Civil government is not morally neutral. Scripture declares that every ruler is God’s servant and that the magistrate “does not bear the sword in vain” but is “a minister of God” (Romans 13:1–4). The civil ruler governs under the law of the true King, Jesus Christ.
When unbelievers like Zorhan Mamdani—whether Muslim, atheist, or secular—rule a nation, they do not govern neutrally. They serve under a false god. Every ruler serves someone, and every law reveals which god he fears. When a nation rejects Christ’s law for the will of men, it has already chosen its religion.
God never permitted rulers to serve apart from His law. Moses commanded that the king “write for himself a copy of this law… that he may learn to fear the Lord his God… and not turn aside from the commandment” (Deuteronomy 17:18–20). The magistrate’s authority is covenantal. His duty is to uphold God’s moral law, not invent his own.
Psalm 2 warns the rulers of the earth: “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear… Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way” (Psalm 2:10–12). To reject Christ is rebellion against the King.
The state exists to uphold justice under God’s authority. Isaiah 33:22 declares, “The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us.” Every government stands or falls by how it reflects that truth.
Semper Reformanda
Objection: “Rulers don’t need to be Christians; they just need to govern fairly.”
Response: Fairness without faith collapses into relativism. True justice flows from God’s character and His revealed law. A ruler who does not fear God cannot rightly define good and evil. Pluralism sounds tolerant but it empowers rebellion. The first commandment forbids serving any god but the Lord (Exodus 20:3). Civil neutrality is covenant infidelity.
Objection: “The gospel is spiritual, not political.”
Response: The gospel proclaims Christ as King of kings. His lordship is not limited to the church. When nations reject His rule, they invite His wrath. Every law and policy reflects a theology. The only question is whether it bows to Christ or defies Him.
Objection: “A mixed nation requires secular leadership.”
Response: God’s standard for rulers never changes with demographics. Every nation is called to kiss the Son. The magistrate who rules without submission to Christ governs in sin, and the people who consent share in that guilt.
Truth That Withstands
Nations are judged by whom they enthrone. A ruler who will not submit to Christ cannot govern in righteousness. Governments that reject God’s law lose both justice and peace. There is no neutral ground in Christ’s kingdom. The magistrate must fear God, uphold His law, and rule as His servant, or the nation he leads will fall under divine judgment.
Shortlink: reformlet.com/magistrate