Tag: honor

The Christian’s Relationship to Government

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

A society without government is anarchy. There is no law, everyone is free to do as he or she sees fit. In such a society no one is safe. The stronger are free to take what they want from the weaker. If you have something that I want, I am free to take it from you. Of course you are free to try to prevent me from taking it, but, the golden rule in such a society is do unto others before they do unto you. So, God, in His wisdom, set up a system of authority. The family unit is the most basic system of authority. Of course societies are made up of many family units. And whether by geography, ethnicity, or beliefs, these family units have become grouped into clans, people groups, and eventually nations. And every step of the way a system of authority and rule has been set up.

We frequently hear people demanding their rights. And, especially here in the United States, we are a nation that has prided itself on individual rights. To be sure, our nation has committed it’s share of sins throughout our history, and those should be acknowledged, repented of, and lessons learned. And then we look to the future.

In his address to congress on January 8, 1790, President George Washington said “Knowledge is in every Country the surest basis of public happiness. In one, in which the measures of Government recieve (sic) their impression so immediately from the sense of the Community as in our’s, it is proportionably essential. To the security of a free Constitution it contributes in various ways: By convincing those, who are entrusted with the public administration, that every valuable end of Government is best answered by the enlightened confidence of the people: And by teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights; to discern and provide against invasions of them; to distinguish between oppression and the necessary exercise of lawful authority; between burthens proceeding from a disregard to their convenience and those resulting from the inevitable exigencies of Society; to discriminate the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness, cherishing the first, avoiding the last, and uniting a speedy, but temperate vigilence against encroachments, with an inviolable respect to the laws.” -George Washington, to the United States Senate and House of Representative, 8 January 1790 (https://founders.archives.gov/docu…/Washington/05-04-02-0361)

I want to focus on our relationship to government. I think that this can be applied no matter where you live, but of course, my only real experience is living here, in the United States. I keep seeing, and hearing people demand their rights. We have people who take a camera, or their phone, and they literally go looking for a fight with government officials. They may call themselves First Amendment, or Second Amendment, Auditors. They go out with the intent to draw attention to themselves, and demand their right to do say what they want, or to carry any firearm how they want and where they want. And then they cry “That’s not fair” when they are targeted as being suspicious. But then they will also probably be the first ones who will wonder how something bad happened, why someone didn’t say anything when someone else actually commits a heinous crime. Of course this happens with many political and social issues. People are so focused on their rights, that they have forgotten about their own duty to be responsible. We are witnessing in our society an attitude of I want my rights, but I don’t care about my responsibilities.
The Bottom Line: Demanding the free exercise of our rights also demands that we exercise our responsibilities.

Romans 13:1-7 (NLT)
Respect for Authority
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clear conscience. Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.

We have a duty to submit to government authority
It seems that it has become common today to disrespect authority. We see it far too often: people who refuse to obey anyone in authority. Children who disrespect teachers, adults who refuse to respect government, government officials who refuse to respect the law. If you want examples, just watch the evening news. Or check out some of the videos you find on facebook, and youtube. But this is certainly not how we, who proclaim to be followers of Jesus Christ, are to behave. Indeed, Paul admonishes us, in no uncertain terms to submit to government authority. In fact, by refusing to be obedient to authority, we are in fact refusing to obey God. Paul makes this quite clear in verse 2. Rebelling against authority is rebelling against God.

Now please, do not misunderstand me. There certainly is nothing wrong with the people holding their government officials accountable. But we are responsible to do so in a way that honors God.

Government officials are to be God’s servants for the good of those governed
This point is directed at government officials, as well as to “we the people.” We have a system of government in order to avoid the lawlessness of anarchy. Every nation has a government that is in place to protect their citizens, and all who reside within their borders, from lawlessness. If I am doing what is right, and behaving in a manner that does not harm others, or my country, then I can reasonably expect that, for the most part, the government will not bother me.
But, if I choose to behave in a manner that may be harmful to others, if I decide to ignore the law, then I can reasonably expect to be punished. It is the government’s job to punish those who do evil. So we are commanded to be obedient, not simply to avoid punishment, but also to keep a clean conscience.

Government officials deserve their pay
We hate to pay taxes, don’t we. In fact some people hate paying taxes so much that they make it their mission to find ways to cheat the government. We get our first job, and we’re excited for that first check, and when we get it, right away we realize that something isn’t right. Some of our money is missing. And as we examine or check stub closely, we see that some of our money has gone to the state, and the federal government got its cut too. In some places, the city gets a share directly out of your paycheck. Well, don’t government officials deserve to be paid for their work, too. Now look, this isn’t about debating how much we should be paying in taxes; I am simply pointing out, as Paul does, in verses 6 and 7, that government workers deserve to be compensated for their work.

However, Paul isn’t referring only to paying our taxes and fees. He goes a step further, and also tells us that we are responsible to pay honor and respect to those who are in authority. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Quick, someone needs to point this verse out to many of our government leaders.” And, I agree with you. So many of them seem to be more focused on tearing down each other, and anyone who doesn’t agree with them, that they are not getting anything accomplished. But, before I go there, I need to ask you, what is YOUR attitude toward those in government positions? Wait; I need to ask myself that same question: “What is MY attitude toward our government leaders, and workers?” Do I show respect to those in authority. Do I behave in a way that, if they are not already a Christ follower, would make them want to be one, or at least gives them reason to respect me? Or am I a Christian in name only?

Maybe, just maybe, there is a reason that our government, and our society, seems to be so out of control. When was the last time that you complained about government workers, and government leaders. Now, when was the last time that you prayed for them? Just maybe, we bear some of the responsibility for some of the problems. Lets look at 1 Timothy for just a minute.

N1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NLT)
Instructions about Worship
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior,

We are to pray for our government officials
I like how the NLT titles this section: Instructions about worship. Too often, we think of worship as what we are doing right now. It’s just for Sunday morning. We come to church, sing a few songs, say a prayer or two, and listen to a preacher say something that is hopefully inspirational. And if we are really lucky, the message lets us feel good about ourselves. But that is not worship.

Worship is not just about going to church, and playing a part. Worship is a lifestyle. And a part of that lifestyle is praying for others. Interceding, speaking with God, on their behalf, including government workers, and officials; maybe ESPECIALLY, them. Why? So that we can live peaceful lives, that display godliness, and dignity. I love the way the NIV says it best. Instead of dignity it uses the word holiness. We pray for others, and especially our government so that we can live lives that are marked by godliness, and HOLINESS.

Bottom Line: We do have rights, however, being free to exercise those rights demands that we recognize, and honor, our responsibilities.

It’s not about Beer and Barbecue…

/ CD Hamman / Leave a comment

Today is Memorial Day, the last day of a three day weekend. For far too many people this holiday weekend seems to be all about beer and barbecue, and beach. It marks the beginning of summer.
But this day should not pass without a moment of solemn reflection on it’s true purpose. There should be a sense of awe and reverence, honor and respect. Today is meant to honor those who gave their lives in service to our nation. They so loved and cherished the ideals espoused in our Declaration of Independence, and in our Constitution, that they put themselves in harms way. And they paid the ultimate price.
So I ask that as you enjoy the barbecues, and the beach today, please also take a moment to remember, and honor those who have given their lives to give us our freedoms, and to protect them.
God bless the United States of America.

Where were you? Where will you be?

/ CD Hamman / 1 Comment

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Where were you on the following dates: January 20, 1981; March 30, 1981; January 28, 1986; January 16/17, 1991; April 19, 1995; September 11, 2001?

There are several days in our lives during which events occur that are so dramatic that the moment is forever etched into our minds. The earliest such event that I recall is January 20, 1981 when Americans who had been held hostage in Iran were released from captivity, shortly after President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office. Then came March 30, 1981. That is the day that an assassination attempt was made on President Reagan’s life. I was in the sixth grade, in art class at Heritage Christian School, in Canton, Ohio, when the principal announced that our president had been shot, and had a moment of silence followed by a brief prayer.

Then on January 28, 1986 came the first space shuttle disaster when the shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff. I was a junior at Kenmore High School, in my American literature class when I heard the news.

The next major event that comes to my mind is the day President George H.W. Bush began the first Desert Storm. January 17, 1991 local time, January 16, 7pm Eastern time in the U.S. I was in church, attending midweek service when someone came in and announced that we had begun bombing Iraqi forces in response to their invasion of Kuwait.

Then, on April 19, 1995, I was just beginning to wake up in my apartment on the campus of Southern Nazarene University when I was jolted fully awake by what I at first thought was thunder but just a minute later found had been a terrorist attack several miles away on the federal building in Oklahoma City.

Ironically, six years later, on September 11, 2001, I was working as a detention officer at the Oklahoma County jail, and my assignment that day was guarding Terry Nichols, one of the conspirators of the Oklahoma City bombing. I had just completed a sight check of Mr. Nichols when I heard the news of the attack against our nation on the radio.

Today, is a day when we, as Americans, remember the attack, twelve years ago, by terrorist cowards. We honor the memories of those who gave their lives responding to those attacks, from the Twin Towers in New York City, to the Pentagon, and the passengers United Flight 93 that went down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We also honor the survivors and the family members of those whose lives were lost.

To be sure there are other important and memorable events: April 12, 1981 – the first space shuttle mission, and November 9, 1989 – the fall of the Berlin wall are just two.

As I reflect on the events of twelve years ago, as well as the other events listed above, I am also reminded of two events that have not yet occurred, but will eventually take place.

First, there will eventually be the rapture of those who have accepted Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. Those who have already died will be raised from the grave, followed by those who are still alive. Regardless of when this takes place, well you be one of those raptured, our will you be one of those left behind?

Second, there will also be a day of judgement, where we will all stand before God and he will divide us according to whether or not we have accepted His Son as our Saviour. Those who have accepted Christ will be welcomed in to eternal life, in the New Jerusalem. Those who have rejected Christ, or who have only paid him lip service will be condemned to eternal death.

As we reflect today on the events of twelve years ago, I also ask you to reflect on your future. We don’t know where we will be when the next earth shaking event takes place. But you can know where you will be after the final event takes place.

If you have not already accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, I beg you to do so now. If, at one time, you had accepted Him, but have allowed yourself to slip away, or even if you walked away, it’s not too late to return to Him. Today is the day of salvation. Those who died twelve years ago most likely had no idea it was to be their last day on earth. Are you ready for eternity?