Description

Since God is the Creator, everything belongs to Him and is under His domain. He is the ultimate governor. After creating man, God gave him the task of ruling and stewarding the earth (Gen. 1:26-28). He was God’s delegated governor over the earth, and as such he was to rule in accordance with God’s truth and under God’s direction. Psalm 8 affirms man’s role as God’s vice-regent: “Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet.”

God does not leave man to rule according to his own volition but reveals in the Bible everything he needs to know to fulfill his mission, including much information about government. Unfortunately, most people are ignorant of these ideas.

The topic of civil government is largely ignored by most of the evangelical community today. It is rarely the topic of sermons. While 90% of evangelical pastors believe that the Bible speaks to all areas of life, only 10% of them have ever taught on civil issues. Many pastors avoid any talk of government and politics, whether from fear of offending church members or belief it is not their duty. Some seek to avoid the charge of “preaching politics, instead of Christ.”

However, all of Scripture is profitable and must be taught and obeyed, including the clear instruction from Christ to render to Caesar his due. Jesus and the apostles taught various principles concerning the office of civil rulers and the duty of citizens toward them. All Christians should learn what the Bible teaches about civil affairs and how to govern biblically. Fulfilling this duty is essential if we are to obey God’s commission to rule over the earth.

The Bible is authoritative in all it says. In it God gives us principles for all of life, including much about that earthly government that has the power to affect every area of our lives. Chapters in Ruling Over the Earth include:

· Our Biblical Duty to Learn about Government

· What Is Government?

· Premise of Government

· Biblical Doctrine of Government in Romans 13

· The Purpose and Responsibility of Civil Government

· Jesus’ Teachings on Civil Government

· The Relationship between God and Government

· Seven Foundational Governmental Principles

· The Government of Ancient Israel: A Model for Today

· The Framework of Biblical Government

· Biblical Civil Duties

Pages: 175, Paperback

Author: Stephen McDowell