A Christian Framework for Liberty, Law, Legitimate Authority, Secession and #NationalDivorce
Biblical Principles for Secession
Biblical Principles for Secession
When Government Stops Serving
What should Christians think and do when rulers stop serving and start ruling by force? The Bible does not leave the church without a compass. It gives a covenantal vision of authority—rooted in God’s law, bounded by justice, and exercised as service for the people’s good. When rulers reject that calling, Scripture also records how God’s people discern, resist, and sometimes separate.
This article distills the major themes of Biblical Principles for Secession into a clear, multi-part argument. We will define covenantal government, examine the biblical case study in 1 Kings 12, clarify what Romans 13 requires (and does not require), identify markers that justify separation, glean cautionary lessons from Israel’s history, and sketch a constructive blueprint for rebuilding on explicitly Christian foundations.
Government Is Covenantal, Not Autonomous
The Bible treats authority as a trust, not an entitlement. Rulers are not gods; they are ministers—servants—who must answer to God for how they wield power.
The covenantal model. When David is anointed, the elders “made a covenant with \[him]… before the LORD” (see 1 Chronicles 11:3). Kingship is bound by a constitution—God’s revealed law—and by the consent of the governed, expressed through covenant.
Why rulers exist. David “perceived that the LORD had established him king…