According to Pew Research, most Americans express support for the principle of separation of church and state,

and few say they think that the federal government should declare Christianity to be the official religion of the United States.

But many Americans do think that even though the U.S. shouldn't officially be declared a Christian country,

the federal government should promote Christian moral values. What do you think?

How should Christians think about politics?

So first, it's important that we distinguish properly between the church and the state.

Now, these two institutions can support each other in various ways, but they must never be confused.

Now, in light of this, how should a Christian think about politics or civil government?

And here I'm going to draw from another book written by a living theologian named David Van Dr. Van Dr. Van Dr. Van Dr. Van Dr. says that political communities are

legitimate, provisional, common, and accountable. So let me break each of those down. First,

they're legitimate. This is because civil government is

something that God himself instituted. This is why Paul says in Romans 13 that ordinarily to rebel

against civil authority is to rebel against someone God has established. It's interesting to note

that in the New Testament, when Peter or Paul encouraged submission

to earthly authorities, the authorities they had in mind at that time weren't Christian, and

often were terrible at governing.

Yet Paul still assumed they had some legitimacy.

And so insofar as they didn't contradict God's law, believers were encouraged to submit to them.

Second, they're provisional.

Earthly kingdoms and political communities come and go.

Unlike the Church of Jesus Christ, which is everlasting, and which the gates of hell will never

prevail against, empires rise and fall. Now if their legitimacy is an encouragement for us to

...