To Remember His Holy Covenant (Part 3): You and the Covenant

In part one and part two of this series on Luke 1:67-79, we looked at "his holy covenant" and how God remembered it by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, the redeemer. Now consider how you are related to this covenant. Not only has God remembered his holy covenant and raised up a Savior in David’s house, but he also makes known his covenant so that people might enter into it and benefit from it.

Zechariah not only spoke of the coming of Christ, but he also spoke of his own son, John the Baptizer. John would be the “prophet of the Most High” to “go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). John’s message of repentance and forgiveness would also be proclaimed by the apostles and by all who proclaim the apostolic gospel, the difference being that John spoke of the coming Christ and the apostles proclaimed the Christ who had come. At the end of Luke 24, Jesus told his apostles, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46–47).

As God raised up John the Baptist, so God still works through the preaching of the word today, to give the knowledge of salvation, to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ’s name. This is given to all nations. Believing Gentiles are grafted on to the people of God (Rom. 11:17-20).

This covenant of grace is held forth for the salvation of sinners. It is sure and steady. God is faithful to it forever. The covenant stands upon the solid foundation of Christ and his redemptive work.

How then should we respond? Everyone should respond by entering the covenant and keeping the covenant and praising God for his faithfulness and mercy. Christ came to redeem God’s covenant people, and we call everyone to enter into this covenant with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Within the covenant is safety and blessing through Christ.

You who have visibly entered into this covenant, being marked by baptism, are bound by the covenant to believe in Jesus Christ, that you might be saved, and to turn from sin and obey the God who has redeemed you, according to his commandments.

While both faith in Christ and repentance unto new obedience are conditions of the covenant of grace, required of sinners, yet they are not conditions in the same way. (1) Neither one is a condition in the sense of being the basis for our salvation - that is to be found in Christ alone. He obtained the blessings of the covenant by his life, death, and resurrection. (2) Faith alone is a condition in the sense of being a instrumental cause of the good promised to us. That is, only by faith do we receive Christ, and in him, all the blessings of the covenant. (3) Repentance unto new obedience is a condition, not as a satisfaction, nor as an instrument by which we are united to Christ, but as something that God requires of us if we would be saved. Repentance unto life and saving faith are inseparable, and so both are required of us. The Bible says things like “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19), and “…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). As the Westminster Confession of Faith says, you must not rest in your repentance as a satisfaction or any cause of pardon; yet it is of such necessity to all sinners that no one may expect pardon without it (WCF 15.3).

So respond with faith and repentance. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. He is the mediator of the covenant. Therefore, if you wish to be in this covenant and blessed, receive him as your redeemer. The way by which someone participates in this covenant is through union with Christ through faith. In Romans 11, Paul describes the visible covenant people as an olive tree. He wrote that some of the natural branches (some of the Jews) were broken off, but others (some of the Gentiles) were grafted in. Why? Paul said, “They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith” (Rom. 11:20). Those who reject the Savior through unbelief shall be cursed, but those who hold fast to him by faith shall be blessed forever.

Christ is willing to receive those who receive him. Even those who were broken off, if they do not continue in their unbelief, but believe, shall be grafted in (Rom. 11:23). Receive the Lord Jesus as he is freely offered in the gospel, as your redeemer, as your prophet, priest, and king. As a wife receives her husband as her husband, giving herself as a wife, so receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, giving yourself to him. Continue to exercise this faith in Christ, resting upon him your whole life. Hold fast to this horn of salvation that God raised up in the house of David.

And repent from your sins unto God. God in Christ calls us away from bondage to sin and Satan, unto his blessed service. Those who would have God to be their God must turn their back on rebellion, renouncing the world, the flesh, and the devil, and turn to God. God delivers his people through Christ so that they might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all their days. What is repentance unto life? “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience” (WSC 87). Thus, when God’s people make or renew their covenant with God, they promise, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Ex. 24:7) and “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). As we say in Psalm 119:106, “I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules.”

God’s law is given not only to convict us of sin, driving us to Christ, and to restrain sin in society, but it is also given to direct his covenant people how to service him in holiness and righteousness. This was the context of the Ten Commandments. They were given by God to his covenant people. In them, he declared himself to be their God and redeemer and told them how to live as his people. God’s covenant of grace further obligates us to obey his universally binding moral law. It also provides in Christ the grace of sanctification, enabling us to obey, and it motivates us to do so in gratitude to the rock of our salvation. This obedience is not yet perfect — we still sin and rest on Christ for salvation — but it is sincere and increasing as we continue to repent, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and walking in newness of life in Christ. This path of repentance is the way God has appointed us to salvation, leading to glory (Rom. 4:13, 2 Peter 1:3-11, Eph. 2:10; see also WLC 32).

We are taught to "keep" God’s covenant in Scripture (Ps. 103:18, Ex. 19:5, Gen. 17:9), not in the sense of providing its basis, but in the sense of observing its obligations, living in accord with it through faith and repentance. As the OPC Directory for Public Worship says, “In our baptism, the Lord puts his name on us, claims us as his own, and summons us to assume the obligations of the covenant. He calls us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, to renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and to walk humbly with our God in devotion to his commandments.” May all of us, young and old, be covenant keepers who embrace the promises and obligations sealed in our baptism. For as Psalm 25:10 says, “All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

Do not be like the generation who experienced the Exodus but perished in the wilderness because they broke the covenant by rebelling against the Lord in unbelief. Do not despise the Savior and turn back to bondage and death. Forsake the darkness, and walk in his light, for he will guide our feet into the way of peace.

Praise the Lord for his grace and mercy! Give thanks to God for his holy covenant! God did not have to enter into this covenant of grace. God did not have to bind himself to save any sinner, who was but justly receiving what he deserved. Even God’s initial covenant of works was voluntary on his part, and man broke it. But out of his tender mercy, God chose to save a people from sin and misery and entered into this covenant to accomplish this even through the incarnation, obedience, and cursed death of the eternal Son of God. The triune God is faithful, and he keeps covenant forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has visited and redeemed his people. Blessed be his name.

To Remember His Holy Covenant (Part 2): Christ and the Covenant

In part one of this series on Luke 1:67-79, we saw how God first published the covenant of grace in Genesis 3:15 and how he continued to renew and reveal it from that point onward. When Zechariah rejoiced in the birth of Jesus, he praised God for remembering "his holy covenant." Jesus came to provide the promised basis for this covenant. Vital to God’s holy covenant is the redeemer, the mediator of the covenant.

An important difference between the covenant of grace and the covenant of works is that the covenant of works provided no redeemer since man did not need one. But God entered into the covenant of grace to deliver his elect out of their sin and misery by a redeemer, by that promised offspring who would bruise the head of the serpent and save God’s people. And who is the redeemer of God’s elect? As the Shorter Catechism says, “The only redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever.”

Ultimately, "the covenant of grace was made with Christ as the second Adam, and in him with all the elect as his seed" (Larger Catechism, 31). For Christ's part, he would satisfy divine justice and obtain salvation and an everlasting inheritance for those whom the Father had given him by his perfect obedience and his sacrifice of himself. He accordingly took the form of a servant and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross, and therefore was highly exalted. All those who receive Christ freely receive all the benefits of his redemptive work. "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11–12).  

All along, the promise of salvation had been based upon the promise of the Christ and his redemptive work. A thousand years after King David, God had not forgotten his covenant, nor had his promised mercy come to an end. In order to keep his holy covenant and to practice his promised mercy, the Father sent his only-begotten Son, God of God, to take on human nature and be born the promised heir of David.

Just as God had visited his people in Egypt and delivered them from bondage (Gen. 50:24, Ex. 3:7-8, 16-17), so now God “visited and redeemed his people” (Luke 1:68). Just as God had delivered Israel from Egypt because of his covenant promise to their fathers, so now he delivered his people through the birth of Jesus because of his covenant promise to their fathers (Luke 1:72).

God fulfilled his oath by raising up “a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:69). A “horn” was symbol of power. A “horn of salvation” is a Savior. And this Savior was raised up in the house of David, as the heir of David, a king to deliver and shepherd God’s people forever. This king would deliver them by giving them the forgiveness of their sins and by guiding their feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:77-79).

Thus, Jesus was born to fulfill God's covenant oath "to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days" (Luke 1:73-75). Jesus was born to save all those who trust in him from Satan’s power and might. 

The devil had led mankind into death by leading them into condemnation. Jesus came to save his people from condemnation and death, bearing and dying for their sins and providing them with his righteousness. God delivers us the domain of the evil one and transfers us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13). As Hebrews 2:14–15 says of the Son, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” We are delivered into a kingdom that is forever, in which we shall be blessed in the presence of the Lord all our days.

The devil had led mankind into rebellion and moral corruption. Jesus not only provides forgiveness, but he also renews his people more and more to a practice of holiness and righteousness as God’s children. As 1 John 3:8–9 says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.”

The Redeemer was born in weakness and humility, sharing in our infirmities, yet without sin. He came to save us, not through human might, but through human weakness and divine power. He would endure trials, resist temptation, and offer himself a perfect sacrifice for sin in our nature. Therefore, he rose from the dead on the third day, exalted by the Father. He now reigns over all creation and administers the covenant from the right hand of the Father in a new and glorious way to all nations. The sunrise has visited us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death (Luke 1:78b-79a).

To Remember His Holy Covenant (Part 1): God's Covenant of Grace

In Luke 1:67-79, Zechariah the priest responded to the coming birth of the Lord with praise. He praised God for redeeming his people in faithfulness to his holy covenant. God's covenant faithfulness and mercy was shown in the coming of the Lord Jesus. The birth and work of the Lord Jesus is properly understood in light of God’s promise, his oath, his holy covenant.

What is this covenant God made? How is the coming of Christ related to it? And how are you related to it? Those are the questions I want to address in a series of three articles based on a sermon I gave on this passage: (1) God’s covenant of grace, (2) Christ and the covenant, and (3) you and the covenant.

Zechariah said that God raised up this Savior “to remember his holy covenant.” What is a covenant? A covenant is a bond between two parties that establishes a relationship between them and defines the nature and obligations of the relationship, binding them together. A covenant typically states the parties to the covenant and its basis, promises, conditions, obligations, sanctions, and seals.

Some examples of covenants between humans are those made between kings and their vassals, between friends (like David and Jonathan) or peoples (like the Israelites and the Gibeonites), and the marriage covenant between husband and wife (see Malachi 2:14 - “she is your companion and your wife by covenant”). When God makes a covenant with people, he establishes a mutual bond of fellowship with them, takes them under his special care, and promises them eternal life and blessing.

The first covenant that God made with man is commonly called the covenant of works. He did not need to do it, but he voluntarily drew near to man, making a covenant with him. This is recounted in Genesis 2. As the Shorter Catechism says, “When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death” (WSC 12). As the Larger Catechism further explains, the tree of life was a pledge of this covenant and its promise, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a commandment given in addition to the moral law to demonstrate the condition of the covenant: personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience to God (WLC 20). But the covenant of works was soon broken by the sin of our first parents. Unless redeemed by God, all the heirs of Adam are condemned as treacherous covenant-breakers. Fellowship with God was lost.

As early as Genesis 3:15, God published another covenant, a covenant upon different terms. This second covenant was made with sinners in need of salvation. God declared that he would put enmity between his people and the serpent and would raise up the offspring of the woman to crush the serpent’s head. We call this covenant his covenant of grace. We might also call it his covenant of mercy, "the mercy that he promised to our fathers" (Luke 1:72), for God entered into it out of his tender mercy, beholding us in our misery. 

The covenant of grace is the abiding covenant God continued to renew with his people from generation to generation and which Zechariah mentions in his hymn. In the covenant of grace, God promises salvation to sinners on the basis of the obedience and sacrifice of Christ. In it, God requires that we believe in Christ and repent, faith in Christ being the only means by which we have a share in Christ’s mediation. Salvation and the everlasting inheritance is obtained by Christ and shared with those who are united to him. In this covenant of grace, sinners are saved by God to be his people, that they might glorify and enjoy him forever.

Thus, it is the case that the coming of Christ had been spoken of by the holy prophets from of old (Luke 1:70). Faith in God’s provision of Christ has been the only way of salvation for every generation. This was the covenant that God established with Noah and his household, saving them from judgment. As much of humanity wandered back into apostasy, this covenant was established with Abraham and made more fully known in his household. And thus Zechariah goes on to explain God’s holy covenant in terms of its administration to Abraham.

Zechariah gives an excellent description of God’s holy covenant. He says that God’s holy covenant was “the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.” What did God swear to Abraham? God swore “to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:73-75). This is a summery of the covenant promises God gave to Abraham in Genesis 12, 15, 17, and 22. This is a reversal of man’s fall. Through sin, we fell into the hand of our enemies, oppressed by the devil through fear of death, living in impurity and unrighteousness, separated from God’s fellowship, all our days. But God swore an oath, establishing a covenant, to deliver a people from this misery unto himself, making reconciliation, forgiving their sins, renewing them unto righteousness, that they might glorify and enjoy him forever.

God continued to renew this covenant with Abraham's descendants, with Isaac (Gen. 26:2-5) and Jacob (Gen. 28:13-15). Most dramatically, God renewed this covenant with the children of Israel in the days of Moses.

In those days, according to his covenant promise to Abraham, God delivered Israel from the hand of their enemies (i.e. Pharaoh) so that they might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all their days (Exod. 4:22-23, 6:2-8, Deut. 7:7-11). They were brought out of Egypt to serve the Lord as his people. The Passover, Exodus, and coming to Sinai to worship God were expressions of the covenant and a type of what more was promised, their ultimate hope: salvation from sin unto God through Jesus Christ.

This covenant was formally renewed with the children of Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex. 20-24) and again in Moab (Deut. 29-30), and again in the promised land under Joshua, at the beginning and end of the conquest (Josh. 8:30-35, 24:1-28). The covenant was externally administered differently before Christ than it is now. Then, God called his people to faith in Christ through promises, sacrifices, circumcision, passover, and other symbols and ceremonies foretelling the Christ to come. This administration of the covenant is called the old covenant. The covenant of grace is now administered more simply and powerfully in light of the Christ who has come, through the ministry of the Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. This administration is called the new covenant. The difference between the old and the new is in the externals, not the substance. It is the same bond, the same principles, the same way of salvation - not two parallel covenants, but the same covenant for two different eras.

After Israel had settled down in the promised land, God made it clear that a greater fulfillment of this covenant would be brought about through the king of Israel, specifically, through King David and his heirs (2 Sam. 7, Ps. 72, 89, Is. 9:1-7). It would be from the line of David that the promised one would arise who would deliver God's people from their enemies and lead them in righteousness and peace forever, bringing all the nations under his blessed reign. This continued to be the prophetic hope even after the monarchy fell and Israel was scattered and began to return.

And so, God’s holy covenant, which Zechariah refers to, is his covenant of grace, “the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:73-75).

Hodge, Machen, and Murray on Christian Education

I recently noticed that three seminary professors, A.A. Hodge, J. Gresham Machen, and John Murray, all wrote what proved to be their final journal articles on the same topic - Christian education.

The last article that A.A. Hodge, professor at Princeton Seminary, wrote before his death on November 11, 1886 was "Religion in the Public Schools" (published January, 1887).

J. Gresham Machen was professor at Princeton Seminary and then at Westminster Seminary. The last article he wrote for the Presbyterian Guardian was a plea for Christian education he wrote in Chicago on his way to North Dakota, where he would die on January 1, 1937. The article was published on January 9, 1937: “Shall We Have Christian Schools?”

John Murray was a professor at Westminster Seminary for about 36 years before moving back to his native Scotland. His last article published in the Presbyterian Guardian, written in 1973 and published in October, 1975 after his death on May 8, 1975, was “Christian Education.”

All three of these seminary professors, in three different generations, were thinking of the same thing shortly before they died - the problem of secularized education and the importance of Christian education.

Baird, Hart, and the King of Kings

King of Kings: A Reformed Guide to Christian Government, by James Baird. Founders Ministries, 2025, xx + 95 pages, $21.98.

As they teach the whole counsel of God, pastors will give instruction from the Bible concerning various relations and callings. As Solomon did in his proverbs, and Peter and Paul did in their letters, so pastors will give instruction from God about marriage, family, work, church, and the commonwealth and its government.

Last year, James Baird, a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, wrote a short book on Christian government, giving special attention to the question of whether civil government ought to promote Christianity. In the May issue of Ordained Servant, Dr. D.G. Hart argued in a review article that “Baird’s argument, no matter how positive and winsome, is wrong.” I contend that Baird’s argument is right and that his book is quite good.

Baird’s main argument is straightforward. “First Premise: Government must promote the public good. Second Premise: As the only true religion, Christianity is part of the public good. Conclusion: Government must promote Christianity as the only true religion” (p. 22). God has ordained the civil authorities for “his own glory, and the public good” (WCF 23.1, cp. Rom. 13:4), and true religion is part of the public good. Romans 1:18-32 describes the bad consequences of turning away from true religion. Those who exchange the truth about God for a lie are given over to dishonorable passions and all manner of unrighteousness. True religion is good for everyone and for every people. Not only does the gospel bring deliverance from condemnation, but it also brings sanctification in Christ, creating a people transformed by the renewal of their minds who are zealous for good works. The influence of true religion extends even to the unregenerate who pick up good ideas, attitudes, and practices from Christians.

Baird reviews fundamental Christian teachings concerning civil government, leading readers through the 23rd chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith (the version used by the Presbyterian Church in America and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church). This includes the statement that magistrates ought especially to “maintain piety, justice, and peace, according to the wholesome laws of each commonwealth” (WCF 23.2). Magistrates rule for the public good not only by maintaining justice and peace, but also piety. I have written more on this point here. While multiple biblical texts are cited by the confession for this statement (Ps. 82:3-4, Ps. 2:10-12, 2 Sam. 23:3, 1 Tim. 2:2, 1 Peter 2:13), the classic text that brings all three together is 1 Timothy 2:2. There Paul exhorts Christians to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” In other words, the aim of civil government, that we should pray is achieved, is the flourishing of peace, godliness (that is, piety towards God), and honesty (that is, justice among men). 

In the fourth chapter of the book, Baird notes how kings like David, Hezekiah, and Josiah promoted true religion. Recognizing someone might object this was something unique to God’s covenant people, Baird shows this was also true of Gentile rulers when they were at their best. It was good in the eyes of God and good for the people of Nineveh when their king decreed a fast and called his people to repentance (Jonah 3:7-9). It was likewise good when Nebuchadnezzar made a decree against blaspheming the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 3:29). When Nebuchadnezzar neglected Daniel’s warnings to repent and proudly boasted of his kingdom, God made him eat grass like an ox. When he was delivered, he publicly honored the true God as the King of heaven (Dan. 4). Baird brings up the decree of Darius (Dan. 6) and the support given to God’s people and worship by Cyrus (Ezra 1:2-3). He also compares these historical examples with the teachings of Psalm 2, 2 Samuel 23:3, and Romans 13:1-7.

Is it the case that Baird “manufactures” such examples by a “sleight of hand,” committing the “anachronism of using ancient, divine-right monarchies as examples for modern republican government,” as Hart claims? Or is Baird showing that the Bible presents this as a thing all civil authorities ought to do? Psalm 2 does not limit its exhortation to ancient, divine-right monarchies. Romans 13 does not say that only kings are God’s servants. Nor does the Westminster Confession limit its statements to one form of government. Ancient monarchies and modern republics are both civil governments with the same basic duties. We should take into account relevant differences, but the differences between them will not so much change the basic duties of government as much as how those duties are fulfilled.

In his review, Hart claims the only political instruction the New Testament church received was “to honor the emperor, a Roman official who sometimes persecuted and killed Christians.” It is true that most New Testament instruction on the civil government has to do with the duty of subjects, given that most Christians then were subjects, not rulers. Yet these instructions were given in such a way that they taught the nature and duty of civil government, reaffirming the lessons found in the Old Testament (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Tim. 2:2, 1 Peter 2:13-17, Rev. 1:5, 21:24). Acts 12 gives vivid instruction about how magistrates ought to promote the honor of God.

In chapter five, Baird reviews how the law of God and prudence play a role in good government and the promotion of true religion. In chapters 6-7, he anticipates the objection that this idea is foreign to the American context, describing how early America continued to see Christianity as essential to the public good and something to be promoted by the civil government in various ways. In the remaining chapters, Baird writes of how it is loving to seek the good of one’s country by promoting good government, how wisdom and prudence is needed in the exercise and reform of government, and how we should pursue this earthly reform with proper perceptive, as citizens of heaven, as exiles like Daniel, seeking the good of the city where we dwell.

More could be said in support of Baird’s argument than is found in this short book. I think his argument could have been further strengthened by a discussion of Christ’s mediatorial kingship. I understand that this omission was a strategic choice on the author’s part to keep the argument focused and brief. A good book on that doctrine is Messiah the Prince by William Symington, a book that was also commended by A.A. Hodge when it was republished in 1881.

So why then does Hart argue that Baird’s argument is wrong? Hart writes that the errors in this book “fall into at least two categories—ones of definition or logic and others of history.” The supposed error of definition or logic is that Baird does not account for demographic changes and “does not adapt his basic category of ‘public good’ to the current circumstances of the United States.” Is this really an error of definition or logic? If a people becomes less Protestant, does this mean true religion is no longer part of the public good? Would true religion cease to be good for that people? The fact that a certain people is religiously diverse does not alter basic principles of civil government. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Prov. 14:34). Baird does write that particular policies for the public good must be adapted to particular situations, but the category of the public good transcends current circumstances. All peoples ought to seek what is good, and true religion does not cease to be good for a people when its demographics change.

What about errors of history? Hart writes that Baird “avoids entirely the reasons that led all the original states to embrace Jefferson’s position and abrogate government support for established churches…” First, the promotion of true religion is not limited to government funding of established churches, nor is that the focus of Baird’s argument. Second, as Miles Smith points out in Religion and Republic: Christian American from the Founding to the Civil War, Jefferson’s position on religion and the state was more extreme than merely opposing church establishment and was not generally embraced during that period. Smith’s book is another good book to read alongside of King of Kings, providing more history of the government’s promotion of Christianity in the American context.

Hart argues that Baird is too abstract and that if he had given attention to the history of, say, Calvin’s relationship to Geneva’s city council, he would have seen how well past Protestant governments have adhered to the ideal model. Should we conclude that since civil rulers do not live up to the ideals espoused by the theologians, that the principles are wrong or our work is in vain? I think such an attention to history shows that, through much work and difficulty, Calvin left Geneva and its government in a better condition than he found it.

Hart also argues that Baird failed to situate American forms for government within the broader sweep of Christian history. Does such a broad sweep of Christian history undermine Baird’s argument? The main lesson Hart draws from this sweep is that political change in a country like the United States is difficult and moving “a nation from its current political configuration back in time to a golden era is impossible.” The problem is that Baird does not advocate a return to a golden age. He argues for a return to a historic doctrine taught in Scripture and its prudent application in the present. He does not say advocating for Christian government will be easy. He warns it will be difficult.

Has history stopped? History shows that America, and the relation of Christianity and civil government in general, is not static. Much has changed in America even within the past eighty years. For example, Sunday laws were in operation within living memory. Could things change again? Also, American government is not entirely separate from religion even today. Our leaders call days of thanksgiving and days of prayer. Our military and legislatures have chaplains. Our national motto is “In God We Trust.” Not only are there things the government could start doing, but there are things it is already doing that could be done better, and which could go the way of Sunday laws if they are not valued and maintained.

Thus, I remain convinced Baird is right. God has appointed civil government, and so the civil authorities, as God’s ministers, ought to honor God (Rom. 13:1-7). Christ has been given all authority in heaven and on earth, and so nations and rulers ought to honor and submit to him (Matt. 28:18-20, Ps. 2). Nations and their rulers should countenance and maintain the church of the Lord Jesus (WLC 191), for the nation that will not serve her shall perish (Is. 60:12). Rulers ought to be “nursing fathers” toward the church, and in time they shall be (Is. 49:23, 60:10, 16, WCF 23.3). Since civil magistrates are ordained for God’s glory and the public good (Rom. 13:1-7, 1 Peter 2:13-17), and true religion is part of the public good, therefore magistrates ought to promote true religion. The apostles did not need to teach rulers their duty to promote religion since even the Gentiles understood this duty, but the apostles did need to teach them the true religion. We likewise need to make God’s word known to all, that all might embrace the King of kings and serve him according to their place and calling. We ought to be diligent in prayer for all in authority, that they might rule in a way that promotes the flourishing of piety, justice, and peace in our land.

Those who serve as civil rulers should seek to lead their people in a good direction, praising what is good and suppressing what is evil. But where should nations and their rulers get their ideas of good and evil, of religion and morality? From God. He has made himself and his law known in his creation order, but especially in his word. Christianity reveals true religion and true morality. It reveals the true God and the only way to God and law of God. May Christian principles guide the peoples and their governments, and may peoples and their governments promote Christianity and the reign of the King of kings.