Why is the American church so desperate to receive a handout from the government? Why are Christians so willing to approve of men with no testimony of faith and to follow after them, seeking their approval in return? Is it because of a lack of understanding or a lack of faith?
For the purposes of understanding, it is true that God created the church and state to accomplish different roles. The church is the people of God, made to know Him and to understand His Word. The church’s power is in its intimate knowledge of God, both that the church communes with God and that it speaks God’s words to the world. The state was created to serve God in a different way: to punish evil and reward good. The state wields the sword, and in many ways it is dependent on the church to teach it right from wrong and how to properly discern evil.
But in terms of faith, the church is never to look to the state for protection or power. The church knows God and receives its blessings directly from His hand. The church should never look to the government to do its work or to be its provider. In doing so, it ceases to trust in God and becomes dependent on the government, and in that dependence, it finds itself no longer capable of speaking the truth for fear of loss.
Production of Reformation Baptist Church of Youngsville, NC
Permanent Hosts – Dan Horn, Charles Churchill and Joshua Horn
Technical Director – Timothy Kaiser
Theme Music – Gabriel Hudelson