By What Authority Does a Government Enact Laws?
Biblical Government Part 1
Running time: 55:03 Rev. Paul Michael Raymond, . . .The Scottish Covenanters
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Biblical Government Part 2 (At Least Listen to This One!)
Running time: 47:23 Rev. Paul Michael Raymond, . . .The Crown Rights of Jesus Christ
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Calvin and Civil Law
Running time: 39:43 Rev. Paul Michael Raymond, Special vs Natural Revelation, Christian Liberty
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By Rev. Paul Michael Raymond
The Covenant News ~ January 15, 2009
Government, Law and Public Policy deal fundamentally with questions of authority. By what authority does a government enact laws, or a President govern? By what legislative standard of authority does a community, state or nation formulate, enact and enforce law? These are essential questions of importance, since they determine what type of culture we will live in; whether we will be free or slaves, prosperous and blessed, or impoverished and destroyed. If the standard of authority is derived from the mind of man, who has often shown himself to be wrong, bias, self consumed, tyrannical and wicked (ironically proving the Biblical Doctrine of man’s depravity), then that authority will be oppressive at best and despotically destructive at its worst. Noah Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines authority as “Legal power or right to command or act.” Therefore let’s consider two questions of authority.
The first question concerning authority is “Where does legitimate authority come from” and the second is “How and to whom is it distributed?” In other words, who has the right to command, and by what standard should that commander use in his command? The answer to these questions are both historical and theological since all law and public policy is the externalization of a society’s religion and an expression of the god (or gods) it serves.
Contrary to the historical revisionists, America was founded upon Biblical Principles. Like it or not, this is the historical fact. While there was, to be sure, some Enlightenment and Deistic influence during the Independence era, and early structuring of this nation, Biblical Christianity, especially Puritanism, was the foundation stone of America. The Great historian, George Bancroft, who incidentally was not a Christian, declared that it was the European Reformation hero John Calvin who was the Great Grandfather of the American nation.
As with every war and conflict, the war for independence also had its motto. The notable cry for American independence was “ No King but Jesus.” It was the Presbyterian clergy, dubbed by the British, “The Black Regiment” (called such for their black Geneva gowns that they wore in the pulpit),(Pastor Adam? ) who spearheaded the war for American independence. Their cause was for the advancement of the Crown Rights of King Jesus against the tyranny of men, particularly the tyranny of King George III. All authority, law and public policy was rightly viewed and regulated by the light of Scripture, which undeniably placed all authority and power in the Sovereignty of Christ. This is why America has lasted as long as she has. It is because the principles of authority, law and public policy were originally rooted in Scripture.
There is a principle to be understood here: All governing, magisterial power conferred upon an individual is given by Christ so as to be used according to His mandated Law of Scripture. Contrarily, any and all rebellion by a civil authority to that Law was to be viewed as rebellion against God, and was not to be obeyed by the people. Even Thomas Jefferson, suggesting that the Great Seal of America should have as its inscription, “Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God” understood the importance of a God honoring body politic.
However, this Christocentric idea is rapidly changing right before our very eyes and its practice is all but gone. Even among the majority of the Christian population these ideas are alien. In recent decades, and in every governing administration, both Democratic and Republican, the civil powers have misused their authority by claiming for its own various realms of authority that God has rightly distributed to the individual, church or the family. As our American government unashamedly mandates unjust taxes, (while some taxes are legitimate, most are a violation of the 8th commandment), maintains the structure of an unlawful fiat and fractional reserve banking system, inflates the dollar so as to make it almost worthless, controls education, provides billions of bailout dollars for corrupt or ill managed companies, sustains an unbiblical prison system (one without restitution mandates) and encroaches upon the Nation’s Constitutional rights of the family and the individual by the formation of a multitude of repressive and illegitimate laws, many pulpits remain silent.
When was the last time you heard a sermon that set the record straight on Biblical authority, law and politics? This is not to suggest that politics, economics or any social system can be heralded as Messianic, but if politics are discussed at all, it is usually party politics and not the principles of Christian politics. When was the last time that you heard a sermon condemning Federally controlled education which violates both Scripture and the U.S. Constitution, especially since it mandates as its curriculum the religion of Secular Humanism? Or when was the last time you heard a sermon condemning FDR’s historic confiscation of gold and silver and his destruction of the American system with his so called New Deal and New Society? When was the last time you were informed as to how that system was the institution of a damnable welfare system that the Scriptures clearly denounce, and how it is happening all over again? Can you remember the last time that you heard a sermon counseling on economic prudence in an age of guilt manipulators and government thieves who are seeking to destroy you and your family, so as to make you fearful and dependent upon government administrative “nannies” who promises you cradle to grave support if only you would give up all your God given liberty? We have heard of the “dumbing down” of public school children. I am afraid that that sickness has also crept into many of our churches.
While there are many pastors of whom I deeply respect and believe are faithful men of Christ, there are still those that remain silent, waiting for their retirement, transfer, rapture or death. I can assure them that if that is their stance they have ignored their calling by not warning their people of this destruction, which is now at the very gates of our nation. If the Christian church and its people do not wake up to what is happening to them in our time, begin to speak out, and act so as to reconstruct our beloved America according those Biblical principles which have made her great, I am afraid we will leave a wake of destruction to our children and the many generations following. May God stir us to courageous action in a time of deep spiritual darkness.
Rev. Paul Michael Raymond
Pastor of http://www.reformedbiblechurch.com/;
The New Geneva Christian Leadership Academy;
The Institute For Theonomic Reformation
Contact: pastor@hisglory.us
7 comments:
“Where does legitimate authority come from” and the second is “How and to whom is it distributed?”
My answer to the first question would be God.
My answer to the second question would be parents, the church, and the civil government.
I sure wouldn't want Uncle Sam to be my real uncle or take the place of my real parents.
Nor would I want the message of the gospel to be traded in for some current events about the civil government and man's vain attempts to rebel against God.
Calvin wrote in the Catechism of the Church of Geneva the following concerning the 4th commandment.
Master: What order, then, is to be observed on that day?
Scholar: That the people meet to hear the doctrine of Christ, to engage in public prayer, and make profession of their faith.
Personally I find it very comforting to hear the gospel preached to me every week out of Scripture.
Certain preachers do take parts of scripture out of context and basically use them to make a personal point. You get that kind of preaching at Calvary Chapel with Chuck Smith.
He will talk about current events, government plans, and even speculate on the Lord's year of return again and again and again.
I grew up in that stuff.
When I first joined the URC I knew that I would hear the gospel, and learn more and more about God.
From sitting in the pews year after year I have learned about so many things. God's voice speaks to me through the scripture, and through the preaching. He has given authority to the church. He has given the church a task.
If I wasn't hearing the good news week after week. I would have to just leave, so I could find rest somewhere else.
I feel incredibly blessed to be able to hear what we hear in the URC week after week.
"I feel incredibly blessed to be able to hear what we hear in the URC week after week."
Cool! Me too.
I agree allot with what the guy is saying. I think he is very well informed as to what is very much wrong in our society.
I am starting to wonder about a few things. I hear allot of these people confusing Christian liberty, with humanities liberty.
We are not in bondage anymore to sin, but I wonder if that also means that we are to be free from civil bondage.
I see scripture giving instruction to the slave, and slave master, and Calvin says those are things we are to deal with, like female queens.
Do we believe that Christ freed our souls? Or do we believe he saved our bodies also? Because if he died for both, them why do we still die? We physically do, but we spiritually never die. He defeated death, but not the physical. So I wonder, do we understand evil governments as being in bondage? Or do we say that we are not aloud to be in bondage of any kind? I think that a physical bondage God never said we shall be free from.
Castleman said... "I hear allot of these people confusing Christian liberty, with humanities liberty.
Do we believe that Christ freed our souls? Or do we believe he saved our bodies also? Because if he died for both, them why do we still die? We physically do, but we spiritually never die. He defeated death, but not the physical. So I wonder, do we understand evil governments as being in bondage? Or do we say that we are not aloud to be in bondage of any kind? I think that a physical bondage God never said we shall be free from."
I think this is an excellent question, although I think it is missing the point a little bit. As Scripture states, and as the above author states, Biblical freedom is never meant to infer that we are free unto ourselves, but it means we are free to "serve" God.
Since "serving" someone means that we "help" them, or "give to them" of ourselves and things, how do we do this with God? What does He need? Does He need us or anything we can give? No. So how do we serve Him? We serve God by serving other people..."humanity", as you put it.
So, the real question should be, how does the reality of our "spiritual freedom" manifest itself while still in the physical? While we are still in this fallen world? While we are still in this body of decaying flesh? Just because we are still subject to this fleshly "bondage" does not mean we are therefore not free to serve Christ.
So we serve Christ by being imitators of Him, by serving other people. He served us by "freeing us", "saving us", "giving His life for us". Can we free people's souls, forgive their sins, or give them eternal life? No. So how do we imitate Christ? We do all those things in a physical sense. Instead of giving them "eternal" life, we help them with their "physical" lives. We imitate Christ and serve Him by "saving" people, but of course, this is not spiritual, only God can do that. It manifests in the physical because this is the ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN IMITATE CHRIST.
When we serve Christ in this way, we display the spiritual reality of freedom in Christ in real time and space in a fallen world. I think this is ultimately what Jesus means when He prays, "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven." We are not literally building heaven on earth, or freeing fallen man or stopping flesh from decaying, we are simply imitating the heavenly reality of spiritual freedom. Where are getting "back to our roots" so to speak, as "image bearers". Not the thing itself, in heaven, but the "image" of the thing. The image of God. As we serve Christ, imitate Him, we are bearing his image on earth, as it is in heaven. We set the captives free in the flesh, because it is the image of Christ setting the captives free in the spirit.
So how does this relate to evil governments?
Well, as imitators of Christ, who spiritually freed us from tyranny, we seek to free our fellow man from the physical manifestation of tyranny. We can't do it spiritually, only God can, but we can bear his image by doing it physically. When we do this, we are serving man in a tangible way, and, we are serving God in the only way we possibly can.
This is also a very real means to glorify God. We tell people, saved and unsaved, that we are actually serving the King of kings by serving them. We are establishing His authority in real time and space as we serve other people. It is His authority by which we serve others. It is by His authority that we aim to set the captives free, and to release the yoke of bondage.
The ultimate freeing from bondage is the work of Christ, but we imitate it by serving others.
Bryan Castleman said..."Certain preachers do take parts of scripture out of context and basically use them to make a personal point. You get that kind of preaching at Calvary Chapel with Chuck Smith."
Well, if you are comparing the preacher who preached the above 3 sermons and wrote the above article, you either have not listened and read, or you are not correctly understanding.
I too 'grew up' under heresy and apostasy. The Reformed message was an immense and refreshing relief. And, the above messages, (also Reformed), are an even bigger relief, as they apply the Gospel to every aspect of life. They go beyond just "comforting" me, as you put it. The Gospel is more than just my personal comfort week after week but it is something that needs to grow and replace every humanistic and selfish thought about all aspects of life that I still harbor.
If the message I am hearing week after week is not conforming my own worldly and humanistic understandings about things on earth, as well as in heaven, to CHRIST, then I am either not making correct applications of the Gospel, or, the message I'm hearing is consistently only part of the message.
So, when you say... "From sitting in the pews year after year I have learned about so many things. God's voice speaks to me through the scripture, and through the preaching" do you mean you are now looking at all of life and all of humanity as more and more subject to the rule and authority of Jesus Christ? Or do you simply mean, you understand His authority in "your own" life more? Or, in "the Church" more?
I think this is the difference between what I am hearing from the above preacher, and from what I am hearing in the URC. Both are good, but neither can be neglected. I do feel, (and I say this lovingly), that the URC is ignoring a very important aspect of the Gospel.
This aspect, specifically, is the significance of the authority of Jesus Christ in ALL affairs of humanity and the human condition. The URC never seems to go there. It does not teach it's congregations how to view ALL of life in light of the full Gospel message. This of course would include how we should relate to governments, Biblically, or better, "Christocentrically". How do we relate to tyrants, Christocentrically?
The generic answer to such questions is, "Our job is simply to preach the Gospel. This is all the flock needs." However, they are not preaching the "whole" Gospel, if they do not apply it to everything. This always leads to pew sitters who are "schizophrenic". They apply the Gospel to certain things, but apply humanism instead, to other things. In other words, some of their worldview is Christocentric, but many aspects of their worldview is man-centered, or humanistic, and sometimes even pragmatic rather than a world view that is consistant with the entire Gospel message, which is the complete authority of Jesus Christ.
This is not a matter of subscribing to certain eschatological views either. Whether or not a Christian is a premil, amil, or postmil, adherent, should not alter his understanding of the authority that has been given to Jesus Christ in every area of life, and over ALL of God's creation.
A Christ-centered worldview permeates EVERYTHING, and there is no reason not to preach EVERYTHING, from the pulpit, as long as it is Christ centered.
That's what I'm talkin' bout.
I think this is the difference between what I am hearing from the above preacher, and from what I am hearing in the URC. Both are good, but neither can be neglected. I do feel, (and I say this lovingly), that the URC is ignoring a very important aspect of the Gospel.
This aspect, specifically, is the significance of the authority of Jesus Christ in ALL affairs of humanity and the human condition. The URC never seems to go there. It does not teach it's congregations how to view ALL of life in light of the full Gospel message. This of course would include how we should relate to governments, Biblically, or better, "Christocentrically". How do we relate to tyrants, Christocentrically?
The generic answer to such questions is, "Our job is simply to preach the Gospel. This is all the flock needs." However, they are not preaching the "whole" Gospel, if they do not apply it to everything. This always leads to pew sitters who are "schizophrenic". They apply the Gospel to certain things, but apply humanism instead, to other things. In other words, some of their worldview is Christocentric, but many aspects of their worldview is man-centered, or humanistic, and sometimes even pragmatic rather than a world view that is consistant with the entire Gospel message, which is the complete authority of Jesus Christ.
This is not a matter of subscribing to certain eschatological views either. Whether or not a Christian is a premil, amil, or postmil, adherent, should not alter his understanding of the authority that has been given to Jesus Christ in every area of life, and over ALL of God's creation.
A Christ-centered worldview permeates EVERYTHING, and there is no reason not to preach EVERYTHING, from the pulpit, as long as it is Christ centered.
That's what I'm talkin' bout."-Sermonwriter
When you come to this conclusion I think it is time for you to leave or say something to Adam.
It seems like you are not just displeased with Ontario, but the entire URC.
Bryan... I have talked to Pastor Adam, and about this very thing. For at least 3 years now off and on.
I guess I'm at the same crossroads as the Reformers and Separatists in early Europe. Reform or leave? I think the URC is not beyond reformation. I know though, that if they continue, eventually they will be.
The only reason I stay is because of that hope, but also, probably because of my belief that it is important for families to worship together. You might recall my attempt to get us all to visit the Yorba Linda OPC. The only resistence I got was from you. Why? Is not a family, extended and otherwise, at worship 'together', much more important than whatever compels you to take Susan so many miles away from both your families every week to worship?
I like that Yorba Linda church. I think most of us do. I even think your own folks would like it. I thought I even heard you say that you liked it.
Oh well, I'll keep trying. Don't be a "worship stranger". If I thought that everyone of us could join you guys in Oceanside consistently, I wouldn't hesitate to join, however, you're right, I would be stirring up trouble over there too...(reforming). :)
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