Some make the claim that Paul, John and Peter were examples as to how Christians should not be involved in political affairs. It is usually a common assessment that if compared to today's examples of Christians participating in government, they had comparatively minimal involvement in politics. They did have encounters with the rulers of their day, but usually it was on the basis of defending the faith after having being arrested or detained. As apostles of the faith in the first century, this stance was a part of the norm in defending the faith. None ran for any secular office, nor were any called to do so. The first century landscape where church planting primarily took place was within the Roman Empire. This was where the apostle's main work took place. Paul did use his Roman citizenship as an appeal to continue his ministry of propagating the gospel, let alone preventing any illegal judicial indictments that sought to hinder him. But that in of itself should indicate right away a basic principle that should universally extend throughout the church age: it is perfectly justifiable for any believer who is a citizen of a nation to use the laws of that nation to defend and in essence advance the kingdom. It is important to note, that compared to today, the first century apostles were more characteristically the trailblazers of Christianity throughout the known civilized world, the very first fruits of Christ reaching out unto the nations with the gospel. That was their particular calling. They may have not been called to do anything else, but that didn't prevent them from utilizing their rights as citizens to advance the kingdom. Thus it can reasonably be deduced that it can even more so apply to believers, who were not necessarily called to be apostles, from being involved in public office. Ever since that time however, especially beginning in the third century through the Middle Ages and the renaissance, there have been new dynamics in terms of how the church engaged with the nations, even developing to the point where Christianity as a denominational religious institution dominated national politics, this type of admixture often resulting in bad results. The church as a whole, since the third century, has established itself throughout much of the known world, whereby it has developed as a major influence upon the greater part of the world's nations. This has particularly occurred in Europe and Asia Minor disseminating throughout the known world. The development of the United States, however, was unique because the constitution had been established with biblical principles that protected the church apart from the state. It was these principles written as law that established the freedoms as well as checks and balances unlike most other nations. This greater freedom in of itself necessitated a greater accountability (and opportunity) for believers to be involved in governmental affairs in order to maintain those freedoms that benefitted church assemblies [and faith in Christ] [within the nation, benefits which first came about by the influence, not interference, of the church]]]. The United States in particular has written in its constitution [the inalienable right of each citizen to exercise] freedom of speech and religion, two crucial elements that were guided by biblical principles that the forefathers knew to be indispensable. This is crucial for believers to realize as being integral in propagating the gospel. Yet as can be expected in an evil world system that is antichrist by nature, forces have progressively limited, diminished and blatantly ignored key elements of the constitution to the detriment of the church and its freedoms, whereas much of the church became complacent, for the most part taking their freedoms for granted, or having a naive and/or passive understanding of how they were to live their lives as believer citizens. In the first century, the church was just forming and establishing its identity in a world mostly made up of paganism sects and Judaism, whereby local assemblies within different countries were just beginning to be formed. Persecutions were more apt to be openly violent in those times. In contrast to this early era, centuries later, the church has become a primal force in forming national governments, something not experienced in the past, even though too often it became perverted and distorted by admixtures of religious/political expediency. Nevertheless, this became a basic distinction of what the church of the modern era has attained in contrast to what it attained in the first century. The fundamental momentum and purpose of the pilgrims that arrived to the new land was to seek freedom of worship and an asylum from persecution from these church states. The earliest development of this nation was built upon a mandate that was not at the expense of the churches calling, but in the desire to maintain its validity. This was a mandate that was established in the founding of this nation, something that should not be misunderstood or neglected. By extension, the constitution was founded upon biblical principles by men who knew history and so realized the necessity to protect the church from any state abuse and the state from one denominational rule, something that the world had up to that point failed in far too often. Our country's constitution was originally written in order to support and sustain freedoms for the church throughout its existence. However, even though these freedoms were originally granted under law, they still can be incrementally challenged, diminished and perverted into something alienated from the original intent of the writers. This is why we are in a different place than in the first century. Anything that aids in promoting the gospel should be preserved for the sake of the gospel. All the more reason it has become incumbent upon us to retain the freedoms that were forged for us in order to proclaim the truth all the more so. This nation is not to become our idol, nor is it perfect, but it's constitution is to rightfully be seen in its true perspective as a gift of God, an established vehicle from which we can fully express Christ and reach the world. But in being given these freedoms it has taken on that much more of an accountability to retain those freedoms, and there is no citizen better than a believer who is informed and enabled in being the salt to do so. Politics for the most part may be a compromising form of profession among the unsaved, but for believers it should be understood as a valid occupation that is just as sacred as anything else they may do. Believers should never compartmentalize their lives as either sacred or profane, but everything as being sacred. This becomes all the more significant for Christians as citizens of this nation, since the cherished freedoms established by the forefathers for those who worship God requires no less than believers themselves to remind its citizens of what rights they were originally granted, and to not allow these constitutional rights to be reinterpreted, removed or compromised and thus diminished into irrelevancy. America was never a Christian nation in terms of a theocracy, as some accuse Christians of believing and falsely imply they are seeking to advance. But it is, nevertheless, a nation that was founded upon Christian principles: separation of powers, checks and balances, freedom of speech and worship (i.e. conscience). It was created as a republic, a nation which constitutionally secured representation for all the people. All the other amendments catered around these principles and doctrines. So long as anyone doesn't seek to repress or diminish the freedom of speech, self defense, worship or seeks to undermine limited government, they are free to express themselves. Every born again believer should realize that they do not battle against flesh and blood, but that doesn't excuse them from not being engaged as citizens in the affairs of the nation they abide in. As a matter of fact, it stands to reason that the more a nation reflects biblical values, it all the more gives believers the ability to engage and influence that form of government in the way it was intended. Thus any member in the body of Christ who works in government, should do it unto the glory of God. The lord never told the centurion to give up his occupation, but in essence to simply glorify God in it. Paul told King Agrippa that he wished he was as he was (to be a believer), only without the chains. Nothing implied about changing his rulership. The three wise kings remained kings after finding the Christ child. America, by and large, is unique among the nations. It has laws established that were based upon biblical principles. It's worth the fight to keep these truths in perspective and in the forefront, undiminished, undiluted. Who better than believers who are informed and disciplined in proper understanding to preserve the true interpretations of what the forefathers wrote. They don't have to necessarily be pastors, nor even politicians, but at the least be citizen statesmen. It should always be so in the firm strength and wisdom of gods grace, not legalistic tyranny. Preservation of a nation that basically protects the rights of believers to proclaim the good news and to worship as their conscience dictates, would indeed compliment Gods work on the earth. If we in our time can only begin to realize that therein lies a viable reason and opportunity to fight for the preservation of a nation that is unlike most other nations throughout all of history. One would think that the Lord would see the wisdom in this and would have been pleased if we, as believers and fellow citizens, had, as Paul had, used our rights as citizens, to maintain the preservation of those very freedoms, in other words to be salt in our times. Otherwise, it would be safe to assume that He would have considered it a great loss if we had the opportunity, but instead chose to neglect exercising any of our given rights as citizens towards those ends, allowing the [radical left as] enemies of the cross to prevail in diminishing and in essence removing those freedoms. This would inevitably allow the nation to decay and to be decimated without any real resisting force, letting all opportunities to just slip on by while the nation sinks into a morass of rebellion, unbelief and global determinism. [incrementally, ultimately removing the rights of the church] Looking back in history, one could see how Christianity had been abused and distorted so often when denominations were made into national religions, developing even into empires. Too often the nationalizing of religion distorted the real purpose in revealing Gods true nature and character. But America was unique. It was the great new experiment that finally got it right, at least in terms of its constitutional laws founded upon biblical principles that recognized man's fallibility while uniting its people without the infliction of denominational dominance, yet transcending tolerance to allow genuine freedoms. The United States protected the right of free worship and evangelical activity while the church, as an adjunct, was meant to preserve the soul of the nation. But freedoms, no matter well written or how good they may be, without accountability, often leads to anarchy, things we see today happening (right before our eyes) within our nation. In the last hundred years America has to a great extent been diminished by a continual undermining of the very freedoms through the misconstruing of those freedoms which our forefathers established. It is time that believers take up the mantle, to not be silent when it is necessary to speak, and to learn to be informed and wise when they do. As proverbs states: Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man.