A few days ago the Australian people voted their national government out of office. Elected in 2008, it has been considered by many on both sides of the political spectrum to be the worst government the nation has ever had. ‘Inept’ ‘bungling’ ‘wasteful’ ‘careless’ ‘irresponsible’ ‘selfish’ ‘foolish’ ‘incompetent’ ‘useless’ – these are just some of the words used to describe the last six years we have endured. Having decided some time ago not to take sides with any political party, I can’t say, nevertheless that I disagree with those descriptions. Certainly it has been a government of division creating much uncertainty and instability for the nation.
So how does a government become inept, bungling etc? Well, given that a government is people just as a corporation is people, it becomes that way because that’s what the people are – not all, but too many. Looking at the history of the main players on Wikipedia, I discovered some to be either religious practitioners or to have come from some sort of Christian background, others say they’re atheists and yet others appear to be humanists. There’s a bad mixture for a start! “Religion and politics don’t mix,” they say. Not true. Sad though, over the six years some of the religious among them behaved in a manner worse than the atheists and humanists. The same can be said for those on the opposite side of politics too.
The Bible tells us whatever a man sows, that he will also reap Galatians 6:7. That means if you sow chaos you will reap chaos, if you sow lies you will reap lies, if you sow deceit, you will reap deceit, if you sow dishonesty, you will reap dishonesty, if you sow revenge, you will reap revenge, if you sow corruption, you will reap corruption, if you sow envy, you will reap envy, if you sow bitterness you will reap bitterness, if you sow confusion, you will reap confusion, if you sow foolishness, you will reap foolishness, if you muddy the waters you will drink the muddy waters. Religious or athiest or humanist, nobody is exempt from this principle and truth. The politician who believes he or she is above this universal law is a fool of the highest order.
And because many politicians and others in governments all around the world do think they’re above it, that’s the reason their countries are in a state of malfunction. Unless these people repent, at some point on God’s time clock, that same state of malfunction is going to hit each one of them on a personal level. Each one may pass through this age unscathed, but not in the age to come, which is the millennial rule of the Lord Jesus Christ. But before Jesus begins that rule however, He will bring His judgment upon the sheep and goat nations Matthew 24: 31-46. High order fools, along with low order fools fall into the goat nations category and He casts each and all of them into the lake of fire Revelation 20:14-15; 21:8.
So the question is, why do the religious politicians act like atheist and humanist politicians? I notice many in the former government are Roman Catholics. As such, they’re taught that they belong to the one true church and, believing that with all their heart, they believe God is on their side. Each time they transgress, they know there’s forgiveness the next time they confess before their priest. For the non-practicing Roman Catholics among them, they believe they’ll get back on God’s side before they die. And if they don’t, they hope for God’s mercy anyway because they belong to “the one true church” regardless. Besides, they know the priest and parishioners will continue to say masses and rosaries for their soul.
For the church-going Protestants among them, they can find a Scripture or two in the Bible to justify their behavior. And if they can’t, they’ll grab a couple anyway, turn and twist them so as to make them justify it. See my post: It Was Not God Who Looked Silly. But the greater truth about such Protestants is, they don’t take the Bible seriously in the first place anyway. Jesus said, men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed John 3:19-20. Bible Theologian Albert Barnes said of this, “Darkness is the emblem of ignorance, iniquity, error, superstition – whatever is opposite to truth and piety.” There it is – you don’t get grapes from thorn bushes!
Another problem with inept and bungling etc governments is, many of the people in charge don’t believe they are inept and bungling etc! The reason they get involved in the first place is based on the belief that change is needed for the betterment of us all and they are the ones who can successfully bring that change about. It may well be true that change is needed, but unless one applies truth and right principles for change it’s all going to end in a mess – disaster. As a nation we witnessed many such messes and disasters from the government over the last six years, not the least of them being the waste of billions of the nation’s dollars. Yet when challenged on their messes, disasters and wastes, the men and women responsible for it fell into denial and buck-passing.
God won’t bless denial and buck-passing any more than He will bless religious hypocrisy, atheism and humanism. But He will make the inept adept, the bungler competent, the wasteful frugal, the careless careful, the foolish wise, the useless useful, the irresponsible responsible if they will take ownership of their errors and commit to embracing a better way. And no, one doesn’t have to become a Christian for this to happen. Of course, there’s a powerful grace given to all who will become Christians, but Christianity is not the criteria for this, taking ownership is the criteria. The one who takes ownership shows that he/she is willing to come down on the side of honesty, ethics and right principles and God will bless that.
In the Bible we read of God as One who pours out undeserved blessings and favors upon both believers and unbelievers. These can be summed up using the word grace. Undeserving born again Christians live under God’s salvation grace, undeserving unbelievers live under God’s common grace. The word ‘common’ means something that is common to all people. There are not two different kinds of grace in God Himself but they are manifested in two different ways. In making a distinction, theologians call one saving grace and the other common grace. Examples: He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust Matthew 5:45. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil Luke 6:36.
It is only as a result of God’s common grace do unbelievers continue to live in this world. As a former unbeliever, I’m most grateful to God for that! Somebody under salvation grace prayed for me. Common grace flows indirectly from salvation grace. The Old Testament gives numerous examples of God’s common grace coming to unbelievers because of saving grace upon believers. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and many others show up this truth. The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake Genesis 39:5. It is only by God’s common grace that people are not given over entirely to the behaviors mentioned in the opening paragraph. That’s why all people have some light on truth and are without excuse for bad behavior John 1:9.
Although God is not a Liberal, not a Conservative, not a Democrat, not a Republican, not a Socialist, not a Communist, not a Marxist, not a Collectivist, not a Globalist, all human Government is a result of God’s common grace. Romans 13:1 For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Human Government is a gift from God. What a tragedy the religious and godless in Governments are blinded to that reality! One of the reasons for God ordaining human Government in the first place was for the restraint of losers, liars and lunatics. Sadly, too many of that kind are in their running the show making it ever so hard for the good among them to govern properly. Thank God we’re still able to vote them out in our nation!
I don’t know if the two leaders we had in that six-year government were ever aware of the leadership philosophy of the late USA General Norman Schwarzkopf: “Do what is right, not what you think the high headquarters wants or what you think will make you look good.” If they were aware, they ignored it. Each of them did what was “right” in their own eyes, each flipped and flopped frequently to stay pace with the flipping and flopping opinion polls plus the loudest critical and discontented voices within their government. And as for looking good … to have to watch both of them consistently work overtime on that issue, was not only embarrassing but also sickening for many of us. Most of that rubbed off on many under them too, which always happens.
So now our nation has a new government. Will they be any different? Will they be any better? Time will tell. If the key figures embrace the leadership philosophy of the late General, they’ll be different – they’ll be better. On the other hand, they have religious, atheists and humanists among them too, so it all depends on how much everyone understands and values truth, morality, ethics and right principles plus, taking ownership for error and foolishness. If they don’t understand them they won’t value them and if they don’t value them they won’t practice them. Then error and foolishness will become the name of the game for them also. If that’s the case, they’ll go the way of the others.
That which applies to individuals in government applies to individuals in society. “We get the government we deserve,” so goes the saying and I believe that to be true. If each of us is willing to settle only for the characteristics mentioned in paragraph one of this post, plus sow the attitudes and behaviors mentioned in paragraph three, then we have no right to expect or demand better from those in government. But therein lies our grand problem – we do! But, that’s not how life works. If we want better individuals in government, we must become better individuals. How to? Practice truth, morality, ethics and right principles according to your ability – common grace. Better still, submit to Jesus Christ and practice them according to His ability – salvation grace. “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility” Proverbs 15:33.