Godly government 1

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Godly government 1

Written by Mr. Trev McCallum
Friday, 18 June 2010

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Last week I commenced a series on government. When we think of government it is often assumed that the word simply encapsulates what occurs in Canberra or within the hallowed walls of our State parliaments. This is not the case. Historically government has been a broader concept. In western nations it followed the covenantal flow of Scripture. We find an extensive governmental blueprint within the pages of the Bible. This Biblical blueprint is more extensive than simply; “the political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; [and] direction of the affairs of a state, community.”^[1] As this series unfolds I will explore the Biblical mandate for self, family, church and state government. It is important to recognise that government is not to be associated simply or solely with the state. Biblically the concept goes beyond the civil realm and encompasses all of life, highlighting diverse roles and responsibilities for the different institutions. Associating government purely with the state is dangerous. In fact to recognise the state as the only governing institution is “destructive of liberty and of life^[2]
As I have previously highlighted, a society’s laws are reflective of that nation’s god. These laws cannot be religiously neutral, rather they are informed by a set of religiously held presuppositions. The church needs to regain the conviction that Jesus Christ is the sovereign Lord over all of His earth. There is not an inch of authority on the earth that does not belong to Christ. He rules from the right hand of the Father until all of His enemies are subdued, by the preaching of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit, then He shall return again to judge both the living and the dead. The church’s central mission is to disciple the nations, baptising them (in God’s Word) and teaching them to obey the Law of God ( Matthew 28). From this I must clarify that salvation is by grace through faith ( Ephesians 2:8-9). “[E]ternal life (the ultimate inheritance) is obtained by God’s promise, not by God’s law. God’s law cannot impart life. That is to say, the means of eternal life is not obedience to God’s revealed law…[T]here is only one pathway to eternal life: by God’s promise.”^[3] The household of God is not left ethically in the dark, we are not given such a freedom of conscience that we choose how we ought to glorify and enjoy God. “[A]s our hearts are changed we begin to respond to Christ in adoration, thankfulness, and obedience. Christ is our Lord, our master, and that means we must obey Him. But Christ is also our beloved, and that means we come to love to please Him and obey Him ( John 14:15, 23). Our response ought not to be reluctant, grumbling obedience, but joyful, enthusiastic obedience. And so it will be more and more, if we belong to Him and have fellowship with Him, because Christ writes His own law on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3, 6; Hebrews 10:16).”^[4]

As Christ’s covenant community, those who profess faith in the Lord and worship Him, our responsibility is to joyfully trust and obey the “Scriptures of the Old and New Testament… [as] the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy”^[5] God forever. Our conscience is bound to faithful, sanctified obedience to these Scriptures. God as the sovereign has set us apart as His people; He reorganises us with different institutions and governments (e.g. family, church, state); He has given His Church an ethical standard to live by; He promises great covenant blessings for obedience and covenant judgements for disobedience; and His promises are for us and our children. This is a basic five point covenantal model taken from an outline of the book of Deuteronomy. The five points of this covenant model have been identified as; (1) transcendence, (2) hierarchy, (3) ethics, (4) sanctions and (5) continuity.^[6] Within this model are distinct Biblical covenants; including family, church and government covenants. I will explain and expand on these throughout these articles. For now; each of these covenants have been established by God (i.e. the sovereign) as a means to: (1) redeem His creation back through Christ as the Head of the Church (i.e. transcendence), (2) establish order within His creation (i.e. hierarchy), (3) bring His ethical framework to bear upon the world (i.e. ethics), (3) exercise Biblical judgments to enforce/establish this order (i.e. mandates), and (5) ensure that the nations are discipled and baptised in history until the bodily return of the King to deliver a completed kingdom to the Father (i.e. continuity).

“When the Bible speaks of ‘government’ in the singular, it refers to the comprehensive government of Jesus Christ; a government that encompasses and rules over all individuals, governments, and nations…No human government or institution can claim to be independent of God’s government since Jesus is their ‘Lord’ and ‘King’ ( Revelation 17:14). Neither can any government claim to be the sole government denying all other governments.”^[7] Jesus Christ emptied Himself of glory when He came in the flesh and with His resurrection and ascension into heaven He was glorified. Our Lord became the first man to enter into High Heaven, to be seated at the Father’s right hand. It was here that He received His kingdom ( Daniel 7:13-14), having already been given all authority in heaven and on earth ( Matthew 28:18). We are told in Ephesians 1:20-23 that God “seated Him [Jesus] at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the Church.” The Lord Jesus Christ is seated at the Father’s right hand ruling the kings of the earth ( Revelation 1:5), and all His enemies are being placed under His feet (i.e. a sign of rulership; 1 Corinthians 15:25, Hebrews 2:7-9). Jesus is the “King of kings and Lord of Lords. King Nebuchadnezzar reminds us that the Lord God “does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth” and we must therefore “honour the King of heaven, for His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride” ( Daniel 4:35-37).

God is the ultimate autonomous governor and law-maker (i.e. sovereign -1). By His decree the institutions of the family, church and state have been established (i.e. hierarchy - 2). The Law of God sets the standard for each of these institutions (i.e. ethics - 3). In the long term covenant obedience (i.e. trusting and obeying) is blessed and disobedience brings covenantal cursing or judgment (i.e. mandates - 4). Through godly offspring ( Malachi 2) the promises are taught and extended to future generations (i.e. continuity – 5). Undergirding all the hierarchies (family, church and state) is self-government. This “[s]elf-government is synonymous with self-control. A self-governed individual is someone who can regulate his attitudes and actions without the need for external coercion…A self-governed individual obeys the law of God from the heart, while someone who lacks self-control must be forced to obey. Self-government is generated through the power of God’s Spirit ( Galatians 5:16-26), therefore, ultimately we cannot talk about self-government without addressing the person and work of Jesus Christ…Men fail in self-government because they are in rebellion against God. The heart of rebellious sinners…must be regenerated. Only the renewing work of the Holy Spirit can affect such change.”^[8] The ability to self-govern is foundational to family, church and state government. One cannot obediently rule in the other realms if he does not have the self-control to apply the Law of God to his own life first ( 1 Timothy 3:1-8 and the story of Joseph being self controlled, dying to himself and then being greatly blessed in Genesis 39-49 is a good example).

Over the coming weeks I will continue with looking at the family, church and state institutions and their governance.

End Notes

[1] Quoted from Dictionary.com; http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/government.

[2] Rushdoony, RJ, Politics of Guilt and Pity, p. 332, as cited in DeMar, G, God and Government, A Biblical and Historical Study, Volume 1, American Vision INC, 2001, p. 4.

[3] North, G, editor, Theonomy, An Informed Response, Institute for Christian Economics, 1991, pp. 269-270.

[4] Poythress, VS, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses, P&R Publishing, 1991, p. 6.

[5] Westminster Shorter Catechism, answer to question two. You can view the Shorter Catechism at this LINK.

[6] Sutton, RR, That You Should Prosper, Dominion by Covenant, Institute for Christian Economics, 1987, pp. 16-17. You can download this book free from this LINK.

[7] DeMar G, God and Government, A Biblical and Historical Study, American Vision INC, 2001, pp. 13-14.

[8] Ibid., Demar G, pp.14-16.

Published in : Worldviews, Ethics

Keywords : Worldviews, Ethics, Godly government, Ethics, God and government, Christian Law, God and politics