Christians and Civil Government
Civil government is a means ordained by God for ruling and maintaining order in communities. It is one of a number of such means, including ministers in the church and parents in the home. Each such means has its own sphere of authority under Christ , who now rules and sustains creation, and the limits of each sphere are set by reference to the others. In our fallen world these authorities are institutions of God's " common grace " (kindly providence), standing as a bulwark against anarchy and the dissolution of ordered society. With reference to Rom. 13:1-7 and 1 Pet. 2:13-17, the Westminster Confession explains the sphere of civil government as follows: God, the supreme Lord and King of all the world, hath ordained civil magistrates, to be, under Him, over the people, for His own glory, and the public good, and, to this end, hath armed them with the power of the sword, for the defence and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil doers ...