City of Man, Kingdom of God

The American church has forgotten God's design for government. At a time of unprecedented bipartisan government overreach, American Christians are rendering unto Caesar what belongs only to God. When government overreaches, how should Christians respond? Does God want Christians to submit to evil civil leaders? What if government restrictions interfere with worship? "City of Man, Kingdom of God: Why Christians Respect, Obey, and Resist Government" answers these questions by looking first to Scripture, then to church history. Guiding readers through key passages in Genesis, Ecclesiastes, Romans, and the Gospels, Pastor Jesse Johnson traces the broad yet limited scope of authority God has given government. Then he maps out where the Christian's duty to obey begins and ends.

"When government protects rights given by God, then it is owed obedience, submission, and honor," Johnson writes. "But when government violates those rights, Christians are no longer bound to submit to laws that do not serve the purpose for which God made government." Developing the Puritans' understanding of religious freedom, Johnson shows how Christ followers have reasoned through this tension in past centuries, and he identifies biblical principles for navigating government restrictions in the future.

Jesse Johnson is the dean of The Master's Seminary in Washington, DC. He pastors Immanuel Bible Church in Springfield, Virginia, and is a trustee of The Master's University in Los Angeles, California. Jesse has degrees from The University of New Mexico (BA in Sociology and Spanish) and The Master's Seminary (MDiv and ThM in theology), and he is a current PhD student at Christ College in Sydney, Australia. Jesse is the editor of "Evangelism" in the John Mac-Arthur pastoral library series, published by Thomas Nelson. He teaches theology and evangelism at The Master's Seminary and formerly was a chaplain for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department. Jesse and his wife, Deidre, live in the Washington, DC, area with their three children, Madison, Savannah, and Geneva. You can follow Jesse's writing at thecripplegate.com.