CHRISTIAN ROCK CAFE

[excel]

The Bridge Christian Fellowship
The Pastor’s Pen
Steve Farnworth


As I mentioned in last week’s post, God, in His eternal genius, gave us, His human creation, three different institutions within which to live and conduct our daily lives. These three institutions are 1) the family; 2) human government, and 3) the Church. Each of these institutions are given their purpose, their proper conduct, and their limitations in the sacred text we call the Bible. It is my conviction that many in our culture, including many who lay claim to an evangelical faith, are confused with regards to these institutions and their purpose.
The teaching of scripture is plain with regard to the nuclear family. It is the primary care giver to those within that home, including protection, provision, education, and discipline. These responsibilities for the children lie upon the parents, not the Church and not human government. The nuclear family is the basic cell of humanity of which, by which, and for which the collectives we call “community” are made.
The second institution that God gave mankind we call human government. In God’s economy, what is the role of human government? The Apostle Paul addresses this topic in Roman 13:3-5 where we read, “rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.”
The context of Paul’s command “to submit” was to those living under Roman rule. In His sovereignty, God allowed the Caesars to rule. God gave rulers authority to punish wrong doing and reward right doing. These are the first two of the three primary roles of human government: 1) Reward good behavior; and, 2) Punish bad behavior. Paul wrote: “for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason.” The sword is a weapon of death.
Paul’s statement reinforces the teaching we find in Genesis chapter 9:6: “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” Thus, God gave mankind the just responsibility of capital punishment. Evil left unpunished will eat the heart of a culture from within. Solomon, the wise king, wrote, “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong” (Ecclesiastes 9:6).
The third role of human government has existed since communities of people began to form. It is to protect its citizenry from outside invasion. Thus, the walled fortresses of city-states that gave way to borders, armies, and navies today.
In the Old Testament Theocracy of Israel, government and Judaism were intertwined and inseparable. One could not function properly without the other. God was the Head of both the government and the religion.
The citizens in the Roman Empire lived in a culture that exalted the king to deity. When the king spoke, it was the voice of a god; thus, the king was the law (Rex Lex). Under this tyranny, Christians, unwilling to worship the Caesar, were burned alive, fed to wild animals, and publicly executed as a form of mass entertainment. Even under such dire circumstances, these Christians were urged by both Paul and Peter to “submit to the authorities.”
Our founding fathers were greatly influenced by a Scottish Pastor named Samuel Rutherford. He wrote a book in 1644, considered revolutionary in his day, entitled, “Lex Rex, The Law and the Prince.” His concept is this: It is God who gave us both the law (rooted in scriptural truths) and human government. Thus, for government to function properly, rulers must be guided by and live under the same law (based upon the principles of God’s unchanging law) as its citizens.
Lex Rex was the guiding influence that ultimately led our founding fathers to declare their independence from Great Britain, fight and win the war, and then establish a new country with a constitution that was of, for, and by the people. They added amendments to the constitution that further limit the power of government and reinforce the independent rights of our citizens. Our country was founded upon our right to pursue, without interference from “Big Brother,” life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And, for us Christians, that means the unfettered right to worship our God and proclaim His eternal truths. He alone is the provider of true happiness.
Both our Heavenly Father and our founding fathers understood that, human government left unchecked, will morph into a monster that consumes its citizens. The more the citizens demand of their government to reinforce their sense of “security,” the less freedom they will have to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Human government has its place, but in God’s economy, it has a very limited role.
I often hear well-meaning evangelicals go on and on about the poor and needy in our culture, and how much the Bible speaks of meeting their needs. I do not disagree with this. But, in that same Bible, upon whom does our Father place the responsibility to feed and clothe the poor? May I provide a clue? It is not a burgeoning bureaucracy. We will look into this matter next time when we investigate the third institution that God gave mankind, the Church. Until then, may your Thanksgiving be blessed with the love of God and family!