The Pastor’s Piece-August 10, 2024

The Pastor’s Piece FCFI Aug. 4, 2024 – Constitutional Republic vs Democracy

FCFI

August 4, 2024

What is the difference between a true democracy and a constitutional republic? By definition, a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. Although these forms of government are often confused, they are quite different.

In a democracy, the people periodically, by majority, vote at the poll to select rulers. The rulers then have absolute power by majority vote among themselves. In a Constitutional Republic, the people, also by majority vote, select rulers who make laws. However, the rulers cannot make any laws they please because they are bound by a constitution and that constitution restricts their law-making power. The ideal of a Democracy is universal equity. The ideal of a Constitutional Republic is individual liberty.

As citizens of the United States, God has given us the privilege and the responsibility to wisely and carefully select our leaders through the voting process. Those leaders in turn, are meant to represent in our state capitals and in Washington D.C. the people who elected them. The laws and decrees that are passed down to the people must be subject to the parameters as set forth in our U.S. Constitution and in our states’ constitutions. This is a system that has worked very well over the last 248 years or so. Statistically speaking, only about half of evangelical Christians in the United States bother to vote. We need to take that responsibility more seriously because we have a responsibility before God to act. In the Bible, God rules in sovereignty, but it is also in conjunction with man’s choices. God tends to give us the leaders we ask for. And He is more involved than many people realize.

For instance, there’s a story in the Bible about Elisha and his servant. Eisha took over as God’s prophet to the people after Elijah was summoned up to heaven in the fiery chariot. As the story goes – Elisha lives in Israel and is called “the man of God.” There is an enemy king who is at war with Israel. Everywhere this king plans to take his military and set up camp and plot an attack, Elisha’s men beat him to the spot and prevent him from doing so. Naturally, the opposing king gets upset about this and believes there is a spy in his camp who is tipping off the other side. So he launches an investigation. Unfortunately for him, upon the completion of his inquisition, he discovers there is no spy in his camp. What his officers discover is that this man of God, Elisha, knows ahead of time by the Holy Spirit what their plans are.

So the enemy king finds out what city Elisha is in and sets out to capture him. This is the account of what happened from Second Kings, chapter six: “Then (the king) sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. ‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked. ‘Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” Although his servant didn’t know better, Elisha knew that there was more strength in the unseen reality of God than there was in the visible reality of the enemy.

God is always working whether we see it or not. God makes Himself real in many ways – whether large or small, personal or general, past or present. We can’t keep up. But we can trust. Lord, open our eyes so we may see.

(Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin).