Authority To Govern
Flows From God
Not Consent Of The Governed

The Declaration of Independence pinpointed the authority of government in the consent of the governed. The Constitution gave the same authority in different words to “we the people.”

It sounds marvelous, but how does consent of the governed stack up with the Bible? To answer that question let’s compare the constitutional system with the earlier covenant model found in Massachusetts. Ultimately the authority to government resides in Christ, the King of kings, not in "we the people."

In His last words to His disciples, Jesus gave them their final marching orders: “Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations,” He said, “baptizing them…and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you….”

The word “nations” in the Great Commission is best translated “cultures”. The word has reference to the Christian responsibility to lead men and women to Christ and then transform or make disciples of every aspect of man’s earthly existence, including – but not limited to – the political realm.

In light of this commission, imagine two nations.

1) Declares the Bible to be the highest law of the land.

2) Passes laws against murder, theft, adultery and other crimes based specifically on the Bible.

3) Requires government officers to swear an oath to uphold those laws>

1) Declares its own man-made Constitution and laws to be the supreme law of the land.

2) Declares its Constitution and laws to be based exclusively on the majority vote of the people – the consent of the governed.

3) Outlaws any oath that requires public officials to govern in terms of the Bible.

The Blessed Nation

Which of these two nations would you describe as a Christian nation – Nation A or Nation B? Given this brief description, most would characterize Nation A as a Christian nation – that is a nation formally committed to government under the authority of the Word of God.

Such a nation is promised the blessing of God. Deuteronomy 28: 1 declares“….if you obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments…the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you….”

The Cursed Nation

But what would you call Nation B?

A secular nation?
A democracy?
A humanistic nation?
A pluralistic nation?
A godless nation?
All of the above?

Whatever we call it, God has promised that such a nation has fallen under His curse. Again, we are told in Deuteronomy 28:15, and 20

Believe it or not, these are descriptions of a single nation that actually existed in history. Can you name that nation?

If you guessed the “United States of America”, you are correct. Nation B is America after passage of the U.S. Constitution in 1787 by consent of the governed. On the other hand, Nation A is America under the jurisdiction of most of her colonial constitutions prior to 1787.