A Biblical Perspective on the Issues of Today

By Bob Andersen

Below is the set of notes from this series. Its purpose is simply to enhance the teaching sessions that were presented in person and recorded onto the audio tapes. Please call (847) 894-2893 for information on how you can obtain a set of the audio tapes produced. 

1. Background - Our System of Government - some instructive quotes:

“We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams 

“There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.” John Adams

“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action.” George Washington

“...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,...” Thomas Jefferson

“The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws...All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.” Noah Webster

“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” John Jay, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

“When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted...If a republican government fails...it must be because its citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.” Noah Webster

“Religion in America...must nevertheless be regarded as the foremost of the political institutions of that country...I do not know whether all the Americans have a sincere faith in their religion, for who can search the human heart? But I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a party, but it belongs to the whole nation, and to every rank of society...Christianity, therefore, reigns without any obstacle, by universal consent.” Alexis De Tocqueville

“The Bible...is the one supreme source of revelation of the meaning of life, the nature of God and spiritual nature and need of men. It is the only guide of life which really leads the spirit in the way of peace and salvation...America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture.” Woodrow Wilson, 28th President, 1913-21

Whereas the Bible, the Word of God, has made a unique contribution in shaping the United States as a distinctive and blessed nation and people
Whereas deeply held convictions springing from the Holy Scriptures led to the early settlement of our Nation;

Whereas Biblical teaching inspired concepts of civil government that are contained in our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States; 

Whereas many of our great national leaders-among them Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln and Wilson-paid tribute to the surpassing influence of the Bible in our country’s development, as the words of President Jackson that the Bible is “the rock on which our Republic rests”; 

Whereas the history of our Nation clearly illustrates the value of voluntarily applying the teachings of the Scriptures in the lives of individuals, families, and societies;

Whereas this Nation now faces great challenges that will test this Nation as it has never been tested before; and

Whereas that renewing our knowledge of and faith in God through Holy Scripture can strengthen us as a nation and a people: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is authorized and requested to designate 1983 as a national “Year of the Bible” in recognition of both the formative influence the Bible has been for our Nation, and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.

United States Congress Public Law 97-280 96 Stat. 1211 October 4, 1982

2. What made America different- Government created using Biblical principles

  • Every person created by and valued by God

  • Individual rights derived from God, not from other people or governments

  • The Law is King - the King is subject to the Law

  • Government is responsible to the people, as an aid in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness

  • Man’s sin nature makes checks and balances a must!

3. Representative Government

  • There is no Pauline command for representative government

  • Believers can (and do) live and triumph under any form of government - Acts 24:3, 26:25

  • Israel’s program gave our forefather’s a pattern with which to work - Deut 1:9-17; Exodus 18:13-27; Matthew 19:28

  • Representation “close to home” is ideal

4. Government’s Role and our Response

  • Government’s only Biblical mandate is to punish evildoers and reward those that do well - Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

  • We are to be subject to, and obey, our government’s laws and representatives; God considers them ministers for our good - Titus 3:1; Romans 13:5

  • The alternative is anarchy Judges - 17:6; Proverbs 21:2

  • The Bible does not lay at government’s door responsibility for education, the poor, art, etc., etc.

  • We the people certainly have the right to delegate to government certain tasks - but we had better proceed cautiously!

  • Limited government is supported by God’s Word “A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.” Thomas Jefferson

  • The only exception to our mandate to be subject to principalities and powers is when a law directly contradicts one of God’s instructions to us - Acts 4:19, 5:29

In Summary, God’s Word teaches a defined role for government, which is simply to reward law abiding citizens, punish criminals and defend those governed from hostility

  • “With all the imperfections of our present government, it is without comparison the best existing or that ever did exist.” Thomas Jefferson

  • “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Sir Winston Churchill

5. Taxes - to support government

  • Believers should pay their taxes - Romans 13:6 “tribute” - Matthew 22:15-21

  • We should do all we can to keep government limited to its essential functions, so as to keep taxes low

  • Exodus 30:11-15 hints toward non-progression in the tax code, however this is Israel’s program making dogmatic teaching unwise

  • “If we can prevent the Government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretense of taking care of them, they must become happy.” Thomas Jefferson

  • We should avoid the liberal dictum, “If it moves, tax it; if it continues to move, regulate it; when it stops moving, subsidize it.”

6. National Sovereignty

  • Different nations are ordained by God - Acts 17:26

  • There needs to be a place for the oppressed to flee
    One world government is Satan’s plan - Revelation 13:16-17

  • There will never be “United Nations” or peace on Earth until Christ is on the throne

  • The United States of America is not found in Scripture! - Context shows 2 Chronicles 7:14 is about Israel.

7. Capital Punishment

  • Capital punishment is one of the chief legitimate roles of government - Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12; Numbers 35:16-19, 30-31; Romans 13:4

  • The death penalty was divinely ordained on many acts in Israel - Exodus 21:15-17, 22:19; Leviticus 20:9-16

  • We cannot extrapolate the above Law commands in this dispensation of Grace, however, we can learn a little about the seriousness of the above acts

  • There should be at least two eye witnesses to convict of a capital crime - Numbers 35:30; Deut 17:6-7

  • The heightened evidence requirements of our criminal justice system in capital cases along with new DNA technologies makes the chance of false conviction unlikely

  • Capital punishment should be imposed equally, regardless of race, creed, color, or wealth - this is assumed by Scripture

  • The Hebrew word for “kill” in Exodus 20:13 is “ratsach.” This is the Hebrew word for murder and it is rendered that way in Psalm 94:6, Jeremiah 7:9 and Hosea 6:9, and as murderer in Numbers 35

  • Criminals are to make financial restitution for their crimes Exodus 22:1-4

8. Abortion

  • Scripture speaks personally of a baby in the womb Judges 13:5,7; Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 44:2; Galatians 1:15

  • The law spells out punishment for accidentally causing a woman to miscarry (death if “mischief” follows) Exodus 21:22-23

  • Note: the fetus is killed, and is called “life” in verse 23

  • At the moment of conception, everything necessary for development into adulthood is present in the embryo - life begins at conception

  • Roe vs Wade is one of the most blatant examples of judicial activism, plunging the country into decades of conflict

  • Strict interpretation of the original intent of the constitution would have avoided this deeply divisive decision and moved abortion laws back to the states, where they belong

  • There is no medical indication for partial birth abortion

9. Embryonic Stem Cell Research

  • Creating an embryonic stem cell line requires the killing of a viable embryo. There have been no cures found for any disease from ESCR. On the contrary, research using readily available adult or umbilical stem cells have already shown great promise

  • The use of embryos for research is a slippery slope. How about removing a kidney from an elderly person with Alzheimer’s or the cloning of humans for organ harvest?

10. Welfare

  • Poverty will never cease prior to the Kingdom Matthew 26:11

  • Scripture does not charge government with the care of the poor

  • People are to work to support themselves and fathers are responsible for the financial well-being of their families I Thess 4:11; II Thess 3:6-12; I Tim 5:8; Gal 6:5

  • We must discern between the truly needy and the lazy Proverbs 10:4;19:15,24; 21:25-26a

  • Some people are “legitimately” poor and warrant temporary help Romans 15:26; Gal 2:10, 6:2

  • The wealthy are specially charged to be rich in good works, “ready to distribute” I Tim 6:17-18

  • “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” (Karl Marx) is a Satanically inspired doctrine

  • Failure to rightly divide brings confusion to financial matters! - what of Luke 12:33, Acts 4:32-35?

11. Property rights/Inheritance

  • Ownership of property is a Biblical concept Matthew 20:15 Acts 5:1-4

  • Parents are to lay up for their children - inheritance is proper II Corinthians 12:14

  • Inheritance penalties/taxes are unwise if not downright unscriptural

12. Education

  • Teachers are highly valued by God

  • The Bible puts the teaching/instruction of children squarely in the laps of parents and godly adults Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 2:3-4

  • The Bible deals with the learning of scripture; secular knowledge is fine as long as it is superseded by the knowledge and fear of the Lord

  • Again, government is not given responsibility for education of children; delegation to others by parents can lead to abdication

13. Minimum wage

  • Employers should be able to offer any wage they like - workers can agree or not agree to work for that wage Matthew 20:1-15

  • The business/land owner is free to do with his business/land as he sees fit

  • Warning to employers: Proverbs 22:16; Eph 6:9

  • Our present policies of tying health insurance and pensions to the employer hamstring (and financially endanger) the worker, preventing market forces from operating

14. Class warfare

  • “Thou shalt not covet” Exodus 20:17

  • Riches in this life are not to be despised, nor to be honored Psalm 49:16-18; Proverbs 10:4; 1 Timothy 6:17-18

  • Poor are not to vilify the rich but to be content; the rich are not to look down upon the poor Proverbs 14:20-21, 17:5, 28:1; Philippians 4:11; 1 Timothy 6:6-8

15. Gun Control/Self-defense

  • Defense of innocent life is clearly implied in scripture Exodus 22:2; Romans 12:18

  • Christ confirms that a sword, one of the most potent weapons of the day, is permissible for the disciples to carry Luke 22:36

  • We cannot delegate to others (i.e., police), rights we do not have ourselves

  • The Second Amendment is not about hunting!

16. Marriage/Homosexuality

  • Marriage has always been and always will be between a man and a woman Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5; 1Timothy 5:14; Titus 2:4

  • You can call “light” darkness, but is doesn’t make it so

  • Absolute truth comes from God; man thinks and does what is right in his own eyes; if there exists no absolute truth, then the definition of marriage is up for grabs

  • Communist dialectic: “Truth is whatever aids our cause; a lie is whatever hinders it.”

  • Homosexual behavior is a sin just as is lying, stealing, coveting, drunkenness, idolatry, pride, etc., etc.

  • God views some sins as more damaging to society, as evidenced by the various penalties imposed by the Mosaic Law Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26-27

  • People may be born with certain subtle or strong sin proclivities; God treats us all equally and offers us all salvation and freedom from the slavery of sin Romans 6:17-18; I Corinthians 6:9-11

  • Count on the fact that redefining marriage will have many yet undiscovered dire effects on American life; it will affect adoption, tax policy, education, our children’s concept of marriage and family, etc., etc.

  • God will not be mocked - what we sow as a country we shall reap. Galatians 6:7-8

17. Immigration

  • Kindness to “strangers” is taught Exodus 22:21, 23:9; Hebrews 13:2

  • Immigrants were to “sign on” to Israel’s program in order to be Israelites Exodus 12:48-49

  • Immigrants are not exempted from the teaching of scripture concerning work/welfare and self-sufficiency and obeying our laws

  • Our national identity and foundation are at risk not because of skin color but because of ideology

18. Discrimination / "Groupthink"

  • God looks on the heart, not on man’s outward appearance - we should also I Samuel 16:7

  • God is not a “respecter of persons” Acts 10:34; Galatians 3:28

  • We should never discriminate based on physical characteristics but we must make discernments based on behavior/morality. Ezek 44:23-24

  • God saves individuals, not groups; today’s emphasis on group identity is no less than a form of idolatry 

19. Lawsuits/Disagreements

  • The Word offers principles on which to judge disagreements and damages. Exodus 21:18-19; 22:9

  • Jury trial is not necessarily the best in tort cases as sympathy, class envy and “deep pockets” affect judgments; knowledgeable judges/panels better?

  • Believers are not to dishonor God and “go to law” before unbelieving judges with frivolous matters, where the church has jurisdiction I Corin 6:1-8

  • Believers are to be slow to anger and try to overcome evil with good Romans 12:17-21

20. Policy Toward Israel

  • Israel as a Nation does not have a part in God’s program today - their prophetic program is “on ice” Matthew 21:43; Luke 12:31-32; Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:27-28; Galatians 3:28

  • Genesis 12:3 is not in effect today in the Dispensation of Grace - but will be in the future Ephesians 1:3

  • Our policy toward Israel should be based on the fact that they remain our only democratic ally in the middle east - not because we believe we will receive special favor from God as a nation if we “bless” them

21. Final Quotes...

  • Asked by Mrs. Powel, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?,” Ben Franklin replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.”

  • “Yes, we did produce a near-perfect republic. But will they keep it? Or will they, in the enjoyment of plenty, lose the memory of freedom? Material abundance without character is the path of destruction.” Thomas Jefferson

  • “To be conservative at twenty is heartless and to be a liberal at sixty is plain idiocy.” Sir Winston Churchill