How are the New Testament churches to relate to the powers ruling over them? What will happen to these churches in the future—both here in the United States and in foreign countries? Tremendous pressures will be placed upon many of them, especially those in Canada, South America, and South Africa. Who knows what will happen next? Because so many Communistic revolutionaries have come into South Africa, posing as ministers of the Gospel, that country has a check system on the churches which may be necessary, although the churches the Lord shall raise up will be innocent of any political conspiracy. To the contrary, we are sympathetic to the problems in the South African government faces.
We probably learn more while going through the pressures than when we are having a mountain-top experience. We know that we can learn a great deal from the experiences of the people who lived in Bible times, yet we may not always be aware of the circumstances leading to those experiences. The Scriptures record certain times when Israel was independent and free to worship God without any harassment from foreign powers. At other times they were governed by other nations, such as the Philistines, Babylonians, and Assyrians.
As our hearts are set to walk with God, what should be our attitude toward the government that is ruling over us? I love our Country, don’t you? I love the Stars and Stripes. That flag represents a glorious history. God grant that it will continue to wave on into the Kingdom.
Various passages in the New Testament give a picture of what our attitude should be as the servants of God, actually coexisting in two cultures. We live in the world, but we are not to be a part of it (John 17:14–18). Philippians 3:20 tells us, For our citizenship is in heaven … Moffatt’s translation reads, “We are a colony of heaven.” We are transplants, and transplants often have difficulty growing in a new environment. Jesus said, “If you were of the world, the world would love you; but because you are not of the world, therefore the world hates you” (John 15:19). We do not fit in with the world; we are a foreign substance. Peter called God’s people “aliens and strangers” (I Peter 2:11). According to Hebrews 11:13, we are “strangers and pilgrims in the earth.”
Psalm 149 is a beautiful song that the Israelites sang when they were an oppressed people, under bondage to another nation. Verses 1–2: Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.
That statement is full of meaning and implications. During Christ’s trial, Pilate asked Him one of the most loaded questions that could have been asked at that time: “Are you a king then?” Jesus told him, “For this purpose was I born; but My Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:33–37). The believers who lived under a Caesar’s rule were in a very difficult position. Each Caesar claimed to be not only the ruling emperor, but also God. That was the reason many Christians became martyrs; they refused to worship Caesar as God.
Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation. Let the godly ones exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishment on the peoples; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; to execute on them the judgment written; this is an honor for all His godly ones. Praise the Lord! Verses 3–9.
This Psalm speaks of the godly ones actually having authority to bind the rulers of this world with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron. Do you believe that it is possible for us to walk in so much spiritual authority that we will be able to bind the rulers of the world over to God? Don’t expect this to be done on a physical level, however, as in the days of David and Goliath. When Goliath came striding through the valley, challenging David, he came with a sword. David came with a slingshot, but he still knew, even in that physical dispensation, that the battle was the Lord’s. He told Goliath, “You come with a sword and a spear, but I come in the name of the Lord of hosts” (I Samuel 17:45). How much more must we today come solely in the name of the Lord! The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 10:4: “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through our God to the pulling down of strongholds.”
Although the Psalmist says that we are to bind the kings in chains and the nobles in fetters of iron, we must remember that this must always be a spiritual force. The true Kingdom of God will never come forth in a revolutionary climate where human, physical weapons are used, or physical violence is exercised. It must be a spiritual force. This has been voiced many times, but it is necessary to remind you again, so that you see the potential danger of manifesting physical violence. If some misdirected zealot were to come who does not understand this, he could bring reproach on this entire walk with God by some act of violence. God forbid that this ever happen. Let there be a purity here, that no one embrace the revelation of the endtime warfare without also seeing that it is spiritual in nature. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the spiritual forces and world rulers of this darkness (Ephesians 6:12). Our battle is one of intercession.
Although our warfare is totally spiritual, yet we know too that Isaiah prophesied, “The slain of the Lord shall be many” (Isaiah 66:16). This prophecy has been spoken by the Holy Spirit over us too: “The slain of the Lord at thy feet will be multitudes.” That could be interpreted in different ways. It does not necessarily refer to a physical death. It means that God will bring to an end all the armies of resistance that come against His name. He must reign! He must reign until all His enemies are made a footstool for His feet (Hebrews 10:13; Psalm 110:1–2). This we understand, but to understand our position in it is very difficult. We are told to love our enemies, to do good to those who despitefully use us (Matthew 5:44). Our approach is to be entirely spiritual, and yet we are daring to believe that God will prevail over every realm. Every power, every existing force, will be brought under the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
This does not mean that we are to resort to carnal weapons. Our weapons are not carnal; they are mighty through God. We are striving to see the fulfillment of the first and foremost commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5; Mark 12:30). Everything that is within you must be set to glorify God and to exalt Him as Lord and Master.
Does this mean that we should pray in a general manner, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done”? That is a good prayer. We know that His is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever; but what about the immediate circumstances and situations that stand in the way of His will being done now? When you are praying, focus on what the Lord shows you should be focused on: specific impasses and circumstances that stand against the will of God coming forth in the earth—which may sometimes include demon-possessed individuals. Certainly God does not expect you to pray for the antichrist and bless him. Suppose a Judas were to try to betray Christ wherever He is coming forth today in His many-membered Body. What should your attitude be? Remember that Christ is not coming forth to be crucified afresh (Hebrews 6:6); He is to be glorified in His saints (II Thessalonians 1:10). Pray accordingly. But pray without any vindictiveness. Proclaim very objectively, “The Kingdom must come, and everything that stands against it must be brought down. We will walk with God in it.”
Psalm 137 illustrates how vindictive people can be. It is one of the most bloodthirsty prayers in the Bible. It was voiced during the captivity in Babylon. Verses 1–3: By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it we hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, and our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” The captives were goaded into singing this Psalm. Their captors tormented them, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” We are believing for those songs to be restored today—those beautiful songs that come forth by the Holy Spirit.
The captives replied, How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my chief joy. Remember, O Lord, against the sons of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation.” O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, how blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock. Verses 4–9.
What a bloodthirsty prayer! Even in these violent modern times, we probably have not heard anything more bloodthirsty than this. You might never pray such a prayer. However, you could pray it if you spiritualized it thus: “If religious Babylon is ready to produce another system of Christianity, one more of the great harlot systems, a commercial enterprise, then we would have to say, ‘Dash it to pieces while it is still a baby!’ ” Of course, we would be speaking of systems, not individuals. There have been enough of Babylon’s children—the hundreds of systems and cults in the world, called by the name of Christ. They must be dashed to the ground.
Let us believe for something else—to see the true Kingdom and the true New Testament Church arise with one message: the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the Lord, the Lord of lords and King of kings (I Timothy 6:15). Every knee will bow to Him (Philippians 2:10). Anything other than that, we are not interested in. We are not interested in the complexities of organizations and promotions that can only lead to another religious Babylon. If we spiritualize this Psalm, we can say Amen to it. Do you feel the same way in your heart?
Now let us shift our attention from the Old to the New Testament, from the Israelites’ captivity in Babylon to the bondage of the Jews under the rule of Rome. Paul told the Romans to “be in subjection to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). In I Timothy 2:1–2, Paul wrote: “I urge that entreaties and prayers be made for kings and all who are in authority.” Peter exhorts us in I Peter 2:13–14: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. All of these passages, as well as Paul’s letter to Titus, highlight the attitude that the Christians should have toward the civil powers that are over them.
Titus 3:1–8: Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God may be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.
Notice that we are told not to malign others—but not only because they might not deserve it. You are to remember that you yourself were once ignorant and foolish and disobedient, and why should you speak about anyone else?
There are several reasons why you should not malign others, whether they are in the world or in the church. First of all, you are then guilty of judging, and you yourself will be judged (Matthew 7:1). Secondly, if you are judging someone else for the wrong that you are allowing in your own life, you are a hypocrite. Thirdly, even if you have never done it and you are not doing it now, you are still not to malign the person who is caught in that sin. It is still a good idea to keep your mouth shut because you do not know what you may be doing in the future. You might get caught in the same trap. Never criticize another person for what he has done and say, “I would never do that,” until you understand the variety of circumstances and pressures to which that person has been subjected. You might do the very same thing under those same pressures. Whether you have done it, are doing it, or possibly might do it, keep your mouth shut and do not judge anyone. Do not malign others.
This is necessary to remember at this particular time. Since the events of Watergate, the tide has been changing in our country, and there has been a great deal of exposure of the wrongs being committed by men in politics and other high places. I think it is very dangerous for Americans to judge and criticize those who were involved with Watergate. We all know that other Presidents and other leaders have committed the same acts themselves. Does this mean that we excuse and condone what was done in the Watergate situation? Absolutely not, but we will also not be too quick to criticize and judge the situation.
The fleshly nature seems to have a kind of perverse moral sense. When people see iniquity in their leaders, they tend to rise up, horrified and critical. Yet they themselves do not want to acknowledge the wrongs they have done, or their capacities and potentials for wrongdoing. Consequently, they tend to point the finger where they can. God forbid that we do so. Are we to be obedient to our rulers and authorities only if they are good, upstanding, moral Christian men and women? No, we must accept the government as it is, as well as our relationship to it, with a certain amount of submission—unless, of course, the government commands us to commit acts of unrighteousness.
At this present time, the government sanctions the moral permissiveness that we find in the country today. The attitude is that what two consenting adults do in the privacy of their homes is their own business. However, there are certain blue laws still upon the books, and often enforced, which are no longer an expression of the morals and attitudes of the people. These laws go back to another era, when people were much more legalistic and conservative than they are today. In one instance, two people are serving time in prison today because some neighbor children observed them practicing a certain form of sexual intercourse, and then reported it. Even though those two adults were married, they were tried and sentenced. Long terms were given to both of them. The only thing they had actually done wrong, according to today’s standards, was failing to pull the blinds.
Justice is often corrupt in its manifestation and can even be bought if you can pay the price. You can still get “justice” in our country if you can pay for it. That may sound cynical, but we must acknowledge too that, on the whole, our system of justice is probably still the best to be found anywhere.
More and more we should be diligent to exercise our right to vote. The Word tells us, Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. Romans 13:1a. If we take that admonition seriously, we will do what we can to exercise our authority as citizens. There is a balance of authority here in the United States, which says that you can go to the polls and vote against injustice, such as exorbitant property taxes, for example. The little people must recognize their authority and speak out by exercising it. God will honor the authority He has placed in you. It is a two-way street. You do not have to submit to a bureaucratic government and its inequities. You have authority, and in the proper time and with the proper manner you can exercise that authority to change a situation that is not right. Hopefully we will be able to continue doing that.
As American citizens, we find ourselves reaching in for something more from God for our country. At the same time, we know that the law of Christ over our hearts is our highest law. We bless one another. We bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). We are under the King’s rule.
Some of the young people who come into our churches have often been careless and negligent in paying traffic fines and citations. Therefore, we give them strict instructions: “Obey the laws. Drive carefully. If you receive a citation, take care of it immediately. You do not need to get anyplace so fast that you have to exceed the speed limit, even by ten miles an hour.” This may sound old-fashioned and legalistic, but I am only repeating what God says: “Be a good citizen of the Kingdom of God; then you will also be a good citizen of your country.”
You may argue, “But we are under grace and not under the Law.” This is true, but just because you are under grace does not mean that you have to be stupid. We want to be on the alert, ready for every good deed. Paul emphasized this also in the conclusion of his letter to Titus: And let our people also learn to engage in good deeds to meet pressing needs, that they may not be unfruitful. Titus 3:14. We will be a little different than the religious world has been. Let us strive for this sincere motivation.
It is imperative that we follow the guidelines presented here. Do not be rebellious against them. In the long run, observing and obeying them will be a great source of blessing to the whole Kingdom of God.