things Governments should do.

First, the government has a protective role.
There are enemies who want to destroy the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So governments ought to protect the church so that it can do its work in complete freedom.

At first glance that seems to be less important here in Oz than in some other countries.
In some parts of India dozens of churches have been bombed.
And Christian communities targeted by Hindu extremists.
Government protection is an important issue there.
But… things could change rapidly in Australia – attacks on churches happen here too.

 

Here in Isaiah 45 we have the wonderful picture of a pagan king protecting God’s O.T. church.

God raises Cyrus up for this very specific task… to be a blessing to God’s people.
Of course Cyrus also had in his empire all kinds of other peoples and religions.
Yet Cyrus restores to the church its freedom that it lost at the time of the captivity in Babylon.

 

Today many Christians argue that the Christian church ought to be especially protected by rulers.
They claim that we live in a Christian country.
Our constitution says that we are a nation under God.
So they argue for special privileges for the Christian faith.
Prayers said at the opening of parliamentary sessions ought to be Christian prayers.
Scripture classes in Government Schools ought to be overtly Christian.

 

One of our other Confessions – The Belgic Confession – would seem to agree.
It went a little further at this point (in article 36).
The original version even argued that the Government ought to promote the gospel.

We changed that and toned it down a little in the 1950s bringing it more in line with the WCF.
Both Confessions come out of a context that favoured the Christian faith.
But the WCF fits better in today’s society – it calls for protection of all people.
Regardless of denomination… and regardless of whether they have faith or not.

 

2. We see the outworking of Cyrus’ protection of the O.T. church later in Ezra and Nehemiah.

Enemies try to stop the work… and they often succeed for a time.

So, repeatedly appeal is made to the government of the day for protection.

 

In Ezra and Nehemiah the reason for that is very clear.
Building the Kingdom can continue only with the government’s protection.
Individuals are guarded to make sure that gospel can be proclaimed unhindered.
Of course in the O.T. that was the good news of the Christ who was still to come.

But the point is that Ezra and Nehemiah did not hesitate to appeal to the rulers.
They recognised that governments play a role in protecting the church.

 

It’s for this reason too that the apostle Paul had no hesitation to appeal to Caesar.
The Jewish leaders imprisoned Paul… some even schemed to kill him.
And so Paul’s work of gospel preaching became very restricted.
In that situation he didn’t allow the enemies of the church to have an easy victory.
Instead he appealed to the God-ordained authority – to Caesar in Rome.

 

The W.C.F. also adds that this protection is so that worship may be conducted without disturbances.

That was an important matter at that time when Christians were prevented from worshipping freely.

 

3. We ought to notice at the same time that some boundaries are set by the W.C.F.

There are some exclusions to the duties of government.

 

The government’s protective role has to be without interference in the affairs of the church.

Isaiah would have been aware of a very telling example of that.
He began his prophetic work under Judah’s king Uzziah.
King Uzziah had gone into the temple and taken over the work of the priest.
And God struck him with leprosy even as he brought the incense offering.

 

In contrast it’s interesting that Cyrus did not interfere in the affairs of the O.T. church.
In fact, I like the way Isaiah expresses this prophecy about Cyrus.
It doesn’t say that he will rebuild Jerusalem and lay the foundations of the temple.
Instead it is clear that he will order those things to happen.
He will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt”
And of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”

It was Ezra and Nehemiah who implemented the orders of Cyrus
Cyrus made it possible… he provided the protection and the freedom.
But others carried it out.

 

IOW governments may not take on themselves the duties given to the church.
The government is not called to preach the gospel or administer the Sacraments.
Nor may they in any way hinder the running of the church.
That’s a problem we have with the communist government in China.
And some Muslim governments in the Middle East.
And the pro-Hindu government in India.
They interfere in the affairs of the church and the preaching of the gospel.
And so instead of protecting the gospel they hinder its advancement.

 

C]        THE DUTIES OF CITIZENS TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY.

 

1. W.C.F. also spells out some implications in the duties Christians have towards their government.

They are duties that you won’t find spelled out in Isaiah.

But they flow very naturally from a Biblical view of Government.

 

First: the confession approves of Christians serving in positions of civil authority.
That’s a good corrective to the thinking of those Christians who avoid politics.
Some dismiss politics as a dirty business… not something for church people.
But if God raises up Cyrus and uses Cyrus to advance the church, then why not?

Reformed Christians have never had a problem with that.
Our history includes Abraham Kuyper… preacher, pastor and theologian.
But he also became a politician and served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
So we have a duty to accept government office when we believe God calls us to that.

 

A second duty is to pray for those in authority over us.
Again I can’t find that spelled out in Isaiah.
But it follows from what Isaiah teaches about God raising up and subduing kings.
It makes perfectly good sense if rulers reign under God’s authority and by His ordaining.

We find this duty spelled out in more detail in the N.T.
Paul admonishes Timothy to pray for kings and all those in authority (1Tim2:1,2).
And a reason he gives is so we might live peaceful lives.
IOW: to make it possible for the work of the gospel to continue.

 

2. Still other duties are required.
3. a) We are to honour those in authority over us.
   Christians have no trouble calling a king: “Your majesty!”
   And again – that flows from the Biblical teaching of governments being appointed by God.
   We honour them because they are God’s servants reigning under His rule.

 

In Isaiah we are told about the honour that is due to rulers.
When Isaiah predicts the coming of Cyrus as God’s anointed he speaks of honour.
In vs. 4: “I call you by name and bestow on you a title of honour.”
And the honour comes especially because God is at work in the reign of Cyrus.
So the honour given to Cyrus is indirectly honouring God.

Christians must honour those who govern them.
It’s because God is behind all authority that we have a high view of human government.
And that is shown in the respect we pay to those who rule over us.

 

1. b) The W.C.F. also reminds us that we have a duty to pay them their taxes.
   I know that sometimes that’s a painful business.
   We don’t always pay our taxes cheerfully… but we are to do it willingly.
   Again that flows out of these Biblical truths we’ve been looking at.

 

Paul spells that out in Romans 13.
If rulers are appointed for God’s glory and for the public good then they deserve our support.
So we pay our taxes and other duties owed to them since they give their full time to governing.

We do that not because otherwise we will be fined, or end up in goal.
We do it because it flows out of our theology of government…
and because good government serves the welfare of the gospel of Christ.

 

3. Finally there is also to be submission.

All of this stuff about government can become very theoretical.
But paying our taxes willingly isn’t just theory.
Neither is submission.
So our attitude to government is shown in obedience to them in all things lawful.

 

By “all things lawful” we mean that our obedience is always within a Biblical framework.
It is within the confines of our obedience to God.
We obey those in authority because their authority is God’s authority.
But when they abuse their authority then Christians put God before the government.

So over the centuries Christians have often practiced civil disobedience.
Our brothers and sisters are persecuted because they disobey their governments.
We obey the authorities – but we obey only in those things not contrary to God’s word.

 

For Christians this is deeply grounded in our conscience.
Since God’s authority is behind their authority we submit to those in government..
In fact – that is part of our Christian witness.
Our attitude to our rulers is to reflect something of our attitude to God.

In this way too we are living advertisements for the gospel and the Lord whom we serve.
So you cannot separate the government from the gospel.
Because ultimately all authority takes us to Jesus….
To Him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Amen