Volume 11 Issue 10 October 1996 THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision." (Psalms 2:1-4) A worldview is basically a set of beliefs concerning the major issues of life that we as mankind must inevitably face. Our particular worldview determines the lens or filter we use in viewing or interpreting reality. This process shapes what we believe, affects how we live, forms our opinions, and ultimately governs our actions, inactions, or reactions in life. One of the most perplexing and tragic situations in the modern church today is the lack of, or ignorance of, a Biblical worldview. One just has to observe the condition of our culture to realize the importance of this statement. The sad truth is, there are many sincere Christians whose worldview has been framed by their education, experience, or by a political party system instead of the word of God. In other words, the grid used to interpret the burning issues of the day comes from sources not necessarily rooted in Biblical revelation. As a result, we have been reduced to what I call "Bill Clinton American Christianity". This is a man who calls himself a Christian, brings a Bible to church, prays, sings in a choir, and yet doesn’t have a clue as to how the word of God should apply to his private life, his public life or his governing policies. What is worse, is over half the church in America willingly voted for this man who openly and unashamedly promoted (and continues to promote) child-killing and homosexuality. Obviously, both are contrary to the revealed word of God, and yet we somehow blindly support a politician that endorses that which God considers an abomination. This unfortunate treason against heaven, not only calls into question the church’s ability to discern, but also painfully points out the absence of a Christian worldview. There are vital truths concerning a Christian worldview that must be restored to the church if our nation is to thrive once again under the blessing of God. God is sovereign, not man. The word sovereignty means supreme authority, supremacy, the possession of the highest power, or of uncontrollable power. A Sovereign is a supreme lord or ruler; the one who possesses this title does so with unrestrained authority. Thankfully there is only one who can legitimately claim this title and exercise this kind of unlimited power, Almighty God. Tragically, there are some in the church who have forgotten this elementary truth. We somehow cringe and refuse to press the issue in this age of multiculturalism and political diversity that Almighty God is in charge and that His Law is binding upon all people, at all times and in all nations. Regardless of the governing philosophy of a nation, be it a Republic, a Democracy, Socialism, Communism, Military Dictatorship, Oligarchy, or Monarchy, the true reality is, the government of this world rests upon the shoulders of the one who is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace (Isaiah (9:6,7). The Bible emphatically, in both the Old and New Testaments, (Daniel 2:21, 4:17,25,32, 5:21, Matthew 28:18, Ephesians 1:17-23, Colossians 1:13-20, 2:10,) teaches us that this earth is governed by a theocracy, which simply means, God rules. We must not mistake this true revelation to mean the rule of the church over the realm of civil government. The Bible forbids an ecclesiocracy (church rule). This distinction is very important. The reason we must be clear on this point stems from the fact that the enemies of the cross describe theocracy as the institutional church ruling over civil government. This is a deliberate attempt to falsify the true meaning of Biblical theocracy. Their intent is to scare Christians to surrender the premise of God’s sovereignty and to beat us back from declaring God’s permanent standards as the basis for all of life. Judging by the condition of the church and our culture, there can be no doubt, this strategy has been highly successful. Keep in mind, brethren, when we discuss God’s sovereignty, His central rule over all things, it is not an attempt on our part to usher this in through the manipulation of the political process or the revolutionary subversion of human government. In fact, this is not something we even have to wait for. The Bible is absolutely clear on this point. God is on His throne ruling and reigning in the affairs of men right now. There is nothing above or on the earth beneath that escapes His notice or is beyond His jurisdiction. Our challenge is to have the courage to simply agree with this Biblical revelation and then to live our lives accordingly. Brethren, we must never again foolishly surrender the presupposition that the King of kings is not the rightful ruling Monarch of this world in time and in history. To do so, is to ignorantly strengthen the humanists in their rebellion against Heaven. We must remember that ideas have consequences, especially when those ideas vainly espouse that either civil government is sovereign or "We the people" are. Both these viewpoints seek in a futile way to usurp the Sovereignty of God with disastrous results . History reveals when mankind adopted the view that civil government is sovereign, the people were made subject to atrocious acts of tyranny, murder, and oppression. On the other hand, when mankind shifts to the other extreme, proudly believing that "We the people" are sovereign, mankind has descended into the moral cesspool of chaos, confusion, and anarchy where every man does what is right in his own eyes. Obviously, for the sake of those for whom Christ shed His blood to redeem, we must expose these false views of sovereignty by heralding the uncompromising truth of God’s word that declares, there is another King, one called Jesus! RULERS AND GOVERNMENTS HAVE LIMITED AUTHORITY "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1) We’ve established thus far that absolute sovereignty belongs to God alone. Based on Romans 13:1, limited sovereignty is delegated by God to lesser authorities. The lesser authorities are made up of the four distinct governments that the Lord created to benefit the crown of His creation, mankind. This list includes self-government, family government, church government, and civil government. Each is governed by the unique principles that are based upon God’s word with its own particular function, role, jurisdiction, and sphere of authority. The primary purpose of each government is to extend God’s rule and to reflect His divine attributes in the earth. These governments are to be the standards raised that will deter and restrain the sinful nature in man and be used to secure the salvation, peace, righteousness, holiness, and justice of God among men. When you study the Scriptures, God then becomes the model and supreme example for man to emulate. His created order mirrors this truth. For example, the individual whom God calls to govern himself under the rule of God is to be holy even as God is Holy (1 Peter 1:16). Jesus declared, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). The individual then who repents of their sins and receives the gift of eternal life proceeds to practice self-control, self-government, instead of self-esteem. Their goal becomes to put to death the deeds of the flesh with the lusts thereof and to live their lives reflecting the character of their heavenly Father as His grateful offspring. This pattern is seen in the other governments that the Lord established for His own pleasure as well (Revelations 4:11). For instance, in family government, the love that Jesus expresses toward His church is to be copied by husbands in their love towards their wives (Ephesians 5:25,32). The discipline that fathers give their children is an illustration of God’s discipline towards us, His children (Hebrews 12:1-13). The same is true of the church. Are we not bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh, living epistles read of all men, co-laborers, and His ambassadors sent to represent our King and His Divine interests in this earth? Are we not here to shine forth the glory, power, principles, and attributes of our Heavenly Father to this poor fallen world (Matthew 5:16)? What about civil government? Is there any way the civil government is to reflect an attribute of God? In Romans 13:4, the Bible teaches, the State is God’s minister...an avenger who brings wrath upon those who practice evil. Obviously, the judgments of God upon the children of disobedience and the very existence of Hell confirms this pattern. In all four governments, we can see the symbols of God’s sovereignty in the earth. The symbol for self-government is revealed when we submit to the waters of baptism and the subsequent circumcision of the heart that comes to every true believer that repents. In baptism, our old man is crucified with Christ and we are raised to newness of life. This act allows us to govern ourselves under the rule of God by His grace and the power of His Spirit. The symbol of God’s sovereignty in family government is revealed in the rod. Children are to obey and honor their parents (Ephesians 6:1) The rod was sent by God to the parent to establish His order within the family structure. His intent is to teach children to associate pain with disobedience which hopefully will deliver their souls from hell (Proverbs 23:13,14). As church members, we are part of a jurisdictional government called ecclesiastical government. The church has been granted the keys to the kingdom of heaven as their symbol of God’s authority to bind and loose within the church. The church, that is, those with legitimate authority, have the power to excommunicate unrepentive members (Matthew 18:15-18). The church is even given authority to handle legal matters that many would consider reserved for the power of the State (1 Corinthians 6:1-11). In Hebrews 13:17, God’s word exhorts us, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account...) In civil government, God has given the sword as the symbol of His authority to the State. They are ordained to uphold God’s Law and to use the sword to be a terror to evil works (Romans 13:3,4) Ultimately, God will demand an accounting from all of mankind regarding their obedience to the four limited governments He established for our good and for His pleasure. LAW IS OF DIVINE, NOT HUMAN, ORIGIN "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether". (Psalms 19:7-9) It is interesting to note that Satan first attacked God and seduced man on the basis of God’s Law, "Yea, hath God said"? This strategic fiery doubt concerning God’s command tragically appealed to Adam and Eve to be a law unto themselves. The lying promise of the Adversary, "your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" is responsible for the battle that continues to rage over the issue of whose laws should govern in the affairs of man. It is vital that we discern the deadly deal Satan offered our first parents. He wasn’t just trying to sell them on the concept of good and evil. His ultimate objective was to convince them to determine good and evil for themselves. This treacherous act catapulted man to believe that he is god, the master of his own ship, the lord of his life, and the one who determines good and evil for himself apart from the objective truth of God’s Law. Man has been eating from that lawless tree ever since and the bitter fruit of it can be clearly seen today in our nation’s pursuit of removing God as the source of law. Whether this nation likes it or not or whether we believe it or not, there is only one true Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:32) and therefore only one true system for law, the Bible. All other competing law systems proceed from the dastardly lie in the garden which inevitably perverts justice, corrupts righteousness, and ultimately oppresses those it promises to serve. The reason for this phenomenon is self-evident, man is not morally qualified to make law because of our fallen nature and propensity to sin. Sin, remember, is the transgression of God’s Law (1John 3:4). The bottom line is, only God can make law. Man can only affirm and uphold God’s Law or rebel against it by substituting their own. Roe vs. Wade is a perfect example of what happens when men make law apart from God. We end up codifying evil, barbaric, behavior that eventually brings the wrath of God down upon our heads for breaking His Law, "Thou shalt not kill." GOD JUDGES IN TERMS OF HIS LAW "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth." (Deuteronomy 28:1) It is evident from just a cursory view of the Bible and history that nations rise and fall based on the blessings and cursings of God’s law (Dt. 28 & Lev. 26). The very fate of nations are judged on how they faithfully acknowledge God’s sovereignty and keep His Law. Sadly, there are those in the church that reject this notion thinking that somehow God changed His mind about His moral Law when He became converted to a Christian God in the New Testament. They believe that somehow God lowered His standards for righteousness and doesn’t care how men govern themselves. Even though, the word of God declares He is the Governor of the nations (Psalms 22:28). The truth is God does judge nations. He uses the standard He has always used—His righteousness which is outlined in His Law. The church in America will do well to remember this. Brethren, these points I raise in this newsletter concerning a Biblical worldview is absolutely essential if America is to be restored. Much of the church has already surrendered these important presuppositions and has forced us to debate the burning issues of the day based upon the premises of our enemies. We must remember, he who frames the debate, wins the argument. It is imperative we reclaim our history, a Biblical worldview, and unashamedly lift God’s Law as the standard for all of life. We must understand that God’s Law is not our enemy, but a powerful ally in our struggle to convert souls to Christ and to stem the tide of evil by establishing God’s righteous boundaries in our culture. The Bible teaches the Law of God is holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12). It shows the world its depravity and guilt before God (Romans 3:19). It gives us the knowledge of sin which make our souls anxious for a Savior (Romans 7:7). Most importantly it is a schoolmaster to lead men to Christ (Galatians 3:24) We mustn’t foolishly lower the significance of God’s Law in our nation. In so doing, we then are responsible for dimming the light by which this nation perceives its guilt before God. This practically insures our nation will not repent and therefore fall under the weight of God’s judgment. Remember, brethren, bad theology or lack of a Biblical worldview weakens the resolve of the church, corrupts the culture, strengthens the oppressors, and prolongs the suffering of the poor and needy. The good news is, the kingship and reign of Christ is an unarguable fact, a bedrock of reality that is so—whether man currently believes it or not. Christ’s rule is unchallengeable, His glorious reign shall have no end (Isaiah 9:6,7). All things have been put under His feet (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). Nothing any man can say—Christian or not, can alter these facts. He is King of kings, Lord of lords. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword to smite the nations which He shall rule with a rod of iron. On His head are many crowns and He treads the winepress of the wrath of God (Revelation 19:11-16). These truths should liberate our souls, strengthen our resolve, and empower us to boldly declare the Gospel of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ which transcends every institution, government, and every other area of life. Jesus is to have the preeminence in everything (Colossians 1:18)! Amen PERSPECTIVE One of the basic demands of Christian discipleship, of following Jesus Christ, is to change our way of thinking. We are to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). We are "not to be conformed to this world but [are to] be transformed by the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2). In other words, we are commanded to have a Biblical worldview. All our thinking, our perspective on life, and our understanding of the world around us, is to be comprehensively informed by Scripture. God’s condemnation of Israel came because "their ways were not His ways and their thoughts were not His thoughts" (Isaiah 55:7,8). They did not have a Biblical worldview. When we begin to think about the law, or bio-medical ethics, or art, or business, or love, or history, or welfare, or any thing else apart from God’s revelation, we too have made ourselves vulnerable to condemnation. A Biblical worldview is not optional, it is mandatory. A PLEA FOR HELP! "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 2:3) If your house is anything like mine, you’re probably staggering under the weight of different ministries requesting financial assistance. These appeals are not just limited to mail, but now it has become a common place occurrence for ministries to use telemarketing techniques as well. Those of you that know us, realize that we rarely ask through our newsletter for your help, even though the newsletter is our primary source for meeting the needs of Elijah Ministries, as well as the needs of my precious family of eight. Brothers and sisters, we are in a very tight spot financially, the pressure has been somewhat intense. It is difficult enough fighting the battles for the souls of men, standing for the babies, and working to push back the homosexual agenda, without the added burden of limited supply. My heart’s desire is to please my Heavenly Father, bear good fruit, save the lost, rescue the children, and advance the Kingdom of God in our nation. I have dedicated my life, ministry, and family to be good soldiers of Christ Jesus. This appeal is to let you know that this soldier could use some much needed financial help at this time. Whatever you can do to assist in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Maybe some of you have prayed about supporting us on a monthly basis. Now would be an excellent time to commit. Our commitment to you is to be the best possible soil for you to invest in, so we all might partake of the fruit. Thank you so much for continued love, prayers, and financial support as we pour out our lives as a drink offering in service to our King. IN KING JESUS’ SERVICE, Rusty Lee Thomas Elijah Ministries |