Think about the police's role in the context of God's two ministers. A historical distinctive of Baptists is a strong belief in the separation of Church and State. (Thomas Jefferson stated this in a letter to Baptists.) Baptists affirmed this because they knew that the Church and the government have different God-ordained functions and therefore must remain separate to be effective. They are both "ministers" of God in different ways.
Scriptures explicitly state such about government in Romans 13:6. "For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing." Human government is a minister of God to punish evildoers (Gen 9; Rom 13; 1Pet 2) and the Church is to minister the love of Christ (Eph 1-3). Hence, the government is to administer justice (eye-for-an-eye), while Christians are to administer the love and mercy of Christ (turn the other cheek--even love our enemies). (This was a big problem in church history when the Roman Church and Magisterial Protestant Church bore the sword to persecute so-called "heretics").
Character matters in both ministries, but government leaders aren't required to be "blameless" the same way church leaders are (1Tim 3; Titus 1). Albeit the more righteous the better for government leaders. (So Christians should be involved and seek to make government more godly. Nothing wrong with that. It's the separation of Church and State, not the isolation of Church and State)
In America, where we get to vote for government leaders, we need to ask who will govern the nation best based on human government's God-given purpose to restrain evil that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty (Gen 9;1Tim 2). The military and police are vital in the ministry of restraining evil and keeping us safe--and this is the primary role of government.
Rev TE
