This post is part of a series of posts taken from Dr. Wayne Grudem's
Sunday school class at Scottsdale Bible Church. In this class, Dr. Grudem is taking us through his forthcoming book: Politics: According to the Bible. I have created a category link here, which will allow you to scroll through all of the upcoming posts.
Special Announcement: On Sunday, Dr. Grudem announced to our class that he has now finished his book Politics: According to the Bible, and will be sending it off to Moody for a summer 2010 release.
In this session, Dr. Grudem completed the outline of chapter two of his book where he argues that Christians must provide significant influence on governments.
Now, in his chapter three outline, we come to Biblical principles concerning government, and specifically: What does the Bible say government should look like or how should it function?
In Dr. Grudem's textbook Systematic Theology, he taught us that civil governments are a "common grace" of God that provides good to all, and not just God's elect.
Furthermore, God set out the foundation of a civil government way back in Genesis 9:5-6:
"And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man.
6 “Whoever sheds the blood of man,
by man shall his blood be shed,
for God made man in his own image."
Here we see a few things, and can build a civil government from this very base:
- lifeblood, and shedding the blood of man refer to murder
- God requires a reckoning for murder, which he defines as death to the slayer
- note that this isn't a suggestion but a requirement.
- from this model, God is also teaching us to define other behaviors that might be worthy of a societies reckoning. An example might be a monetary fine for speeding.
After establishing God's designed base for all societies, Dr. Grudem then began to survey many examples, from the Old Testament, where we can see this model in display.
Another important point that Dr. Grudem wanted to drive home, with crystal clear clarity, is that God is sovereign over the earth, and all subsequent civil governments. This is a very important lesson for the Christian to not only understand, but to build your worldview around. Even though this fact is surrounded with mystery, we are to find great peace in this understanding.
Next week, Dr. Grudem will explain the specific laws for the nation of Israel, and further his display of God's design for government in the New Testament.
Here is the audio from Sunday's class:
