When God created man, he placed him in a garden and declared his creation to be “very good.” Adam and Eve dwelt in perfect harmony with God, with man, and in dominion over creation. 

Following Adam’s rebellion, however, God cursed the ground and exiled humanity from the garden forever. Lush vegetation and close communion with God are replaced with barren soil and enmity with the Creator. 

The human heart rightfully longs for a return to the perfect peace and lasting prosperity of the garden. However, the sworded angel remains on guard at the entrance of the gate and no man may enter on his own. Because of sin, the bliss of Eden which remains etched on our hearts is far out of reach. The world’s response to this longing highlights the dangers of governmental idolatry and underlines the importance of Christian engagement in political life. 

A Battleground of Gods 

The wonder of the gospel restores the Christian’s hope for a perfected garden society. Because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christian citizens now await a resurrection of their own—one that will lead to lasting bodily life in God’s eternal garden city. 

Non-Christians, however, have no similar confidence in the enduring certainty of a garden paradise yet to come. For the secular citizen, the lack of a resurrection means that nothing lies beyond the grave. All hope for the future, all peace in life, and all joy on earth depends on the immediate circumstances of the present day. 

For many, then, civil government has become a means to achieve heaven on earth, a conduit for the infrastructure of a worldly utopia. With no God-man to end the curse, the closest alternative is a powerful State that promises prosperity, health, and power over death. But Pharaoh’s chariots cannot withstand the expectation of ultimate deliverance (Is. 32:5) and those who place their trust in princes inevitably face bitter disappointment (Ps. 146:3). Like the mute idols of Isaiah’s day, no government can take the place of God himself (Is. 44:6-48:11). 

Against false worship of the State, the Christian stands ready to proclaim that ultimate hope does not rest on the shoulders of any human government. Instead, the believer knows that the restoration of this world will only be finally accomplished at the second coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of his people. Until then, the deadly effects of Eden’s curse will persist. 

For this reason, civic life occupies a critical space in the war between gods. The Christian call to political engagement, then, is not disconnected from the great commission—a mere distraction from the central task. Political life is a battle not only of ideologies but also of worship. Alberta needs Christians who speak against the false deification of civil government and call their neighbours to trust in Christ alone for deliverance. 

The Biblical Gift of Good Government 

Counterintuitively, a healthy Christian skepticism of governmental capacity leads invariably to better governance in any society. Instead of promising more than it can deliver, a rightly ordered civil government fulfills its God-given responsibilities. 

Civil government, for the Christian, is a good gift from God that temporarily restrains evil and promotes righteousness (Rom. 13:1-8; 1 Pet. 2:11). Governments exist as God’s temporal ministers of justice on earth.

To administer justice properly, however, a government must be oriented toward true righteousness and away from wickedness. Otherwise, the government will succeed in nothing more than calling good “evil” and evil “good”. This underscores the necessity of Christian voices in the political sphere.

Possessing the full benefit of biblical revelation, Christians are uniquely situated to declare what Carl Henry called “the criteria by which God will judge men and nations.” If this Christian declaration is heeded, the Government will turn toward righteousness and the society will flourish under the refreshing light of God’s word. 

A Peaceful and Quiet Life

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul instructs the reader to pray “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:1-4). 

Paul connects the role of human governments with the Christian’s ability to lead the quiet, godly life to which each believer has been called. While God may–and often does–grow his church under persecution, a stable and free political order is far more conducive to the Christian life than tyranny or chaos. 

For this reason, Christian citizens should seek to cultivate a society that permits and encourages godly living. Christians should labour toward governmental structures that promote the family, ensure religious freedom, and protect God’s image bearers from wrongdoers.

Awaiting the Garden

As we eagerly await our heavenly garden, we must not neglect the land into which we have been sent into exile (1 Peter 1:1). Instead, like the Israelites in Babylon, we should seek the good of the communities God has placed us in—including the good of our civil governments (Jeremiah 29:4–9). The civic task of the Christian, then, is threefold: first, to display the glory of the Kingdom of God as the unsurpassable alternative to false hope in the kingdoms of men; second, to declare the truth about God to the world and to direct civil government toward its God-given purpose; and, third, to pray for and work toward a government under which godly living may flourish. May the Lord raise up more Christians to boldly proclaim the truth of God’s gospel and lay the foundation for a province that promotes godliness.

Photo Credit: Peter Mason on Unsplash