Bringing Back Self-Government

Self-Government: Taking Up Responsibilities Given By God

One could rightly assert that the greatest need of America today is to return to the teaching of Scripture submitting to the Lordship of Christ in everything by the power of the Gospel. Whenever a person is redeemed through the Spirit of God bringing them to faith and repentance in Christ, that soul seeks to live obediently to the call of their Lord in everything. Whether this be in their family, church, community, business, the political realm, or quite literally whatever else, the goal of the person is to be governed by the Word of God striving after the glory of Christ. This immediately brings us to the historic concept of self-government (or robustly responsible biblical stewardship) which we need to return to in this nation. We need to see what God has called each of us individually to do and go hard after that calling. Our lives need not be dependent on the government for provision nor should we have to be overseen by a taskmaster to perform our duties well. By the grace of God, we should see His calling and take it seriously before the Lord Jesus Christ to live it out by His power.

For America to correct course politically it is not only her leaders who need to understand their responsibility, it is the people. If a nation is to be free the people must be self-governed. Do not take this the wrong way, being self-governed does not mean they are independent of God. Not at all, it means that they are exercising the fruit of the Spirit, self-control, in all of their life so that by the power of Christ they are faithfully living out their calling (Galatians 5:22-23). The man who is relying on a check from the government for his family’s sustenance is not self-governing, he is depending on the civil magistrate to put food in his stomach. More than that, he is shirking his responsibility before God to provide for his own household (1 Timothy 5:8). That is precisely the point! It is not that the man is trying to live out his calling independently before God, that would be sin as well! No, the problem in this case, is the reality that he is not performing his duty in any sense. He is walking his own path and relying on the government to fulfill his role. If we as Americans are to see the course of this nation change, then we must return to a biblical understanding of self-government.

Self-Government: Avoiding Excuses

The reality is that no man or woman can live out their call without the grace of Christ guiding, directing, and working in them. This is why Paul urged Timothy to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1). The young pastor needed to see the ministry he had been given by the Lord and take up the charge to exercise stewardship in that way for the glory of Christ. We need a return to that mindset instead of going down the path of excuses. We as the American people and especially as evangelicals have too often shirked our responsibilities because we have not submitted to Christ. We have taken handouts from the civil government, allowed political authorities to overstep their boundaries (remember 2020 anyone?), and been apathetic in our duties to rule over what God has called us to. For example, evangelicals have farmed out their children to be educated by leftist propaganda far too long instead of teaching them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  Friends, we need to take up the calling that God has given to each of us and take it seriously to live it out, this is one of the greatest needs of our hour.

Thankfully, there seem to be many who are awakening to the fullness of their responsibilities. I am not writing this post from the moral high ground of having done everything perfectly, we all need grace. What does it look like for us to begin to take our responsibilities seriously? It is to come to Christ in repentance entrusting ourselves to Him to be changed by His grace, and then, truly coming to His Word seeking to humbly live it out in every realm. Starting first and foremost with our own hearts and souls being submitted to the Lord. It is impossible to govern or rule what Christ has called us to without our own souls first being in humble obedience to His will. Let repentance be genuine and the joy of His Word be our delight and passion.

Fathers need to lead their families according to the Word of God. Providing for them, bringing them to Scripture, protecting them, and seeking to be a source of sanctifying love to their wife and true guidance for their children. Mothers must come alongside as the helpmeet supporting their husband, nurturing their children, and living out the fullness of their call before God. We need to take our responsibilities in the workplace seriously working heartily unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24). Each of us, needs to be investing in loving one another in the local church as we pursue Christ together worshipping Him. As citizens, we must be informed as to the issues going on, what our rights are before God, and how to biblically hold the authorities we represent accountable. Ultimately, it is taking dominion over what God has called us to do in every realm being guided by His Word and empowered by His overabundant grace.

If we are to be faithful to our Lord, we must take this responsibility seriously. His glory is our goal and the motivation for us to live wisely in all of life. It is a comprehensive calling before Him. Loving our Lord and loving our neighbor both dictate we seek go bring our own selves into increasing submission to Christ by disciplining our hearts and bodies according to the rule of God’s Word. Do we need more faithfulness in the realm of the civil government? Absolutely, and that starts with each one of us taking the all-encompassing call of Christ to submit ourselves to Him and live out our calling before Him with obedient faithfulness!