And the law has many other things like this, teaching people to live Godly and upright lives. Although this view of the matter was not fleshed out in systematic detail by Augustine that had to wait until the Reformation , and he was certainly not entirely consistent in all his comments on the law of God, this essential orientation concerning Scripture and the revealed law of God was basic to his thought. This is why Israel and its law was said to be a model and witness to the surrounding nations, and why Amos and Jonah are able to call pagans to repentance in terms of that law.
Thus, for Augustine, law and gospel were not to be seen as antagonistic to each other. Although under the law man finds himself incapable of true and inward obedience without regeneration, under grace, by the Holy Spirit, he is enabled to obey and do the good from the heart. The Reformers in turn likewise saw themselves as men simply seeking to restore the church to faithfulness to the word of God, to Pauline and Augustinian doctrine.
However, Christ in fact had not the least intent of making any change or innovation in the precepts of the law. God there appointed once for all a rite of life which he will never repent of…so let us have no more of that error, that here a defect of the law is corrected by Christ; Christ is not to be made into a new law-giver, adding anything to the everlasting righteousness of his Father, but is to be given the attention of a faithful interpreter, teaching us the nature of the law, its object and its scope.
Though he saw conscience as a valid monitor, human depravity had touched every aspect of our being, leaving conscience seared and unreliable. Thus the giving of the law was as gracious as it was necessary ; God did not leave man to himself, his historical experience, his own conscience or inward motions in this regard. From Christ himself, through Augustine and the Reformation, and on through the Puritan and early evangelical age, there was no artificial dichotomy or duality posited between law and gospel, Old and New Testament, the God of the Old Covenant and the God of the New.
This holistic vision of the Christian life provided the integrated worldview and social vision necessary for the development of Christian civilization. We are abandoning this vision with frightening rapidity in the modern church. We would do well to remember God is not mocked. Augustine, The Triumph of Grace: Needham Ebbw Vale, Wales: Grace Publications Trust, , — Oxford University Press, , Eerdmans, , Who is it that has control over men? If man believes he is his own god, or if he believes he is some kind of god, then he will exercise control over men in order to prove it.
A king rules by his law. Jews obeyed their king, Caesar, and killed those who did not obey their king John True servants of Christ honor Him by obeying Him Luke 6: Thus, in law, the human lawmaker becomes a god by determining for himself which of the many theories at his disposal he will apply to his next act on behalf of "the people. This means, clearly, a dictatorship and nothing less will do.
Taxes We have been taught that we must obey even ungodly governments, and to help them by paying taxes, but scripture says, " Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? The scripture says it is evil in the sight of the Lord for governments to tax the land 2 Kings The earth does not belong to the government, this earth belongs to God Exodus It is literally a dethronement of God and an enthronement of the State.
The State is claiming to be god by claiming control and ownership of land. The State is literally trying to be god walking the earth. God has never given his earth to the government to tax, pollute, or destroy 1 Kings The State's claim of "eminent domain" is in direct conflict with the Word of God: Thus, it is not lawful to impose tax upon the servants of Christ.
But those servants must be true servants. If one seeks to make merchandise of His creation, they will be taxed. The slothful are under taxes Proverbs We also see that the Levites were not taxed or conscripted for military purpose Numbers 1: Note especially verse The tithe was to go to the Levites Deuteronomy God is sovereign; He cannot be taxed. Abram paid tithes of all to Melchizdek, King of Salem, and refused the spoils he was offered from the King of Sodom.
It is clear that it was the result of a solemn oath that Abram had made to God. Abram would not accept the commercial benefits of the heathen, because he knew the resulting duties attached thereto. Instead, he chose to honor the Lord. The people of God are not to finance the government through heathen taxation ; nor is the government to finance the people of God through benefits such as social security, etc. A State-financed church is a State controlled church.
- Discussion.
- Tremble the Devil!
- 9 Bible verses about Lawgivers.
- Machli Pott und die Zepse (German Edition)!
He who accepts a benefit from the State accepts the sovereignty and authority of the State, and thus is subject to and will serve the State. Jesus himself was accused of forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar at his trial Luke Notice these were not false witnesses who accused Jesus of not paying taxes, because every time a false witness accused Jesus, the scripture tells us it was a false witness Mark Where did Jesus forbid to pay taxes to Caesar?
A silver coin, with Caesar's inscription on it, was shown to Christ. In this example, the Lord's answer requires everyone to make the determination as to what belongs to Caesar and what belongs to God; Mark Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's However, those who live, move, and have their being in the image of Caesar, as the disciples of the Pharisees did, will believe this coin belongs to Caesar instead.
We are not to be deluded by the image of Caesar, but built-up in the image of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians There's only one instance where Jesus paid a tax. Let's break this passage down. The tax collector asked Simon Peter if Jesus paid taxes. But "Jesus prevented " Peter from paying the tax. Why did Jesus prevent Peter from paying taxes? Jesus said "Then are the children free " from paying taxes. This is why, because we are now free.
But we must not use our liberty as a cloak of maliciousness. However, to avoid "offending" this tax collector since, as was the habit of Peter, he opened his mouth too soon without really thinking and obligated Jesus by his statement that Jesus did pay taxes , Jesus told Peter to cast a hook into the sea, and catch a fish, and take out money from its mouth and pay it. Even though Jesus paid this tax, it was to avoid "offending" him, and because Peter rashly agreed to pay it, not because we are bound to pay taxes by Law.
Jesus made the point to stress that the children are free from taxes. But notice, Simon Peter and Jesus did not give him any of their own money, but that which came from the fish! It is interesting to note that Peter was a commercial fisherman a fisher of fish before being called to be an apostle of Christ a fisher of men , and when Peter opened his mouth before thinking as he often did , Christ basically chastised him by having Peter return to his old life to pay his debt!
He had to be a fisher of fish to catch that fish with the coin in its mouth. When you join yourself to the world, and make obligations to the world, you must become part of the world again to meet those obligations. Additionally, Jesus could not have fulfilled prophesy if he was to go to prison, which might have happened if he didn't pay that tax after Peter "volunteered" for him.
It was not his time to go to prison yet.
Sunday: Judgment or Discernment?
Likewise, Jesus could have called twelve legions of angels to his rescue, but because the scriptures would not have been fulfilled if he did, he refrained from doing that act Matthew Jesus taught that we are free from paying taxes if we are children of the king Matthew Now, for clarification, if a government is acting strictly as a minister of God, then it is lawful to pay taxes to that government Romans Because that "silver coin" which belongs to God also belongs to God's ministers, as they are acting in His Name and doing His Will.
However, if a government is not a minister of God, then there is no duty to give taxes to it. A license is just another form of taxation. The term "license" is from the word "licentious", which means "morally unrestrained, disregarding rules, lascivious". These same words describe human governments today. In demanding licensure from true bondmen of Christ, the State is asking that we render to it the submission and tribute that scripture requires us to give to God alone.
To partake of this kind of government and pay the taxes due therefrom is to support a government bent on destroying God's dominion. And in case you don't think the governments of men are out to destroy the servants of Christ, the following quote is from an enemy of God responsible for murdering our brothers, sisters, and children at Waco, Texas and for murdering Randy Weavers' family in cold blood on an isolated mountain.
Any of these may qualify [a person as a cultist] but certainly more than one [of these] would cause us to look at this person as a threat , and his family as being in a risk situation that qualified for government interference.
This quote is in response to the question as to why the killing of the people at Waco, Texas was necessary. The answer may shock you. The reason for murdering them, said "the government," was because they were " cultists "! And when asked for their definition of a cultist, their definition Janet Reno being their mouthpiece is someone who is a follower of Christ!!! This is an example of the government calling good evil: We shall condemn them, because this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord Isaiah Do we obey governments that produce unfruitful works?
Christ the Law-Giver & Law-Keeper
We are to reprove and rebuke them Luke We are to cast down the spiritual wickedness of anyone who exalteth himself against the knowledge of God 2 Corinthians We are to bind the kings of the earth with our mouth Psalm For anyone to assume the power of directing our comings and goings, and not leave us to scripture alone, is declaring the Word of God to be defective and insufficient for that purpose. And, therefore, to those who walk contrawise, our Lord Jesus Christ who has left us the scriptures for that purpose - 2 Timothy 3: All those that impose their will against a bondman of Christ as the bondman walks in His ways are guilty of rebellion against God , because to reject a servant of God is to reject God himself 1 Samuel 8: If one's walk is under the direction of any man made authority, they cease to be under the direction and authority of Christ.
A minister of Christ is to receive his directions from Christ alone. No other power or authority may be admitted, and no laws or doctrines may be taught, besides those that He has taught. Everything else is of men only, and no part of Christ. What is taught by any man, and not confirmed in Scripture, is not of God. No man can make laws to oblige the Christ's assembly but Christ himself. As Law is the basis of all government, the war to be fought, and around which all the issues revolve, is around the Law of God Revelation Only by a compromise of its unchangeable standards can the followers of Christ Jesus find "social respectability" John We must stand firmly for Truth and must not compromise with evil 2 Corinthians 6: God's Children are not to Obey the State When our brother Paul was accused by the Jews of persuading men to worship God contrary to the law, the courts of law of the Roman Government refused to judge religious matters, because they recognized they had no authority to judge in matters of "religious freedom" Acts There is not one time in scripture where Christ ever submitted to the Roman Imperial law.
He said his true family are not his blood relatives, but only those who "shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven" Matthew Jesus Christ, nor any servant of God for that matter, has never, ever, never, ever said anything about doing the "will of man on earth", only the "will of your Father which is in heaven.
There were three kings the king of Israel, the king of Judah, and the king of Edom , marching out to crush one of their enemies, the Moabites. While in the desert, they discovered there was no water for anyone 2 Kings 3: But in 2 Kings 3: One king has the power to cut off his head. Elisha went up against three kings and said "go to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother.
But the king of Israel pleaded with him and said, " This is a life and death matter. This cuts to the heart of Elisha and he decides he will do something. In 2 Kings 3: So for his sake, he helped and saved them all. In 2 Chronicles He also trusted physicians verse There will be those who may be thinking that we should "obey all government authority. Rememnber what our Father has told us: Resist evil and it will flee from you James 4: We are not taught to overthrow the government, but to throw the wickedness out of government.
We are to overthrow that which is ungodly and wicked by speaking the truth, and establish in its place that which is godly and holy. The only lawful government is that which governs according to God's Word. There is no command in the Word of God to confess the State to the glory of the State: Most of the violence has been committed by " governments. Most of the violence committed by "governments" against innocent, non-combatant civilians has been against " their own " citizens, not external "enemies. The true bondman of Christ know the State is not God and that it must be controlled by laws rigidly defined according to Scripture.
All those under the jurisdiction of Rome were required by law to publicly proclaim their allegiance to Caesar by burning a pinch of incense and declaring, "Caesar is Lord". Upon compliance with this law, the citizens and subjects were given a papyrus document called a "libellus", which they were required to present when either stopped by the Roman police or attempting to engage in commerce in the Roman marketplace, increasing the difficulty of "buying or selling" without this mark.
It should be remembered that "it was granted to him [Caesar] to make war with the saints and to overcome them" Revelation Our brothers and sisters were torn apart by wild animals in the Roman Coliseum and used as living candles in the gardens of Nero because they refused to offer up even a tiny pinch of incense in his name and proclaim that he, not Christ, was Lord. In essence, they refused to submit to licensure permission from the State to live and worship as God had commanded them. They were not put to death because they believed in Christ.
In Rome, you could believe anything you wanted to believe, just as long as you swore by the genius of Caesar. Disciples of Christ were put to death not because they believed in Christ, but because they were called traitors and treasonous individuals , because they would not swear allegiance to the State. To a follower of Christ, disobedience and unfaithfulness to God is idolatry; it is treason. Statism is the concept that the State or government is always right, and that the State or government can do no wrong.
This is idolatry, because it ascribes to man that which belongs to God alone. Anyone that says, "the government can do no wrong," or "the government is always right," is saying " government takes the place of God. To ascribe power, authority, reverence, submission, or anything else to the State, above the Word of God, is idolatry. Your Questions Answered What about Hebrews When scripture speaks of obeying and submitting ourselves to those who have the rule over us, His Word is not talking about heathen governments, but those "rulers" within the Christ's assembly.
Notice carefully this verse says these rulers "watch for your souls. But true spiritual leaders do watch for our souls. Those who "have the rule over you" at Hebrews Secular governments avoid, and often forbid, speaking the Word of God within their system through outlawing prayer in their schools and replacing it with such unrighteousness as "the theory of evolution," and by taking down the "Ten Commandments" from their courtrooms.
These are not the rulers we are to submit to.
Most Relevant Verses
What about 1 Peter 2: Firstly, we must understand that the above partial verse is just that - a partial verse. This is blatant "proof-texting," quoting the Word of God out of context to create a "private" interpretation. If the whole verse and its continuation is not quoted, our Father's Word becomes perverted. Let's look at what our brother Peter wrote, in its full context, so that we may avoid the pollution of others: The only ordinances we should obey are those that conform to this truth. If an ordinance does not punish evil or reward good, then no obedience is due, for this is the only power that God gave to "governing authorities.
Secondly, the word "ordinance" in this passage does not mean man's law. The word "ordinance", here is translated from Greek word , ktisis.
This is the only place in any bible where this word is translated as "ordinance. Thirdly, this passage only applies to submitting the flesh , or your self-will , to worldly governments 2 Peter 2: Barnett in , this is what he said: They don't have that capability 1 Corinthians 2: Did not Jesus teach we are to submit to even evil governing authorities when he told us to "turn the other cheek" Matthew 5: Even Christ Himself did not literally turn the other cheek when smitten by a member of the Sanhedrin John Christ was showing disdain for them when he said to turn the other cheek.
When struck by a Roman superior in the first century, you where to drop to one knee or put your forehead in the dirt before them. To turn the other cheek to him would be a very defiant act when you were struck on the face. We are not to resist with violence, of course, but with love. That is truly resisting evil. By simply turning the other cheek for him to hit, you are refusing to partake of the evil resulting from bowing to man, and at the same time you are not reverting to violence.
We are to "overcome evil with good" Romans You are showing him, out of love, that you can only bow to One Lord , and no man will you ever bow down to. You show him that you will place God's command above man's command, no matter what the consequences will be. You are willing to take the punishment, and are willing to get "hit again" by your enemies, but you will stand firm in God's Law of love. By taking a stand such as this, the one who hits you may very well flee from you James 4: Doesn't the scripture say we should agree with our adversary?
Again, this verse is taken out of context. If you read verses , you will see this passage applies only to your "brother" in Christ, who has become your adversary. Jesus stresses to not be "angry with his brother without a cause" verse 22 , and to remember why " thy brother " is angry at you verse 23 , and then to be "reconciled to thy brother " verse When we come to verse 25, Jesus is stressing to agree with your brother , because He does not want His children to go to court against each other 1 Corinthians 6: Nowhere in the entire scripture does the term brother ever refer to an enemy.
If the Christ's assembly had to obey unlawful government, then the gates of hell would be prevailing against it Matthew The Christian church should not be political, we should not mix politics with religion. We should learn from our past steps through history and time, not repeat them over and over again until they become the norm. The people of any Christian nation cannot withdraw to the comfort and security of their ornate Cathedrals, sit in their comfortable padded pews, and watch as the world around them goes to hell.
To do so is a betrayal to the true church and a denial of the power of His Word. One of the most clever tools in the enemy's arsenal, used to silence and intimidate Christians and drive them out of the public forum, is the great lie known as the "separation of church and State. God never put a wall up between them. There is no such statement in the US Constitution.
Ezra Institute | Christ the Law-Giver & Law-Keeper
Our Constitution provides for freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. Germany learned this in when there was a special meeting held in the German capital of Berlin. Hitler had been Chancellor for just over a year and was taking Germany through a process called "glichshaltung", which basically meant at the time 'coordination.
Public protests had already begun as the people objected to this interference with the church. To counter this resounding rejection by the people, Hitler called together the most important Preachers in Germany, gathered them at the chancellery building, and reassured them in order to silence their criticism.
Hitler told them their State subsidies would continue, their tax exemptions were secure, and that the church had nothing to fear from a Nazi government. A young Preacher, Martin Neimuller, spoke up at that gathering and objected directly to Hitler. The other Preachers stood there in frozen silence as the bold Neimuller pushed his way up through the crowd to the German Chancellor, eventually facing him eye to eye, and said with all boldness and Christian conviction "Heir Hitler, our concern is not for the church.
Jesus Christ will take care of His church. Our concern is for the soul of our nation. America, as so many other nations, continues to do the same today. Conclusion The Law of God is not private law, but universal Law. His Law speaks to offenses that affect the collective body and soul of all mankind. All are part of the whole, and all suffer when the Law is trivialized, ridiculed, and worst of all, replaced with an inevitable inferior invention of man's 'reason'. Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me;" Matthew Therefore, any government that is not for Him, or is neutral, is against Him.
Mention obedience to God's Law substance , and many "Christians" accuse you of being a ' legalist '.