The Truth About Leadership

The Truth about Leadership .....

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.. Many Christians are confused about how we should think of governmental leaders. Can we criticize our leaders? Isn't that showing disrespect? Can we expect righteousness from unbelieving leaders? Does righteousness even matter?Here is what the Bible has to say about governmental leaders: Can Leaders Be Held Responsible? Proverbs 16:12: It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. The abandonment of righteousness will weaken the seat of government and the stability and security of the nation.

Proverbs 31:4-5: It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And pervert the rights of all the afflicted. What a ruler does in private can and does pervert public justice. Proverbs 20:28: Covenant loyalty and truth preserve the king, And he upholds his throne by righteousness. The United States government is based on a covenant which we call the Constitution. The abandonment of truth and loyalty to covenants undermines the leadership of a ruler.

Proverbs 29:12: If a ruler pays attention to falsehood, All his ministers become wicked. Dishonesty and falsehood corrupts others so that the entire government becomes less reliable. Should We Submit to Governmental Leaders? Mark 12:17: And Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Our first allegiance is to God. We are to worship only God and to be absolutely submissive to Him.

We are to be secondarily submissive to human institutions and authorities. Romans 13:1-2: 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. 1 Peter 2:13-16: Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.

For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Live as bond-slaves of God. Christians are to have a submissive spirit toward authority. But we must ask: "Where does authority lie in a constitutional democracy like the United States of America?" The Bible does not deal directly with the responsibilities of Christians in a democracy in which officials are elected by "the people" and laws are made by representatives of "the people.

" In our society submission is primarily to laws and constitutional processes, not persons. The president, senators, and congressmen and women are servants of "the people," not masters of the people. Biblical submission is a readiness to obey law and uphold the legal order, not an approval or endorsement of all lawmakers absolutely. Christ's absolute supremacy over our lives qualifies the absoluteness of human law (Acts 5:29). There can be a submissive spirit and readiness to obey even where, for the sake of conscience, some laws and lawmakers may have to be resisted.

Can Public Officials Be Criticized? Exodus 22:28: Do not curse the ruler of your people. Matthew 14:3-4: Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." John the Baptist's preaching is an example of a proper indictment of government authority. Jesus said of John the Baptist, "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist!" Nevertheless, John was beheaded for publicly indicting the ruling authority (Matthew 14:5-11). Jesus called Herod "a fox" (Luke 13:31-32).

Paul called members of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, "whitewashed walls" (Acts 23:1-3). Therefore, opposition to a leader's behavior and public criticism of it is not necessarily inconsistent with a submissive spirit to governing authorities. What is the Most Important Obligation of the Christian Toward Political Leaders? 1 Timothy 2:1-3: First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. Christians are to pray for the salvation of all in authority.

Do you care about the soul of your political leaders? The prayers of Christians also have a "selfish" focus. The conversion of unbelieving political leaders to God will mean the opportunity for us to lead a "tranquil and quiet life."