What is "Government" for the Called Out Ones?
The most potent and effective restraint for the filthy, beastly nature of man is the
world's various religions. Karl
Marx was exactly right when he called religion "the opiate of the people". It numbs the
perverse spirit of man into
submission. Man himself recognizes the importance of the lofty religious creeds which
draw men to a nobler plane
than mere animalistic desires and behavior. We should all be grateful for the religious
systems of government which
exist in the world. Without them, man would degenerate beyond reason, and beyond
hope. They serve to control
the beastly nature of man, preventing him from degenerating to the point that God
cannot reach him. All were built
up with much labor and good intention, and much will be lost if they are destroyed by
anyone other than God.
Buddhism, Islam, Shintoism, Christianity, and virtually all others inspire man to aspire to a nobler life
than what man is able,
alone, to live. Every denomination which speaks well of Jesus is a benefit to the entire
human race. However,
these are all human systems of religious government, and none of them will suffice for
the saving of a single soul.
None of man's religions will save man - even those which name "Jesus" in their creeds. Only the way of Christ will do that. Only the TRUE and RIGHT way of Christ will save your soul in the end.
The gospel of Christ is not concerned with restraining the beastly nature of man. It is
a way, the only way, of
removing the beastly nature of man and replacing it with another, pure nature. Peter
said that the saints are
"partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust."
The holy Ghost takes the commandments of God and "writes them in our
hearts", so that the
government of God is a government in the Spirit, not in a list of do's and don'ts. Every
soul who submits to the
truth of Christ and is baptized with the holy Ghost (with the evidence of speaking in other tongues) is given a new nature. However, it is
such a new nature that
our minds cannot fathom it. Good government among God's elect can make little or no sense
to anyone who doesn't
understand the miserable nature of man. And good government among the elect can only exist where the holy Ghost is in charge INSTEAD of the nature of man. The ancient prophet, Jeremiah, lamented that
the heart of man
is "deceitful above all things" (17:9). Jesus refused to put any
confidence in those who
claimed to believe in him, "for he knew what was in man" (Jn.2:25).
Before being
given a new nature by Christ, we all, as Paul taught, " were by nature the
children of
wrath". That is, we were born with a nature which lived in such a way that the
wrath of God
was inescapable. Man is not basically good. He is basically so wicked and ignorant of
God that he thinks
he's doing just fine. That is man. He cannot believe that he is so bad, because he cannot
believe God. The
things of God seem foolish to man, they seem unsophisticated and unworthy of serious
consideration.
"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God", wrote Paul,
"for they are
foolishness to him. Neither can he know them" (1Cor.2:14). The brightest
minds on earth, the
noblest souls, the highest ranking officials in both the secular and religious realms, all
agreed that Jesus of
Nazareth, the Lord of all that is good, was worthy of death. This is man, who sees good
and thinks it evil.
Who sees evil, and is attracted to it. Said King David, "verily every man at his
best state is
altogether vanity" (Ps.39:5). So far from righteousness is man's nature that
Jesus said it is
impossible for man to do anything to escape the coming wrath of God (Mk.10:26-27).
Only by receiving and
obeying the Spirit of God can anyone escape the damnation of hell. Time is required in
order for us to
understand our calling, to grow in the grace of God, to mature in faith, meekness, and
goodness. When we are
baptized into the kingdom of God by the holy Ghost, we become such new creatures
that we do not even understand
ourselves - and never will unless there is enough order in the congregation to give God's
children a place of peace where
they may grow and learn.
This is a truth that those of us "outside of Christianity" are only now beginning to believe. I thank God for His
patience. Pray for the government
of the holy Ghost to be among God's people, my friends. Pray for the government of the holy
Ghost. Pray for a
government that rewards righteousness, and condemns covetousness. Pray for a
government that inspires faith and
denies worldliness. Pray for the will of God to be done among the called out ones, as it is in heaven.
The little ones in the
kingdom of God need a place where there is order, not strife, where holiness is the
standard and sin is reproved,
where sickness is healed and death isn't feared. Pray for the government of the elect
to be restored. Pray for
the congregation to be a place where the saints can come to a knowledge of who they are in
Christ, so that they will no
longer be used, abused, and confused by entanglements with the religious systems of
men.
When we see molested children, we are seeing man as he really is. When we hear of
wars, we are
witnessing man in action. When we see poisons dumped in our rivers, we see man.
When we watch
riots by sexually perverted men and women, burning government buildings, we are seeing
man. In the
heart of every unconverted man and woman is such evil that they cannot imagine it.
Murder is in the
heart of every human alive, unless Jesus has removed it by the power of the Spirit. The
world will
crown as King the man who can give them a means to express their horribly depraved
nature and - at
the same time - justify it. Adolph Hitler was one such man. Seemingly "good" people
were persuaded
to perform acts of incredible cruelty, not only upon Jews, but mentally retarded people,
or anyone else
who had no place among the "super race" of Aryans - including God's saints who obeyed
God rather than
Hitler. The world is waiting now for another such man, a man who is able to make
cruelty socially
acceptable again, and the Bible promises that he will come. And when he comes, there
will be such
viciousness and brutality that it beggars description. It is in the heart of every man and
every woman
to behave as a cunning beast, whether you or I believe it to be true or not. It is there.
And only the
holy Ghost will get it out. Every good thing comes from God. Every good thing that
men manage to
accomplish, he accomplishes only with the help of God. "For I know", declared Paul,
"that in me (that
is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing" (Rom.7:18).
Therefore, good government among the believers can only occur as the holy Ghost is given
liberty, otherwise
only the carnal nature of man will. If you are in a place now where certain things are
prohibited in the
Spirit, you do not have government (that will prosper you). You are being ruled by
carnal men, and
where men rule, chaos will ensue. That is why the children of God cannot get happy
anywhere in
Christianity. Through it's doctrines, traditions, ceremonies, and works that are not
inspired by the holy
Ghost, it puts to death any form of government that God would have... replacing it, given
enough time,
with complete death. Such is the condition of the Spirit-baptized saints
EVERYWHERE in Christianity.
If you want "good government" in your life, you must come out. You must come to
where Jesus is,
and where the Spirit of God reigns. We get asked by many, "where do you go to
worship"? They are
searching for "government". And what can our answer be? What can we tell those who
look in the
very place where government is thrown by the wayside? We tell them to come out of
Christianity.
That truth will reveal what government the child of God really wants. If he wants the
confusion of
men, he will stay in his denomination. If he wants the government of God, he will come
out. So we
answer this question today, by leaving another with you: Are you outside of Christianity
where the
holy Ghost is given the freedom to govern your life? Your answer will reveal how much
you love to
be governed by the real Lord - Jesus Christ.
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