Divine Establishment
Before you begin your Bible study, as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ,
be sure you have named your sins privately to God the Father.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(Known, Unknown and Forgotten sins) (1Jn 1:9)
You will then be in fellowship with God, Filled with the Holy Spirit and ready
to learn Truth from the Word of God.
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and
Truth," (John 4:24)
THE PLAN OF GOD
Even before the creation of man, the Principle of establishment was
ordained by God for the perpetuation of the human race. (Psa 148:6) In
His omniscience, God has always known the course of history as well as
every problem that we would ever face as individuals. Therefore, in eternity
past, God the Father sovereignly set up the Plan of Grace for mankind.
Based on His absolute righteousness and perfect justice, His design for
Divine establishment is flawless. The Plan continues throughout eternity
because God Himself is eternal life. And since it proceeds from His
enduring, uncompromising justice, Operation Grace excludes the frailties of
human sentimentality.
Furthermore, the stability of God’s Plan is guaranteed by His
immutability, while His veracity, expressed in the Written Word of God,
reveals to us the Thinking of His Plan. Because He is omnipotent, God has
the power to accomplish His grace objectives even in the devil’s world; and
because He is omnipresent and therefore not limited by time or space, He
maintains continual, on-the-scene Command over human events. God
controls history in three ways: direct control, by means of Divine
intervention; indirect control, through man’s adherence to the Laws of
Divine establishment; (Our subject) and permissive control, by allowing the
angelic conflict to run its course according to the dictates of man’s volition.
Although God may intervene in human events, He never forces the faith of
His creatures. Thus, He allows each individual to make his own decision
concerning Jesus Christ, although it is His sovereign desire that all believe
in Christ and receive eternal Salvation. (1Ti 2:4)
Those who do believe enter the threefold Plan of God: Phase One —
Salvation, or saving grace; Phase Two — the Christian way of life, which
ranges from logistical grace to Spiritual self esteem to Spiritual autonomy
to Spiritual maturity and then dying grace; Phase Three — eternity, with its
surpassing grace blessings and rewards for the believer who has broken
the Spiritual maturity barrier. (30, 60 and 100; Matt 13:8)
Illustration
The Divine structure is unique in that it remains perfect despite the
inclusion of imperfect man. Man cannot hinder Operation Grace, since its
execution depends entirely upon the work of the Trinity in each phase of
the Plan. In Phase One, Jesus Christ accomplished Salvation by His
vicarious, efficacious Spiritual death and judgment on the Cross;
(Rom 5:6-8) the Holy Spirit enables believers to learn Truth and to reach
Spiritual maturity during Phase Two;
(John 16:13-14) and God the Father fulfills Phase Three. (2Co 5:1) Man
makes no meritorious contribution of any kind, and thus he cannot destroy
the perfect quality of God’s Grace Plan.
Within the framework of the Plan of God, the Principle of human
freedom is essential for the function of Divine establishment. As the
cornerstone of freedom, human volition is the decision-maker of the soul.
Man was created with free will, and God made it unmistakably clear to
Adam that He had given him freedom of choice. This would always be the
primary issue in the angelic conflict: would man, inferior to angels but
equipped with the same free will, choose for or against the Divine design?
Since volition must be tested in order to be operative, God set up one
prohibition.
The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the
garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
[Spiritual death] (Gen 2:16-17)
God was saying to man, “In Operation Grace, everything is provided
for your blessing, including your human freedom. You may exercise your
free will in any direction you wish; but the day you go on negative signals
and eat of that forbidden tree, you will be outside My Plan!” To be cut off
from the Divine Plan is to be Spiritually dead, and this eventually results in
physical death. It was up to Adam’s volition whether or not he would
continue under God’s authority. Of his own choice, man walked out on the
Plan of God!
Who was behind the revolt against God’s policy? None other than His
archenemy, Satan! This evil super-creature used the serpent to lure the
woman into rebellion against God’s perfect provision, and the angelic
conflict began to gather momentum on the earth. The woman then
influenced Adam to disobey; and in his Fall man lost the rulership of the
earth to Satan. However, God had not only foreseen man’s failure but
ALWAYS had the way to rescue the human race and thereby resolve the
angelic conflict; and bring many sons to His family! (Heb 2:9-11) He offered
man a new “tree” — the Cross. Now the only way for man to enter the
Plan of God is to exercise positive volition toward the saving work of Christ
on the Cross: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved...”
(Acts 16:31) Why do we simply believe? There is nothing we can add to
the finished work of Christ. Faith is non-meritorious. All the merit is in the
Object of that faith. Thus, even the simple mechanics of Salvation are
consistent with the Principle of grace. (Eph 2:8-9)
For all who are positive toward His Plan in Phase Two, the Divine
Blueprint encompasses many impressive provisions and blessings.
(Eph 3:20) However, God has also designed certain blessings for
unbelievers as well as believers who obey and appropriate His grace
provisions found in the Laws of Divine establishment.
DEFINITION OF THE LAWS OF DIVINE ESTABLISHMENT
The Laws of Divine establishment are Principles ordained by God for
the protection, orderly function, survival and blessing of the human race. In
His omniscience, God knew in advance that man would sin; He was also
fully cognizant that once man acquired an old sin nature, he would have
unlimited potential to destroy himself! Therefore, in order to perpetuate
man’s existence during the course of the angelic conflict, it was necessary
to set up for both believer and unbeliever a series of Divine Laws that
would hold the old sin nature in check. These Laws also provide for the
fullest expression of individual freedom.
While the components of Divine establishment were in God’s Plan
from eternity past, they came into existence at various points of time,
beginning with the creation of man in, (Gen 1:26) and extending to the
establishment of nations in, (Gen 10:5). Within the Laws of establishment
are the four Divine institutions: Volition, Marriage, Family and Nationalism.
These apply to the entire human race — believers and unbelievers —
regardless of race, nationality, sex or any other factor.
THE FOUR DIVINE INSTITUTIONS
Volition - Free will
Divine Institution Number One — Volition — is not only the first
Principle of Divine establishment and the key to its proper function but is
also the basic authority in the human race. Divine establishment is God’s
perfect Plan, yet it always involves human volition. Adherence to these
Laws of establishment by a maximum number of people in a national entity
guarantees both human freedom and privacy. This freedom of choice gives
the individual the inherent right to life, liberty, privacy, ownership of
property “and the pursuit of happiness,” provided that the individual does
not violate the Laws of establishment or the common Law of a nation.
The first Divine institution was established when God created man to
operate rationally under the volition in his own soul rather than according to
his instincts. While there is variation in human ability and capacity to learn,
all individuals possess volition. God might have computerized the human
race so that He could program man to carry out His Plan. Instead, it is His
desire that we respond to His grace and serve Him willingly, not react
under some system of slavery. Therefore, volition is a major issue in the
angelic conflict; everyone must be a free agent to accept or reject
Salvation, (John 3:36) the most important decision anyone will ever make.
The will of God is related to man’s free will; and is involved in every
area of life, particularly in Salvation and in his Spiritual advance.
Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
[Spiritual Thinking] of the Truth. (1Ti 2:4).
Since it is the sovereign will of God that all members of the human
race be saved, and since Christ was judged on the Cross for everyone, the
exercise of man’s free will is a demonstration of the grace solution to the
angelic conflict. Christ’s strategic victory of the Cross resolved the angelic
conflict; man’s positive volition is a tactical victory. Although God wills all
mankind to be saved, some are not saved because He honors free will,
which gives man the responsibility to act either in conjunction with or
independently of the will of God.
Acting on positive volition, we enter Phase Two, or the Christian life,
the moment we believe in Christ. During this time, human volition continues
to function as we constantly make decisions. We are free to accept or
reject the Word of Truth as God’s Plan for Phase Two. God has provided
unlimited Divine operating assets for the believer in time: God the Holy
Spirit, the Spiritual life, and the Word of God, which contains all the
information necessary for the Christian to advance to Spiritual maturity in
accordance with the Divine Plan; the “grace apparatus for perception,”
(GAP --- Operation Z) which enables every believer to understand God’s
Thoughts on every subject. (Amos 4:13) Positive volition toward Truth is a
prerequisite to all stages of Spiritual growth. Only the believer’s own
negative volition can limit or hinder continual progress.
The “advance to the full knowledge of Truth” is possible only through
the persistent exercise of Operation Z, whereby we break the maturity
barrier and move into Spiritual adulthood, Spiritual maturity and dying
grace. We may elect to read, to listen and to concentrate; or decide to go
in the opposite direction, reject the Plan of God for our lives and succumb
to reversionism.
Illustration
Marriage
Divine Institution Number Two — Marriage. (Matt 19:5) Both volition
and marriage came into existence in the Garden of Eden before the Fall.
(Gen 2:22-24) Since the man and the woman must be free to enter this
mutual relationship, marriage becomes a utilization of Divine Institution
Number One. Divinely ordained, marriage is structured to form the basic
stability in a society. It totally rejects any Concept which contributes to
anarchy, such as promiscuity, homosexuality, polygamy or excessive
divorce.
Under establishment, the marriage of one man to one woman
accomplishes two objectives: (1) it forms the most basic unit of society; (2)
it produces the foundation for Divine Institution Number Three — the
Family. Marriage, in which the authority is assigned to the man, (Gen 3:16)
and has as its primary function, the protection of the freedom both in the
national entity and in the individual union; for the unbeliever — both men
and women the Thinking and use of the Laws of that nation for their
authority and protection. (John 19:10-11) For believers — both men and
women — the Thinking and use of the Laws of that nation, and also God’s
Thinking for their authority and protection. (Matt 8:9-10; Prov 8:32-36) In
the pursuit of Spiritual maturity however — we must remain in the condition
we are called — until God provides or does not provide; the husband, wife,
things and or circumstances in our life!
(Matt 6:33; Matt 19:12; Mark 8:33-38; (1Co 7:26-35)
Family
Divine Institution Number Three, the Family, (Psa 68:6) was
established in, (Gen 4:1) as the second fundamental unit for the safeguard
and perpetuation of the human race. The newborn infant enters the world
helpless; therefore, there must be a means of protection until the child is
able to provide for himself. The family unit offers him discipline, material
provision, training, security and guidance based on his parents’ love for him
until he reaches age — that time in life when he must take full responsibility
for his own decisions and actions.
In addition to providing food, shelter and clothing, it is the duty of the
parents to instill in their children the proper norms and standards, to teach
them how to evaluate situations in life, to train them when to say “yes” and
when to say “no” and to inculcate in them the Principles of authority and
self-discipline. While parents have many responsibilities, the children have
only one within the family unit, and that is to respect and obey their
parents. (Eph 6:1-3) Love should follow as a natural consequence after the
parents have properly accomplished their job of training.
Nationalism
In the devil’s world, God must provide safety for mankind. He has
done so by dividing the world into national entities with geographical
boundaries in the formation of Divine Institution Number Four. Adherence to
the Laws of establishment under nationalism furnishes protection for each
nation. In the Biblical Concept, a national entity encompasses all three
categories — racial, geographical and linguistic. Anyone who becomes a
citizen of this country, often called the “melting pot” because of its
multiracial origins, relinquishes allegiance to his former homeland and
pledges loyalty to this, his adopted land.
Human government was founded in, (Gen 9:1) thru (Gen 10:32) at
the beginning of the Postdiluvian Civilization. Obeying God’s Command to
“replenish the [Whole] earth,” the descendants of Noah scattered and
resettled in accordance with the geographical boundaries set for them.
(Gen 10:5; Gen 10:31-32) However, as the population increased, the
people were reluctant to separate further and finally congregated in the
fertile plains of the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. (Gen 11:2) There, at Babel, in
the satanically inspired rebellion against God, the people instituted the
false Concept of internationalism. Because the one nation — one language
Concept is contrary to the Divine design for mankind, the human race might
have become extinct but for the grace of God. By enforcing His Plan of
nationalism and by ordaining the existence of many languages, God
secured the perpetuation of mankind. (Gen 11:7-9)
God ordained the Laws of establishment to be the authority within a
LEGITIMATE national entity. As the guardian of freedom, each nation,
whatever its form of government, (Parliamentary, monarchy, republic, etc.)
must protect the inherent right of the individual to privacy, freedom and to
the pursuit of a course of life based upon his own decisions and ability
within the legal framework of that particular type of government.
Furthermore, this freedom must insure the right of the individual to accept
or reject Jesus Christ as Savior. (Acts 17:26-28)
While there are several excellent forms of government, the Laws of
establishment can exist under any one of these types. However, there is no
way that any government can perpetuate itself indefinitely. Every system of
government contains the elements by which it will eventually destroy itself:
by negative volition toward the Word of Truth on the part of the believer,
and rejection of the Laws of Divine establishment on the part of both the
believer and the unbeliever. Only adherence to the Laws of establishment
and the grace of God can sustain a nation and its government for any span
of time! (Psa 127:1)
One of the most tyrannical forms of government is a democracy,
which means “rule of the many” and is based on the assumption that all
men are equal. Theoretically, democracy is the direct rule of the people;
but in practice, it is essentially a mob rule. The inability of a mob to think,
plus minimal restraint on the old sin nature, precludes any possibility of the
proper function or perpetuation of this governmental system. Alexander
Hamilton perfectly described the tyranny of all democracies:
It has been observed by an honorable gentleman that a pure
democracy, if it were executable, would be the most perfect government.
Experience has proved that no position in politics is more false than this.
The ancient democracies, in which the people themselves deliberated,
never possessed one feature of good government. Their very character
was tyranny; their figure deformity. When they assembled, the field of
debate presented an ungovernable mob, incapable of deliberation. In these
assemblies the enemies of the people brought forward their plans of
ambition systematically. They were opposed by their enemies of another
party; and it became a matter of eventuality, whether the people subjected
themselves to be led blindly by one tyrant or another.
The United States is not a democracy. Our nation was originally
founded as a constitutional republic, which is a representative form of
government. The only pure democracy existed in fifth century B.C. Athens,
and it soon dissolved into chaos. As Greece grew into an empire, it was
established on the Principle of an oligarchy — the rule of a few. The
hypothesis that all people are equal is an unrealistic and untrue premise.
When Thomas Jefferson stated in the Declaration of Independence that all
men are created equal, he was saying in effect that the colonists were
equal to the citizens of England in the eyes of the Law. He never meant to
imply that everyone was born with the same intelligence, abilities or talents.
Jefferson was fully aware of the inequality of man, as demonstrated by his
ownership of slaves and his beliefs regarding their lack of status in society.
The Madison/Jefferson letters reflect his complete thought regarding the
equality and inequality of man.
Tragically, we are no longer a true republic; we are something
between a democracy and a “mobocracy.” The governmental Concepts of
our forefathers have been tragically perverted. Satanic propaganda has
steadily nibbled away at our constitutional foundations, with the result that
our once great nation is crumbling. No longer are we a first-rate power nor
even an establishment-oriented country as in the past. Instead, we are
accepting the evil substitutes of socialistic and communistic ideology as the
solutions to our social and economic problems. By ignoring God’s specific
design for nationalism, we have compounded the problems and hastened
our demise.
Because a republic depends upon the virtue and thinking of the
people, it rarely endures more than a few hundred years. The Roman
Republic, an exception to the norm, continued for five hundred years before
the Senate became so decadent that the nation began to disintegrate. Out
of the ensuing century-long civil war rose the triumvirate of Caesar,
Pompey and Crassus. After a top-echelon skirmish in which Crassus and
Pompey were eliminated, Julius Caesar emerged victorious as the
administrative genius who laid the foundation for the empire. His brilliant
contributions to the Roman governmental structure were so completely
organized on the Laws of Divine establishment that the empire enjoyed the
longest and most phenomenal peace and prosperity of any era in history.
The Bible advocates only one kind of government — a monarchy.
Historically, the most successful governments have been some form of
monarchy; in fact, the greatest government that will ever exist will be the
personal reign of the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Christ, during the
millennial dispensation.”
Although both marriage and family are also involved, it is basically
Nationalism, Divine Institution Number Four, which furnishes protection for
Divine Institution Number One — Volition. In his famous war cry during the
preliminary days of the War for Independence, Patrick Henry dramatized
this very relationship between Divine Institutions One and Four. His fiery
conclusion, “Give me liberty, or give me death!” expressed the entire
Principle in a nutshell!
Freedom is the atmosphere and environment for Spiritual growth. The
believer’s self-determination — is the expression of positive volition toward
Truth; and can function best in a free nation. Throughout the history of
nationalism, the religious and political climate of many nations — from the
Sumero-Akkadian Empire of Ur (Gen 11:31) down to the present-day
communist bloc — has suppressed the function of the Spiritual life, the
intake of Truth — Operation Z. Separation from such tyranny becomes a
MUST for Spiritual progress! Just as Abraham could not advance under the
shadow of idolatry and evil and was therefore Commanded by God to
separate from it, so many people have been forced to migrate to our
country since its founding in order to escape the stranglehold that choked
their freedom in their own nation.
PRINCIPLES INVOLVED UNDER NATIONALISM
Interior Protection
Interior protection in a national entity, which is the guardian of human
freedom, is achieved through proper enforcement and administration of the
Law, supported by the people and whatever form of government exists.
There must be equitable systems of establishing evidence in the courts,
strict punitive measures for those who are guilty; (Eccles 8:11) and the
immediate release of those who are innocent. The entire internal security
of a people is based upon the justice and skillful administration of its Law,
which is designed to punish the guilty and to protect the innocent.
Capital Punishment
How tragic is the apathy and lack of respect in this country today in regard
to the Law and its enforcement! Our police officers can be shot down and,
except in rare instances; only minor disciplinary action is taken against the
offender. After spending a short time in jail, criminals are released to
repeat their crimes! When a murderer’s guilt is properly established by
conclusive evidence in a court of Law, that person should be removed from
the earth. Execution is the only answer! The Law must have “teeth,” capital
punishment!
There is a wide area of disagreement today regarding the validity of
capital punishment. Its opponents and proponents alike cite the Bible to
prove their position. Is the death penalty indeed a Biblical Principle? Is
killing condoned under any circumstances? What about the sixth
Commandment of the Decalogue, “You shall not murder?” (Exo 20:13) The
failure to “rightly divide the word of Truth” has resulted in many unfortunate
distortions of the Concept of “killing.” The Bible authorizes three types of
killing: (1) killing the enemy in battle for the preservation of national
freedom;
(Deut 7:2; Eccles 3:3; Eccles 3:8; Mark 13:7) (2) for personal self-
defense; (2Sa 21:17; Eccles 3:3) (3) for the function of the state in
executing the criminal. (Num 35:30-31; Rom 13:4)
RATSACH, the Hebrew word for “murder,” is used in the sixth
Commandment rather than KATAL, the usual word for “kill”; therefore, it is
a prohibition against homicide. (cf. Matt 19:18) This Commandment is
designed for the preservation of Divine Institution Number One --- Volition.
Murder deprives an individual of his life and freedom. Since the operation
of free will is the basic issue in the angelic conflict, the heinous crime of
murder was an invention of Satan to obliterate this very Principle.
(John 8:44) Indeed, could he succeed in the total destruction of the human
race, he would win the angelic conflict by default! Thus, it is obvious that
this strategy of the devil to neutralize the angelic conflict must be restrained
by the most drastic measures — a life for a life. (Exo 21:23)
Why, then, you may wonder, did God not pronounce the sentence of
capital punishment on the first murderer in human history — Cain? The
answer to this question will also give us an insight into the Biblical history of
Law and the development of the Divine institutions, which include capital
punishment.
Up to that point in human history, there had been no physical death,
let alone murder. In fact, it required the intellect of Cain, a reversionistic
believer, (Gen 4:13-16) under the influence of satanic thinking, to devise a
way to kill his brother. The New Testament commentary on Cain’s crime is
described by the Greek work SPHAZO in, (1Jn 3:12) which means “to kill
as a sacrificial animal.”
In His omniscience, God was cognizant of Abel’s murder from eternity
past; omnipresent God actually witnessed the scene and knew every
detail; Divine justice now demanded a trial. (Psa 116:15) Since the Laws of
establishment were not yet instituted, the first murder became a matter for
the personal attention of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Heaven.
Cain’s trial, therefore, would be unique. However, only those details
essential to our understanding of the angelic conflict have been recorded.
Under the perfect justice of God, Cain’s trial was absolutely fair in
every respect. But Cain’s response to the interrogation repeatedly revealed
a distortion of Truth and disorientation to reality so typical of the
reversionistic criminal mind. He covered for his violence by deceit and thus
disclaimed all responsibility for his own decisions and actions. He further
evaded the Lord’s question regarding the whereabouts of Abel by twisting
the Doctrine of privacy. His retort, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” stated a
true Doctrine — he was not his brother’s keeper! (Rom 14:4-13) However,
note his hypocrisy: he claimed to respect Abel’s privacy only after he had
permanently violated it; then he turned around and used it in his defense!
Even though there was as yet no standard established for the crime
of murder, Cain knew by conscience he was doing wrong; otherwise, he
would have seen no necessity to bury the evidence! But nothing is hidden
from God, and the blood of his victim cried to God for vengeance.
(Gen 4:10; Heb 12:24) Divine justice cannot and did not overlook the crime.
To do so would be a compromise of God’s essence. However, the
implication is that ignorance is no excuse. Intent is not a factor with God,
as it is in our present Law. We define homicide in terms of first, second
and third degree, which involves intent. The murder of a loved one is of
little consequence in our mixed-up, reversionistic society, which always
ignores the blood crying from the ground and pities the murderer! But the
blood of a murder victim sends up signals to God until justice overtakes the
culprit. (Job 16:18-19; Isa 26:21; Eze 24:7-9; Rev 6:9-10)
Antediluvian Law
In the Postdiluvian Civilization, under the Laws of Divine
establishment, the crime of murder would demand the death penalty. But
since Cain’s crime occurred before God had given man the Principle of
capital punishment, the Lord imposed a unique sentence, which would be
representative of the Antediluvian Civilization.
"Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to
receive your brother’s blood from your hand. "When you cultivate the
ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; [Produce] you will be a
vagrant and a wanderer on the earth." (Gen 4:11-12)
This was a harsh penalty for a man who loved his profession and was
proud of his superior agricultural abilities. Cain was not executed because
at that time there was no Law against murder, nor had a punishment been
designated. Although it was both sin and evil, murder had not been defined
in relation to the Laws of establishment. Even more important, to remove
Cain from the earth in this stage of history would destroy the meaning of
the angelic conflict. Throughout man’s history, Cain’s and all progeny, must
have the opportunity to be saved. In these extenuating circumstances, the
justice of God placed Cain under a lifetime sentence which involved a
double curse.
First, Cain would no longer be permitted to pursue his profession of
farming. The earth would no longer respond to the cultivating hand of Cain.
Second, Cain was set apart from society as an established criminal.
People could not look at him without saying, “There is Cain, the murderer”;
and this would constitute a form of isolation. This twofold punishment was
the forerunner of imprisonment for the separation of the criminal from
society. A third punishment, execution, would not be added until the
establishment of the Divine institution of nationalism. (Gen 9:6; Gen 10:32)
God knows exactly how to fit the punishment to the crime; in Cain’s case, it
was calculated to make him miserable for life! Yet it was a grace
punishment, a reminder to Cain of his need for rebound, for at any time, he
could exercise positive volition toward God and Truth.
Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is too great to bear!
(Gen 4:13)
Cain was more concerned about the consequences of his crime to
himself, than about the crime itself. This is true of the criminal mind: there
is no conscience or remorse involved for violating the freedom and rights of
another — only self-pity and occupation with his own rights! Yet Cain
ignored the fact that his crime had canceled the rights of his brother;
consequently, he had forfeited his own personal rights.
In his punishment, Cain was deprived of a normal life because
criminals are abnormal. Not only is it ludicrous, but it is also dangerous for
the Law to recognize the insanity plea for a criminal. Insanity is part of
being criminal! Criminals are always divorced from reality! Furthermore,
regardless of a criminal’s frame of mind, he still acts from his own volition
and must be held responsible for his actions.
"Behold, You have driven me this day from the face of the ground;
and from Your face I will be hidden, and I will be a vagrant and a wanderer
on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." (Gen 4:14).
Cain realized the severity of the sentence; and although he had
rejected God’s Plan of Spiritual maturity, he did not wish to be driven out of
the area of blessing. (Jud 1:11-13) Unbelievers as well as believers benefit
from the proper function of the Laws of Divine establishment. But, like
Cain, many shirk or even defy the very Laws that sustain them. Our jails
today are filled with Cain’s reversionistic counterparts who want the grace
blessings of this country without the responsibility of obeying its Laws. The
“sick society” is one that is filled with a maximum number of
antiestablishment reversionists. Unless they are saved and or renewed in
their Thinking, (Rom 12:2) God will eventually have to destroy the nation!
When Cain surveyed the monstrous situation that he had created by
his crime, he became afraid for his own life. In his reversionistic
imagination, he already anticipated a large army of revenge-seekers from
the ever increasing line of believers ready to avenge Abel’s death. He at
once recognized the trend of the Antediluvian Civilization toward violence.
By introducing murder into the human race, Cain had set a precedent which
might boomerang on himself at any time.
When a criminal violates the Laws of establishment, he becomes
wary of everyone, for the Law no longer constitutes a defense. Whenever
establishment is set aside or destroyed, its protective vigor dwindles and
society, stripped of freedom and privacy, becomes a deadly jungle in which
every individual must fend for himself. In such an unstable environment, the
constant threat of violence prevents living a normal life.
The Divine judgment gave Cain such a sense of insecurity that he
appealed his sentence. His appeal also explains the reason for the
necessity of capital punishment. Without this restraint, people would take
the Law into their own hands to avenge the murder of loved ones and
would turn the world into a great blood-feud.
So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance
will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain,
so that no one finding him would slay him. (Gen 4:15)
Cain had to be shielded from human reprisal; but more important,
Law-abiding citizens must be protected from the temptation of taking
criminal action against the murderer. Though the criminal, by his
Lawlessness, has forfeited his freedom and deserves punishment, any
punitive measures are the prerogative of duly authorized personnel, not of
any private individual. Whoever pursues vengeance deprives himself of the
same establishment benefits lost by the criminal.
“Sevenfold” expresses the intensity of Divine retribution toward the
avenger who takes the Law into his own hands. Anyone seeking to
retaliate against Cain would be guilty of a worse crime; moreover, he
would reduce himself to the level of the criminal! Uncontrolled, emotional
vigilante action is never justified, nor is it a legitimate solution to crime.
Vigorous, Lawful measures on the part of Law enforcement officers and
increased punishment in the hands of professional judges; are the
ingredients which stem the tide of vicious criminal activity.
The “sign of Cain,” therefore, represented a Principle of Divine Law in
the Antediluvian Civilization. It was not an additional punishment, nor was it
the source of the melanoderm races, [Black] as some commentators have
fancifully alleged. Whatever its appearance, it was merely a visible sign to
designate the offender and to restrain further violent activity. Prison bars
today are analogous to the mark of Cain. Just as jail cells isolate the
prisoner from unauthorized punishment, so Cain’s protective warning sign
said in effect, “Do not attack this man and become a criminal yourself.
Divine justice has already been enacted!”
God’s judgment took the place of human government to provide a
Law to protect the fledgling human race from destroying itself in one
massive vendetta. The insertion of Law into the human race was also a
safeguard for the freedom, privacy and function of mankind so that
evangelism might occur in every generation. Cain’s sign became the
antediluvian procedure and a forecasting of the future system of Law under
Divine establishment. It would be replaced by human government in the
Postdiluvian Civilization. Not until after the population had expanded and the
angelic conflict had become a full-scale engagement with the human race,
did God ordain capital punishment as the establishment solution to capital
crimes such as murder and rape
(Gen 9:5-6; Exo 21:12-14; Num 35:30-31) When government fails in this
responsibility, as has the administration in the United States during the past
decade, Law enforcement becomes so weakened that crime cannot be
controlled, and the freedom of the Law-abiding citizen can no longer be
protected.
Exterior Protection
Exterior protection of a nation is delegated to the military
establishment. The Bible has much to say concerning the role of the
military, for it is designed by God to be the means of defending and
preserving national sovereignty and freedom, both in the area of armed
force; (Num 31:3-5; Num 31:32; Jos 5:13) thru Jos 6:3; Jdg 3:2;
Jdg 3:9-10; Neh 4:14; Psa 18:34; Matt 24:6; Rev 19:11) and as an
intelligence agency. (Jos 2:1-24; (1Sa 30:11-18) We are free today in the
United States because, for two hundred years our valiant men have died on
battlefields all over the world, and our enemies have been annihilated.
Many of you became believers after World War II; yet you might not have
had the liberty to hear the Gospel had it not been for the magnificent
American Army which fought in that war! Those who sneer at the uniform
and ridicule the military establishment are being congratulated by the devil!
There is nothing more disgraceful than the failure to recognize an axiom
which is conspicuous throughout the pages of the Word of God: Freedom
comes through military victory!
General Douglas MacArthur eloquently expressed this Biblical Truth
when he accepted the Japanese surrender on the Battleship Missouri in
Tokyo Bay. He said, “The issues... Have been determined on the
battlefields of the world and hence are not for our discussion or debate!”
There is no room for argument with totally victorious armed forces! But
when a nation’s military is so weakened as to be incapable of victory, it
cannot restrain foreign predators, and thus freedom is destroyed from
without. Our liberties are secured by bona fide warfare, which then permits
the government to function properly in perpetuating our individual freedoms.
On the other hand, the satanic and liberal thinking of the pacifist politician
squanders our hard-earned independence.
The violence of evildoers can be restrained only by the greater
violence of righteousness. Divine establishment represents that
righteousness embodied in the Concept of a prepared military. The
Principle of military establishment is based on the fact that a stronger
righteous power provides freedom from the encroaching forces of evil. The
battlefield victories of the nations which employ the violence of
righteousness and establishment have made it possible for the human race
to continue in this phase of the angelic conflict.
In his aggressive domination of the world, the rapacious violence of
Genghis Khan and subsequent Mongol hordes of thirteenth century turned
a large civilization in Asia into a desert. Had it not been for a few Polish,
Austrian, Prussian, Hungarian and Greek knights who had the courage to
oppose these invading enemies by exerting the utmost justified violence.
Western Europe would be Mongolian today! Similar instances have
occurred in other periods of history. Why is all Europe not Mohammedan?
Because Charles Martel and a group of organized, pro-establishment,
military-minded individuals used legitimate violence to kill Mohammedans
and drive them back beyond the Pyrenees. With her fantastic army, navy
and air force, the United States of America moved in to help suppress the
tyranny of Japan and Germany in World War II. It takes an incredible
amount of violence to preserve national independence! Justified violence
related to establishment is the sole deterrent to violent aggression and is
the means of perpetuating freedom.
Few politicians in this country today understand the difference
between evil violence and righteous violence. Demonstrated in favor of
welfare and other disastrously socialistic programs. Our lack of Spiritual
courage is seen in our rejection of the Truth that evil powers must be
subdued by legitimate forces. We no longer demonstrate the backbone
needed to prevent the aggression of internationalism. If this cowardice
continues, we will inevitably be subjected either to enemy takeover by the
blackmail of the rattling saber on the outside and or to actual attack from
the inside. The violence of anarchy and antiestablishment is out of control in
many areas of the United States of America.
The Military Image of Jesus Christ
No nation remains free without having that freedom challenged. In
both the struggle for and the perpetuation of Jewish freedom after the
Exodus, Jesus Christ Himself was the Commander in Chief of the Jewish
Armies.
Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his
eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his
sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you
for us or for our adversaries?" He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as
captain of the host [Armies] of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to
the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my Lord to say to
his servant?" The captain of the LORD’S host said to Joshua, "Remove
your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy."
And Joshua did so.
(Jos 5:13-15)
Jesus Christ issued instructions to annihilate the enemy to spare
neither man, woman, child nor animal. (Deut 7:2; Jos 6:21) When His
Command was not obeyed completely, the Israelites suffered dire
repercussions, even for generations to follow. (Jdg 2:1-15) The Lord Jesus
Christ holds the record for slaughtering the enemy. At His word, the
Assyrian Army of 185,000 infantrymen was destroyed in one night.
(Isa 37:36) He will break His own record in this application of righteous
violence at the close of the Tribulation, when He will decimate the military
invaders in the Middle East. (Rev 19:17-21)
Today many believers would censure the Lord Jesus Christ if they
understood the impact of this passage. They envision Him only as the
meek and mild Jesus Who spoke in terms of turning the other cheek.
(Impersonal love in the Spiritual life) (Matt 5:39)
Modern liberalism have also pilfered support from many of the Biblical
statements concerning the Millennium, which it has attempted to associate
falsely with our present dispensation. For example, such passages as “...
They will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks...” (Isa 2:4) Or “...Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they train for war.” (Mic 4:3) have absolutely nothing
to do with this age. During the Dispensation of the Church and the
Tribulation which follows, there will be “wars and rumors of wars.”
(Matt 24:6) Only the return and reign of Jesus Christ will assure universal
peace, and that will be based upon His decisive execution of righteous
violence to destroy evil violence in the final battle at Armageddon.
Preparation for War and Peace
To insure peace, you must be prepared for war! Instead of
disarmament, the objective of any intelligent nation is to be well prepared
and well armed. Only those individuals living in a fool’s paradise encourage
disarmament, antiwar demonstrations and the burning of draft cards! They
have misapplied certain Scriptures and completely distorted others. In any
generation, righteous violence is absolutely essential for the preservation of
national freedom.
In another period of Jewish history, when Nehemiah returned to
Jerusalem, the nation was only a small group of people, disarmed and
surrounded by enemies. Threatened from the north by the Samaritans,
from the southwest by the Philistines, from the east by the Moabites and
from the south by the Edomites and Arabs, the Jews were in desperate
straits. Nehemiah, an administrator under the King of Persia and a brilliant
military genius, had been granted leave to aid his stricken people. He
immediately organized a Jewish Army for the defense of Jerusalem while
the reconstruction of the crumbling walls was in progress. When the army
was assembled, he addressed the troops in order to inspire battlefield
courage.
When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials
and the rest of the people: "Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord
who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, (Nation) your sons,
your daughters, (Family) your wives (Marriage) and your houses."
(Freedom --- volition)
(Neh 4:14)
Though physically outnumbered by the enemy forces, the Jews had a
vastly superior strength on their side the Lord of the Armies, Jesus Christ.
“...If (Since) God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom 8:31)
Was Nehemiah’s battle cry! If Jesus Christ did not hesitate to kill the
enemy, neither should they! Then Nehemiah reminded them of the Divine
institutions, which are the ONLY motivation for justified warfare: their nation
— Divine Institution Number Four; their families Number Three; their wives
— Number Two; their homes — Number One — the Divine Concept of
freedom and privacy and the right, (Volition) to follow a course of life as
Law-abiding citizens.
Many of you men, as believers in Jesus Christ and as members of an
authorized military unit, will engage in combat with Communists. At that
time, I want you to remember this Precept: when you, filled with the Spirit,
kill the enemy, you are fulfilling your Christian responsibility! You are
protecting your wives, your sweethearts and your country, and both you
and they should thank God for every one you kill. Never return home with a
guilt complex. The profession of arms is an ancient and honorable calling.
When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had
frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his
work. (Neh 4:15)
A prepared national military heads off enemy aggression. The only
way to avoid war is to be adequately equipped in advance!
Understandably, man desires peace, and his freedom is best expressed in
times of peace; but the manner of achieving and maintaining that peace
has been the subject of much debate throughout history. Disoriented,
unrealistic and demonic individuals advocate peace through capitulation to
the enemy; they assume they can usher in world peace by good will. Yet,
despite man’s efforts for peace, warfare will continue until the Millennium;
(Matt 24:6; Mar 13:7; Luk 21:9) therefore, for the preservation of
nationalism, war is an inevitable, indeed, an essential part of history.
(Num 21:14; Eccles 3:8)
No nation ever achieved a more impressive record for maintaining
national peace than the Romans, who enjoyed several periods of over one
hundred years without war. Why? Because of their total military
preparedness! Tacitus, a Roman historian, explained the power and
strength of SPQR: “The tranquility of a nation is not preserved without
arms. The troops cannot be maintained without pay, and their pay cannot
be made good without taxes.” Taxation, a bona fide function of
government, is the source of support for a military organization. “Pax
Romana” (The peace of Rome) meant not only peace for Rome but for all
its client states and provinces as well. As a result, the Augustan Age
sponsored the second great cultural surge of Western European civilization.
Armies can defend freedom with righteous violence or destroy it with
unrighteous violence. National sovereignty, freedom and integrity inevitably
depend on the winning army and, as a rule, the superior force! In,
(Jer 12:12) the Chaldean Army was destroying the freedom of the Jews; in,
(Jer 34:7) the Jewish Army was struggling to defend their liberty. When the
Chaldean Army emerged victorious, Jewish freedom became a page in
history. (Jer 40:1-3)
A portion of Divine judgment against a nation is military defeat, which
accompanies the fifth cycle of discipline and the enslavement of the people.
There is always a decline in the military establishment before this judgment
occurs. The fifth cycle of discipline was administered to Assyria in 612 B.
C., but the Assyrian military had been deteriorating for thirty years. The
Chaldean military, was in the process of decay since the death of
Nebuchadnezzar in 562 B.C., and was easily subdued by the Persians in
539 B.C. The same was true for both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and
the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Thus, when a nation’s armed forces are
demoralized and unprepared, the nation is in grave danger of losing in war
and forfeiting the freedom of its people.
Since freedom is secured on the battlefield, universal military training
is a vital factor in national survival. (Num 31:3-5; Neh 4:1-23; Luk 14:31)
Initially, the Jewish nation subscribed to universal military training; but with
the passing years, the reduction in forces (RIF) gradually depleted the
army until it virtually ceased to exist!
How blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! O LORD,
they walk in the light of Your countenance. (Psa 89:15)
There is double happiness to the nation which continues to respond to
the call to military preparedness. The plural of the Hebrew noun ASHERE,
“happinesses,” has a two-fold meaning. First, the security derived from
universal military training raises the quality of young men in any generation.
The service regimen can take a “wimp” and transform him into a real man!
Why? It teaches him the self-discipline, team-discipline, respect for
authority, polish and poise so necessary in life. Second, if the quality of the
men is improved, the women are blessed by association. Military training is
futile if the men in the nation are degenerate, apostate and
antiestablishment, full of emotional revolt and scar tissue. Under these
conditions of the soul, self-discipline and respect for authority are
nonexistent; consequently, the idea of a volunteer army becomes ludicrous.
Although there are many fine people serving in VOLAR, it cannot meet the
communist threat of the present hour. Every able-bodied American man,
from eighteen years on, should spend a portion of his life learning the
military skills. This is the only answer to our military problems today.
There are two ways by which a nation is preserved in a crisis: the
victorious action of the military and or the existence of Spiritually mature
believers. When the military is unable to function because of the evil policy
of national rulers or because of general apostasy from reversionism, the
only hope for the nation lies in a maximum number of Spiritually mature
believers. Jesus Christ controls history, and His direct intervention
preserves mature believers who have been faithful in taking in the Word, as
expressed by the last half of, (Psa 89:15). If the nucleus of mature
believers is large enough, the entire nation is delivered. (Psa 46:8-10;
Eccles 9:13-15; Isa 28:4-6; Isa 37:31)
“...Walk in the light of Your countenance” in (Psa 89:15) is a transition
from the military Concept of universal military training to the Spiritual factor
in preserving a nation. There is a relationship between the military
establishment and Spiritual progress. Enlistment in the service is analogous
to entrance into the Plan of God through Salvation. Once you enlist, you
are in full-time Christian service! Advance in the military is achieved by
learning to respect authority — first, from the drill instructor. In the Spiritual
life, advance is accomplished through concentration on the message of
your Spiritual authority, the pastor-teacher. Both require self-discipline
which — in the Spiritual realm, is the assimilation of the Mind of Christ —
Divine Thinking — Truth. Each generation must learn discipline and
authority to perpetuate both national and Spiritual greatness.
Military defeat on the battlefield is an indication of the lack of self-
discipline, Spiritual incentive, motivation for courage and respect for
authority, which are the essential components in the perpetuation of
freedom. Failure of the military can also be an index of the character and
stability of the population of that national entity. In fact, God often uses the
military in action to demonstrate the Spiritual and moral degeneracy of a
nation, as in the conquest of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.
Sometimes defeat will come to the nation which fails to correctly interpret
history as well as current events. This factor, coupled with the overruling
will of God, explains the decline of certain military forces throughout history
that otherwise had superb leadership.
In his last words, Nathan Hale, symbolizing the spirit of patriotism, left
a noble heritage for all Americans when he courageously declared, “I only
regret that I have but one life to lose for my country!”
Those who understand the Laws of Divine establishment know it is better
to die with honor on the field of battle than to be a slave — or worse!
Characteristics of Good Military Leadership
Another index of national character is the type of leadership it
produces, whether civilian or military. (Prov 24:1-6) Business, professional
and military leadership in this country has excelled in the past and has been
one of the keys to our greatness as a nation. All successful leaders are
flexible, have a relaxed mental attitude under pressure and have the ability
to vigorously resolve any contingency at the most advantageous time. They
make policy on the basis of Principle rather than on conformity to a
personality image. Robert E. Lee, Thomas Jonathan Jackson, John J.
Pershing and Douglas MacArthur, to name a few, possessed fantastic
mental attitude dynamics under stress and pressure.
Military leadership demands self-discipline, group-discipline, a sense
of responsibility and courage. Effective leadership includes fighting for the
military, as well as fighting as the military! Military leaders must also
possess the confidence which is derived through professional
understanding and knowledge of military science. Some of the most self-
assured Commanders in history — from Napoleon to Schlieffen — had a
phenomenal Concept of logistics, strategy and tactics. Common sense,
good judgment, loyalty, recognition of authority, fairness to all personnel
regardless of personal prejudices, an understanding of others, executive
ability, good health, flair, poise and courtesy; are all vital in military
leadership.
Economy Based on Free Enterprise
The foundation for the economic prosperity of a nation is free
enterprise. Every country that has operated under free enterprise
Principles has been singularly blessed. Largely as the result of American
free enterprise, the economy of many areas flourished, such as West
Germany, Southern France and Northern Italy, particularly from 1870 until
around 1910. When Woodrow Wilson became president in 1913, an era of
good economy built on free enterprise began to decline.
Under a resurgence of free enterprise, American industry and
ingenuity reached its peak during the World War II era and enabled us to
contribute immeasurably to the winning of that war. Immediately after the
war, our free enterprise system maintained the economy, provided jobs for
men who returned from the war, and gave them the opportunity to go as
far as their ability could carry them with the freedom they so recently had
won.
Few people recognize the relationship between free enterprise and a
good military establishment. Yet this Principle has been understood at
various periods in history, as demonstrated by the Great Elector, Frederick
William of Brandenburg-Prussia. During his reign over these two sections
of land in Northern Germany, there existed at the same time a group of
believers in France called the Huguenots, whose lives were centered in the
Bible. They formed the stable middle-class industrial backbone of France;
until Roman Catholic persecutions and the repeal of the Edict of Nantes,
which had guaranteed their religious freedom, forced them to leave their
mother country. Where did they go?
At the invitation of Frederick William, who promised them capital,
religious liberty and freedom from governmental interference in industry,
the Huguenots moved to Brandenburg-Prussia. There, under the system of
free enterprise, they set up a phenomenal industrial complex and laid the
foundation for a powerful military establishment that was still in effect in the
days of Frederick William’s grandson and continued for 150 years.
Subsequently, under Bismark, there emerged a unified German state
whose greatness and power were a direct result of its adherence to the
Principles of Divine establishment.
Government was never intended to regulate the lives and industry of
individuals. Rather, it is established to protect their inherent rights of
privacy and freedom. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you had better take
another look at industry, because you are looking at the last stand! The
men in industry are supporting the population of this country. If you wipe
out big business, little business will also collapse. Every business
organization is in some way related to the industrial structure. You cannot
name a business that does not depend on some industry.
In Jeremiah, the economic disaster of Judah is related to the rejection
of the Laws of Divine establishment.
"For the mountains I will take up a weeping and wailing, And for the
pastures of the wilderness a dirge, Because they are laid waste so that no
one passes through, And the lowing of the cattle is not heard; Both the
birds of the sky and the beasts have fled; they are gone. (Jer 9:10)
Industry is defined in this context under the Concept of an agricultural
economy. At that time, business had been operating under free enterprise;
but because of the decline of establishment in other areas, particularly the
military, industry was also crippled. Military and economic disintegration
opened the doors to the invading army, and Judah’s land was devastated!
Like Jeremiah, as we see our personal freedoms gradually
diminishing, we may wonder how much longer we can exist as a free
nation. The decline in one area of establishment is always related to the
decline in other areas. Which takes precedence, may vary from time to
time and from nation to nation; in fact the deterioration may occur
simultaneously.
When free enterprise is destroyed and socialism is instituted, taxes
are increased to support such travesties as socialized medicine and a
guaranteed minimum wage, while the military funds are decreased. Then it
is only a matter of how the nation will go out: a depression from the
dissolution of big business; widespread disease as a result of socialized
medicine and consequent lack of incentive in the medical profession; a take-
over by organized crime because the citizenry has been disarmed; or
invasion by enemy forces and loss of freedom due to depletion of the
military! We in this country are on the verge of economic and military
collapse; and just as tears came to Jeremiah’s eyes as he watched the
disintegration of Judah, so we should not only weep but pray for our
country as it faces this danger!
Common Law
In a national entity, there must be a single system of Law which
operates according to the Principle of objectivity. Under this judicial
uniformity, there are two types of Laws — one that controls governmental
function and another that settles and regulates matters among people
within the framework of a nation. Legislation should never encroach upon
freedom; it is designed to protect the life and freedom, privacy and
property of Law-abiding citizens.
Law is perverted when it is used as an attempt to make people
equal, when it caters to expediency or places the honest citizen in jeopardy
under the guise of the satanic policy — the greatest good for the greatest
number. A recent occurrence in an eastern state is a case in point. In the
process of being robbed in his home, a well-to-do citizen shot and
wounded the intruder. Not only did the criminal recover, but he
subsequently sued the homeowner and was awarded substantial damages
which bankrupted the man! In many states, the Law has been so distorted
that the use of firearms to protect one’s life, family or property from
criminal activity no longer constitutes a legal defense.
When the legal system breaks down under subjective legislation or
when good Law is administered by reversionists. It is a simple matter for
the criminal to violate the Law without suffering any serious reprisal. Most
criminal activity is the result of rationalization from blackout and scar tissue
of the soul. (The latter stages of reversionism) The reprobate rationalizes
that since the legal system will shield him, he can indiscriminately murder,
steal, rape, destroy property or indulge in any minor or major infraction of
the Law. So effective have been the demands of the criminal for his “rights’
that today he has been rendered almost immune to punishment. In reality,
the criminal forfeited his rights when he violated the Law. The only right any
Lawbreaker has is the right to a fair trial! When the Law becomes the
basis of removing liberty and intruding upon the privacy of the innocent,
thus subjecting private citizens to criminal activity and violence, the country
has lost the use and protection of its Law.
The Law is intended to restrain crime, to prosecute and remove
violators from society and at the same time to protect Law-abiding citizens;
yet legislators in reversionism are enacting Laws that make almost any
manner of crime a non-punishable offense! Criminals, so to speak, come in
the front door of the Justice Building but are let out through the back door!
The deterioration of Law is as evident today as the network of crime
syndicates, which operate freely and with impunity.
Much of our present legislation is soft on crime; furthermore, it
represents the greatest intrusion upon personal liberty that has ever
existed in this country. Many of the invasions of our privacy are perpetrated
under some subtle ruse, such as the population census or the income tax.
Most people are not even aware that these are attacks upon their freedom
and privacy. I recently read an article entitled “Frogs and Freedom,” which
perfectly describes what is currently happening to our freedoms.
There’s an old story that says you can’t kill a frog by dropping him in
boiling water. He reacts so quickly to the sudden heat that he jumps out
before he’s hurt. But if you put him in cold water and then warm it up
gradually, he never decides to jump till it’s too late. By then he’s cooked.
Men are just as foolish. Take away their freedom overnight, and you’
ve got a violent revolution. But steal it from them gradually, (Under the
guise of security, "peace," and or "progress") you can paralyze an entire
generation. Look at the income tax. It started out as a harmless sounding
1%. It would have been easy to jump out of water as tepid as this, but like
the frog we waited while it climbed even higher. (Try jumping now!)
Worst of all, we never learn. Even today we cannot believe that
Medicare is the same warm water that will one day boil us in Socialized
Medicine. We see no connection between farm price supports and
Nationalized (State controlled) Agriculture. And if we draw a parallel
between subsidized teachers’ pay and federal control of education, we are
called "extremist."
The tragedies of history are always repeated by those who refuse to
learn them. To seek guidance from the past is not "turning the clock back,"
as we are so often told. It is merely a good way to keep out of hot water.
Gun legislation, as advocated today, is another prime example of our
liberties being swallowed up by governmental interference. According to
our Constitution, Law-abiding citizens have the right to own and to use
firearms; and all legislation should defend that right. The prohibition of this
privilege will only result in the removal of guns from honest citizens and
leave weapons in the hands of the felon. Since he knows he is the only one
who is armed, his job is facilitated immensely!
Crime is not the result of individual ownership of firearms! The same
factor that produces a weak society produces crime: reversionism and the
influence of evil in the souls of individuals. When you have a sick society,
you also have a maximum number of criminals in that society because an
evil society cannot restrain crime. Before a person becomes a criminal, he
has entered into the last stages of reversionism — blackout of the soul and
scar tissue — where he is totally influenced by evil, not sin. You must
understand that sin is not synonymous with evil. While evil and sin often
overlap and certain types of evil are also sinful, evil embodies the entire
satanic thought pattern, which is antiestablishment and anti-Truth.
Crime, therefore, does not originate directly in the old sin nature.
While it is true that all criminals are sinners because everyone in the human
race possesses an old sin nature, (Rom 3:23) yet not all sinners are
criminals. Crime involves other influences related to evil: human volition and
deliberate violation of the Laws of Divine establishment. Thus, restraints on
the volition restrain crime, and this is one of the major factors for the
existence of the Laws of Divine establishment.
Common Culture
There must be a common culture in a national entity which reflects the
Spiritual life, the obedience, the nobility and the patriotism of the people.
Culture is expressed in at least four areas: literature, drama, art and
music. For example, music, whatever style — classical, baroque,
impressionistic, jazz, pop, swing, and patriotic — should inspire and uplift.
By this standard, much of our contemporary music, such as “Psychedelic,’
“Rock” and the “Beat,” reflects chaos, disorder and confusion, and
encourages the breakdown of the Laws of establishment and glorifies the
use of drugs. Art, literature and drama should always manifest the vigor,
the best of a nation — not its decadence and reversionism. Much of our
present-day culture represents the old sin nature and the psychotic soul.
People in reversionism cultivate the evil and the ugly, the degrading and the
seamy side of life, rather than that which is lofty and noble — the true
purpose of the arts.
Governmental Function
The administration of government-must operate in compliance with
the foregoing Principles of patriotism and allow the genius of its people to
express itself. This is done through two channels: one, to leave its citizens
alone without governmental interference; and two, to protect those citizens
from criminal activity; (The old sin natures’ of people) in the country and
from without. While we are born with certain unquestionable rights, the
government is designed to protect, not to guarantee these rights to
everyone nor indeed to anyone! Neither can we compel the government to
give us those commodities which are already our natural rights. This was
certainly not the intent of our forefathers in framing the Constitution. The
purpose of the Constitution was to prohibit the Federal Government from
tampering with our rights. It is important to understand the distinction
between the Principle of inherent right and that to which we have a right.
“Rights” are merely the just or Lawful claims on whatever we can lawfully
possess by our own efforts and abilities. In other words, the government
must not guaranty us food, shelter, clothing, property, jobs, etc.; but it
must protect our freedom to lawfully acquire them! Our inherent rights to
exploit whatever opportunities come our way must not be denied or
tampered with!
Tragically, in this country, an ever-expanding bureaucracy of
demoniacally minded people has dissipated our national prosperity through
a system of governmental agencies instituted to encroach in every area of
our society. Consequently, in the name of politics, we are saddled with a
group of self-serving individuals, who lack Spiritual Virtue — in ALL places
of leadership; such a condition stifles ingenuity and incentive. In this sense,
our federal government has become an immoral hierarchy! With one goal in
mind; the bringing in of the "One World" government!
Freedom to Evangelize
Freedom provides the basis for the proper function of evangelism.
Since freedom of choice is prerequisite for response to the Gospel,
national freedom becomes essential in order that Gospel information may
be disseminated without fear of punishment; and those who do believe in
Christ must not be subjected to retaliation. Every person who is positive at
the point of God-consciousness has the right to hear the alternatives and to
exercise positive or negative volition toward the Gospel.
"He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not
obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
(John 3:36)
The Laws of establishment protect human freedom and enable
evangelism to function in every generation. While the agents of evangelism
vary in each dispensation of human history, the Principle of evangelism
remains unchanged that is, the Gospel will always be presented, and those
who accept its Truth will be saved. (Acts 16:31) Obviously, evangelism and
the teaching of Truth must occur where people are — the inhabited earth;
but where many people congregate, crime and violence will be inevitable,
because of the angelic conflict and the influence of evil. Without a system
of authority to restrain them, people will always cease to behave like
human beings. When every man does that which is right in his own eyes,
(Jdg 17:6) Law and order breaks down in society; the Law of the jungle
takes over, and like a pack of wild animals, the strong tyrannize the weak.
A perfect illustration is the conditions that exist in any disaster or
catastrophe situation where all authority has been temporarily wiped out.
Looters and marauders descend to plunder, rape, and destroy. Overt
restraints are necessary to curb this vile activity of mankind.
Evangelism is virtually impossible under such chaotic conditions. Only
by God’s overruling will, in cases of positive volition, can the Truth be made
available. To bring order out of chaos, God instituted the Laws of
establishment as part of Jesus Christ’s control of history so that mankind
would continue to exist, be evangelized and grow to Spiritual maturity, even
in the devil’s world! The Divine institutions were also established by God for
this same purpose. Even in the worst period of human history — the
Tribulation — volition, marriage, families and nations will still exist. No
disaster, no type of warfare nor satanic strategy can eliminate the human
race and the individual right to choose for or against God’s Plan.
(Matt 24:14) The only issue is whether this will be done under an orderly
system or under extremely difficult conditions of confusion and tumult.
Again, this reminds us of the axiom that Jesus Christ controls history —
directly, indirectly and permissively!
Satan would neutralize or destroy the human race if he could, and the
angelic warfare would be “no contest!” But when God created man. He
also assumed responsibility for maintaining him; therefore, the human race
can never be eradicated. No nuclear weapon, no invention devised by man
will ever decimate the entire populated earth. (Until the end of the
Tribulation period) Nothing or no one can set aside or negate the Plan of
God. Individuals will die — even in tremendous numbers; but God’s Plan
grants that humanity itself will survive. The fear that someone will “push a
button, a meteor collision, a plague, an economic system collapse, and no
healthcare” makes a sensational movie plot, and it also makes cowards of
people and politicians! This is the demonic cry from the leaders in our
national government! As a result, our nation has become deceived.
Furthermore, such timidity by the people is a contributing factor in the rush
toward internationalism, a system sponsored by Satan; and never more
present, in internal and external affairs than in our time!
NATIONALISM VERSUS INTERNATIONALISM
While nationalism provides the maximum opportunity for freedom to
operate under the Laws of establishment, internationalism, by the very
nature of its system, is more vulnerable to despotism and tyranny. Why?
Because of the influence of evil and the lust pattern of the old sin natures’;
OF ALL PEOPLE! (Rom 7:18) Internationalism imposes fewer restraints
on the sin natures of those in power and allows greater margin for the
enslavement of people. Nationalism is God’s system for safeguarding
mankind by providing a balance of power among many nations rather than
a concentration of power in the hands of a few individuals. (Gen 11:1-9)
Under internationalism, Satan can more easily rule his domain and enforce
his policy of evil, which includes the destruction of human freedom. While
leadership often functions under the influence of evil in one nation,
nationalism acts as a deterrent to the spreading of this evil to other
countries. Nationalism isolates evil; it does not prevent it. Only adherence
to Divine establishment and Spiritual growth can frustrate evil!
The satanic strategy is to weaken and deceive the nations,
(Isa 14:12; Rev 20:8) in order to wrest control of the world from Jesus
Christ, as the devil has already seized its rulership from man. (John 12:31)
What better way than to oppose and destroy God’s Plan of nationalism?
Satan’s first scheme was the Tower of Babel where he sponsored the
building of a city and mammoth tower, which would be the basis for an
international religion. It became the focal point for power and a breeding
ground for concentrated evil and rejection of God.
(Gen 11:3-4; cf., Isa 14:12-14)
God’s indictment against the combined efforts of Satan and man was
the dispersion of the human race, the institution of national boundaries and
the creation of many languages. (Gen 11:8-9)
The idea that there would be better understanding and brotherhood
among nations if all the languages in the world were merged into one
common language has been once and for all demonstrated to be mere
illusion. Man’s problem is not a multiplicity of languages or the lack of
international understanding; but the ever-present influence of demonism
and the fact that we all possess the old sin nature — that the demons use
to war with us. (Eph 6:12) A universal language did not guard that
civilization against satanic evil or the expression of Satan’s policy — in
human old sin nature good,” nor will it today. (Gen 8:21) Like sheep,
people are easily led astray and taken in by the devil’s deceptions.
(2Ti 2:25-26) Only the believer who knows and understands God’s Thinking
can see through his clever devices. (2Co 2:11)
Satan has never ceased his efforts to organize a one-world system.
Indeed, as history moves-on to its culmination, the devil’s aims of
internationalism will appear to succeed. However, with all his genius, Satan
is incapable of pulling the peoples of the world together and ruling them
under internationalism, as will be demonstrated during the final period of
the Tribulation. He can never circumvent God’s Plan of nationalism!
Contrary to what is so often proclaimed from the pulpits today, God’s
Word neither advocates nor condones internationalism. During the angelic
conflict, internationalism or one-world-ism is satanic, anti-Christian and anti-
God. This includes the United Nations, the World Council of Churches,
Communism and every other international system, whether political or
religious. Internationalism has no place in God’s system. It is outlawed all
the way! Even in the Millennium, national entities will remain existent.
(Isa 61:11)
Before World War II, most of the sentiment of the people in Western
Europe had moved toward internationalism. Communism was making
inroads in those countries as well as in the United States. The majority of
citizens in this country are deluded by the visionary proclamations of the
communistic Concept, and every day the ideals of a welfare state become
more popular. In our reversionistic, mixed-up society, an unrealistic attitude
toward internationalism continues to prevail which, if it persists, will
ultimately lead to our doom.
And he causes ALL, the small and the great, and the rich and the
poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right
hand or on their forehead, and he provides that no one will be able to buy
or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast
or the number of his name. (Rev 13:16-17)
Why do we cling to this anti-Biblical Concept? Because the time has
come for man to make the choice for or against Christ and for or against
Divine Thinking; Truth!
When a nation is on the skids, only the Word of Truth or a sudden,
overwhelming catastrophe will awaken its citizens. Sometimes the
awakening comes too late, as with the Carthaginians in the Third Punic
War. By the time they realized that Rome was intent on their annihilation,
they had already accomplished extensive disarmament, their defenses had
fallen into disrepair and their fate was sealed. In a last ditch effort,
Carthage under siege held for four years, but the Romans were victorious.
The Carthaginians’ ivory-tower attitudes rendered their defeat inevitable.
The majority in this country are filled with the same naiveté, so far removed
from GOD’S REALITY! That unless we get back to the Divine Thinking of
the Word of God, our land too will be obliterated! There are only two ways
to learn the Principles of Divine establishment: the easy way — through the
Bible, or the hard way — through a national crisis!
ALTERNATE LAWS TO ESTABLISHMENT
God has a series of Laws which go into effect when a nation rejects
the Laws of Divine establishment. These are Principles of judgment defined
in the five cycles of discipline, which result in national disaster and finally in
the destruction of the nation. (Lev 26:13-39)
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, "Behold, I will refine them
and assay them; For what else can I do, because of the daughter of My
people?
(Jer 9:7)
God causes the nations that disregard His Laws to go through the fire
of adversity. Whenever a majority of the people in a nation become so
influenced by evil that they depart completely from every Principle of
establishment, not to mention Christianity, then God puts that nation
through the refining process.
(Isa 48:10)
Many national disasters perfectly illustrate the Principles of,
(Amos 3:6; Jer 18:7-11). Under pressure, evil cannot sustain; thus, during
a catastrophe, the dross is burned off and the nation is purified from
corruption. The people turn back to the Laws of Divine establishment,
Christ and Truth — the survivors are thereby protected from annihilation.
(Rev 11:13) God cannot do otherwise than to purge a nation when it
reaches the point of national degeneracy and moral disintegration. Those
who are totally infected with evil are removed, and the remnant of believers
that survive are protected. This is consistent with God’s character and His
grace as well as the best interests of the national entity!
REVOLUTION AND ESTABLISHMENT
Throughout the course of the angelic conflict, Satan launches major
offensives against the Gospel, Doctrine, Divine institutions and
establishment. (Against ALL Divine Thinking and Plans) In order to affirm
his rule over his cosmic kingdom and to superimpose his volition over Homo
sapiens, he often resorts to the violent overthrow of duly established
authority in a nation. However, bear in mind that while Satan has usurped
the rulership of the world, he rules only by the permissive will of God; he
can do no more than God allows! (Job 2:1-10) Jesus Christ will always be
in control of history! When events in human history get so out of hand that
the true issues in the angelic conflict are obscured or the survival of
mankind is threatened, God steps in to overrule and control.
As long as man shall live on this earth, God protects the function of
human volition. Free will must be operational for the angelic conflict to be
resolved and concluded. Were revolution allowed to become too
widespread, man’s volition would be left unprotected and completely
throttled by Lawless violence and anarchy. Consequently, revolutions may
run their course only until they begin to jeopardize God’s purpose for
mankind in the resolution of the angelic conflict. Since revolution involves
the antagonism of evil against the system of authority ordained by God to
protect the human race, we must understand the true Biblical Concept of
evil.
Evil encompasses the entire policy and thinking of Satan as the ruler
of this world. Contrary to general opinion, sin is not the primary issue in the
Spiritual battle. The sin problem was settled once and for all at the Cross
and is resolved initially by personal Salvation and subsequently in Spiritual
growth and by rebound or by discipline for failure to rebound.
(1Co 11:30-31) While some sin is included in and overlaps evil at various
points, the Concept of evil is much broader in scope. Evil involves human
old sin nature good, which is the application of Satan’s policy to human
experience.
(Acts 5:1-5) This satanic plan includes every attempt to solve the problems
of life apart from Christ and Truth. It also incorporates every plan that is
antithetical to God’s Plan: religion,” socialism, communism, political
internationalism and “brotherly love,” altruism, humanitarianism,
philanthropy, public welfare, revolution, “the greatest good for the greatest
number,” governmental interference in Divine establishment, coercion by
legislation to name a few! Any and every deviation from the Mind and
Thinking of Christ, (1Co 2:16) such as reversionism, apostasy, legalism
and or any organized “Christian program” which attempts to sponsor
Spiritual growth, apart from the filling of God the Holy Spirit and the daily
intake and Thinking with Divine Thoughts: is evil! (John 4:23-24)
Satan’s policy was in the pristine Garden — in the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, which represented Satan’s sin nature and the
cosmic system; when he took over as ruler of the world. The original man
and woman partook of the forbidden tree, and at that moment, Satan’s
plan replaced God’s Plan. Under Satan’s rule, the first application of evil
thinking in human history, was an act of human old sin nature good —
Operation Fig Leaves. (Gen 3:4-7) (If we are superficially and or relatively
right with each other; we will be justified before God)
As the plan and policy of Satan, evil is a reaction against both Truth
and the Laws of Divine establishment and is therefore the false Concept
behind all revolution. (Psa 64:4-5; Prov 17:11) When satanically sponsored
liberal panaceas are escalated into governmental tyranny then evil is in full
bloom. By definition, revolution is a radical, sudden change in political
organization, constitution or governmental structure; the overthrow,
generally accomplished by violence, of duly constituted authority. Without
using the existing Laws of election or succession, revolution overturns
established government, tears down the authority of establishment by
means of violence and replaces it with another power.
The evil motivation behind revolution can be mental attitude sins, such
as arrogance, jealousy, vindictiveness, implacability; it can stem from the
lust pattern of the old sin nature — power or approbation lust; or it can be
a sincere desire to do "good." Aristotle, the teacher of Alexander the
Great, wrote in his Politics: “Inferiors revolt in order that they may be
equals, and equals revolt that they may be superior. Such is the state of
mind which creates revolution!”
Since evil runs the gamut from religion, legalism, liberalism,
reversionism and apostasy to socialism, altruism, reformation and public
welfare, these demonic thoughts produce numerous antithetical types of
revolutionaries. A revolutionist may be a power-mad dictator or a sweet,
well-meaning clergyman; a sincere visionary and reformer or a hard-core
Bolshevik; a deprived, exploited, downtrodden derelict of society or an
ambitious, wealthy member of the aristocracy. He might even be a
reversionistic Christian attempting to improve the devil’s world. Regardless
of the particular brand of evil the revolutionist advocates, he is an opponent
of human freedom.
While revolution is often condoned on the basis of promoting a great
and noble cause, the Word of God never justifies revolution! But the the
Word of God always justifies fighting to protect freedom! (Esther 9:16)
God demonstrated His attitude toward revolution in, (Num 16:1-33). When
the BELIEVERS; Korah, Dathan and Abiram revolted against Moses’
authority
(cf. Jud 1:11-13) God destroyed them in an earthquake, and their followers
were consumed by a plague of fire. Even though the revolutionary cause is
frequently led by sincere but naive do-gooders, revolution is always anti-
God, antiestablishment and can be traced to that trend of evil which begins
with some form of reversionism or apostasy.
Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of
Israel. (Isa 31:6)
Whether in the believer or the unbeliever, reversionism always seeks
human solutions to the problems of life. These solutions may or may not be
related to the sins of the old sin nature, but they invariably advocate the
overthrow of establishment-type authority and establishment values.
Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; (Angelic conflict) For the
LORD speaks, "Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted
against Me. "An ox [Ignorance] knows its owner, And a donkey [Arrogance]
its master’s manger, But Israel does not know, My people do not
understand." Alas, sinful nation, People weighed down with iniquity,
Offspring of evildoers, Sons who act corruptly! They have abandoned the
LORD, They have despised the Holy One of Israel, They have turned away
from Him. Where will you be stricken again, As you continue in your
rebellion? The whole head is sick And the whole heart is faint. (Isa 1:2-5)
When revolutionary ideology is allowed to undermine establishment
issues, national psychosis sets in.
The revolutionist has no regard for the Concept of duly constituted
authority. He cannot separate the Principle of authority from the individual
or individuals who exercise or possibly abuse that authority. Consequently,
he reacts by destroying both the leadership and the authority that
leadership represents. Irrespective of whether you agree or disagree with
the person in authority, and irrespective of how corrupt he may be,
recognition of the Divine order and the correction of abuses within the
framework of that recognized order are the only means of ultimately
righting an injustice. (1Pe 2:13-23) This applies not just to governmental
function but to business, marriage, the military, the church and many other
areas of life. Church revolutions occur when the congregation rejects the
pastor’s authority and attempts to usurp his God-given prerogative.
(Heb 13:7-17)
Neither the French Revolution of 1789 nor the Russian Revolution of
1917 was justified. They were in utter opposition to God’s order.
(Rom 13:1-7; (1Pe 2:13-14) In both cases, the revolution was evil, and the
one authority as well as the authority itself was destroyed. Whatever evil
may have existed under the Bourbon and Romanov dynasties, it was only
replaced by a worse evil. These two classic revolutions were the result of
overthrow of establishment authority by mob violence. The anatomy of
revolution is always the same. Although it may take many years before the
final eruption occurs, liberalism breeds revolt in the minds of the people
and prepares the ground in which the seeds of revolution can be planted.
Evil thinking infiltrates every facet of life — economic, educational, political,
Spiritual — and conditions the people for the overthrow of authority. Once
the machinery of revolution is set into motion, the radicals grow bold and,
with the moral decline of the people, begin to act like a mob. Violence
becomes the order of the day, as described by Edmund Burke, the great
British statesman, in Reflections on the French Revolution: “In the groves of
their academy, [The French Revolution] at the end of every vista, you see
nothing but the gallows. Invariably, the liberals, who in confused idealism
and stupidity opened the floodgates to such catastrophes, are swept away
with the innocent. All vestiges of the former governmental structure are
destroyed. Chaos ensues; and authority, freedom, privacy and property
are wiped out!
The question is often asked, “What about the American Revolution of
1775? Was it a revolution comparable to the French or Communist
Revolutions?” It was not! “Revolutionary War” is a misnomer. The term
“revolution,” in its true Biblical connotation, is always evil. Any change
brought about through establishment Principles, cannot technically be
classed as a revolution. Initially, there was a struggle on the part of the
colonists to gain representation in the English government. Denied this
representation, the effort grew into a “War for Independence” and became
a fight to retain freedom under the proper function of establishment rather
than an overthrow of government.
British subjects in America... were then the freest people in the world,
and in many respects more free than anyone today. They argued and then
fought, not to obtain freedom but to confirm the freedom they already had
or claimed! As it would be today, if the current government turned into a
tyranny; and began the dismantling of freedom and establishment
Principles!
In England, legislative power was vested in the lower House of
Parliament. The thirteen colonies were being taxed without being
represented in the House of Commons. Taxation is bona fide as a part of
Divine Institution Number Four; but taxation without representation is a
violation of the Principles of both Divine Institutions One and Four! This fact
made the war a battle against tyranny rather than a revolt against authority
and resulted in the emergence of a strong and vigorous pro-establishment
nation.
Edmund Burke understood perfectly that the American conflict with
England was not a revolution but a justified demand for representation.
Just as he vigorously opposed and condemned the French Revolution, so
he continued to support the cause of the colonists, and he stated this
Principle before the House of Commons in 1775 in his brilliant speech,
“Conciliation with America.”
The Bible discloses that the source of revolution is the heart or right
lobe of the soul, which results from the infiltration of false Biblical satanic
thoughts.
Transgressing and denying the LORD, And turning away from our
God, Speaking oppression and revolt, Conceiving in and uttering from the
heart lying words. (Isa 59:13)
’But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; They have
turned aside and departed. (Jer 5:23)
Revolution, which is the result of a breakdown of respect for the
Laws of establishment, sweeps toward disaster a collection of
reversionists who are under the influence of evil. Every Concept of Law
and order and authority is obliterated in their right lobes prior to or during
their participation in revolution. Apostasy and reversionism neutralize the
true function of the frame of reference and its memory center; they
eradicate the norms and standards in the conscience of the soul so that the
Laws set up by God are no longer a part of the vocabulary and categories
of the right lobe, nor are they retained on the “launching pad” for
application to experience. (Heb 3:15)
The Lawless mobs spawned by revolution can neither think nor listen
to reason. Revolutionists seek to overturn the establishment in a grab for
power, yet they totally lack a sense of responsibility. Irrational and
emotional, mob action is the epitome of stupidity. While there may be
individuals in the mob who have a genius IQ, in the mob, mentality is
inevitably swept away by the lowest common denominator; blind emotion!
Intimidation of delegated authority by mob violence destroys the
safeguards of freedom and results in anarchy, which can then be exploited
by evil men. Individual liberty is always wiped out in revolution!
The Lawless seek to gain power through violence. The only way to
halt antiestablishment violence is by meeting it with a greater violence. In
other words, unjust violence must be suppressed by the strong arm of the
Law! Unlike the wanton destructiveness of the mob, the legitimate
application of force under establishment is controlled and orderly. Those in
authority who have honor, righteousness and integrity can utilize superior
might without corrupting the power involved. The nation’s internal use of
legitimate violence is embodied in the Law and is expressed to the
maximum by capital punishment, in order to curb the malignant violence of
crime. Externally, military action is the force of righteousness which
purchases national freedom and crushes the evil fury of the aggressor!
In general, there are several types of revolution: first, political, such
as the French and Russian Revolutions, which embodies the overthrow of
existing government; second, legalistic, exemplified by the Pharisees in the
time of Christ. Their distortion of the Scriptures led to blatant opposition to
the Person of Christ and to their subsequent self-destruction. The
Judaizers, too, were in legalistic revolt against Truth; consequently, they
resented the teaching of Paul. A third type of revolution, economic, is the
overthrow of free enterprise in business. Governmental regulation and
ownership of private industry has created a crisis that has bankrupted
England — spread to Australia and is on the verge of destroying our own
country’s prosperity. A fourth, social, occurs when there is reaction against
the accepted norms and standards of an established culture. This results in
a radical, kaleidoscopic change in life-styles, fashions and education.
Social revolution is evident everywhere in the United States: the "new"
American has emerged in gay marriage, socialism, universal obamacare,
internationalism and the suppression of Truth in every form — patriotism
has diminished; Law enforcement faces constant opposition; and capital
punishment, which has only recently been reinstated, is an object of
negative public opinion. Crime is on the increase; pornography is prevalent;
and the illicit and now semi-legal traffic and use of narcotics and marijuana
continue to thrive. This revolt against traditional Concepts in society is the
result of mental revolution against God. (Rom 1:19-26) Those who are
involved in this type of rebellion are not only vociferously antiestablishment,
but they have defied the very Laws that have given them the freedom to be
defiant! They demand privilege without responsibility! By rejecting the
discipline and order of establishment, they have chosen the path of self-
destruction, chaos and national disaster. Not only will they suffer personally
from the consequences of human degeneracy and anarchy, (Rom 1:27-32)
but so will others in their periphery!
Freedom is like mercury: when you squeeze it, you lose it. Revolution
puts the squeeze on freedom. While our Constitution protects our personal
liberty, many people understand it only in the sense of being free to steal,
to rape, to kill or to do as they please, irrespective of anyone else’s rights.
In so doing, they not only violate the rights of others, but they forfeit their
own right to remain at liberty. Nothing durable or worthwhile is ever
achieved through revolution. Even in governments where gross inequity and
injustice exist, revolution can never rectify the situation. The end does not
justify the means. One evil is only replaced by a greater evil. The Anglo-
Saxon heritage of the United States demands the avoidance of evil force
and violence as a means to solving problems. The only permanent solution
for national as well as individual wrongs is found in positive volition toward
the Gospel, Bible Truth (Eze 2:3-10) and in adherence to the Laws of
DIVINE ESTABLISHMENT!
AUTHORITY IN ESTABLISHMENT.
Authority is essential for every function in life. Freedom ceases to
exist where authority is not exercised and respected. Hence, as a
safeguard for freedom, authority is not only an integral part but the very
basis of Divine establishment. By definition, authority is the legal power
delegated by God under the Laws of Divine establishment, whereby certain
members of the human race have jurisdiction over and responsibility for
other members of the human race. Authority is absolutely necessary in any
association of two or more people, either in settling disputes or in
determining policy. Someone must be responsible for making the final
decisions; someone’s judgment must prevail. Thus, authority is a critical
factor in creating a stabilized atmosphere of peace, justice and liberty.
The authority of the policeman on the corner and the judge on the bench is
ordained by God to protect the freedom of a nation by due process of
Law: apprehension, adjudication and punishment of those guilty of crime.
The motto of establishment is “Live and let live”; but the criminal who has
violated the rights, privacy and property of others, must be incarcerated
and or executed. Without restraint on crime, chaos rules, and freedom is
destroyed from within.
Even the individual’s capacity for life is based on self-imposed
authority over his own soul! Unless he can set up and enforce priorities in
his life, he will never mature or develop the capacities that accrue only to
those who possess self-discipline. Most of the problems in life are the
result of either lack of self-discipline or rejection of Divine authority.
(Psa 2:1-12)
Long before the creation of mankind, Lucifer, the most magnificent
and powerful of all the angels, revolted against God, the only Authority
higher than his own. (Isa 14:12-16) The arrogance of this super-angel led
to his rejection of Divine authority. He thus perpetrated his own fall and
initiated the angelic conflict. Authority again became an issue when
mankind was created as an extension of the angelic conflict.
In the Garden, the woman lived under two Principles of authority —
her right man, Adam, and her Bible Teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ. She
failed on both counts! Her lack of concentration in Bible class resulted in
rejection of Spiritual authority; thus, ignorant of Truth, she was easily
deceived into committing the first sin in human history. (1Ti 2:11-15) The
woman also rejected the temporal authority held by Adam, who was both
her right man and the ruler of the world. Adam failed as well. When he
accepted the forbidden fruit, he threw away his own authority and bowed
to the dictates of his wife! The result was the Fall of man, the takeover of
the world by Satan and the entrance of evil into the human race.
Those who do not respect authority are basically arrogant. In fact,
the criterion for arrogance, whether in angels or in men, is the lack of
response to authority. Arrogance is a heinous sin, the result of evil thinking.
(Prov 6:16-19) When arrogance is put under pressure, its counterparts rise
to the surface. These may be jealousy, cowardice or some other sin that
had always lurked behind the facade of pride. Under the influence of evil,
national arrogance in the United States has reached unprecedented
proportions, as demonstrated by its citizens’ almost total rejection of
Divinely constituted authority. The police officer is despised, judges are no
longer respected; the uniforms of our armed services are ridiculed.
Criminals go unpunished, while labor unions are permitted to practice
extortion against the owners of industry. Students riot on college campuses
and demand rights totally incompatible with the academic processes.
Pastors are turned into “beanbags,” husbands are not reverenced, and
children do not respect the authority of their parents. Because our very
national existence depends on the reversal of this trend, we have reached
a stage in which the only solution is the inculcation of the Mind of Christ!
(1Co 2:16)
SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY
The Authority of God
The ultimate authority, of course, is God. His authority is expressed
today through the Word of Truth — not through dreams, visions, trances or
miraculous Spiritual gifts. His will and His Plan are clearly defined in
Scripture. Respect for God’s sovereignty is learned in one of two ways:
directly, through Divine discipline; (Heb 12:9-11) or indirectly, through the
pastor-teacher’s communication of Truth, which results in blessing.
Suffering and Divine discipline are inevitable to the individual, as well as to
the nation which resists God’s authority and the Principles of
establishment. Authority is one of the most underrated Concepts in
Theology. Every Principle of Truth is related to authority; furthermore, all
other authorities in life stem from God’s Word.
Apostolic Authority
The unique authority of Jesus Christ is, of course, supreme; but the
apostles held the highest Spiritual authority ever given to human beings.
(2Co 10:8) Paul, as the top-ranking apostle, possessed the greatest
authority and ruler-ship ever bestowed by God in the Church. When he
began an epistle by announcing, “Paul, an apostle of the Lord Jesus
Christ,” he was stating his rank. He was saying in effect, “Clear the decks
for action — the admiral has arrived!” And that is exactly what apostle
means — “Admiral of the Fleet.” However, the Spiritual gift of apostleship
was existent only during the formation of the New Testament Canon. In the
pre-canon period of the Church Age, (A.D. 30-96) it was necessary for
someone to possess, the authority of absolute dictatorship in order to
establish churches, to train pastors, to regulate Truth, to formulate policy
and to keep the churches Doctrinally straight, as well as to be used by
God the Holy Spirit to write Scripture.
The entire New Testament was written under apostolic authority,
whether by the apostles themselves or their close associates. For
example, Peter dictated the Gospel to Mark, while Luke, Paul’s co-worker,
wrote the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. In A.D. 96, with the death
of the Apostle John, the gift of apostleship was permanently removed.
There is no basis for the claims of Romanism, which insists on the
perpetuation of apostolic authority. The function of apostleship is now
replaced by the authority of the written Word of God, and the “regimental
colors’ have been passed to a new Commander the pastor-teacher.
(2Ti 4:1-2)
Authority in the Local Church
The Word of God authorized the autonomous local church as the only
place where Church Age believers can grow in the knowledge of Truth to
the point of Spiritual maturity. Denominations, church councils and
independent organizations outside the local church are definitely not
Biblically sanctioned and can never cause their members to grow
Spiritually. Within each local assembly, the authority is vested in one pastor-
teacher. He delegates authority to deacons and others in his administrative
system, but they have no jurisdiction over the congregation. (Acts 6:1-7)
Fundamentalism is divided into many camps with regard to authority
in the local church. Some groups do not believe in a pastor at all, and some
think there should be a plurality of elders. (Multiplicity of pastors) Others
believe that authority should be vested in one or two boards or in some
form of hierarchy. But the Bible teaches that the final, human authority in
the local church is the pastor.
Remember those who led you, who spoke the Word of God to you;
and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith. (Grow to
Spiritual maturity) (Heb 13:7)
Who has the rule over you? The deacons? No! The Scripture plainly
states that those “who have communicated to you the Word of God” are
the only ones who have authority over you. The only one who falls into that
category is the pastor-teacher, and he establishes his authority by faithful
Bible teaching. But, you say, “This verse just says to remember them.”
Stand by for a shock! The Principle is amplified in verse 17.
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your
souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not
with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you. (Heb 13:17)
You are Commanded to obey and to submit to the authority of your
pastor-teacher. Since every believer is a Royal Priest, it is important to
understand the structure of authority instituted by God for the growth and
progress of each member of the Royal Family of God. First is overt
authority, which includes the Word of God, the communicator of the Word,
(Pastor-teacher) and the administrative function of deacons. Second, the
inner authority is the exercise of the believer’s volition, as he assembles for
Bible teaching and maintains objectivity, even under the fire of rebuke by
the Word. The injunction of, (Heb 13:17) brings together these two basic
categories.
A sign of human maturity is the ability to recognize bona fide authority
and to respond objectively. Only through affirmative response to Bible
teaching, coupled with the filling of the Spirit, can believers grow in grace
and advance to Spiritual maturity. The responsibility for the transfer of
Truth from the Canon of Scripture to the individual soul belongs to the
pastor. But apart from strict academic discipline in the classroom of the
local church, and or computer; the pastor cannot effectively communicate
Truth with its variety of subjects. The key to learning Truth is
cooperativeness to the properly sanctioned authority. When conflicting
personalities, preconceived thoughts and or viewpoints interfere with the
believer’s objectivity, self-discipline becomes the cohesive factor.
The phrase, “for these same ones keep watching, (Must be alert) for
the benefit of your souls,” and presents a further reason why a pastor must
have authority in his congregation. The word “pastor’ means “shepherd.”
He is the shepherd of his flock and is directly accountable to Christ, the
Chief Shepherd. (Heb 13:20; (1Pe 5:4) The pastor must be alert to shield
his sheep from bullying by others in the flock and to protect their privacy
and rights by removing those believers who are unruly, who gossip, malign
and intrude into the affairs of others in the Royal Family. His authority,
therefore, assures the privacy of believers and makes it possible for them
to learn Truth. He must also be on guard to eliminate false Truth, or Christ
will eject him from the “cockpit of that local church. (2Ti 1:13-14; Rev 2:5)
Because bona fide problems can and do exist in the local church —
not only because of ordinary pressures, but also as a consequence of the
angelic conflict — there must be a final authority, and it must be based
upon the Word of God. The Principle of authority must not be confused
with tyranny; the pastor has no license to be a bully. He should be the
epitome of self-discipline, have an understanding of administration and the
delegation of authority and possess enough leadership ability not to abuse
the tremendous power invested in him by God through the gift of pastor-
teacher. He must furthermore have the Spiritual courage to make Decisions
consistent with Truth.
The pastor’s authority, which extends only within the limits of his local
church, is designed to give him the right to administer Divine policies and to
communicate the Word of Truth. (1Th 2:13) If he does not exercise this
prerogative, he will find himself in the indefensible position of being a
doormat; he easily succumbs to the dictates of the congregation, and
anarchy and confusion reign!
TEMPORAL AUTHORITY
Authority in the Divine Institutions
Divine Institution Number One — Volition. As the authority within each
individual; free will is the basis for freedom and is therefore the very center
of Divine establishment. The proper regulation of volition in the soul
demands self-discipline. Self-discipline is the consistent self-determination
and concentration on an objective and avoidance of any distractions that
hinder the accomplishment of that objective! (In our case; to reach Spiritual
maturity) All truly great people in life are self-disciplined. Self-discipline is
the foundation of integrity, honor and nobility as well as all the attributes of
character that enable a person to enjoy life to the fullest.
General John Brown Gordon described the importance of the
authority of Divine Institution Number One, throughout the Laws of Divine
establishment. He tells the story of the Confederate troops facing the
almost invincible Union position on top of Malvern Hill. Yankee artillery was
mercilessly pounding the Southern lines, tearing great gaps through the
ranks. It was a terrifying situation! As the shells struck, their victims were
literally blown apart! Hands, arms, pieces of flesh would fly through the air
and land among the soldiers. There was noise, dust and death all around!
In the midst of this carnage, a panic-stricken rabbit suddenly jumped out of
its hiding place and sprinted furiously toward the rear, away from the
gunfire. A mountaineer in the Confederate ranks noted the rabbits speed
and direction of flight and, raising his voice so that it could be heard above
the din of the battle, he shouted, “Go to it, Molly Cottontail! I’d be going
with you if it wasn’t for my character!”
General Gordon continued:
In this connection, I am reminded of the commonplace but important
fact that the combined character of a people of any country depends upon
the personal character of its individual citizens; and that the stability of the
popular government depends far more upon the character, the individual,
personal character of its people, than it does upon any Constitution that
could be adopted or statutes that could be enacted. What would
safeguards be worth if the character of the people did not sustain and
enforce them? The Constitution would be broken, the Laws defied; riot and
anarchy would destroy both, and with them the government itself. And of all
the countries on earth this one, with its universal suffrage, its divergent and
conflicting interests, its immense expanse of territory, and its large
population, made up from every class and race, and still to be increased in
the coming years, is far more dependent than any other upon the character
of its peopled
A person who lacks self-discipline lacks capacity for life and cannot
fully enjoy any activity, no matter how pleasant. In fact, an undisciplined
person cannot even properly use his own freedom because the exercise of
freedom is itself a function of self-discipline. The greatest example of self-
discipline in all of human history is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications
with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death,
(Temporal death; From getting out of fellowship) and He was heard
because of His piety. (Obedience in fellowship) Although He was a Son, He
learned obedience from the things which He suffered. (Thought, people,
organization and disaster testing) (Heb 5:7-8)
While the term “Son” seems to imply some measure of inferiority,
Jesus Christ has never been less than coequal and coeternal with the
Father and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is neither greater nor stronger,
nor is He more wise than the Second Person of the Trinity. Christ’s title as
a Son expresses Lordship and establishment and carries fantastic
implications for mankind. As an integral part of the Father’s Plan in the
Divine Decrees,” Jesus Christ set the pattern for happiness and orientation
to life through obedience to authority. (Heb 12:2-4)
Christ had great capacity to enjoy life and freedom, yet His entire life
during the Incarnation was one of self-discipline and obedience to the Plan
of the Father! (Heb 10:7) This same Principle is illustrated in a limited way
by those in military service. A nation cannot survive as a free people unless
the relatively small numbers of men who enter the service learn obedience
under pressure. They voluntarily relinquish their freedom and submit to
strict discipline and authority in order to function as a team and to
eventually become an effective fighting force. Just as they are willing to
endure great hardships, in training and in combat, so Jesus Christ, with
perfect happiness and strict adherence to the Father’s will, lived most of
His thirty-three years in “beast barracks,” culminated by His excruciating
judgment and Spiritual death — His sacrifice on the Cross!
The development of self-discipline began in Jesus’ childhood through
learning Truth, undergoing testing and in His relationships with other
people. Every temptation to sin was an issue of self-discipline, for His
objective was to reach the Cross in sinless perfection. (2Ti 2:3-4) Had He
succumbed to sin in even one temptation, He would have acquired an old
sin nature and become a sinner in the same way that Adam became a
sinner. But He accomplished His goal by completely avoiding any kind of
sin. He fulfilled His function in the First Advent by yielding to the will of God
the Father, even though He was well aware of the terrible price He would
have to pay.
Saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; (Spiritual
death and Judgment) yet not My will, but Yours be done." (Luk 22:42)
Had He not learned absolute submission to authority, there would
have been no Salvation. If He had not been the most disciplined Person
who ever lived, He could not have gone to the Cross and offered Himself
for our sins. Contrary to every impulse, every desire, every inclination of
His soul, He “set [His] face like a flint,” (Isa 50:4-10) “Humbled himself, and
[Of His Own volition] became obedient unto death, even the [Spiritual]
death of the cross.” (Php 2:8)
And having been made perfect, (Reached Spiritual maturity) He
became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal Salvation.
(Heb 5:9)
Obedience to the Cross on the part of Christ was the offering of
Himself as the High Priest; our obedience is to believe in Him as Savior and
trust His Word. Both the High Priest and those who enter the Royal
Priesthood have a characteristic obedience. Christ’s obedience was the
submission of His freewill and Divine power and using the Spiritual life; and
when God Commands obedience to the Cross from us, it involves our
doing nothing in the power of our old sin nature; but submission of our
freewill and using the Spiritual life.
(Mark 8:35)
Since freedom is possible only through subjection to authority,
obedience to the Cross is the foundation of our priesthood which assures
us liberty.
(Gal 5:1) By means of continued discipline under the function of Operation
Z, God brings the believer to Spiritual maturity, where He can pour out
maximum blessing. (Eph 3:20)
Respect for the authority of your own soul demands that you take the
responsibility for your own decisions, good or bad. For example, every
believer continues to possess an old sin nature as long as he lives.
(1Jn 1:8) Depending on his level of Spiritual maturity and other factors, he
will commit various kinds of sins with varying frequency; but whatever his
sins may be, he commits them from his own free will. (Jas 1:13-15) Even if
he does not realize that a certain activity is a sin, he still did it because he
wanted to do it! Volition is always involved in any sin that is committed, and
ignorance is never an excuse! The rebound technique recognizes that there
has been a transgression of God’s Law and that the work of Christ on the
Cross has already paid the penalty.
(1Jn 1:7-9) If a believer fails to take the responsibility for his own decisions
and does not use rebound as required, God steps in with retributive justice.
(1Co 11:30-31)
In the same way, failure to regulate your own life under the Principle
of the daily intake of the Word of God, it will be answered by punitive
action. If you do not exercise self-discipline, God will impose His own
discipline over you! Divine chastening is designed to teach the self-
discipline essential for advance to Spiritual maturity. (Heb 12:5-14)
Divine Institution Number Two — Marriage. Even in the noble
relationships in life, there must be authority. In marriage, the man is the
head over the wife. (Eph 5:23) Taken from the side of the man, the very
origin of the woman places her in a position of subordination to him. She
will always be a part of the man; and even though she may reject his
lordship, her entire physiology, as well as the formation of her soul, forces
her to be in subjection, whether she likes it or not! When Jesus Christ
formed the woman from Adam’s rib and led her to the man, He delegated
man’s authority over her.
The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken
from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now
bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man." (Gen 2:22-23)
Adam is also called ISH. (Hebrew word for category Homo sapiens)
Simply add a feminine suffix, and you have the woman’s name ISHAH, to
indicate that she belonged to him. The Hebrew name ADAM, (Man)
signified that he ruled the woman as well as the human race. Then, in
anticipation of life outside the Garden, Adam became a prophet: “For this
reason a man ISH shall leave, [Hebrew verb AZAB] his father and his
mother...” (Gen 2:24) AZAB means that when the children marry, they
must leave the jurisdiction of the parents and establish themselves as a
separate entity. When a man and a woman unite, they are no longer to be
dependent on their parents; the man must assume the responsibility for the
woman soulishly, physically, mentally and Spiritually. Under Divine
Institution Number Two, the parents relinquish their authority over their
children; and from here on, the children must be allowed to make their own
decisions, right or wrong. The relationship between parents and offspring
shifts to rapport between adults.
Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Col 3:18)
“Subject” is a present middle imperative of a military verb,
HUPOTASSO, meaning “to be a private in the ranks under the authority of
a Commanding officer.” It carries the connotation of subordination, which is
the role of the woman in marriage. She submits in the sense of voluntarily
yielding her freedom in love. But should that love not exist, it still means to
submit to the authority of the Divine institution. Regardless of whether the
marriage is good or bad, the Principle of delegated power in the marital
relationship remains intact: the husband is the ruler; the wife is subordinate.
(1Pe 3:1)
This is a solemn fact, which should motivate every woman to think
twice before she agrees to be married. She should ask herself: “Do I want
to submit to the authority of this man for the rest of my life?” As soon as
she answers affirmatively to one man, she surrenders her life to his control.
Of her own free will, she selects that man to be her company Commander!
When a man walks away from the wedding ceremony with His bride
on his arm, he is in charge of someone, perhaps for the first time. Any man
who takes a wife to himself assumes a tremendous obligation, for with
authority comes responsibility! For the rest of his life, he must protect the
soul of the woman entrusted to him — not just her body — and make sure
her soul thrives in love and freedom. A marriage in which the man does not
guard the soul of his wife will never be a happy one. There is much more to
marriage than sex! The woman, in fact, lacks even the capacity for good
sex without the proper obedience to the authority of the man. A woman,
even more than a man, must understand and appreciate authority, for from
it stems her entire capacity for life.
No matter how compatible a couple may be in all other areas, if she
continually resists the authority of the man, she will ultimately come to
despise him. This is one of the main reasons why marriages fall apart or
exist merely as an armed truce, waiting for the outbreak of hostilities.
The backbone of love is respect. Manliness, (Virtue) is a condition of
soul by which a man gains the esteem of his right woman. If the man fails
to assert his proper authority, the woman will usurp it; yet a woman never
really admires a man she can control. She will not only dislike him, but she
will also hate herself and will react like a grenade with the pin out!
Designed to be under authority, a woman cannot be happy outside that
sphere. In fact, the Divine discipline connected with Divine Institution
Number Two is misery and unhappiness from failure to comply with the
Divine order. Furthermore, a society controlled by women breeds weak
men and mediocre leadership in all areas of life.
An immense appreciation for responsibility is necessary in order to
handle authority well. The man who has always bucked authority in life
cannot exercise authority himself, because he has never developed self-
control. He consequently has no capacity to love. One of the first
qualifications for being a good lover is self-discipline. If a man misuses his
prerogative by lack of self-discipline, he becomes a tyrant. Authority linked
with arrogance turns him into a monster! When he throws his weight
around and abuses a woman, he destroys the very thing he wants. But
when he provides Spiritual strength, stability, tenderness and concern to
which she can respond — she willingly gives him her soul and body, then
he possesses something truly fantastic!
Divine Institution Number Three — Family. Parents, (Or parent, as
the case may be) are the authority in the family. (Eph 6:1; Col 3:20)
Parents existed before children, and for good reason! Parental authority is
the basis for stability in society from one generation to the next and
provides the first source of discipline in life. Once a child learns to obey his
parents and comes to understand the Principle of authority from them, he
is then prepared to respect other authorities in life.
A boy first learns the Concept of authority under the tutelage of his
mother. His consideration for her gives him the correct perspective so that
when he grows up, he will exercise his authority without abuse. As a man,
he will fulfill his right woman without violating his God-given prerogative. A
child who does not respect his mother is disoriented not only to authority
but to life in general. It is incumbent upon the father, as the head of the
home, to also train the young man to love and honor his mother, and never
to allow him to sass her. These qualities are neither instinctive nor inherent;
they must be inculcated. Had men been taught to treat women properly,
there would be no cause for such perversions as women’s liberation
movements!
Parental authority is designed to overcome the temper tantrums, the
mental sins and the disobedience of children. When authority is exercised,
it will not always be pleasant for the recipient; in fact, it will sometimes be
very painful and even resented. But the ability to accept discipline under all
conditions is the beginning of success in life. (Heb 12:11) No person ever
becomes truly-great without first having been subservient to the dictates of
another. This Principle applies to both believers and unbelievers, for
remember, the Laws of establishment are for the entire human race.
(Matt 8:9-10) To revolt against authority always sets one back and
destroys the possibility for greatness. Consequently, it is imperative that
the issues of authority, freedom, respect for privacy, property and the
rights of others, regard for Law and order and the Principle of patriotism
be taught in every home. Parents must also guide the child into developing
a capacity for life. They must encourage his curiosity and captivate his
naturally vivid imagination with the Concepts of honor, integrity. The
parents’ responsibility in teaching is critically important in view of the almost
total degeneracy of our public school system!
Christian parents have the added responsibility of evangelizing their
children and beginning Doctrinal instruction. (Deut 6:6-9; Deut 7:9) They
must also impart due respect for the content of Truth as communicated by
the
pastor-teacher.
We should note at least one passage delineating the Truth of parental
authority.
Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-
pleasing to the Lord. (Col 3:20)
“Children” (TEKNON in the Greek) does not connote age but, rather,
a child in training. Many young people become rebellious in their teens
toward the authority of their parents. While this stems partly from the
normal physiological development which is preparing the child for eventual
independence, neither the parents nor the children must sidestep the
exercise of authority. As long as a child is living under his parents’ roof, he
is subject to them.
Parents themselves often violate and undermine authority by
gossiping or maligning in the presence of their children. To belittle anyone
in authority — the pastor-teacher, the school teacher, the coach or the
administrator — is to destroy his influence. When a police officer one day
brings little Johnny to the door — caught red-handed — the parents too
frequently counter with, “My little Johnny would never do anything like that!”
Yet he would, for his parents were remiss in teaching him respect for
authority!
The word “obey” is the present active imperative of the compound
verb HUPAKOUO, “to listen under the authority of,” and Commands both
respect for authority and concentration. The dative plural of indirect object
of GONEUS, (Parents) indicates that obedience is in the interest of the
children, whether or not they think it is unfair or overly severe. Parents
should be fair, but justice or injustice is not an issue to be decided by the
children. (1Pe 2:18) The child derives his greatest benefit from learning to
respect authority. He does not profit from disobedience or revolt. The Lord
will ride herd on the parents who are unfair.
The most maladjusted monsters in our society today are the
youngsters whose parents shirked the responsibility of disciplinary training
because they fell for the progressive, liberal method of rearing their
children. Deluded into thinking that discipline would destroy their children’s
personalities; that their love must be won or they will not respond; the
parents failed to understand that children: have no capacity to love. The
parents’ love is expressed during the child’s minority by demanding
obedience and following up with punishment for failure to comply with their
Commands. (Heb 12:7-9) Discipline develops respect for authority. If
parents do not make an issue out of obedience from their children, they
cannot train them! The army recognizes this axiom-by teaching recruits to
obey before they learn anything else! Obedience precedes understanding!
It is therefore to the advantage of every child to be under authority
during his minority. In fact, there is no happiness in life apart from self-
discipline and recognition of authority. Young people, who have flaunted,
resented or worked around their parents’ rule during adolescence by being
sneaky and dishonest, deny all other authority in life and are unhappy
children. In turn, they become miserable adults with hang-ups and
frustrations and are completely divorced from Divine Reality.
Parents have a tremendous responsibility, and the larger portion falls
upon the man as the final authority. Once there are children in the home,
the husband is promoted from “captain’ to “colonel.” He now has an “army”
under him, and his obligations increase with his authority. Just as it is the
duty of a good officer to control and to direct his men, so the man’s job in
the family is to protect and to see that those under him are motivated to
keep the home running smoothly. He is accountable for disciplining the
children and handling the courts-martial as well as hustling up a living.
Some of you young men had better think twice before you are married. If
you want to start an army and a small war — then hop to it!
One of the worst mistakes parents can make is to use their children
as the basis for either their happiness or their unhappiness. This Principle
must be separated from their natural love and ambition for their children.
After proper discipline and training, each child must ultimately be allowed to
exercise his free will and go his own direction in life; but whether or not this
lines up with the parents’ desires cannot be allowed to destroy their
happiness. As with all believers, parents must derive their basic happiness
from their own inner resources of Truth, then from each other and or their
contemporaries. The mother who puts her children above her husband is
one hundred percent out of line! The same is true of the father who gives
more attention to his son or daughter than to his wife. When a child is given
priority in the home and everything revolves around a thoughtless,
immature little old sin nature person, leadership is destroyed and parents
are reduced to slavery!
Parents who have properly fulfilled their function can ease up on their
authority and allow free will to operate when the youngsters are in their
teens. By the time they are around eighteen, they should begin to think for
themselves and to make most of their own decisions. If parents still find it
necessary to spank a child of fourteen or fifteen, they have done a sloppy
job between zero and thirteen! When the authority in the home breaks
down and the teenagers usurp control, the parents have been derelict in
their duty. Not only the parents but the children themselves will suffer.
Furthermore, lack of parental discipline is felt in the school, the church and
every area of life!
Divine Institution Number Four — Nationalism. Authority in the national
entity resides in local, state and national government. Since everyone has
the right to pursue a course of action within the confines of the Law,
government must assure freedom and privacy to its entire constituency.
This is the only kind of “quality” that a government can ever provide. Among
the several forms of government, leadership is more clearly defined in a
monarchy. In a representative type of government, our national
administration is vested in three branches — executive, legislative and
judicial. Leadership does not exclude an individual from the Law.
- The preponderance of power in our nation should rest with the
government of each state. “States rights” is a key to the bona fide use of
authority in government; under our Constitution. Yet today, because of the
inordinate lust for power, the Principle of states’ rights is being circumvented by
an almost unlimited federal government’s use of the taxpayer’s money as a
means of gaining political sway. Those who possess maximum authority are
inevitably faced with the temptation to misuse their power and are always in
danger of being overcome by power lust. To seize control without legitimate
right, whether by evil violence of revolution or by more insidious machinations,
can result only in tyranny and ultimate disaster! To grasp power without the
integrity, responsibility or proper authorization under Divine establishment
contributes to the decline of a nation.
There are many types of discipline and punitive action for failure to
recognize authority in the national entity. When Laws contrary to the Principles
of Divine establishment are passed, national leadership becomes immoral. Such
a nation is vulnerable to socialism, internationalism and welfare systems; as
well as to the discipline that results from such degeneracy. In a national
economy, certain Laws cannot be denied or ignored without dire repercussions
and penalties!
Every inhabitant of a nation — believer or unbeliever — is Commanded by
the Word of God to be obedient to the authority of that government.
Let every soul be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no
authority except by means of God, and those which exist are established by
God. (Rom 13:1)
This declaration of submission to authority within any given national entity
was penned during one of the most tyrannical and unjust reigns in the history of
the Roman Empire. While it does not condone the practices of the Emperor
Nero, it serves to strengthen the Principle of Divine establishment. (Tit 3:1)
Regardless of the character of a ruler, he represents the ultimate human
authority in the nation he governs. King Saul was reversionistic and out of line in
seeking David’s life, yet David recognized him as the Lord’s anointed and
refused to give his men permission to assassinate him. (1Sa 24:6) Rulers are
responsible to God, and He will promote them or remove them according to His
purpose and time. Assassination or the overthrow of government by force
constitutes evil violence and is utterly contrary to Divine Law. Problems that
require establishment solutions can never be solved by the violation of those
Laws.
Therefore, he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God;
(Laws of Divine establishment) and they who have opposed will receive
condemnation upon themselves. (Rom 13:2)
There must be a system of orderliness if mankind is to survive. God has
ordained national sovereignty to preserve a group or state from anarchy and
self-destruction. Socialism, internationalism and revolution pervert legitimate
authority and are in total opposition to Divine establishment. All such distortions
of Divine Principles will be judged and removed by God before they reach the
point of eradicating the human race. (Rev 18:8)
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you
want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good (Obedience to the Laws of
establishment) and you will have praise from the same. (Rom 13:3)
Rulers are those who hold delegated authority in any echelon of
government The Law-abiding citizen who adheres to the Laws of establishment
has no cause for fear from its magistrates. Potential violators of the Law must
be restrained by the fear of just retribution from duly constituted authority.
Either the authority will administer punishment or these violators will be
disciplined by the natural consequences of rejection of that authority!
For it (Authority of the ruler) is a minister of God to you for good. But if
you do what is evil, (Violate the Law) be afraid; for it does not bear the sword
(Capital punishment) for nothing. For it is a minister of God, an avenger who
brings wrath on the one who practices evil. (Criminals’) (Rom 13:4)
Under Divine Institution Number Four, the leaders or authorities of the
state are ministers of God, appointed to judge and execute the criminal. The
government cannot properly fulfill its function in keeping Law and order without
the enforcement of capital punishment. There is always a large segment of
people in every country and in every generation who are devoid of character
and whose lack of honor and integrity render them negative toward the Laws of
Divine establishment
From the combined operation of their own volition and their old sin nature,
they may decide to enter a life of crime. In pursuing such a course, they will
inevitably use Lawless violence; thus, the only supremacy they will respect is a
greater violence than their own. These types must be restrained by the Lawful
violence of establishment, just as a strong military discourages or defeats the
evil violence of an enemy who seeks to rob a nation of its freedom. Since
murder deprives another of his life and liberty, the murderer must be punished
by legal violence.
The reluctance of the courts in the United States to exercise the deterrent
of capital punishment is a terrible tragedy. Crime increases in direct proportion
to the decline of punishment of capital crimes. This situation was dramatized
recently when the Supreme Court reinstated the highly restricted use of capital
punishment. When a nation is under the influence of religion and or unrealistic
liberalism, authority breaks down and strong punitive measures against proven
criminals are condemned as inhumane and cruel. All but ignored is the victim
who has been deprived of his right to live!
Capital punishment has never been rescinded in the Word of God!
Established by God as the need arose in the Dispensation of the Gentiles,
(Gen 9:5-6) it was reiterated in the Jewish Age, (Lev 24:17) again in the Church
Age, (Rom 13:4) and will be enforced by the Lord Himself in the Millennium.
(Isa 11:4) The intent behind God’s pronouncement of the death penalty for
murder is to preserve human lives. Nothing deters the would-be murderer more
effectively than the knowledge of certain execution if convicted. However,
capital punishment is not a matter of personal revenge. No citizen has the right
to take the Law into his own hands. The execution of capital punishment must
be discharged by duly elected and properly appointed authorities within the
framework of the establishment. That is why we have police officers, courts,
judges and juries!
Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, (To authority) not only
because of wrath, (Punishment) but also for conscience’ sake. (Rom 13:5)
Whereas fear of retribution helps to restrain crime, the believer should be
motivated to avoid criminal activity by the norms and standards from Truth in his
soul.
For because of this, you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God,
devoting themselves to this very thing.
(Rom 13:6)
In accordance with the Divine Principle of nationalism, all citizens are
obligated to pay taxes. Abuse by unfair and burdensome taxes does not negate
this Precept. Leaders of government and those who provide services of
government must be paid by a structure of taxation, just as in an ancient Israel
the priests and Levites were maintained by the Jewish system of taxation or
tithes.
Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom
custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. (Rom 13:7)
The Principle of responsibility to one’s nation includes payment of taxes,
obedience to its Laws and fulfillment of civic duties, such as jury duty and
participation in the defense of the country. It also implies separation of church
and state. This issue was defined when the Herodians, Sadducees and
Pharisees united in an attempt to trap and discredit the Lord Jesus Christ. “Tell
us therefore,” they said, “is it Lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?” (Matt
22:17) If Jesus answered in the negative, He would be branded as a
revolutionist and executed; if He answered in the affirmative, He would be
denying the authority of the Divine Institution of Nationalism.
Jesus was neither deceived nor even remotely distracted by their
hypocrisy. (Matt 22:18) “Show me the tribute money,” He ordered. When they
handed Him a denarius, He asked, “Whose is this image and superscription?”
(Matt 22:20) Thinking they had trapped Him, they answered triumphantly,
“Caesar’s!”
(Matt 22:21) Then came the brilliant statement which completely confounded
His hecklers and at the same time confirmed the Divine Precept of combined
responsibility to and separation of church and state. “Render therefore unto
Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s!”
(Matt 22:21)
Jesus enucleated the Divine Principle that two kingdoms exist on earth —
a Spiritual kingdom of believers and the national entity, (Apart from Satan’s that
ALL people are born into) composed of believers and unbelievers. Both
kingdoms have a place and should not be in conflict. They are to be coordinated
but never combined! The state must not penalize anyone for rejecting or
accepting Christ nor coerce anyone into believing in or renouncing Him. A
personal relationship with God, or lack of it, should be a matter of privacy and
personal choice, and the state must maintain separation between church and
state in order to safeguard the freedom and rights of its citizens.
Until recent times, ecclesiastical and governmental autonomy have been
preserved in our country. However, the National Council of Churches, an evil
and anti-Biblical organization, which has become a powerful political lobby in the
last thirty or forty years, has exerted phenomenal influence in every sphere of
our government and has broken down the barriers. What was formerly a radical
statement from the liberal pulpit is now the policy of our administration!
The church supports good government by teaching the Principles of Divine
establishment found in the Word of God; but it must never become that
government! God has separated the two in order to protect the world from
demonism and or religion. One notable improvement that America instituted in
contrast to the mother country and which has resulted in blessing for our nation
was the separation of church and state. England used the taxpayers’ money to
finance the Church of England, and this abuse became the source of many of
her woes.
A state church always breeds trouble, and in the present dispensation is
always, without exception, satanic and anti-God. Under union of church and
state, the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ is always attacked.
Wherever religion is in control, there is aggression, torture, abuse, enslavement
and evil violence, as vividly illustrated by the Spanish Inquisition in the fifteenth
century.
General Authorities
Authority in Academics. There are two basic authorities in the academic
realm: the administration and the faculty. The principal, president or
superintendent is responsible to set up a system of administrative policy and to
supervise its execution. Anyone who enrolls in a school or in any academic
organization must accept its policy and administration. The student is also
obligated to respect the authority in the classroom — the teacher or professor
— by concentrating on the information presented and exhibiting poise and good
manners, regardless of whether he agrees or disagrees with the subject
matter. In short, the student’s rights and privileges are limited to learning!
The two most detrimental factors in academics today are lack of discipline
and the poor use of authority, manifested by total permissiveness in allowing
students to express their views. As a result, they are full of opinions but devoid
of a correct scale of values. Knowledge is acquired by concentration, not by
slating opinions or demanding rights, and this concentration requires discipline
and respect for authority.
The school administration should be able to prescribe standards of
conduct, grooming or dress, as they deem advisable. Yet, in the majority of
schools today, administrators and teachers no longer possess this prerogative.
Students and even parents have so undermined the Principle of authority in
education that objectivity has virtually disappeared. Parents, above all, should
support both administration and faculty. If they do not approve of the school
code, they should place their children elsewhere. When a college student
cannot obey the authority in a school, his only alternative is to leave. He has no
right to heckle or to disrupt a class in any way and deprive others of the liberty
to teach or to learn.
If our educational system is to function properly, teachers and
administrators must have authority, and there is no authority apart from
discipline. The seeds of revolution are sown when a generation lacks parental
discipline and goes through the academic system without regard for authority!
Authority in Athletics. For good team work, as well as the building of
character, authority is essential in athletics. The coach or manager is the final
authority — not the parents, team members or sentimental spectators! The
coach should be entitled to remove boys from the team, establish strict codes
of dress, or any other rule he considers necessary for the function of the team;
and he should be backed to the hilt by the school administration, parents and
students! If a coach sets up a policy that the boy who works is the boy who
plays, he must be allowed to enforce it by benching a player who may have
superb ability but lacks self-discipline. To permit an unruly or arrogant person to
play simply in order to win or to further the coach’s career, could (And often
does) have disastrous effects on that individual.
The woods are filled with athletic bums who were not benched when they
should have been! It takes courage to override objections from parents or
school administrators and to bump a player with superior ability in order to
achieve the greater goal. When a coach can exercise his authority objectively
and a team member can learn to accept the regimen, both are richly rewarded!
Authority in the Military. Freedom through military victory is based on
authority in the military organization. Delegated power is well established; rank
is defined, and the superior officer or noncommissioned officer is the authority.
The right of Command is absolutely essential in the successful function of the
military. When an order is issued, it must be executed without hesitation! In
wartime, lives depend on unflinching obedience. If a man in uniform can refuse
to comply with any order he does not like, then authority breaks down, and
there is confusion, loss of life, and ultimately, national freedom is forfeited.
Participation in military action and or the Spiritual life, demands the
surrender of liberty in order to gain liberty! That means that in military service it
is necessary to relinquish certain personal rights and privileges and to submit to
the discipline and authority essential in the training of soldiers. (2Ti 2:3-4)
A well-trained professional army, in turn, will preserve these rights and
freedoms through dominance on the battlefield.
Military defeat, however, means enslavement to a foreign power. You
may or may not live to see our country invaded and destroyed by its enemies.
You may starve to death first or die of disease! But when you yell, “God help!”
just remember that God has been trying to help you for years, but you have
been in His way! You have failed to take in Truth or to recognize the authority of
your pastor-teacher as well as all other authorities in life. Truth in the souls of
mature believers is the preservative of a nation under the Principle; that Jesus
Christ controls history!
Authority in Business. Authority in an industrial economy is called
“management”; those who work under management are termed “labor.” The
executive, the boss, the foreman, the supervisor, or whoever is in charge, has
the right to determine policy and set the requirements of a particular job. If, in
the boss’ opinion, the job calls for a white shirt, a black tie and a crew cut, the
employee is-obligated to comply. (Eph 6:5-6; Col 3:22) Should he refuse, the
management is within its right to fire him! Tragically, the apostasy abroad today
has obscured the Principles of authority in business, as in every other area.
Labor and labor unions are formulating policy, dictating to management and
usurping power. Yet, under Divine establishment, labor is entitled only to do its
job and to function according to the procedure set up by management. If an
employee does not agree with company policy or working conditions, he has
only one right — to find another job compatible with his standards. This is not a
harsh Concept, for a responsible employer understands that a definite part of
his obligation as the authority; is consideration for his workers. (Col 4:1)
Apart from the proper exercise of authority, a business cannot operate
efficiently. Imagine what would happen if people arrived at work when they felt
like it and did what they wanted on the job instead of what they were told!
There would be chaos!
Anyone who owns capital and invests money in a business venture has the
prerogative of prescribing overall policy and, in keeping with the Law of free
enterprise; neither the government nor any employee is authorized to override
that structure. Capital — not labor — creates business! When power-mad labor
gets out of line, free enterprise is paralyzed, and prosperity is pulled out from
under the nation. Respect for authority is accompanying with success and
prosperity. The economy of any nation depends on authority in business as well
as in government, military, education, marriage and the family. Obedience to
authority is a maxim no one can evade in life and have blessing!
In our country, we have lost all Concept of our national destiny, either as it
relates to other nations or, above all, as it relates to the Trinity. We are
represented by men in high places who succumb to every type of weakness
and cowardice in their attempts to placate the entire national and world
religious groups. Never have we had so many traitors in government to lead us
down the road of reversionism and catastrophe! We have betrayed countless
millions of people to communism by our immoral foreign policy. The thinking of
our general populace is even more in harmony with communist ideology than the
typical Russian attitude today! The Soviets are now looking for some form of
capitalism to bail them out of their economic predicament and perpetuate the
communist facade, while we are in the process of destroying the most perfect
system of capitalism since the Roman Empire!
Never in history has there been a more difficult time to be engaged in
business activity than at the present. The most attacked minority in the world is
management. When the federal government enacts Laws that stifle ability and
genius in business, when governmental agencies dictate to management and
when the labor unions have a stranglehold on national industry, it is virtually
impossible to maintain a country’s greatness and prosperity. A person who
wants to work should have that right, whether he carries a union card or not.
That’s the American way! If some labor group does not want to work fine.
Move them on out, and hire new employees who do want to work! They should
have the freedom to work at a lower wage, if they so desire. Texas is one of
the most phenomenal states in the country for good right-to-work Laws. Thank
God for freedom in Texas!
A definite part of the Plan of God for members of His Royal Family is to
represent Him in the business world, whether they are in the category of
management or labor. (Eph 6:5-9; (1Ti 6:1-19) Regardless of how menial may
be his position or how important, the believer is in full-time Christian service as
he functions in his occupation. Therefore, he should do his job as onto the Lord
not to please men, but with the same vigor, enthusiasm and concentration as he
would for any phase of Christian service. (Col 3:22; thru; Col 4:1)
The Principle of enterprise, in which a person utilizes his abilities and skills
to earn a profit, may appear contrary to the Principle of grace, in which no one
ever earns or deserves favor or blessing from God. In reality, however, both
represent the same Concept: adjustment to justice. For example, if a
businessman correctly adjusts to the reality of the marketplace, it is absolutely
fair and just that he reap a profit for his courage, good judgment and hard work.
Likewise, the blessings of grace come to members of the human race only
because of justice. In grace, however, the work is never accomplished by
human effort; it is performed entirely by God: the price of Salvation demanded
by God’s perfect justice has been paid in full by the Spiritual death and
judgment of Christ on the Cross.
Although we can do none of the work, we must nevertheless adjust to the
justice of God by non-meritorious faith in the One Who did earn our Salvation,
the Lord Jesus Christ. When we are adjusted to God’s justice, He is absolutely
fair in blessing us! Thus the attribute of God’s essence that demanded a
penalty for sin in the first place, now becomes the security and guarantee of
eternal blessing for the believer! Furthermore, blessings in time accrue to the
believer who continues to adjust to God’s justice. But just as the faith that
claims Salvation is non-meritorious, so also the adjustment to justice in Phase
Two involves no human work or achievement but is accomplished by the intake
of Truth through the grace apparatus for perception, (Operation Z) and the
application of that Truth in the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Illustration
In business, a person must work to produce and to receive a profit. The
government welfare system is one of the satanic attempts to reproduce the
perfect conditions of the Millennium. It will never succeed because the old sin
nature resident in every individual prevents any possibility of happiness apart
from working for a living. The soul and body fall apart under inactivity!
Admittedly, the business world today is an extremely vicious type of
combat: cutthroat competition, dishonest practices and lack of integrity all
combine to test the believer to the maximum. But to bad-mouth, complain or
cheat on management is Spiritually self-destructive. Bad management or poor
policy is no excuse for rejecting authority. (1Ti 6:1-2) God has a Plan for the
Spiritually mature believer in the business world; to be blessed, regardless of
the pressures and adversities. In His grace, He has found a way to promote, to
prosper and to assure success for the Christian with Truth in his soul!
Unless the believer in business is fortified with Truth, he will succumb to
the pressures, and his Spiritual life will be neutralized by evil or reversionism.
Management and labor alike are blessed by the same Principle — the
assimilation of Truth via the daily exercise of Operation Z and the advance
through the various stages of Spiritual maturity, where Divine blessings imputed
to them glorify God to the maximum!
THE RIGHT AND WRONG SIDE OF HISTORY
We have noted that Jesus Christ controls history in three ways: directly,
by His sovereign intervention; indirectly, when mankind follows the Divinely
ordained Laws of establishment; and permissively, when God allows negative
volition and evil to run their course as part of the angelic conflict. God’s purpose
for the Church Age is to form a Royal Family for Jesus Christ and to enable the
members of the Royal Family to glorify Christ on earth. (Eph 1:1-6)
We have seen that the purpose for Divine establishment is to protect
human freedom for both believers and unbelievers. In fact, all freedom is
designed so that without hindrance or coercion man might hear the Gospel,
respond with faith in Christ and advance to Spiritual maturity by the intake of
Truth! Historically, there must be certain circumstances whereby positive volition
can express itself in the consistent function of Operation Z. Various periods of
history have provided these conditions to a maximum degree, such as the
Roman Empire during the reign of the Antonine Caesars, England during the
Victorian Period, and our own country during the last century through World
War II. Where there is obedience to the Laws of establishment and human
authority, there is freedom; where freedom exists, believers can take in Truth
under the ministry of a pastor-teacher, grow Spiritually and advance toward the
objectives of Spiritual adulthood, Spiritual maturity, dying grace and finally, the
PCS, (Permanent change of station) to the surpassing grace of eternity.
Under the Principle that Jesus Christ controls history, the criterion by
which a nation is preserved or destroyed is the attitude of the nation’s believers
toward Truth. This is the point at which the angelic conflict relates to the events
of history. The believer with Truth resident in his soul not only receives great
personal blessings but, like salt in the ancient world, he has a preserving effect
on his nation. (Matt 5:13) The special blessings of maturity include Spiritual and
temporal blessings, blessing by association, historical impact and eventually,
dying blessing. A mature believer radiates blessing to those in his own
periphery as well as to his entire nation; and like a Spiritual Atlas, he supports
his generation in history!
From God’s point of view, there are two sides of history: the right side
and the wrong side! Those who are on the right side of history live in
accordance with God’s Plan and design for the human race, while those on the
wrong side are disoriented to grace and set aside the Divine Plan. On the right
side, there is the proper use of Divine Thinking; on the wrong side, slavery to
the satanic system of human sin nature good and Satan’s thinking. Every
unbeliever, even though he might be strongly establishment-oriented, is still on
the wrong side of history, simply because he rejects the One who controls
history. On the other hand, a believer is not automatically on the right side.
Believers must link up with the Plan of God through the assimilation of the Mind
of Christ; and then constantly Think with IT! Those who fail to fulfill this
obligation cheat themselves of happiness and contribute to the destruction of
their nation!
In the second chapter of First Timothy, Paul issued a gracious Command
for prayer for Divine establishment as the basis for freedom.
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and
thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in
authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness (Spiritual
maturity) and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior. (1Ti 2:1-3)
The right side of history is summarized in Scripture by the word
“godliness,” (EUSEBEIA, and a closely related word; THEOSEBEIA) meaning
“duty toward God.” Both are synonyms for Spiritual maturity and or the
fulfillment of our responsibility to achieve advanced Spiritual growth. They
actually express the technical Concept of the balance of residency in the soul
between the filling of God the Holy Spirit and maximum Truth, which
characterizes Experiential Sanctification. (1Pe 1:22) Establishment and human
authority are essential for accomplishing Spiritual maturity. On the surface,
freedom and authority may seem to be in conflict; but in Reality, they support
each other on the right side of history. Authority without freewill is tyranny;
freewill without authority is anarchy. Freedom cannot exist without authority;
authority and discipline are the basis for the continuation of freedom. Freewill
under the voluntary submission to Divine authority is FREEDOM AND OR
LIBERTY!
All Spiritual blessing, from Salvation to Spiritual maturity to dying grace —
are based on the individuals’ freedom; that makes it possible for a person to
hear the Gospel, respond by faith in Christ and advance to Spiritual maturity.
Hence, the importance of intercessory prayer for those in authority under the
Laws of establishment. Some of us, as members of the Royal Family of God,
have failed to fully utilize our Spiritual weapon of prayer as part of our support
for authority and establishment!
Those on the wrong side of history, fall under the satanic policy to distort
godliness; by reversionism and evil. Satan, as the ruler of this world, has
adherents from among every race, class and intellectual stratum of people. As
the master-counterfeiter, he has a pseudo Spiritual maturity system, in which he
furnishes his own temporal blessings and rewards of wealth, success,
promotion and leadership dynamics, custom-tailored to each of those who
serve him and carry out his policy of human sin nature good and immoral
degeneracy — EVIL: SATAN’S THINKING. To promote his objectives, Satan
must enlist numerous apostles and evangelists of evil who will affect an outward
facade of godliness in order to establish a rapport with positive believers.
Holding to a form of godliness, (Moral and immoral degeneracy) although
they have denied its power; (The filling of God the Holy Spirit and the Mind of
Christ) Avoid such men as these. (2Ti 3:5)
Covered with the veneer of morality, piety and sweetness, these religious
con artists often cannot be distinguished from the genuine in fellowship with
God the Holy Spirit believers, and many Christians are seduced by their
hypocritical personality and charming manner. Satan’s system of evil and its
application of human sin nature good invariably exclude, ignore and or reject the
filling of God the Holy Spirit and Truth — the Mind of Christ ruling in our Thinking
and actions! (John 4:23-24; Col 3:15-17) His objective is not only to lead people
down a pernicious path of immoral degeneracy but to promote brotherly love,
human kindness and good works, by the energy of the old sin nature!
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will
be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to
parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without
self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of
pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although
they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are
those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down
with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come
to the knowledge of the Truth. (To reach Spiritual maturity) (2Ti 3:1-7)
There are three types of good in history. First, human old sin nature good,
this is the application and expression of Satan’s ruler-ship and policy of evil. The
devil’s policy includes evil thinking as well as human old sin nature good, both of
which manifest his craftiness. Second, "moral good" is man’s exercise of and
obedience to the Laws of Divine establishment. Finally, Divine good — Virtue, is
the production of the Spiritually mature believer under the filling of God the Holy
Spirit. (Matt 12:12; Matt 13:8; Rom 12:2) God the Holy Spirit and Truth are the
source of Divine good — Spiritual Virtue! (2Pe 1:2-4) while observance of the
Laws of Divine establishment produces "moral good." (Matt 8:9-10) Human old
sin nature good is in opposition to both! It is accumulated by people, (Believers
and unbelievers) on the wrong side of history who are functioning under
carnality and or reversionism from the power of old sin nature.
(Rom 7:18-21; Rom 8:7-8)
Every characteristic mentioned in, (2Ti 3:3-5) represents reversionists,
who uniformly display dishonest, unfaithful, treasonable, dishonorable attitudes
toward authority. They are disloyal to the Lord by rejection of Truth and to the
local church through repudiation of the pastor’s authority, under the influence of
reversionism and evil, they become the servants of Satan and are guilty of
treachery in the angelic conflict. In essence, they are also traitors to their
country — without patriotism or loyalty. While subscribing to the policy of Satan,
they can never reach Spiritual maturity or become the salt or preservative of the
nation! Disloyal and unfaithful to friends, employers or right man or right woman,
these types eventually betray all human relationships. Unreliable, undependable
and unstable, traitors of any description are on the wrong side of history. Learn
to spot them and disassociate yourself from them, or you will join them!
When a believer takes a nose dive into reversionism and falls under the
influence of evil, he inevitably phases out Truth and substitutes human old sin
nature good; and the devil has snared him again. (2Ti 2:26) That Satan has
achieved his goals to a record-breaking degree; is evident today in those forms
of evil known as religion, liberalism and internationalism, all of which are on the
wrong side of history. Religion and or demonism, in fact, is the devil’s ace
trump! Notice, I did not say “Christianity.” Christianity is a relationship with
Jesus Christ through God the Holy Spirit and His Word; religion and or
demonism is a relationship with Satan through the old sin nature! Since religion
is a system whereby man by his own efforts and merits attempts to gain
Salvation, Spirituality or the approbation of God, it is always a form of
reversionism and evil and invariably includes some type of legalism.
Religion and or demonism, as Satan’s answer to Spiritual growth, is
therefore his counterfeit of the Spiritual life. It epitomizes his system of evil and
is the most detrimental influence in our society today! Yet as long as the devil is
the ruler of this world, his false thinking will continue to exist; and while we
cannot abolish it, if we recognize its evil and do not allow it to affect national
policy and function, it can be neutralized to some extent. The ultimate solution to
what is false, of course, is the dissemination of Truth so that the Laws of
establishment can operate under the Principle of authority.
Any believer on the right side of history is a Spiritual Atlas holding up his
generation. As goes the Spiritually mature believer, so goes that generation!
There have been some Spiritual heroes who have not only held up one
generation but have been a stabilizing rod for all posterity. In the Divine Record,
the two outstanding examples are Moses and Paul. As the leader of the Jewish
nation, Moses wore the mantle of continuous pressure for forty years; yet he
possessed fantastic happiness and blessing during that time. While the Apostle
Paul was totally surrounded with the cloak of opposition for only six years, no
other believer exerted a more profound impact on history nor enjoyed
correspondingly increased happiness right up to dying grace and his transfer
into Phase Three!
All believers are subject to satanic attack; but if they advance to Spiritual
maturity the pressure intensifies and becomes round-the-clock opposition.
These “attacks” from Satan are the highest honor God can bestow on any
believer in time. Those individuals whom Satan uses to harass believers
become history’s trash cans, discredited or forgotten, even though they may be
phenomenal geniuses who, under demon influence or demon possession, have
had a brief impact on history. Two such apostles of evil whom Satan brought to
the forefront of history to oppose Moses were Jannes and Jambres.
(Exo 7:11; (2Ti 3:8) In Paul’s generation, Phygellus and Hermogenes were
among Satan’s most effective servants, raised up to attack the ministry of the
apostle.
(2Ti 1:15) It is true, even among believers that those on the wrong side of
history are always in conflict with those on the right side. Reversionistic
believers are often the most vigorous antagonists to growing and or Spiritually
mature believers!
Two ultra establishment unbelievers, Gains Julius Caesar and Napoleon
Bonaparte, became stabilizing rods in history through the application of
establishment Principles. Similar in many respects, both men possessed the
ability to relate their multi-genius to history and therefore correctly interpret the
events of their contemporary eras. Both reshaped the course of history, and we
are indebted to them for creating numerous vehicles for the promotion and
success of establishment Principles. Both were subjected to continuous
satanically inspired attack during their lifetime. Even with their passing from the
scene, these assaults against them have not abated. Yet, with all their genius,
they died tragically on the wrong side of history because, (It appears) they
rejected Christ as Savior and failed to link up with the Truth that Jesus Christ
controls history.
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. (2Ti 3:1)
Every dispensation or nation terminates with extraordinary apostasy,
characterized by concentrated reversionism and influence of evil. “Difficult
times” are the result of either the fifth cycle of discipline to a nation, (Through
military defeat) or a satanic counterattack at the close of the dispensation
which results in the overwhelming influence of evil. Sooner or later, believers,
who because of a lack of Truth are not capable of interpreting contemporary
history in relation to the angelic conflict, will react to some event or disaster and
be swept into the various stages of reversionism. Many failures of the believer
are linked to the fact that he cannot cope with historical DIVINE REALITY,
which can be understood only in the light of Scripture. (2Pe 1:20)
Even worse for the unbeliever on the wrong side of history is the judgment
after death and eternity in the Lake of Fire. (Rev 20:15) Only the Spiritually
mature believer can avoid reaction to contemporary history and a tragic end.
The believer on the right side of history, who possesses in his soul those
pertinent Thoughts which correctly interpret history, dies gloriously, has a true
impact in time, and leaves behind blessing for family, friends and nation!
THE CORRECT INTERPRETATION OF HISTORY
Why the Wicked Prosper
When we view the world today, we might ask ourselves several questions.
Why does Jesus Christ permit the Soviet Union, one of the most evil empires in
history, to continue to exist and even to appear to prosper? Why is communist
China allowed to survive for another day? And even little upstart communist
Cuba? Why does the Lord hold back from wiping these arrogant blights off the
face of the earth? There are more people enslaved today than at any other
time in history, and satanic policies are making greater inroads worldwide than
ever before. In the face of all this staggering evil, why is the United States
under the gun of Divine discipline?
We are being warned from three sources. First, history warns us with the
shocking fact that we have lost two major wars to the communists in the past
twenty-five years. During this time, we have declined to an all-time low in our
military preparedness, while the Soviets, for example, have steadily advanced.
The USSR now possesses the most well developed military machine since the
days of Rome, or, before that, the invincible Assyrian Army. Second, the Laws
of Divine establishment, which was designed to provide freedom and
prosperity, also issue a warning. As we see the disintegration of establishment
in the United States, it is a glaring signal that something is wrong! Finally, the
Word of God itself serves to alert believers to the danger of rejecting Truth.
Maximum negative volition, resulting in patterns of national degeneracy, can
only incur Divine discipline against our nation (Lev 26:14-39; Hos 4:1-6;
Rom 1:18-32; (2Ti 4:1)
But if we have fallen under Divine fire, then why do the anti-God,
antiestablishment communist powers continue to exist? In other words, “Why do
the wicked prosper?” (Job 21:7; Psa 2:1; Psa 37:1-40; Psa 73:1-12) As part of
the angelic conflict, a nation is often tested in a crisis situation. Will believers
stick with Truth, or will they get their eyes on the enemy, panic and fall
helter-skelter into human false reality and reversionism? Just as field training
exercises are essential for realistic military training, so believers must also face
the test of maximum adversity.
A second reason why evil is allowed to continue is the Principle that under
Jesus Christ’s permissive control of history, aggressive and arrogant nations
are often used as whips to administer Divine discipline against reversionistic
nations which are totally under the influence of evil.
The Priest Nation
At any period in history, somewhere in the world, God has a priest nation.
’Now then, if you will indeed obey My Voice and keep My Covenant, then
you shall be My OWN possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is
Mine; And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are
the Words that you shall Speak to the sons of Israel." (Exo 19:5-6)
A priest nation is God’s repository on earth for the Word of Truth. In such
a nation, the Gospel is freely communicated, Truth is freely taught and
missionaries are sent out to carry the Word of God to areas of positive volition
throughout the world! The priest nation is always pro-Semitic.
When both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms of Israel had been
destroyed under the fifth cycle of discipline, God’s storehouse of Truth became
Chaldea and then the Persian Empire. With the return of the Jews from captivity
and afterward, under the heroic leadership of the Macabees, Israel again
functioned as a priest nation. Later, the Roman Empire, as the setting for the
first century church, became the nation in which Truth flourished. Where did
Truth move after Rome was sacked and finally destroyed? To the Frankish
Kingdom of Merovingians. Other nations, such as Brandenburg under the
Hohenzollerns, Sweden during the Thirty Years’ War, Switzerland at the time of
Zwingli, France in the days of the Huguenots, Ireland and later, Scotland, all
served as priest nations. More recently, in the last century, Victorian England
provided the freedom for the communication of Truth, and British missionaries
carried the Gospel throughout the world.
With the decline of the British Empire, the United States became the
custodian of Truth and has been directly and remarkably blessed by the Lord.
Tragically, however, we as a nation have now become so involved in self-
righteousness and good works, so bound up in the evils of human solutions to
world problems, so jaded by reversionism, that we have forgotten our heritage
and the importance of personal Spiritual advance. We have ignored our
opportunity and responsibility to glorify Jesus Christ through Truth resident in
our souls, and as a priest nation we are on our way out!
In the angelic conflict, Jesus Christ permits evil to run its course. The
communists will eventually be destroyed because the Reality of God’s Plan
unfailingly crushes any false system that evil can construct. God can afford to
let evil nations run loose for a while, but He cannot permit His own priest nation
to abuse its Spiritual heritage. As a parent who jealously guards his own
children, God always maintains a firmer control over those nations that have a
relationship with Him. The USSR has never been a Doctrinal nation, but the
United States was formed on Principles that reflect Christ’s OWN Thinking.
Furthermore, there has always been a strong foundation of mature believers in
this nation. If we disregard our Spiritual legacy, we can expect to be summarily
removed, not only as a world power, but as a free people!
The basis for survival and prosperity for any priest nation is the attitude of
its believers toward Truth. (Hos 4:6) No nation can ever survive the termination
of objective Thinking, and no priest nation can outlast its own rejection of Truth.
The tragic and rapid decline of the United States will not be reversed. If
believers in this nation return to our true national heritage — the Word of Truth;
God is absolutely just, and He always honors His Word resident in the souls of
believers. The struggle for the souls of believers, therefore, is taking place now.
It is the fight to avoid all distractions and to take in Truth every day. If the daily
battle is consistently won, then when the overt crisis erupts, when the demons
launch one of their many plans for conquering the United States, the mature
believer will be prepared to win that major conflict! The knowledge of Bible
Truth not only orients believers to the importance of the Laws of Divine
establishment but heightens appreciation of the value of military preparedness
in the face of wily and powerful enemies.
When the scourge of socialism and or demonism finally overcomes the
United States and the whole earth, (Dan 7:23) you have a choice: you can react
to what you do not understand and become inundated in the maelstrom of
rapidly changing circumstances, or you can respond to what you do understand
from your knowledge of the Word of God. Should the nation go down, the
Command post of Truth in your soul will guarantee your personal preservation,
even when the nation itself is destroyed. (Psa 37:18-28; Rev 3:10)
’Now then, if you will indeed obey My Voice (Think with God’s Thoughts)
and keep My Covenant, (Stay in fellowship) then you shall be My Own
possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine. (Exo 19:5)
End
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