Viewpoint In Brief: Lords over citizens, servants of God

By Olu George

God  rules in the affairs of men and appoints over them, high powers to do judgment and justice. That is why the judiciary, made up of  magistrates and judges, is a very important arm of  government, in the sight of God. And obedience to   magistrates and judges is one of the doctrines of Christ, which teaches that all believers in Christ must be subject to these higher powers, that is, magistrates and judges, because they are ordained of God, as written in ROMANS   13:1.

Therefore magistrates and judges are God’s ministers or God’s servants. They are lords over the citizens but they are servants of God. They bear the sword of judgment, to execute wrath as ministers of God, upon those that doeth evil in the society. And it is not for nothing that God has put such powers into the hands of magistrates and judges. All souls, therefore, especially believers in Christ, must be subject to all magistrates and judges, both for conscience sake and for wrath’s sake, as written in ROMANS 13:4-5, and I quote, “For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake.”

Any civil government or any citizen, especially any believer in Christ, who resists these magistrates or judges by disobeying any court order or court injunction, is resisting the ordinance of God, and shall receive to themselves damnation, as written in ROMANS 13:2, and I quote, “WHOSOEVER THEREFORE RESISTETH THE POWER, RESISTETH THE ORDINANCE OF GOD: AND THEY THAT RESIST SHALL RECEIVE TO THEMSELVES DAMNATION.” Christians are reminded in TITUS 3:1, to be subject to the powers that be, and to obey magistrates and judges, and to be ready to do every good work, so that they will not bring reproach to the name of Christ. The true church and the Judiciary   are co-labourers in the society, in condemning lawlessness and injustice in the society.

Judges and magistrates, because they are ministers of God, are warned to take heed what they do, for they judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with them in all their judgments, as     written in 2 CHRONICLES 19:6, and I quote, ‘’And said to the judges, TAKE HEED WHAT YE DO: FOR YE JUDGE NOT FOR MAN BUT FOR THE LORD, WHO IS WITH YOU IN THE JUDGMENT.” Magistrates and judges must therefore rule with the fear of the Lord only, and should be blameless, as there is no iniquity with the Lord God, who ordained them, neither should they have respect of persons, nor take gifts to pervert   judgment of the righteous, as written in 2 CHRONICLES 19:7. In DEUTERONOMY 27:19, it is written and I quote, “CURSED BE HE THAT PERVERTETH THE JUDGMENT OF THE STRANGER, THE FATHERLESS AND WIDOW.”

The role of the true church in a civil government, is chiefly to preach to the congregation, salvation from sin, and to be engaged in ceaseless prayers of intercession for those in authority and especially for magistrates and judges, who have God’s sword for the execution of judgment against the evil doers in the society, so that it will be used rightly. Therefore the true church and the saints of God in a true church, because of their divine role in the society, are not supposed to sue one another to any law court, but must judge every matter amongst themselves, rather than going to a law court, as warned by the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul in 1 CORINTHIANS 6:1, and I quote, “DARE ANY OF YOU HAVING A MATTER AGAINST ANOTHER, GO TO LAW BEFORE THE UNJUST AND NOT BEFORE THE SAINTS?” In VERSES 2-3, Apostle Paul further questioned, and I quote, “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are ye not worthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life?” This attests to the fact that there is a divine synergy between the Judiciary and the true church.

A true church also is a militant church, warring against all the territorial demons causing lawlessness in the nation, and against the demons hindering good governance in the nation. In 2 CHRONICLES 7:14, it is written, and I quote, “IF MY PEOPLE, WHICH ARE CALLED BY MY NAME, SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY, AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS; THEN WILL I HEAR FROM HEAVEN, AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN, AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND.” Therefore, the militant church should be a praying church and should not entangle herself in the affairs of this life, otherwise she will be stripped naked of the armour of prayer. And when that happens, the devil and his army of demons, will prevail against the church, the judiciary and the civil government, that is in power. The healing of any nation and the stability of any civil government and of the Judiciary and even the peace of any nation, depends upon a militant praying church, whose Great Commander is the LORD JESUS, because He is the Man of war and at the same time, the Prince of Peace, as written in ISAIAH 9:6, and I quote, ‘’For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.”

And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free, thus saith the LORD.