Few persons have reacted negatively to my article: “Fuel Subsidy Removal: Short time Pains, long time Gains NLC stop the strike”. This piece is a follow up response to the various comments. I write from Christian and Biblical perspectives not as economic guru or political juggernaut nor do l claim expository knowledge or wisdom. Hence, I beg to defer. To understand what is happening in the world of humans all over the world, we must understand the existence of God and His role in the affairs of all people in this planet earth. A wrong perspective of who God is and His sovereignty in relation to what is happening in our world will affect how you see events, happenings and governance. Is there a God who creates and own this world and all that there is? Is God in control of what He creates and owns? Will a sovereign God allow things to happen without determining the end from beginning and the outcome of such happenings?
If the answers are in affirmative that, God exist and in His sovereignty determines the course of events and happenings, it follows that a government ordained by God, even though God does not force His will nor arbitrarily force governmental institutions or persons to obey Him. God allows free choice, make for options (alternatives), good and bad government, and however demand that free will man or government use their choices or decisions right in light of revealed truth as embodied in Biblical principles not flawed constitutional laws, traditions or what have you.
God instituted government and demand that we obey Governmental authorities by praying for governmental authorities, pay taxes, obey laws of the land and overcome evil in government with good not to resist evil or protest, rebel. These are God’s principles (See Rom. 15:1-5, cp, 1 Tim. 2: 1-3, Rom. 12:9-21). On submission to government; the Bible says: “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men- as free, yet not using liberty as (1Pet. 2:13-17).
God who instituted Government by the Scriptures cited above demanded obedience to Government authorities and policies. For Christian believers to disobey and embark on protest is rebellion against God which is sin (1Sam. 15:22-23). And it brings rejection by God. Christian Believers cannot afford to be rejected by God by embarking on uninformed protest and rebellion against God’s constituted authority from the Bible. We see our responsibility and what should be our response as Christians to earthly government pray for not against, pay taxes, and submit-obey the laws of the land so long it does not affect your faith and your relationship with God. The ways of God and how He directs and controls the affairs of mankind is different (Isa.55:8-9). The Christian Believers are in the world but not of this world. (Jn.15:19; 17:14). Hence Christians are not ruled, controlled by government economic and political policies whether good or bad. The state of government economic and political policies does not dictate how a Christian respond to Government rather, Christian response are dictated by God’s word and principle of non-resistant to evil but overcoming evil with good. Does embarking on strike- protest based on selfish desire for earthily comfort, services, and goods governed by earthily principles promote godliness, righteousness and submission to governmental authorities as demanded by God? No! Rather it is disobedience to God. It is an act that questions the sovereignty of God.
We should not look at the removal of fuel subsidy in isolation from all other happenings in our nation Nigeria viewed in light of God’s sovereignty. What of the unemployment? The bad leadership, governance? Bad roads, Boko Haram insurgence? Insufficient housing and shelter? Poorly equipped hospitals and schools? What do you think of political thuggery? Rigging of electrons? Corruption in high and low places? High cost of goods and services? Has strike ever provided all these services and goods? All problems in our nation Nigeria pre-date this government hence strike in the guise of removal of fuel subsidy is no solution rather it compounds the Nation problems especially it will worsen the state of the economy. God uses government to work out His purpose. In the different forms of government the Spirit is constantly at work bringing God’s people to Him. However, God is recorded as alternatively working through, in spites of, or against certain governments. Though God uses all governments for His ultimate purpose. He does not react the same toward all governments and neither will the people who follow Him. How should Christian believers respond or react to Government policies that are detrimental to people’s welfare? Should Christians embark on street protest or strike? No!
There are at least five reactions to civil governments given in Scripture. Joel C. Hunter in “Prayer, Politics & Power” states the five reactions thus: One, Obedience – Obedience is the primary reaction in Scripture. God is a God of order. To eliminate chaos He has put certain structures into our lives. They reflect His nature and our need for order. They also test whether we can learn the most valuable trait in following God submission. If we cannot submit to what we have seen, how can we submit to what we have not seen? For these reasons Romans 13:1-2 states, “Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God”. Notice the connection between civil and spiritual submission. Governments teach us something that has spiritual significance. We cannot always have our own way. Our reactions to earthly authority certainly indicate our reaction to heavenly authority. If we respond positively to authority, it means we recognized the necessity of structure. The structure of civil government keeps us safe from each other and foreign threats. Paul, in 1 Timothy 2:1-2, requests prayer for governing authorities “in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life”. With our basic need for security met, we are free to turn our attention and energies toward the meaning of life. “Civil government is just one of the structures of the universe necessary for accumulating meaningful purpose. A strong marriage will permit freedom and development in the individual partners. A strong sense of parental stability gives a child the foundation needed to explore the world. Secure employment gives the employee the ability to focus on family, friends, and ministry. Just as the structure in music frees the notes to vary and create beauty, so the stronger structures in our lives allow us freedom to be creative. Maintenance of the structure of life is a minimal investment of time for the returns of security and stability they give. Christians in politics are our investment in maintain the structure of civil government. Christians obeying that structure of civil government are paying the minimal daily requirement for getting on with the real substance of life”(Joel C. Hunter).
Second, Repentance can be an appropriate reaction to government. If God’s concern is the nearness of His people to Him. He may allow disruptions in the structures if society (including government) as a sign to repent. In 2 Chronicles 7: 13-14, God plainly states, “If I send pestilence among my people, and my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Christians, then, can use even the worst forms of government as a cause for self-examination and spiritual growth. Too often our reflex is to try to fix the pestilence before we fix ourselves. We want government to provide us and solve our problems before we can obey repent, or stop strike. And excellent question to ask ourselves in response to a government’s inadequacies is, “How can I use this pestilence to help me depend upon God rather than government and change my life for the better? All forms of government should spur us to godly behavior (Rom.13:3-5) so that God’s will may “be done on earth as it is in heaven”
Thirdly, Civil disobedience Having stated the need for personal repentance, we must also recognize there are times when civil disobedience is the appropriate reaction to a governmental edict. The obvious example is Acts 4:18-20, when believers were ordered to do what was directly opposed to what they knew to be right. “And when they had summoned them (the apostles), they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we have seen and heard” The same dynamic is reported in Acts 5:29 where the apostles state flatly, “we must obey God rather than men”. Civil disobedience was Daniels witness also. The important aspect of biblical civil disobedience is its motivation. It is done when there is a direct conflict between what the government would force in individual to do and what God would have him do. It is not an attempt at government reform so much as it is a personal moral necessity. It is not a matter having one’s rights violated; it is a matter of being forced to do what is wrong. Therefore, though Scripture validates civil disobedience, it does not see it as a political tool. Rather, civil disobedience is a last stand against a perverted government, a stand that includes accepting punishment. A good question to screen an act of civil disobedience is “is this disobedience a witness against government action that forces me and others to do wrong, or is it simply a strategy to gain political power” In the first instances, one is obeying a great structure of the universe moral law. In the second instance, one may be putting self above obeying any structure, and that is not a Christian’s option.
Four, Correction (not rebellion) is a biblical response to government. In Old Testament there are many instances where God sent a prophet to challenge the direction of a government (1 Kings 12:21-24, for example). In New Testament John the Baptist tried to correct Herod (Matt.14:4) and was killed because of it. Yet not all corrections of government took the form of confrontations. They never embarked on strike. Esther and Joseph were two believers who became a part of the government personnel and had a profound effect on policy. Their participation in government made a district difference in the civil government’s attitude towards God’s people. Paul progressed through the Roman Judicial System (Acts 25:11) with a goal of influencing people for Christ as he went (Acts 26:27-29). His goal was to make a difference in the lives of political office holders. Paul, like other biblical figures, was someone who could have been an enemy of the government, but instead was friend who offered a correction in course. Scripture pictures reproof as a part of love (Prov.3:12) and as a real help to the wise (Prov. 9:8; 10:17;12:1;13:18;15:5). Nigerians are both blessed and challenged by living under a political system that demands correction in its development. Our constitution is a developing document; it will be interpreted and amended over the years according to the character of the nation. Our democracy depends upon correction as circumstances change. The act of an arm of government, House of Representatives trying to force Executive arm of government to reverse fuel subsidy removal is ignorance of this democratic principles and divine order. Unlike a totalitarian system that must defend itself against change, democracy theoretically calls for mid-course correction via input from the people. So the reaction is not only modeled in Scripture, it is necessary in our system of government.
Five, Transplanting is another scriptural reaction to government, and it is the most complicated. When a Christian is living under a government which he finds most ungodly, he may find that neither civil disobedience nor correction is an appropriate option. The logical choice is rebellion, but rebellion is not a scriptural option. There is simply no way to reconcile the concepts of rebellion and submission to the governing authorities. Rebellion is a form of anarchy, which is the complete absence of government and law. Anarchy is a state where each individual goes his own way and chaos reigns. It violates the structure of the universe and the nature of God. God holds anarchy in such abhorrence that His servant, Joshua, advises people to serve false gods rather than no God: “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Jos. 24:15). Anarchy exalts the individual to the status of a god and precludes any form of submission except that which comes from human whim.
The first (and sometimes last) step toward anarchy is rebellion. Rebellion is the non-submission to authority while pretending to live under that authority. Rebellion is the individual raising himself above the government or placing himself outside the law. Rebellion is not for anything else, it is just against what is. It is purely negative, and there is no kind word for it in scripture. What then, is a scriptural answer for those who feel compelled to be against an evil government? They must be against the evil government from without, not from within. If attempting open correction is not an option, and civil disobedience is not necessary, then the believer must be transplanted to be submissive to a different authority. In Mathew 2:13, we read of an evil government that demands the life of the infant Jesus. Neither correction nor civil disobedience was an appropriate reaction to that government. So “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the child to destroy Him.” In this case Joseph, Mary, and the child were transplanted under a civil government that took no issue with the government from which they had come; the agenda was simply safety. A like circumstance is described in Mathew 10:23, where Jesus is instructing His disciples, “But whenever they persecute you in this city, flee to the next.” The act of transplanting from one set of city fathers to the next is not one of government reform; it is a strategy for safety and continuing ministry. The respect for and submission to a civil government is still a part of the individual’s life, but, in an effort to continue his life and ministry, he leaves the country. This biblical strategy would work towards the ideal that any person ought to be able to leave a country for the purposes of life or ministry.
Each of the above reactions to government is rooted in respect for and the need for authority. No matter what the form of government, Christians are called to recognize the necessity of government. There is no basis for street protest or strike in scripture. Hence, I enjoin Christian believers not to join the strike. Misunderstanding about the concept of God; His sovereignty and Biblical teachings are reasons we defer as to what course of action to take in regard to civil government’s policies. Is there a perfect system of government and economic policies? Complains, strike and any form of agitations, are survival instinct because something is wrong in us and in our systems. I agree with Prof. Won Sul Lee’s postulation in “Beyond Ideology”. He argued: “I believe that neither the capitalist system nor the socialist system can claim to be perfect. Neither they nor any eclectic system can be free from corruption and subsequent disintegration. No matter how well lubricated the economic mechanism created from any ideological blueprint and no matter what the noble aims going along with it, contradictions in our society cannot be rooted out. Good and evil coexist in every economic system. Is there then no economic system which can be identified with Christianity? If not, should Christians devise a blue-print? To both questions, the biblical answer is no. I do not find any justification for identifying the Christian church with the latifundium of the Romans or the feudal system if Medieval Europe. In the same vein, it is grossly erroneous to equate Puritanism with the American capitalistic system of today. To regard an economic system as sacrosanct in- violable is, in effect, idolatrous and unbiblical, for social systems, structures, and institutions are always untenable and are constantly being remolded in the flux of historical time. Christian realism, refusing to sanctify any socio-economic system, reminds us of shortcomings existing in every society and spurs us to reform institutionalized sins in every economic structure”.
But the Bible is, paradoxically enough, ahistorical and historical, both at the same time. Biblical teachings transcend human history, and by shedding spiritual light upon our path show clearly what common goals every human society should strive to realize. Although the Word of God does not provide us with elaborate organizational blueprints, it lays a vital spiritual foundation for our economic life. I find that the biblical teachings which can be extrapolated for economic questions are implied in its theocentric Weltanschauung, a world-view strictly based upon the acceptance of the sovereignty of God over all existence, both material and spiritual. God has rested in the Christian Believers his believing people on earth authority by which we may determine the destinies of nations and governments. He expects us to use our authority both for His glory and for our own good. If we fail to do so, we are answerable for the consequences. Such is the message of scripture, unfolded both by precept and by pattern. It is confirmed by the personal experience of many believers and is written across the pages of the history of whole nations. An outstanding example is provided by the career of the prophet Jeremiah (See Jer. 1:1-10). As stated by Derek Prince in his book, “Shaping History through prayer and Fasting”. In all earth’s affairs the last word is with God. At times, however, God causes this word to be spoken through the lips of a human believer. Such a word may be spoken publicly in prophecy, or in the authoritative exposition of scripture. More often, perhaps, it is spoken within a prayer closet, in petition or in intercession. Not in street protest or strike. “It is important to observe that Jeremiah stood in a twofold relationship to the secular government of his day. On the natural plane, as a citizen to Judah, he was in subjection to the government of his nation, represented by the king and the princes. In no sense did he preach or practice political subversion or anarchy. Nor did he ever seek to evade or to resist decrees made by the government concerning him, even though these were at time arbitrary and unjust. Yet on the spiritual plane to which God elevated him through his prophetic ministry, Jeremiah exercised authority over the very rulers to whom he was in subjections on the natural plane.”
Jeremiah’s career illustrated a principle which is more fully unfolded in the New Testament, Every Christian has dual citizenship. By natural (birth he is a citizen of an earthly nation, and he is subject to all the ordinances and requirements of his nation’s lawful government. But by spiritual rebirth through faith in Christ, he is also a citizen of God’s heavenly kingdom. Christ is the supreme Ruler over all rulers and Governor over all governments (Eph. 1:20-21 cp Ps. 22:28). This is the position on the throne which He shares with His believing people. We Christian believers rule by prayers (see Ps. 110:1-4 cp. 1 Tim 2:1-2). We also rule by preaching the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Tim.3:10-17 cp. 2 Tim 4:1-5). As I did state earlier, the truth is that Christians are not held responsible by God to criticize their government but they are held responsible to pray for it. So long as they fail to pray. Christians have no right to criticize. Nowhere in Scriptures is the suggest that Christian should reacted to government’s policies that are not in interest of the people with strike or street protest. Just as God does not force His will upon people, we should not force our ways on Government or take to street protest. It is not what Government will do for you but what you will do to advance and better society. Therefore, Christians please don’t participate in street protest or strike. It is ungodly and against scriptural principles as espoused in the Bible, God’s word. Have question you may call: 08033399821 or write: akpogena@yahoo.com stay blessed.
Dr. Lewis Akpogena
08055059656
E-mail: akpogena@yahoo.com
