The principle of SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE in that, in the providence of God, the two difer in their respective natures and functions. The Church is not to be identifed with the State nor is it, in its faith or practice, to be directed or controlled by the State. The State is responsible for administering justice, ensuring an orderly community, and promoting the welfare of its citizens. The Church is responsible for preaching the Gospel and for demonstrating and making known God’s will and care for all mankind.
- Our baptist principles
- The direct lordship of Christ
- The church
- Believer’s baptism
- The congregational principle
- The priesthood of all believers
- Religious liberty
- Separation of church and state
I have been walking the church through our seven Baptist Principles. You can find them on our website here: benonibaptistchurch.com/our-baptist-principles. We as Baptists share much with the rest of the Christian church. The Trinity. The deity of Christ. The authority of Scripture. The atonement. The resurrection. But we also hold distinctives. These distinctives arise from our reading of the Scriptures themselves.
Now, you may wonder why I keep returning to these principles. The principles that relate directly to the constitutional update are done. But I want to finish the series. I want us to know who we are. Why we are. And so, today I am writing on the separation of church and state.
In 1802, a Baptist preacher named John Leland did not hold back as he preached. He said, “Never promote men who seek after a state-established religion; it is spiritual tyranny — the worst of despotism.” He said that mixing church and state “converts religion into a principle of state policy, and the gospel into merchandise.” And then he said this: “Heaven forbids the bans of marriage between church and state; their embraces therefore must be unlawful.” Leland was no enemy of government. He helped secure religious liberty in the American Constitution. But he knew something that many Christians have forgotten. When the state controls the church, the church dies. And when the church controls the state, the state becomes a tyrant.
The Bible gives us the pattern. Jesus Himself drew the line. When they tried to trap Him with a question about taxes, He said, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar‘s, and give to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17).#… But the apostle Jesus also acknowledged the state‘s legitimate role. Paul writes in Romans 13, “The authorities are God‘s servants, who devote themselves to governing … Pay your obligations to everyone … Pay your taxes and tolls” (Romans 13:6-7).#… The state is God’s servant for justice in this age. The church is God‘s herald for the age to come. One wields the sword. The other wields the keys of the kingdom. To merge them is to corrupt both.
So how does this shape us at Benoni Baptist Church? This principle does not directly determine our constitution the way the congregational principle does. But it protects everything we do. Because the state does not control us, we are free to appoint our own elders. To preach difficult truths. To practice church discipline. No government official tells us who may be a member or what we may teach. At the same time, we are not a law unto ourselves. We submit to the state as citizens. We pay our taxes. We pray for our leaders. We obey the law unless it commands us to disobey Christ. But we do not look to the state to do the church‘s work. And we do not try to turn the state into the church.
So here is the question I leave with you. Do you understand your dual citizenship? You are a citizen of South Africa. You have responsibilities. You should vote. You should pay your taxes. You should seek the welfare of our city. But your primary citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Do you know the difference? One kingdom is temporary. The other is eternal. One rules by law and force. The other rules by grace and persuasion. One can fine you or imprison you. The other can forgive your sins and give you eternal life. So do not confuse them. And do not let anyone else confuse them either.
This is not a burden. It is a freedom. It means we can be the church without permission. And it means we do not have to save the world through politics. We save the world through the gospel. We do politics as citizens. We do evangelism as ambassadors. And we keep the two in their proper place.
That is the Baptist way. This is our conviction. This is our wisdom. And this is our freedom.