Faith and Governance

The previous article reviewed how man’s kingdom differed from God’s, and a few implications. The diagram it contained was accurate, but incomplete as it focused on governance alone. We finish that discussion today.

All power comes from God. Two powers given to man are over religion and governance. God gave these to man to promote faith and justice. Two virtues. The first concerns how man should live. The second when God’s directives are not followed. They were necessary as man rejected both his initial relationship with God and later His kingship. Bible references are included so you can discern the truth for yourself, and I urge you to do so.

Man’s Rejecting God

God created man to have a relationship with Him. It is why God created man in His image and likeness. While dim, there is nothing in all creation closer. Man rejected his relationship with God with his fall in the Garden. (Gen. 3:4-6) Later, God chose the Israelites to be His people. This aligned with God’s prophetic word and covenant made with Abram. (Gen. 15:12-21)

The Israelites initially rejected God’s kingship while still slaves in Egypt. (Ex. 6:2-8) It wasn’t until God made Himself known at Mount Sinai the Israelites committed themselves to Him. (Ex. 19:7-8) However, within a relatively short period of time, the Israelites asked God to give them a king, so they would be like all the surrounding peoples. (1 Sam. 8:6-8, 10:19)

As each one of us are sons of Adam, we are each sovereign. We share the same nature and therefore all possess the same rights. Within God’s kingdom, a leader does not gain power, but rather loses it. They submit to leading through service to their people. Because the people are still God’s. He has only granted man dominion in this area until He returns. Therefore, this power still belongs to God, and all leaders are still responsible to Him for how they use His power. This is the opposite of man’s kingdom, where man himself possesses the power to rule. It is his, without any accountability to anyone but himself.

Following God

How we must have broken God’s heart on those days. But even then, as long as man followed God’s commands for us, He would give us life. For that is our purpose. (Deut. 30:19-20)

In administering justice, the Israelites were to appoint judges. They were to come from the people, be elected by the people, in order to serve the people by administering righteous judgment. This story is mentioned not just once, but three times (Ex. 18:19-23, Deut. 1:13-7, and Deut. 16:17-9) Judges were to show no deference to anyone, nor devise any evil toward another (Zech. 7:9-10) One law applied to all. This makes sense only if we all share the same nature and stature. And so it is.

Christ applied this idea to both governance (Matt. 20:25-7, Mark 10:42-4) and religion (Matt. 23:8-12, Mark 9:35). After His death and resurrection, we see the same model used again. First, with the selection of Judas replacement (Acts 1:23-6) and then again with the appointing of the seven to care for the Greek speaking widows (Acts 6:1-6). This model was used by the people to select their bishops until at least the fifth century.[1]

Why It Matters

I know this is probably long winded. However, it is important to know what God put in place for our well-being. It contrasts sharply with Satan’s approach. The latter uses lies, deception, and division to accomplish his goal—that of man’s destruction. Satan’s way is to create the perception of a problem, then to evoke an emotional reaction. And finally, to provide his solution. We see this from the beginning in the Garden (Gen. 3:1-6). His solution is never what he promises. (Gen. 3:7-8)

We see this same approach within the strategy underlying color revolutions of divide, demoralize, destabilize, and crisis creation. This is the pattern we’ve seen over the last several years with covid, and now with the manufactured food and energy shortages. We see it again with the upcoming threat to hand over our sovereignty to a self-appointed agency (the WHO) within the United Nations within the next few days.

But Biden cannot give what he does not have. Neither can anyone in our elected government. It is not a power given to them as it is inalienable. It is ours and we cannot divest it, because we bear responsibility for its use.

Our executive, legislative, and judicial branches all appear to have failed us. But correcting it does not require blood in the streets. If the power comes from us, all we need do is take it back. We do this by returning to God, standing and saying no, and doing simply what is right. We have God’s promise. Per the principles underlying color revolutions, if there is no civil war, as Satan wants, then there must be a foreign invasion. Let the invasion be God’s, and an awakening the likes of which the world has never seen before. Amen.