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Satan’s
Assault via
Civil Government
(Part 1) By
Bob Myhan We
now come to Satan’s attack via civil government, the second divine institution
and third front of Satan’s assault. As with the family, the more we understand
about the role of civil government, and our relationship and responsibility
thereto, the better able we will be to recognize both how and when Satan is
attempting to devour us on that front. Civil
government is a divinely appointed institution. By "civil government,"
is meant, "a system of ruling, or controlling a particular community of
citizens." In the Jesus
is King over a spiritual kingdom (John 18:33-36). "Everyone
who is of the truth hears [His] voice," and is a willing subject
in His kingdom. "The truth," of course, is the word of God (John
17:17). Jesus said, "You shall know the
truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). The
truth, when known, frees one from sin (Rom. 6:18), from the law of sin and death
( Of
course, if you are a Christian your citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20; Heb.
11:8-10, 13-16; 13:13-14; 1 Peter 2:9-11). But you must be subject to civil
rulers for several reasons. Ø
You
must be subject "for the Lord's
sake" (1 Peter 2:13). This is because "there
is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed
by God" (Rom. 13:1). Therefore, one who recognizes the authority
of God must [and will] also recognize the authority of civil rulers (John
19:10-11). Ø
You
must be subject to avoid the wrath of God, for
"whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those
who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to
good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is
good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you
for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain;
for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices
evil" (Rom. 13:2-4; see also Gen. 9:6). Ø
You
must be subject "for conscience'
sake" (Rom. 13:5), because "he
is God's minister to you for good" (Rom. 13:4). One who obeys
the law does not have to look over his shoulder to see if the long arm of the
law is about to grab him (1 Tim. 1:5-11). Besides, civil rulers provide the
righteous with protection from the unrighteous (1 Tim. 2:1, 2). Ø
You
must be subject "that by doing good you
may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Peter 2:15). If
you claim exemption from civil law, on the basis of being “strangers
and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13), some will misunderstand
your motives and charge you with being anarchists, making it difficult for you
to have a positive influence. But if you conduct yourself “as
free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of
God" (1 Peter 2:16), "they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt.
5:16). You
are to “render therefore to all their due:
taxes to whom taxes are due: customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor
to whom honor" ( First,
there is the “ideal” will of God, or that which He desires as the ideal
situation. In this sense, it is His will that no man ever sin, even one time.
Surely, God could want nothing else as the perfect or ideal situation. Second,
there is the “circumstantial” will of God, or that which He desires in the
circumstance of man's sin. In this sense, it is His will that sinful men come
to Him in faith and repentance. That is, He "desires
all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4). Third,
there is the "incidental" will of God, or that which God permits
(without causing or approving), as incidental to His ideal and circumstantial
will. For example, God permits men to sin, though not with impunity
("freedom from punishment, penalty, harm or loss"). He also permits
physical suffering. Fourth,
there is the “ultimate” will of God, or that which He ultimately intends to
do—punish evil and reward righteousness. Man
can defeat God's ideal will and circumstantial will, because they simply express
His desires for all men and all men are free moral agents. That is, all men can
[and do] choose to sin, and every man, having sinned, can refuse to come to God
in repentance. For example, God ordered Adam and Eve not to eat of the fruit of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but gave them the ability to choose
whether to obey or disobey the command. It was His ideal will that they not eat
of it, but it was His incidental will that they eat. That is, He expressed His
desire in the form of a command, but did not interfere with their free choice
as to whether they would obey the command. Man
cannot, however, defeat God's incidental will, because whatever occurs is
obviously permitted by God to occur. We may prevent disease through vaccination,
but only because He permits us to prevent it. He may intervene in the affairs of
man or not, as His infinite wisdom and mercy happens to dictate. We pray for the
sick to recover, if it is God's will. Sometimes it is His will, sometimes it is
not; either way we should accept whatever happens as His incidental will. Neither
can man defeat the ultimate will of God, because it has to do with His Sovereign
intentions, which have their basis in His infinite mercy and perfect justice. Of
course, we decide our own ultimate destiny by our response [whether positive
or negative] to His circumstantial will. The
reader may well be wondering: How does this apply to the concept of civil government?
God gave man the ability to choose whether or not to obey Him. He will not
prevent man from disobeying. But He will ultimately punish the impenitent. He
will not force those who are involved in civil government to pass and enforce
godly laws; nor will He prevent them from passing and enforcing ungodly laws.
But He will ultimately hold them responsible for the laws they pass and enforce. Paul
said, concerning the idolatry of the Gentile nations, "Truly,
these times of ignorance God overlooked" (Acts 17:30). This
does not mean God approved of their idolatrous activities, but that He tolerated
them. He has always given man enough rope to hang himself. He "now
commands all men everywhere to repent.” But He does not force
anyone to do so.
&
Sodium Sodium
is an extremely active element found naturally
only in combined form; it always
links itself to another element. Chlorine,
on the other hand, is the poisonous
gas that gives bleach its offensive odor. When
sodium and chlorine are combined, the result
is sodium chloride, common table salt, a substance
to preserve meat and bring out its flavor. Love
and truth can be like sodium and chlorine. Love without truth is flighty,
sometimes blind,
willing to combine with various doctrines. On
the other hand, truth by itself can be offensive.
Spoken without love, it can turn people away
from the gospel. When
faith and love are combined in an individual
or a church, then we have what Jesus called
"the salt of the earth" (Matthew
5:13) and
we're able to preserve and bring out the beauty
of our faith (Ephesians 4:15).
& BULLETIN
DIGEST
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