Election season, the press coverage, the conversations, the heated debates, the passionate views, the time spent, the money spent . . . .
I was reading the Heidelberg Catechism this AM ...
Q. 104. What does God require in the fifth commandment?
A. That I show all honour, love and fidelity, to my father and mother, and all in authority over me, and submit myself to their good instruction and correction, with due obedience;(a) and also patiently bear with their
weaknesses and infirmities,(b) since it pleases God to govern us by their hand.(c)
(a) Eph 5:22; Eph 6:1-5; Col 3:18,20-24; Prov 1:8; Prov 4:1; Prov 15:20; Prov 20:20; Exod 21:17; Rom 13:1-7
(b) Prov 23:22; Gen 9:24,25; 1 Pet 2:18
(c) Eph 6:4,9; Col 3:19-21; Rom 13:2,3; Matt 22:21
No, I don't think it means we can't 'side' with a candidate (maybe it would be better to say we 'prefer' one) . . . but do you really see anyone showing 'all honour, love and fidelity {faithfulness, loyalty} .... to all in authority over me.'? How about 'patiently bear with their weaknesses and infirmities'?
Surely the Heidelberg cannot be serious! It can't 'please God to govern us by their hand', at least not if (pick your answer here):
- a. the current administration stays in!
- b. the challenger is elected!
The Heidelberg has withstood the test of time, a lot of people have scrutinized it . . . but the best part, look at the Biblical references for this one question: 16 passages are used to arrive at the 'Answer'!
One that seems to really apply to us during this election season:
'Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.' - Romans 13:1-2
Wow .... there is no authority except from God . . . so he is the one who worries about the 'who' is elected into office, I simply need to worry about my response.
(How can actually following the Bible, be so opposite of what I see around me . . . .?)
Douglas Y. Knowles
2 comments:
You guys know how excited I get about politics, for those of us that are, this seems to be something worth getting worked up about:
http://blog.worldvision.org/advocacy/the-fight-to-end-child-trafficking-continues/
(If you watch the video of the Presidents speech on this, it's pretty amazing.)
Words like this invoke me to pray regardless of the party that I claim to support..... "When a little boy is kidnapped, turned into a child soldier, forced to kill or be killed -- that’s slavery. When a little girl is sold by her impoverished family -- girls my daughters’ age -- runs away from home, or is lured by the false promises of a better life, and then imprisoned in a brothel and tortured if she resists -- that’s slavery. It is barbaric, and it is evil, and it has no place in a civilized world."
Post a Comment