Posted in Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. 2 Cor. 3:17

Return to "Our Christian Form of Government (Part I)"

Our Christian Form of Government (cont'd)

External (Letter of the Law)—Structure and Framework {Man governing man or civil government}: 

The Separation of Powers

Isaiah 33:22—For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is He who will save us.

• Legislative {The Lord is our lawgiver.}
  • The Lord is our lawgiver in giving us His Word.
  • When we contemplate doing any action—we are, in essence, legislating how we will perform this action.
  • Either we are governed by the laws of God and man—or we are lawless.
• Executive {The Lord is our King.}
  • The Lord is our King of kings.
  • When we put plans into action and do the action, or execute the plan, this becomes an executive function.
  • Either we are self-governed to follow the law; or we must be forced to follow the law.
• Judicial  {The Lord is our judge.}
  • The Lord judges all our actions.
  • Reviewing action already taken becomes our judicial or judging function.
  • A Christian has the Bible as God’s law upon which to base his judgment of action.
  • As the Constitution is the law of the land, the Bible is the law of the individual.

            With the Lord as our lawgiver, judge, and king; we call on Him when we are planning an action, before we execute an action; and when we review our actions.  All aspects must be compared with the Bible—our political, educational, and life textbook—to walk in His will for our lives.  Christ is the lawgiver (Bible), our judge, and King. 

The Founding Fathers were inspired to have three spheres of government—legislative (law making) with the Upper House (Senate) and the Lower House (House of Representatives); executive (law enforcement/presidential); and judicial (review/judges).

Based on the infringement of individual rights by England, the Founding Fathers imposed “checks and balances” to ensure that none of the spheres of government would dominate the other, such as in England, when the King would simply dismiss Parliament at his whim.  So our Founding Fathers wrote the rule of law so that each sphere had some control of the other but never dominating control. 

 

The Principle of Representation

Exodus 18:17-27

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro’s advice 

• Moses was the people’s representative before God and they were to take their disputes to him.
• Moses was to teach God’s decrees and laws; show the people the way to live and the duties they were to perform.
• Select capable men…
  • Who fear God
  • Trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain
• Appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
• They were to serve as judges for the people; but take the difficult cases to Moses. 

Rev. Thomas Hooker, Connecticut, 1638

--The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut based on Deut. 1:9-18

• Reverend Thomas Hooker gave a lecture in 1638 leading the way to the first written constitution in America—Connecticut. (T&L pg. 241; CHOC, I, pgs. 250-252)
• Dr. Hooker’s development of the political principles of representative government.

1. The choice of public magistrates belongs to the people by God’s own allowance.
2. Privilege of election shouldn’t be exercised according to the humors, but according to the blessed will and law of God.
3. Those who have power to appoint magistrates, they must set bounds of power and place to which each magistrate is called.

Our country’s principle of representation came not from our shores with the Constitution in 1787; nor did it come from the shores of England with the Magna Charta in 1275 providing representation for the nobility through Parliament.  It came out of the desert after the Hebrews’ flight from Egypt under the leadership of Moses, 1500 years before Christ. 

In 1638, the Reverend Thomas Hooker reminded the colonists of God’s directions on representational government resulting in Connecticut fashioning their state constitution after Deuteronomy 1:9-18; which later had a direct impact on the representative policies in our Constitution.  It wasn’t to England that Connecticut looked for representational policies; but to the Word of God.

Reverend Hooker demonstrated that when choosing representatives, the people are responsible for choosing high caliber men and women who fear God, who are trustworthy, who hate dishonest gain, and who will not show partiality.  The people should consider the will and law of God in their choices.  Then they may be blessed of God. 

 

The Dual Form of Our Government—Federal & State

            Also, our dual form of government was not fashioned on our shores or on the shores of England, but long ago in the desert 1500 years before Christ when God provided The Ten Commandments.  Later, Christ set forth our “Duties to God” (laid out in the first 4 commandments) as “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, & mind”; and our “Duties to Man” (laid out in the last 6 commandments) as “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 22:37-40—Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:37-40/Exodus 20:1-17—10 Commandments

Duties to God Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.

Duties to Man And the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

 

            Our American civil government is also set out in a dual format as the National Federal Government representing the states’ duty to the Nation, and the State Government being the basis for the relationship between the individual states and their responsibility and duties toward each other. 

Here, you can see the comparison.

• 1^st Commandment—Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, & mind.
  • Individual Christian self-government—represents one’s duty to God
  • Likewise, National Federal Government—represents one’s duty to his country
• 2^nd Commandment—Love your neighbor as yourself.
  • Individual Christian self-government—basis of our relation to our neighbor—all those around us.
  • State Government—Basis for the relationship of the individual states.  Remember, the states did not want to give up their individuality and independence.  They wanted to remain unique from the rest of the colonies.

 

Summary of the Christian Form of Our Government

It is essential in a representative form of government; that self-government exists.  In order to self-govern, the people need to know God’s laws and His decrees.  Again, “internal government” necessary for a Christian form of government with true liberty requires our (1) self-government through the leading of the Holy Spirit; (2) liberty of conscience with a responsibility to prove faithful before God and man—again, righteousness {rightness before God}; and (3) recognition of our God-given individuality, yet maintaining political unity in Christ.

            The external government in our country of “separation of powers”, “representation”, and “mixed (dual) government” did not originate on our shores or on the shores of England.  But was fashioned for us by the Lord and the concepts were first put in place by the Israelites and the 1^st Century Church. 

            In the wilderness, the Lord revealed to Moses, a godly form of government with He as King.  However, the people later rejected this and wanted a king.  When the 1^st Century Church started, they began as individual congregational bodies personally responsible to the Word of God with some leadership from the apostles and spiritual leaders.  This was later rejected by the Church when they organized into a centralized church and appointed a pope.  It wasn’t for another 3,000 years before God again led a remnant of his people forward in a Biblical form of government here in America.

            In these and other aspects, America became a Christian nation, not because there was a majority of Christians in America, but because her form of government was Christian.  Our God only needs a remnant.  At the founding of our nation, He used a remnant of dedicated followers to accomplish the godliest form of government known to man at that time.  We can be encouraged that He only requires a remnant to maintain the godliest form of government that does not include a monarch but is representational and requires individual responsibility toward God. 

In understanding these principles, it may make it a little more understandable why informed Christians and the informed Church are so upset with the current state of affairs of our government and are truly grieving with how far she has strayed.  All that we and you can do is (1) first to be informed; and (2) second, to do all that God calls on us to do in this generation and the generations that follow to restore this country to her Christian and Biblical foundations as long as the Lord tarries.