It has been said “the government should not tell people what to do.” This article is not a treatise on the importance of government or the lauding of it.
The American political system is a far cry from its origin or inception—what the founding fathers intended. Yet, it still upholds the good—shakily and imperfectly.
What government must do is uphold the God-given right of life. When a government sanctions murder as lawful then the system has failed. For instance, abortion has been legalized. This is in direct opposition to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It has also been said “government should not legislate morality.” How can a social order survive if it does not? If there was no legislation that murder is illegal, then would society survive? The law is to point out what is wrong, what is sinful. It is not put in place to save people from themselves, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. But should not a social order (manifested in government) reflect the moral law of God?
People are people and they will do what they want. Granted. There will always be loopholes to laws implemented by a government. But the heart of law is God’s law. That is why the church is so important, to uphold God’s law, help people be aware of their sinfulness, how can one be saved if one doesn’t know they are sick? The church also makes aware of God’s grace, love, and mercy to those who repent.
The government can never do that, that is not its purpose. Yet in this world in exile, a government ought to at least have the fundamental basis of the moral law, which is universal, which is God’s law.
I am not talking theocracy. I am not talking separation of church and state either. I am talking about the church influencing the culture, which can influence the social order (government). God’s law (summed in the 10 commandments) should be the backbone of social law.
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