King David, who ruled three millennia ago is often considered the greatest king. He becomes an interesting model for us because he manifested the same human weaknesses as we all share. And yet, he represents victory over our human weaknesses to do good for the people, which we all desire to do. Even more significantly, it is worthwhile to benefit from his wisdom on leadership gained in his 40 years of governing. In his very last recorded words, he described the kind of leader who should govern:

The one who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God (2 Samuel 23:3).
King David described two characteristics that the ideal governing official would display:

1. Ruling the people with justice.
2. Ruling in the fear of God.

Truly, this would be a very special person, and these characteristics cannot be automatically expected of a mere mortal. Where do we, in fact, find this person? And is there any hope that we can we become such a leader?

Our Creator describes a process by which He can remake us into a person new and different than anything that could be experienced by human ability. It is described as being remade in our Creator’s image or remade in Jesus’ image. Our Creator describes the end result of this process this way:

He is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life] (2 Corinthians 5:17).

It means to be new and different than anything we ever were, new and cleaned up from the self-serving life that we began with, and to be better able to care for and serve others. It is this life that one of God’s servants spoke of when he described being:

fully mature in Christ (Colossians 1:28).

King David graphically described what accompanied this change in his own life:

He [God] put a new song in my mouth (Psalm 40:3).

Truly, this is a person who is made new, and has the capacity to be the person King David described:

The one who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God (2 Samuel 23:3).

But we must listen carefully to the context to understand the process:

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life] (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Here, this process is described as being “in Christ”. Listen to our Creator’s description of the process:

For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3).

– that is, died to the goals of mere mortals – self-promotion and self-aggrandizement – instead, allowing the life of God to live through us, as we do so in obedience to Him, and as His instrument. God goes on to tell us what step we must take in this process:

Put to death what belongs to your worldly nature (Colossians 3:5).

He then goes on to describe and address those who have accomplished this:

You have stripped off the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self (Colossians 3:9-10).

Hence, the new person:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17).

What is so special is that it is not just for some select few. It is available for all of us. We must allow our Creator to open the channel into our lives so that He can literally live the life of Jesus through us. Opening this channel involves embracing Jesus’ sacrificial payment for our sin that blocks our relationship with God. Jesus said:

I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

Jesus is stating clearly here: “My death is the one and only payment for the penalty for your sins which separate you from your Creator.” As a result, we must embrace Jesus as our Saviour, thereby allowing God to open the communication channel between us and Him. And then our Creator elaborates on how we must use this channel of communication with Him to operate as this new person. It requires actively taking the approach that His servant described:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Galatians 2:19-20).

To understand how the new person can function differently, in reality, our lives can be broken down into hundreds of smaller decisions each day. If in making each of these decisions we should ask “How would I choose if Jesus was making this decision instead of me?” Then if I were to act precisely that way, whose life would others see? In reality, it would be Jesus instead of the person I previously was. Practically, we would truly be made new – a brand new person!

As a part of maintaining this valuable asset, we must continually resist the pull to enjoy the benefits that the power of office tempts us with. That is why our Creator reminds us:

For if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever (Romans 8:13).

With the help of God living within us, we must put to death the temptation to assert lordship over our lives and our actions, instead allowing ourselves to become the instruments King David envisioned for the benefit of mankind:

The one who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God (2 Samuel 23:3).

Becoming such a governing official, then, involves embracing the work of Jesus to break down the barrier that otherwise stands in the way of our relationship with our Creator.

The end result is:

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (Romans 8:29).

This is the huge privilege we have to allow God to live through us as His instrument and to be the special kind of leader King David described.

APPLICATION TO THE STATESMAN.

Do I wish to be the kind of leader that King David identified to serve our nations in bringing the best quality of life to our people?

Am I willing to allow myself to be made into the brand-new person that King David and our Creator envisioned?

The post The Statesman Embraces the New Person Necessary to Govern appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.

The person who first introduced me to the challenge of development 45 years ago was at the time a student from Bhutan. He described how the King would travel to a village to meet with the elders to discuss what projects where needed. Then, the King would provide the materials necessary for a project, but the villagers would provide the labor to complete the project. Improvement in the quality of life was a partnership – a shared responsibility.

This example illustrates elements of the partnership as our Creator intended for us. However, the partnership our Creator intended is even more intertwined than this example demonstrates. This contrasts with the attitude that the well-being of the people is Government’s responsibility.

The people – the governed – bring resources that the Government lacks and which the combined effort needs to accomplish our Creator’s goal of “a tranquil and quiet life in godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:2).

You will notice that each of the areas of involvement on the part of the governed, as listed below, requires personal obedience to God. It is God’s plan and requires His direction.

1. Obedience to Government.

Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good (1 Peter 2:13-15).

 If every member of our society would submit to the laws of our society, this would certainly contribute to the quality of life of our society. Furthermore, a significant portion of the budget for policing could be re-directed to more constructive programs. In addition, taxes would be paid, strengthening the public treasury.

2. Praying for wise decisions.

Government decision-makers, are first and foremost, human beings. As much as they may try, their thinking is not automatically the same as God’s:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. “For as heaven is higher than earth, so My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Thus, the instruction to believers in society is to ask God to impart His wisdom in decision-making:

First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

3. Overcoming the spiritual battle in bringing blessing to the nation.

God makes clear that there is a spiritual battle over the nation:

For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12).

The work of the devil is real and disruptive of our efforts for good. God speaking:

If … My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:13-14).

The prayers of “My people who are called by My name” who are willing to humble themselves before God can change the course of a nation, moving it from suffering to blessing as God adds His dimension to our efforts.

4. Bringing harmony within the nation.

Jesus described the second greatest commandment after loving God as:

Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39).

This includes admiring God’s handiwork in the creation of each individual and the desire to help that one to achieve the full potential for which God created them. With this attitude, many of the social issues that plague our communities would be eliminated.

5. Speaks wisdom from God to Government.

God instructs us:

Speak truth to one another (Zechariah 8:16).

God made it clear that the believers in society are:

God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15).

The believers are to speak that truth from God to every segment of society including Government. They can also be expected to do this humbly and lovingly, recognizing that they are servants.

What our Creator intended was for governors to be granted authority to act on behalf of the people to meet needs they are unable to meet with their limited authority. Then, He intended for the governed to contribute their energy in supporting those efforts in partnership.

My encouragement for the Statesman is to recognize the value of the governed who fear God and to strengthen their role in the life of our nation. I view this group as the most important national treasure, which is what I believe they are intended to be. I believe we must recognize their intended role in strengthening our society. I am convinced we must recognize the invaluable role God intends for this resource to play in the life of our nation. Our encouraging them is in no way a conflict of the principle of “separation of Church and State”. Rather, it is a recognition of the role of our Creator in the well-being of our nation and a recognition of the partnership He intended between the governors and the governed.

The post The Statesman Embraces the Partnership with Civil Society appeared first on CENTRE FOR STATECRAFT.