Should Christians be involved in Public Policy? Many pastors and Christians in evangelical circles will answer this question with a resounding, NO! Some even go so far as to say that government is evil, and government affiliation should be avoided at all cost.

What these Christians forget is that government is not a worldly invention. Paul writes in Romans 13:1, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.” Here we learn that government is not a human invention; it is not the realm of the Devil, it is a Divine institution, established by God.

I will admit, government can be a source of evil, if evil people run it. But it can also be a source of much good in our society, if good people get involved. As Christians, we must be that good voice in government. Good public policy acts to restrain evil, while bad policy encourages immoral behavior. It is no mystery that laws influence the decisions people make. For example, New York did not pass a no fault divorce law, when other states did. As a result, the divorce rate in New York is lower than the rest of the country. (Article & iMAPP Study)

I believe Christians have the ability to influence legislation for good, if they will get involved, thus, influencing the moral climate of our Nation.

Two More Reasons To Be Involved

Other than the fact that Christians are called to be salt and light in the world (Matt. 5:13), I will leave you with two more reasons we need to be engaged in political service:

(1) To protect the churches freedom to proclaim the Gospel. There are many in our culture who want to tear down the institution of the church, and if we as Christians do not get involved, they may succeed.

(2) For the good of everyone. There are a lot of people who fall prey to bad public policy. A good example is the unborn. Many lives are lost everyday because abortion was legalized in our country.

Conclusion

If Christians continue to see government as evil and remain apathetic to Political service, then public policies will continue to cater to those who want nothing to do with Judeo-Christian values. So to answer my original question, should Christians be involved in Public Policy, I give a resounding YES!

Resources and How To Get Involved

Some ideas from this post were taken from a talk Dr. Barrett Duke gave at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Dr. Duke is the Vice President of the Southern Baptists Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission.  More about the ERLC and how Christians can get involved in public policy can be found on their website: ERLC.com