Life Matters - April 12, 2023
The god of big government has been with us a very long time.
Governments have been ordained by God to apply natural law in a world that would otherwise be chaos. Most of us appreciate being able to live in a world where law and order is the rule, not the exception. I say “most of us” because in the past few years some of the most liberal-left mayors have designated areas as autonomous zones that are off-limits for police, where anarchy—a rejection of any and all restraints—then took over. But, I venture to say, that even there the anarchist has a sense of wanting justice whenever he/she has a sense of being treated in a way that isn’t fair or doesn’t seem to be so. The desire, the need, for law and order is an integral part of the human experience.
The Bible is the only Book to give clear authoritative instructions on responding to mistreatment by offering more of the same. (Matthew 5:39) We would hope, of course, that a just person would step in and the matter be given to a just governor who would right the wrong with an impartial applying of the law. There are 58 references to governors in the Bible who are called upon to govern the affairs of men and women by punishing evil and praising the good (Romans 13) and it is imperative that earthly governments stay within those bounds. Bounds that are kept simple and easy to apply when citizens live by the higher law of rightly informed conscience and governors stay in their place. As John Adams so aptly penned of the U.S. Constitution – “This Constitution has been written for a moral and religious people, it is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” If we lose what we have from within, it will not be the fault of the moral and religious, but of the immoral and irreligious.
Let us not despair, however, because righteousness can be imputed and also imparted to all of us. This is so because of one Governor, born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:5-6) on the first day of year zero, who lived in subjection to his earthly, godly parents for 30 years, taught, healed the sick, and raised the dead for three more years. Then, because the lovers of this present world were blinded by a pervasive unbelief, was nailed to a cross, died there, rose again, was seen by and taught many witnesses. They saw Him rise from the earth, disappear into clouds, were told by angels He would come again, then went to Jerusalem and there received His Spirit into their hearts and minds, were empowered and went everywhere, preaching the Gospel. Unwittingly, darkness became the “vessels of dishonor” that God employed to His own purpose, the dawning of a new era with a New Testament, a New Covenant. A Covenant begun with Adam and Eve, witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets, then fulfilled by the life, teaching, burial, resurrection, ascension, giving of His Holy Spirit, and the Promise of His second coming, now witnessed to in a personal way to those who repent and believe. By His righteousness imputed to us as the forgiveness of our sins washed clean and imparted to us as we are empowered by His Life. There is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) No other name but Jesus. The Old Testament faithful. Innocent children. The Promise applies to all of us. He saves to the uttermost. He is the Word of God. The only Governor in the Bible with an uppercase G. The supreme commander of the universe. The One whom the god of big government’s worshipers have always, and wish now, to remove, to copy, to take the place of. Perhaps the highest compliment God receives from His enemies and those who bow to the god of big government is an attempt to emulate His goodness. But they fail. God only, is Good.
Life Matters!