We previously asked where the government receives its rights. The answer was God Himself, which you can read about here. The next question is, what does the government have the right to do, or what is the purpose of government?

Scripture identifies five critical functions of government: to praise what is good, punish what is evil, maintain peace, allow Christians to live out their lives, and protect the oppressed. 

First, the government is called to honor that which is good. This is found in I Peter 2:13-14 as Peter writes to the church. While he says that the government has God’s authority, it is under God’s control. What is “the good” that it needs to praise? Anything that God calls good. 

That means it should never praise things that God calls evil. When the government praises evil, as our current government does at times, Christians need to reject it because the government is not operating under its God-given authority.

Second, it must “punish that which is evil” (I Peter 2:13-14). It does have jurisdiction to punish evil-doers in society. That being said, the punishment should fit the crime, and it should not over-punish. You can read about this concept in our article “Justice Both Ways.”

How does the government know what is evil? Again, it must look to Scripture. What some men call evil is sometimes what God calls righteous. If the government is to be rightly followed, it must follow Christ. It must look to God’s Word to see what God calls evil.

Third, its governing should lead to a peaceful society. I Timothy 2:1-2 says the government has authority so “that we may lead a peaceably, and quiet life.” The government’s actions should lead to citizens being able to lead a quiet life in a peaceful civil society.

Fourth, we can live godly lives (I Timothy 2:1-2). The government, in punishing what God calls evil and praising what God calls good, should lead to Christians being able to live a Christian life. It says that if the government operates correctly, we can live “godly lives.”

Lastly, they are called to protect the oppressed (Isaiah 10:1-2). If they are living godly, people should not be oppressed in how they live in godly freedom, how they use their money, how they do their business, and many other ways.

All in all, the government does have authority, which God gives. This does not mean that Christians should look the other way when the government is disobedient to God. While it does have authority and purpose, that authority is defined by God Himself in Scripture. Christians are not called to give the government a blank check to govern however it would like.

Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes  or Googleplay.