Why Government Keeps Getting Bigger (part III)
In parts I and II of this series, we looked at a couple of reasons why the civil government in America keeps growing. We looked briefly at the failures of the Republican party to stop government growth, and we looked at how the main ideology of many Christians (Conservatism) can’t stop government growth either. Now I want to look at another reason: the fact that Christians don’t like what the Bible has to say about government. I don’t say this out of a spirit of rudeness, but because I know that the only antidote to big government is biblical government. And therefore, I want to challenge my fellow Christians to learn (and like) what the Bible says about the civil government. Because if Christians don’t promote biblical government, who will?
But don’t Christians want a biblical government? When it comes to things like abortion and homosexual marriage, they can have fairly biblical views. This is good. But most Christians rarely even attempt to find out the rest of what the Bible says about the civil government. In some cases, Christians simply don’t know what the Bible says. In other cases, Christians can get downright angry at what the Bible teaches. They would never say that they disagree with the Bible, of course, but I’ve seen many a conservative evangelical get upset when confronted with what the Bible says. Furthermore, many Christians are actually embarrassed of the Bible. This is why they appeal to science and history, not the Bible, when making a case for their views. They’ll say: “Abortion is bad because science has shown that a fetus can feel pain.” Or: “Homosexual marriage is wrong because it goes against thousands of years of history.”
Sorry, but God will not bless those who are ashamed of His word. We must get our views from the Bible, and we must openly declare that Scripture is the authority in all areas of life, including civil government. I’m not claiming to have it all figured out myself, but I do believe that the only infallible source of information about government is the Bible.
Any discussion of biblical government must include what the Old Testament has to say about the topic. This is where it can get tricky. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell which OT laws carry over into the New Testament. But, since most of the instruction about civil government is found in the OT, it cannot be ignored. Of course, if the NT teaches that a law is annulled, then that law is no longer binding on us.
So, do you believe what the Bible says about government? Let’s briefly examine a few topics.
Sometimes, when talking about a criminal, I’ve heard Christians say “They ought to lock them up, and throw away the key.” But the Bible never imposes a prison sentence for a crime. There are examples of prisons in Scripture, but these were run by ungodly nations. There are no crimes in Scripture that were to be punished with a prison sentence.
When it comes recreational drug use, the Bible does consider that to be a sin, but it isn’t a crime. The government cannot punish every sin, only those sins that also qualify as crimes. Furthermore, the government doesn’t have the right to regulate what people own (possess), so under biblical law, the government couldn’t prosecute anyone for possessing marijuana. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating drug use. I believe it is a sin. But I’ve also seen how the “war on drugs” has not only been a dismal failure, but has been one of the biggest destroyers of our Constitutional rights. Even if that were not the case, it is still a violation of God’s law.
The Bible gives the death penalty for several crimes. Again, it can be tough determining which laws carry over from the OT into the NT. But many Christians think of these penalties as being too barbaric. While it’s debatable if all of these laws are still in effect, it shouldn’t be debatable that these laws were not unjust. Remember, God is the one who gave these laws to Israel. To say that those laws were unjust, is to say that God is unjust. Many talk about how those who kidnap and sell children into sex slavery ought to be “locked up, and have key thrown away.” The Bible says that those who commit those crimes are to be put to death (Ex. 21:16). That’s one OT law I’ll gladly stand behind!
When you look at what the government is to do, you won’t find very many, if any, of the free stuff or services that our government gives us. In the Bible, the government isn’t to provide welfare to anyone, not even as a “safety net.” God prescribed other safety nets, like families, individuals, and churches. God doesn’t want the government providing retirement programs either (i.e., Social Security). And, believe it or not, He doesn’t want the government providing health insurance, medicine, education (college or otherwise), subsidies to farms or businesses, and a whole host of things that our government has been providing for generations.
I know we’ve only scratched the surface on this topic. But let me ask you: how do your views on government line up with Scripture? If you doubt that my views on government are actually biblical, I’ll gladly listen to your opinions, if you’re getting your opinions from the Bible. We are all sinners, and therefore, we all have errors in our thinking about government. But we cannot be lazy in finding out what God thinks about civil government. The Bible has something to say about the military, gun ownership, courtroom procedure, immigration, etc. And what the Bible teaches is far better than what talk radio does. His word is the only perfect source for a government that has the right balance of law and liberty.
Why Government Keeps Getting Bigger (part II)
In part I, we looked at the difference between the Republican and Democratic parties. We noted that, while they appear to be vastly different, they’re actually quite similar. It’s been said that there isn’t a dime’s worth of difference between the two. I agree. It’s more like a nickel’s worth. Because the two parties are so much alike, the government seems to grow no matter which party is in power. In this article I want to look at another reason why the U.S. government continues to grow. This time I want look at the two major political philosophies that dominate our land: Liberalism (or Progressivism) & Conservatism.
This article will look mainly at Conservatism because it is more vocal about being for smaller government. Indeed, Conservatism has been for smaller government for many generations now. And yet, government still grows. As we will see, Conservatism cannot stop Liberalism/Progressivism, even when it tries.
Let me give you a little background before I continue. My view of Conservatism comes mostly from listening to talk radio. I’ve been listening to guys like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Mark Levin, etc. for decades. In fact I still tune in to those shows a few times per week just to hear what’s going on in the world. So, I think I know mainstream Conservatism. But the more I read and study the Bible, the Constitution, and the founding of our nation, the more I see Conservatism as being much closer to Liberalism than most would like to admit. Don’t get me wrong, Conservatism is closer to the Bible and the Constitution than Liberalism, but that’s not saying much. So, here are some reasons why I made a break from Conservatism (at least political Conservatism). Please understand, I’m not breaking from Conservatism in order to become a Liberal. I’m breaking from Conservatism because it is too much like Liberalism!
So, here are some reasons:
1. Conservatives can’t stop the Liberals. This should be obvious to all. Over the decades, the country has gotten more and more liberal. Conservatives say that the USA is a “center-right” country, and yet, it keeps going more liberal. If there are so many Conservatives, and Conservatism is a stronger view then Liberalism, than Conservatives ought to be gaining ground, but they’re not.
2. Conservatives are Liberals, just slower. This may sound far-fetched, but it is true. Liberals want to run into socialism, cultural relativism, etc. Conservatives, on the other hand, want to walk into socialism, cultural relativism, etc. You might not be able to see this without studying history, but Conservatism is simply slower Progressivism. Whenever Liberals take two steps forward in their agenda, the Conservatives protest, and demand that we all take one step back. Study a little history, and you will see that today’s Conservatives would be considered Liberals/Progressives a few generations ago.
3. Conservatives don’t really like the Constitution. Liberals say that the Constitution was written so long ago that it can’t really be adhered to in our modern age. Conservatives say exactly the same thing, I mean exactly. When talking about government surveillance, foreign policy, the military etc., Conservatives say that our founders lived in a different age and didn’t face the same challenges we do. Therefore, they say, we shouldn’t obey the parts of the Constitution that pertain to those things.
4. Conservatism is based on the same foundation as Liberalism. Ideas either come from the word of God, or the depraved mind of man (with maybe a little help from Satan). Do Conservatives ever quote the Bible when it comes to monetary policy, economics, the public schools, crime & punishment, foreign policy, the police, the military, etc.? Conservatives don’t get their views from the Bible, they get them from human reason. That’s the same intellectual foundation as Liberalism.
5. Conservatives want smaller government, not small government. When it comes to certain areas of government, Conservatives do want a big government. When it comes to immigration, foreign policy, the military, the police, and things like that, Conservatives believe that the government needs to be stronger. But didn’t America’s founders believe this too? No. Our founding fathers wanted a far more limited government in these areas than today’s Conservatives.
6. Conservatives end up giving more power to Liberals. Many of the policies that Conservatives favor are used against them when Liberals get into office (like surveillance programs). And yet, Conservatives still foolishly want to give more power to some parts of the government when their guy is in power.
7. Conservatives tend to react, not think. Anytime a Liberal wants a Conservative to do something, all the Liberal has to do is pretend to oppose it. Conservatives usually just oppose the Liberals even when the Liberals accidentally do something Constitutional.
8. Conservatives are Liberal when it comes to culture. Conservatives often appeal to “traditional” values (they won’t say biblical values). But the music they listen to and the movies they love promote some very sinful things. Government grows because of a sinful population (Prov. 28:2). Many Conservatives promote movies and music that contain sinful ideologies, and thus, are unwittingly promoting more tyranny.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Again, let me be clear, Conservatism is a little closer to the Bible than Liberalism. I can agree with some of what is said by those on talk radio. But, I’ve come to understand that Conservatism is powerless to stop the decline of our nation and the growth of government. I know I’ve been somewhat vague on some of these points, but if you will tuck these points away in your mind, and study the Bible and Constitution for yourself, I believe you will see that Conservatism is not all that it pretends to be. The Bible has the answers to our problems, not Rush Limbaugh.
In Part III of this article, we will look at the only antidote to an overgrown government: the Bible.
Why Government Keeps Getting Bigger (part I)
Most Bible-believing Christians believe that the government (particularly the federal government) has gotten way too big. They’re right. The civil government in the U.S. is too big, and it seems to be getting bigger. Of course, there are certain examples that we could look at concerning some aspects of government shrinking. But those examples are few and far between, and the overall trend over the years is that the government gets bigger. Unfortunately, there is no sign of it shrinking much anytime soon. Yes, I know our current president has done some things to cut the size of government, but he has also grown some aspects of the government as well (not just the military).
What then is the cause of our out-of-control government? Many causes could be cited, like God’s sovereign plan, a sinful population, an uninformed electorate, etc. All of these are causes of our problem, but for now I’d like to focus on the realm of politics.
First, it must be noted that our two-party system is one major cause of government growth. One Constitutional expert, Dr. Edwin Viera, Jr., once said that there is really only one political party in Washington. That political party just has two faces: a Republican face and a Democratic one. He’s right. It has also been said that there is not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties. There may be a nickel’s worth of difference, but not a dime’s.
If you were to measure the voting records of our Senators and Representatives against the Constitution, the average Democrat violates the Constitution about 75% of the time. The average Republican violates the Constitution about 40% of the time. So, the Republicans are doing slightly better than the Democrats, but they still violate the Constitution nearly half the time! But the voting record only tells half of the story.
Politicians are not dumb (contrary to popular belief). They know that some people are watching how they vote. But that’s okay, there are other ways for Republicans to advance the Democrats’ agenda (remember: there’s only one party in Washington). Politicians have ways of getting around voting. One very popular way is to use the Supreme Court to make rulings that have the effect of creating laws that no politician wants to be on record voting for. This is how abortion & homosexual marriage became “law.” Of course, Supreme Court rulings are not really law, but everyone seems to go along with it, so why stop now?
Something you should always remember is that it was Republican-appointed Justices that gave us Roe vs. Wade. That’s right, it was Republicans who made abortion “legal.” But it doesn’t stop there. Three hundred Republicans sent a letter (an amicus brief) to the Supreme Court asking them to rule in favor of homosexual marriage! If you don’t believe me, look it up.
So, again, they are basically the same. They act like they hate each other, but behind closed doors, they are in basic agreement. The Democrats all voted to go into Iraq (and to stay there) and then acted like they were opposed to the war. Republicans acted outraged with Barack Obama’s immigration policies, but they voted to give him the ability to enforce those policies. They acted outraged with Obama’s TSA frisking airline passengers, but he was only doing what the Republican sponsored legislation allowed him to do. Democrats say they’re against a wall/fence on the Mexican border. What you may not know is that Obama and Hillary Clinton both voted for the border fence. Democrats are opposed to it now, but that’s only because they don’t want President Trump getting credit for it. Most of the time, they say one thing to their supporters, and then do the opposite in real life.
I used to wonder how some of my brothers & sisters in Christ could vote for Democrats who seemed to despise everything that those Christians stood for. Then I realized that I too had been duped. I was voting for Republicans who said one thing and then did another. Sure, they would throw me a bone now and then to keep me voting for them. But even when they were in power, nothing significant happened. The downward trend continued. It’s time we all woke up.
By now you may think that I have a defeatist attitude toward politics, or that I’m just out to point fingers. Not at all. I still vote, and I still believe we Christians should be involved in the political arena. I just believe that we should be dedicated to our Lord, and not to a corrupt political party (remember, there’s only one party).
Good, godly politicians are rare, but they do exist. When you find one, support them. Maybe they’ll have a “D” or an “R” after their name, or maybe they’ll be from a third party. You are accountable to God for how you vote. Don’t vote for a bad candidate just because they are a Republican or Democrat. When voters vote for bad candidates, the only winner is big government. Why does government keep getting bigger? One reason is because we ask (vote) for it.
In part II of this article, we will look at the two main political philosophies in America, commonly called liberalism & conservatism. While one is better than the other, neither is biblical, and both have a tendency to grow government.
A Critique of Pan-millennialism
Most of the common views of eschatology (study of the end times) get their name from their beliefs regarding the timing of Christ’s return in relation to the millennium (the 1,000 years mentioned in Revelation 20). For instance, the Premillennialist believes that Jesus will return “pre” (before) the millennium. Postmillennialists believe He will return “post” (after) the millennium. There’s also Amillennialism, which teaches that the millennium in Rev. 20 isn’t a literal 1,000 years, but rather, it is a symbolic way of referring to the church age. Confused yet? It gets worse.
Many Postmillennialists believe that the millennium isn’t a literal 1,000 years either. So, in that sense they could be called Amillennialists. All Amillennialists also believe that Christ will return after the (symbolic) millennium. So does that make Amillennialists Postmillennial? You can see why some are intimidated by the study of eschatology, and we haven’t even mentioned the five main views on the book of Revelation yet!
Because of this confusion, some have decided to become “Pan-millennialists.” Pan-millennialism simply teaches that it will all “pan” out in the end. While this started out as joke, it is becoming a very popular way to describe one’s view of eschatology. While it is true that it will all pan out in the end, I don’t think Pan-millennialism is a view that any Christian should hold. As difficult as eschatology may be, we should still care about the end times, and there are several reasons why.
1. Your beliefs affect your behavior. What you believe about the future will affect your behavior. If you believed that you only had one week to live, would you act any differently than you do now? Of course you would. If you believe that Jesus is coming in the next decade or so, you may be motivated to tell more people about Jesus, but you probably won’t be as concerned with building a Christian culture or society.
Back when our nation was being founded, the majority of Christians believed that the world would get better, and it did. Now most Christians believe that the world will get worse, and at least in our neck of the woods, it is getting worse. That’s not a coincidence. When the American church changed its views on eschatology, its behavior changed too, and not for the better.
2. God doesn’t waste His breath. The Bible is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16, in the original Greek). Everything in Scripture is there for a reason. God didn’t put “end time” passages in the Bible just for seminary professors; He wants you study them too. Furthermore, 2 Tim. 3:16 says that all Scripture is “profitable.” This means that the Scriptures that talk about eschatology are profitable too.
3. Jesus is important. Your view of eschatology is mostly determined by your view of who Jesus is right this very moment. I dare say that answering the question of who Jesus is should be something that we care about!
Some Premillennialists believe that Jesus will be King after He returns to earth to set up His kingdom. Other Premillennialists and Amillennialists believe that Jesus is King now, but that His kingdom is only spiritual (i.e. He rules in the hearts of His people). Postmillennialists on the other hand, believe that Jesus is King now, and that He rules everything (our hearts, the nations, etc.). Pan-millennialists apparently don’t think this question is worth answering.
4. All areas of theology are interconnected. What you believe about eschatology affects your beliefs in other areas as well. When my eschatology changed, my views of the family changed too, as did my views of discipleship, government, foreign policy, war, birth control, technology, money, and more. By the way, if your eschatology doesn’t affect your thinking in every other area of life, your eschatology doesn’t come from the Bible.
5. A correct view of the future will be be rewarded; a wrong view will be punished. When God says something about the future, we are obligated to believe it, even if God’s promises seem impossible. Abraham believed what God said about the future, and was rewarded (Gen. 15:5-6). Because Zacharias didn’t believe God’s message about the future, he wasn’t able to speak for 9 months (Luke 1:11-20). Another example is the 12 spies who went to spy out the promised land. God told Israel His plan for the future: they would conquer and inherit the land of Canaan (Gen. 12:6-7; Ex. 3:7-8; etc.). Two of the spies believed God, ten did not. The ten who didn’t believe convinced everyone else not to believe God either. The two who believed (Joshua & Caleb) were rewarded, while everyone else was punished (see Num. 13-14 and Deut. 1:19-46).
God has given us Christians a new promised land: the whole world (Matt. 5:5; Rom. 4:13). He has told us to make the nations obedient (Acts 26:17-18; Rom. 1:5; 16:25-26) through the proclamation of the gospel and discipleship (Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:18-20). He has promised to be with us (Matt. 28:20), thus ensuring our success. He has also told us that His Son is not going to leave heaven to return to earth until after this task is accomplished (Heb. 10:12-13). The apostles believed God’s promise and were optimistic (1 Cor. 2:6; 1 Tim. 2:9; 3:8-9; 1 John 2:8).
Today, most American Christians don’t believe in the success of the Great Commission (the Christianizing of all the nations); they believe the nations will become more and more godless (the exact opposite of the Great Commission!). God punished Israel for their unbelief. Could it be that God is punishing American Christians for not believing what He has said about the future?
Jesus Never Claimed to be God?
One of the primary purposes of 5th Kingdom Ministries is to equip Christians to go beyond the basics of the faith, and apply the Bible to every area of life. Every once and a while, however, I do feel the need to go back to the basics. Unfortunately, many professing Christians have trouble making a case for some of our foundational beliefs.
One of those beliefs is the deity of Jesus (i.e., Jesus is God). You simply cannot call yourself a Christian if you don’t believe that Jesus is God. Many skeptics think they disprove Christianity by simply stating that “Jesus never claimed to be God.” This argument can even stump some Christians. The argument goes like this: “The red letters in the Bible (assuming you have a “red letter” Bible), are the words of Jesus, and since you will not find the words ‘I am God’ written in red, that means that Jesus never claimed to be God.” What may sound like a good argument quickly falls apart under closer examination. Keep in mind that what follows is only some of the evidence in Scripture that Jesus is God.
Reason #1. Jesus clearly claimed to be the Son of God (Luke 22:70), and the Christ (i.e. the Messiah; Matt. 16:16-17; John 4:25-26). But is claiming to be the Messiah and the Son of God, the same as claiming to be God? Yep. In the OT, God’s Son is the inheritor of the nations (Ps. 2:7-8). The inheritor of the nations is God (Ps. 82:8). The OT clearly says that the Messiah (i.e. the Child, the Son) is none other than the “Mighty God, Everlasting Father” (Isa. 9:6).
Reason #2. Jesus claimed to be the Judge of the whole earth. Ps. 82:8 says not only that God will inherit the nations, but that He is also the Judge of earth (see also Gen. 18:25; 1 Sam. 2:10; etc.). Another way to say it, is that God is the judge of the nations (or “peoples” or world; Ps 96:10-13). Jesus said that the Son of Man (Jesus’ favorite name for Himself) would judge all the nations (Matt. 25:31-32).
Reason #3. Jesus used God’s names as His own. In John 8:58 Jesus describes Himself as “I AM.” The Greek words used here are “Ego Eimi.” When God tells Moses what He should be called, God says that He is the “I AM” (Ex. 3:14). In the Greek version of the OT, God calls Himself “Ego Eimi.” The Jews of Jesus’ day knew that when Jesus called Himself Ego Eimi, He was calling Himself God, and that’s why they wanted to stone Him (John 8:59).
In Rev. 1:11 & 17 Jesus calls Himself the “First and the Last.” By the way, these words are in red (in a red letter Bible). The words “First and Last” are how God describes Himself (Isa. 44:6, 48:12).
Reason #4. Jesus accepted worship. The Bible is clear: we may only worship God (Deut. 8:19; Jer 25:6; Rev. 19:10, 22:8-9; etc.). Jesus knew this (Matt. 4:9-10), and yet He freely accepted worship from others (Matt. 14:33, 28:17; John 9:38). Was Jesus accepting worship contrary to the will of God the Father? Hardly. God the Father never rebuked Jesus for accepting worship. In fact, He said that He was “well pleased” with Him (Matt. 17:5).
Reason # 5. Jesus declared who He is through His apostles. Some skeptics say that if Jesus had said the words “I am God” in one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), they would believe that He is God.
First of all, I doubt their sincerity when they say that. Jesus’ human hand didn’t pen any of the Gospels. They were inspired by God of course, but Matthew was the one who penned Matthew, Mark penned Mark, etc. So, if someone won’t believe Peter, Paul, and others who wrote the rest of the NT, why would they supposedly believe the writers of the Gospels?
Secondly, anything that was written in the NT by an apostle (or someone under the oversight of an apostle) are the words of Jesus. The Greek word for apostle (apostolos) means a messenger, particularly a messenger that spoke on behalf of an important person. In ancient Greece, whenever an apostle spoke, it was as though the person that the apostle represented was doing the speaking. The words of the apostle were, for all intents and purposes, the words of the person who sent him. It is no different with the apostles of Jesus. Their words are His words. Therefore, whoever believes their words, believes His words (John 15:20).
Does the rest of the NT teach that Jesus is God? You betcha. In Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 3:16 (depending on the version you are using); Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-9; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 5:20, the apostles clearly say that Jesus is God.
So, did Jesus ever claim to be God? If you were to do a thorough study of the Bible (and most skeptics don’t), the answer is obvious. Just because you won’t find the words “I am God” in red, doesn’t prove anything. The Bible (which God wrote), clearly says that Jesus is God.
Thou Shall Not Kill, Unless…
One mistake that some Christians tend to make is not realizing that the Ten Commandments are a summary of all the other commands in Scripture. So in order to understand what any of the Ten Commandments mean, you have to look at every other passage that pertains to that command.
Many unbelievers, and even some professing Christians, believe that it is always wrong to take a human life. Is it always wrong? Not necessarily. The sixth commandment (Thou shall not kill) can be better translated as “You shall not murder.” To take an innocent life is always wrong. However, not all “lives” are “innocent.”
When then, is it okay to kill? We have no right to decide for ourselves when to take another life; we must let God’s word determine whether it is a time to kill or a time to heal.
So, according to the Bible, when is killing justifiable?
1. When defending yourself and your family. Exodus 22:2-3 tells us that if someone breaks into your home at night, you can assume that he means to do harm to either you or your family. If you kill the intruder, you are not guilty of murder. However, if it is daytime (meaning that you can see that the intruder is only after your stuff and not your life), you will be guilty if you kill him. Unless, of course, he attacks you.
Jesus told His disciples to carry swords (Luke 22:36-38). The number of swords they had (two) wouldn’t be enough to start a war, but could come in handy for defending themselves.
2. The civil government can impose the death penalty. God is the one who punishes sin, but He has delegated some of that responsibility to the family, the church, and the state (civil government). While God has not given the family or church the authority to impose the death penalty, He has given that authority to the state in certain cases, the most obvious being in the case of murder (Gen. 9:6; Ex. 21:12,14; etc.). Romans 13:4 says that “rulers” are equipped with “the sword.” This sword is not used to spank someone, but to put them to death in certain cases.
3. In a just war. When John the Baptist was approached by some soldiers about what they should do in response to his sermon, he didn’t tell them to quit their job. Rather, he simply told them to not oppress people (Luke 3:14). If a war is just (biblically speaking), soldiers who kill enemy combatants are not guilty of murder (Deut. 20:12-13; Neh. 4:14; etc.).
Other considerations:
4. Accidental killing. If someone is killed by accident, the person causing that accident would not be guilty (Deut. 19:4-6), unless the one causing the accident was being grossly negligent (like not restraining a dangerous animal, Ex. 21:29).
5. Martyrdom. One question that often gets asked in relation to self-defense, is: should we let someone martyr us or should we fight back? The answer to this may depend on the situation. For instance: if one individual is threatening to kill you for your faith, and you can’t run, do you have to let him kill you? I would answer “no” based on the fact that the Bible does allow self-defense. But I would also say, that in a situation where you are surrounded by a large number of persecutors, then your attitude shouldn’t be to “take as many out as I can before I die.” In that case, you can pray for deliverance, but if God doesn’t grant it, you’ll have the privilege of dying for your Lord (Acts 7:59-60; Heb. 11:35-38; Rev. 2:10,13; etc.).
6. Suicide. It is also often asked if suicide is a sin, or if those who commit suicide will go to heaven. First of all, a person’s eternal destiny is not based on how a person dies. Whether or not you were born again will determine whether or not you go to heaven. That being said, someone taking their own life may be evidence that that person wasn’t truly born again, though Christians can certainly be subject to seasons of despair too. As for whether or not suicide is a sin, I would argue that since God’s word regulates when it is acceptable to take a life, and the Bible doesn’t give a person the right to end their own life, suicide would be a sin. Of course, giving one’s life to save another would be acceptable (John 15:13), and ceasing to artificially prolong life wouldn’t necessarily be considered wrong in every case either.
While there are times when taking another life is acceptable, it is never something that should be done lightly. All human beings are made in the image of God; we have no right to destroy another human, unless their Maker has given us permission to do so. In most cases, our focus should be on protecting, preserving, and promoting life, not death.
Does the Bible Teach Socialism?
It is said by some that the early church practiced a form of socialism. They get this erroneous view from passages like Acts 2:44-45 and 4:32-37. These passages say that those in the early church shared all of their possessions and held everything “in common.” On the surface then, it would seem like this was some form of communism or socialism. And if that’s the case, shouldn’t all Christians follow their example?
Often in my writings, I like to remind people of the rules by which we interpret and apply Scripture. Some of those rules include looking at the historical context in which the passage was written, and interpreting a given passage in light of the whole Bible. For more rules for interpreting and applying Scripture, see my booklet Knowing God’s Word, Knowing God’s Will.
First we must ask: “Does the rest of Scripture show that socialism is the best form of economic system?” The answer is an emphatic “no!”
From the very beginning, the Bible advocates for a free-market economic system. Before you throw this pamphlet away, please realize that you cannot blame a free-market economic system for any of society’s ills. We haven’t had a truly free market in America for many generations. A free market is fairly simple: you provide a good or service, and in return, I pay you what we agreed. That’s it. No government to rig the game in favor of one of us. No government interference at all unless one of us feels we have been cheated or coerced.
This is the economic system that God created, and we find it all the way back in the book of Genesis. When God put Adam in the garden of Eden, He gave him work to do (Gen. 2:15). That work (tending the garden), would produce something (fruit), and Adam had a God-given right to have and enjoy what his work produced (Gen. 2:16). God didn’t take half of what Adam produced and give it Adam’s neighbor Larry. Adam got to keep it all for himself and his family.
Of course, later on in Scripture we see that if Larry has a legitimate need, we should use our resources to help Larry out. But in the Bible, charity isn’t something that is the job of the civil government. It is done by individuals, families, and churches. Also, the commands in Scripture to help the poor were not enforced by the government. If you murdered Larry, you would be punished by the civil government. But the government wouldn’t punish you for failing to help him in his time of financial hardship. God may punish you, but the government could not.
Furthermore, the idea that a just society is one in which everyone has an equal amount of wealth is not taught in Scripture. The idea of making the rich redistribute their wealth isn’t biblical either. There was no progressive tithe in the Bible; the rich and the poor both paid 10%. In fact, when it came to the “ransom money” in Ex. 30:11-16, everyone paid a half-shekel. The “rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less” (v. 15). This meant that the poor actually ended up paying a larger percentage of their income.
Even in the Ten Commandments we see socialism outlawed. The last commandment says “You shall not covet” (Ex. 20:17; Deut. 5:21). Some mistake this as saying that you shouldn’t want things, but that’s not what it says. It doesn’t say “don’t want a wife…a house, etc.” It says not to covet your neighbor’s wife, house, or “anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” Inherent in socialism is the idea that if my rich neighbor has more than I do, then I deserve some of his wealth. Socialism is wanting my rich neighbor’s money.
Of course, it’s more than just wanting my rich neighbor’s money, it’s actually taking it. If I take my neighbor’s wealth for my own use, that’s called theft. If I ask the government to take my neighbor’s wealth and give it to me, that’s called socialism. Stealing is stealing whether I do it or whether I ask someone to do it for me. The 8th Commandment forbids individuals and governments from stealing from others.
What then are we to make of the passages in the book of Acts that some claim are teaching communism/ socialism? First, we must note that the book of Acts is what is known as historical narrative. It tells us what happened. Of course, we do get much instruction from the book of Acts, but that doesn’t mean that everything we see in the book of Acts must be done by all Christians (does your church choose its leaders by casting lots? Acts 1:26).
Second, we should note that one of the very passages in question affirms that people have right to private property. After saying that the early church shared their stuff (Acts 4:32-37), Luke records that Peter affirmed that Ananias and Sapphira had the right to own land, and the money they gained by selling that land (Acts 5:4).
Third, we must note that this sharing program was done by a local church. This was done voluntarily, and was not something that was imposed on the disciples by the government.
Fourth, the Bible says that if someone will not work, they should go hungry (2 Thes. 3:10). But in that time and place, many Christians couldn’t work. Because becoming a Christian in that day would often mean being disowned by family members and being ostracized by Jewish society, many Christians would have found it difficult to provide for their families. It is likely that these difficult conditions had a lot to do with the actions of the church in the book of Acts.
Fifth, those Christians who sold their lands (Acts 4:34,37; 5:3) were going to lose them anyway. Remember, that this church, in Acts 2 and 4, was in Jerusalem and the surrounding area of Judea. Jesus had warned many times that Jerusalem would be invaded and destroyed (Luke 19:41-44; 23:28; etc.). The church was warned that when they saw the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem, they were to flee into the mountains (Luke 21:20-24). Knowing that they wouldn’t be able to keep any land that they owned in that area, and having so many fellow believers in need, their actions make perfect sense. But that doesn’t mean that this is the way every church in history must do things.
Socialism pretends to do many things like help the oppressed and make the lower classes more prosperous. But it never works in the long run, because it runs contrary to Scripture. The economic systems and charity programs that God invented are far superior to anything that man has invented. God’s ideas work, socialism doesn’t.
What Are the Last Days? (3 Views)
The majority of Christians in our day believe that we are living in the last days. Is this the case? In order to answer that question, we must let the Bible define the term “last days.” So, according to the Bible, when are/were the last days?
There are mainly three views amongst Christians on what the last days are. I certainly can’t cover every verse and every detail in this short article. But hopefully, this will spur you on to study this issue more thoroughly for yourself.
1. The most common view in our day is that the last days is the period of time just prior to Christ’s 2nd coming. Some have dated the start of the last days at 1948 A.D., because that is the year that Israel was reborn as a nation. Others would not use that particular date, but would affirm that we are living in the last days, but that those alive in, say, the 1800’s were not.
Does this view line up with the Bible’s definition of the phrase “last days”? If we allow the Bible to tell us when the last days began, then the answer would have to be “no.” While I can see how one might come to the conclusion that the last days started within the last 100 years or less, the Bible clearly states that the last days started almost 2,000 years ago. The last days began in the 1st century. Don’t take my word for it, God’s word says it.
“[God] has in these last days spoken to us by His Son..” Heb. 1:2 (all quotes are from the NKJV)
Notice that the author of Hebrews says “these last days.” The days in which the writer of Hebrews lived (the 1st century), were the last days. Furthermore, he says that God spoke through His Son in the last days. Whether he is speaking of Jesus’ teaching while He was on earth, or Jesus speaking through His apostles as they wrote the New Testament, either way, both took place in the 1st century.
When we look at other phrases that are similar to the phrase “last days,” we see the same thing.
“[Jesus] … was manifest in these last times for you…” 1 Pet. 1:20
Notice again that Peter refers to these last times. The times in which Peter lived (1st century) were the last times. He also says that Jesus was manifest (made visible, or made known) in the last times. Jesus was manifested in the 1st century; therefore, the last times had to begin in the 1st century.
“…but now, once at the end of the ages, [Jesus] has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Heb. 9:26
When did Jesus “appear” (same Greek word as “manifest”) to sacrifice Himself? He did so in the 1st century, which the writer of Hebrews says was the “end of the ages.”
As you can see, the last days, last times, or end of the ages, did not start in 1948, they began about 2,000 yrs. ago.
2. The second view on the phrase “last days” is that it is a reference to the entire church age, or to put it another way, the whole new covenant era. The idea is that there have been different eras in God’s redemptive plan and that He worked out that plan through different covenants. Since the new covenant is the last covenant, the new covenant era is the last times, days, etc.
This view is much more consistent with Scripture in that it doesn’t contradict those verses that clearly show that the last days started in the 1st century. Also, there are many great theologians in history who have held this view, so it is not as though this view is a recent invention.
3. The third view is that the term “last days,” etc., is probably a reference to the last days of the old covenant and many of its various aspects (the temple, sacrifices, etc.). There are a few clues in Scripture that suggest this. First, as already noted, the last days can be proven to have begun in the 1st century. It can’t be proven Scripturally that they go beyond the 1st century (though some argue that they do).
There are other clues as well. It is helpful to know that the old covenant wasn’t fully done away with at the time of Jesus’ death. It was on its way out, but it wouldn’t be fully gone until the destruction of Jerusalem & the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. When the book of Hebrews was being written (after Jesus’ resurrection and before 70 A.D.), the author says that the old covenant had not yet passed away, but it would soon.
“[The old covenant] is becoming obsolete and growing old [and] is ready to vanish away.” Heb. 8:13
Peter also mentions that “the end of all things is at hand” (1 Pet. 4:7). “All things” can’t mean the end of the world, because Peter would have been in error about the end being “at hand.” And if the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to write down error, then the Bible can’t be trusted. The “all things” is more likely a reference to the end of the temple, its sacrifices, etc.
We also have a similar phrase in 1 John 2:18,
“…it is the last hour…we know that it is the last hour.”
John referred to the time in which he lived as the “last hour.” John lived in the 1st century, therefore, the last hour was in the 1st century. While the word “hour” can refer to a time period of longer than 60 min. (“our finest hour”), it seems unlikely that John would have used the word “hour” to describe the church age that has lasted 2,000 years and is still going. Again, the term “last hour” would seem to best describe the end of the old covenant. If “last hour” and “end of all things” are references to the end of the old covenant, then it’s possible that last days, last times, etc. are as well.
As I said earlier, this article doesn’t deal with every instance of the phrase “last days,” but hopefully, it has given you some things to think about as you study this issue further.
Is It Time to Fire the Coaches?
Suppose you were the owner of a pro-football team. Now let’s say that you have had the same coaches for 50 years. These coaches have employed the same game plan for these same 50 years, and have a record of 13 wins and 787 losses. This year, their contracts are up for renewal. What do you do? Of course, if you’ve had them for that long, there may be some sentimental reasons for keeping them. But, if you’re looking out for the best interests of the team, the answer is pretty obvious.
In modern American Christianity, who are our leaders (coaches)? I’m not going to name any names, but think for a moment. Which authors write the “best-sellers”? Which preachers are popular enough to make it onto the local radio station? Which ones get a spot on TV? Who have been the most popular “conservative evangelicals” for the last 50 years? These are our coaches, and while we’ve had some “wins” over the years, we’ve had a lot more losses.
In virtually every statistic I’ve ever seen, the general trends for the American family, church and civil government over the last 100 years have been going in the wrong direction. Talk to any Christian who is over 70 years old and they will tell you that Christianity in the U.S. has seen better days. But again, I ask: “Who were the ‘conservative’ church leaders who were/are the most popular today and over the last few generations?” They certainly haven’t been leading us to victory. It’s time to fire the coaches.
You have every right to be suspicious of someone who is telling you to leave mainstream American Christianity. Pseudo-Christian cults also try to convince those in our churches to leave “traditional” Christianity, and follow their brand of “Christianity.” However, I’m not suggesting that you stop adhering to mainstream Christianity, I’m suggesting that you stop adhering to Modern Mainstream Christianity.
If our most popular conservative evangelical preachers, Bible teachers, and theologians are leading us to loser status, then who should be our coaches? The answer is fairly simple. Go back to those coaches who were leading at the time when Christianity flourished.
In order to know how America became a Christian nation, you can’t just go back to the year 1776, you must go back a few generations before that. The generation that fought our War for Independence didn’t spring up out of nowhere. There were many prior generations that slowly and steadily built a Christian civilization.
The 1500’s was the century of reformation in Europe. We now refer to this work of God as The Reformation. For ages, the church had rejected the idea that God’s word was the authority by which every doctrine and church practice should be judged. The Reformers went back to Scripture to reform, not just the church, but every area of life.
When the Reformation came to England, there arose some Christians who were eventually called Puritans. These Puritans took the doctrines of the Reformers and refined them even further. Remember, the Reformers were the first generation in a while to seek to conform all things to God’s word. And while they made great strides, at times they didn’t reform far enough. The Puritans built on the work of the Reformers.
In the 1600’s, many Puritans, and other Christians with “Puritanical” beliefs and practices, began to migrate to the New World (America). In America, they found the freedom they needed to worship God according to the Scriptures and build a Christian civilization.
Many historians believe that the War for Independence was made possible by a great revival in the 1700’s, known as The Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was led by preachers and theologians who learned their theology by reading books written by the Reformers and the Puritans. Much of our Founders’ view of government comes from the writings of the Reformers and the Puritans as well.
This Reformed/Puritanical type of Christianity is what built America. Those who preached it and lived it were the ones who (by God’s grace) caused Christianity to flourish. These were the coaches who had winning records. Was it easy for them? No, they had plenty of opposition. Were they perfect? Of course not. But if “Ye shall know them by their fruit,” then aren’t we forced to conclude that those who held to a Puritanical type of Christianity were far superior to the average modern Christian and the celebrity preachers they listen to?
We need to go back to our roots. That doesn’t mean just learning about the events of 1776. We need to relearn the beliefs and practices that were the most common in the generations leading up to 1776. We need to learn what the average Christian in those days believed about theology, the family, the church, the civil government, and everything else. Of course, if their views don’t line up with Scripture, we should believe the Bible, not them. But I think you’ll find that those from the Reformation and Puritan eras not only knew their Bibles better than most Christians today, but also had a higher view of Scripture as well.
Yes, I know, it will be hard to say goodbye to your favorite modern celebrity preachers. But if you want to see our team win again, it must be done. We must learn from the winners of days gone by. Or, at the very least, learn from those few modern preachers who have learned from the old guys.
Some coaches worth knowing include:
Reformers: Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, Pierre Viret, etc.
Puritanical Christians: William Perkins, John Owen, John Cotton, John Gill, Matthew Henry, Samuel Rutherford, William Gouge, etc.
Great Awakening preachers: Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, Samuel Davies, etc.
A few others from a little later: Charles H. Spurgeon, John L. Dagg, Robert L. Dabney, Charles Hodge, etc.
College and Life Purpose
What are you supposed to do with your life? Do you need to go to college to fulfill that purpose? The answer to that last question is, maybe.
What are you supposed to do with your life? Since God does have different purposes for different people, I can’t give you a precise answer. I can, however, tell you some general things that the Bible says are God’s purposes for most of humanity.
First, however, let’s look at how a college education fits into the world’s version of life purpose. When we are young, we are told that we must study hard and get good grades. Why do we need to get good grades? So that we can go to college. Why do we need to go to college? So that we can get a high paying job. Why do we need a high paying job? So that we can afford to send our children to college; so that they can have a high paying job; so that they can send their children to college, and on, and on it goes. This has been called “hell’s hamster wheel” and I think it’s time we got off.
Let’s look now at life purpose from a biblical perspective. First and foremost, we were created to glorify, love, and obey God. Is going to college necessary to fulfill this purpose? While it is true that people can glorify, love, and obey God in college, that doesn’t mean that it is necessary to go to college in order to do those things. In fact, it could be argued that for most, the college experience can hinder or, in some cases, even destroy one’s walk with the Lord. Of course, there are exceptions, but often college life leads to more sinning rather than more godliness.
In addition to the life purpose of glorifying, loving, and obeying God (that everyone is commanded to fulfill), there are other life purposes that most are to fulfill. One major aspect of life purpose is the building of strong families. When God created Adam and Eve, He told them to “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). Though it isn’t explicitly stated here, this command implies getting married first. The rest of Gen. 1:28 says “fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion.” This command implies home-discipleship. This command couldn’t be fulfilled by Adam and Eve alone, in one generation. It implies that they would have to teach their children how to live out this command. So, a major life purpose for most people is to get married, have lots of children, and teach them how to live out God’s word.
Is it necessary to go to college in order to fulfill this purpose? While some do find their future spouse in college, you don’t have to go to college to be married. Here again, going to college can be a hindrance to this aspect of life purpose. The college scene, with its “hook-up” culture, rampant pornography, and general lack of accountability, doesn’t do much to help prepare young men and women for a healthy, monogamous marriage. Not only are college students influenced by their peers, but the classes they attend don’t help much either. Even if the professors aren’t blatantly degrading the family (though many do), it is doubtful that any are promoting a biblical view of family.
Can people who go to college have healthy families? Of course, I know some personally. But that doesn’t mean that college is necessary, or even helpful for biblical family life.
Another major aspect of life purpose is that God has created us to be involved in some sort of productive labor. For Adam, that involved working in the garden (Gen. 2:15), and being paid for his work (in fruit, Gen.2:16). Ah-ha! This, you say, is why we must go to college: to get a high paying job.
But again, is it really necessary to go to college to make a living? Just because you can get a good job after getting a degree, doesn’t mean that you have to go college to get one, or that going to college guarantees you a paycheck. Many college students (close to half, last I heard) can’t find full-time employment after graduating, and a majority end up in a career other than the one they went to school for.
Furthermore, as many rich people will tell you, schools (including college) don’t usually teach you how to handle money, and how to make it work for you. Not to mention that many leave college buried in debt (also not good for family life). The fact is, you don’t need to go to college to become wealthy. In an article by Chad Roach in Generations magazine, he writes about studying Forbes’ chart of the world’s top billionaires. Of the top 15, only four had graduated from college; six were college dropouts, and one didn’t even finish high school.
So then, is it wrong to go to college? Not necessarily. In fact, if you feel called to certain professions like law or medicine, you might not have a choice. But for many people, going to college isn’t really necessary and can even be detrimental. Unfortunately, most go to college simply because that’s what society has told us we must do if we want to amount to anything.
The idea of college doesn’t come from the Bible. In fact, it was developed by pagans. The biblical model of education is one of hands-on, relational discipleship, similar to what we might call an apprenticeship or mentorship model. As the colleges become more and more expensive, more and more godless, and less and less effective at producing thinking, functioning people, we Christians need to start moving back to a more biblical model of education (at all levels, not just college).
We are not called to blindly do what the rest of the world does. In many, if not most cases, Christians can fulfill their God-given life purpose without throwing away their time, money, and morals at the local college.