The future of government must be considered from a variety of perspectives. It is not enough to consider only the civil dimensions of government. In biblical terms, Government is multifaceted and multi-jurisdictional. The future of government must be considered in all of its dimensions, beginning with the individual and including civil affairs. If individuals abdicate responsibilities in the areas of self, family, business, and church governments we can expect an increase of power and the claim of absolute authority by civil government. Thus, the denial of multiple governments opens the door to the leveling of society by the State. There is no future under such a system, only a god-like State imposing its will on everyone.
Original Title
2010 Issue 6 - So What's Your View of the Future and Does It Matter? - Counsel of Chalcedon
The future of government must be considered from a variety of perspectives. It is not enough to consider only the civil dimensions of government. In biblical terms, Government is multifaceted and multi-jurisdictional. The future of government must be considered in all of its dimensions, beginning with the individual and including civil affairs. If individuals abdicate responsibilities in the areas of self, family, business, and church governments we can expect an increase of power and the claim of absolute authority by civil government. Thus, the denial of multiple governments opens the door to the leveling of society by the State. There is no future under such a system, only a god-like State imposing its will on everyone.
The future of government must be considered from a variety of perspectives. It is not enough to consider only the civil dimensions of government. In biblical terms, Government is multifaceted and multi-jurisdictional. The future of government must be considered in all of its dimensions, beginning with the individual and including civil affairs. If individuals abdicate responsibilities in the areas of self, family, business, and church governments we can expect an increase of power and the claim of absolute authority by civil government. Thus, the denial of multiple governments opens the door to the leveling of society by the State. There is no future under such a system, only a god-like State imposing its will on everyone.
by Gary Demar T he future of government must be considered from a va- riety of perspectives. It is not enough to consider only the civil dimensions of government. In biblical terms, Gov- ernment is multifaceted and multi-jurisdictional. Te future of government must be considered in all of its dimensions, beginning with the individual and including civil aairs. If individuals abdicate responsibilities in the areas of self, family, business, and church governments we can expect an increase of power and the claim of absolute authority by civil government. Tus, the denial of multiple governments opens the door to the leveling of society by the State. Tere is no future under such a system, only a god-like State imposing its will on everyone. Moreover, the Christians view of the future determines how he lives and works in the present. If he believes the future to be bleak, his pessimism will be reected in a variety of ways, usually by capitulating to the endeavors of competing world- views. Te family will not be trained to consider the wider aspects of dominion as they relate to successive generations. Education will be present-oriented, with students obtaining an education merely to secure the necessary credentials for a job. While Christians might establish schooling for children in grades 1-12, very little will be done to set up colleges, universities, and graduate schools to prepare Gary Demar 5 Counsel of Chalcedon Issue 6 2010 So Whats Your View of the Future and Does It Matter? generations of Christians to inuence the world for Jesus Christ (Psalm 78). One reason students nd it dicult to apply themselves in school is their in- ability to work for a purpose, which in turn is largely due to many Christians neglect of their divinely ordained duty of dominion: to create a Christian civi- lization. A pessimistic view of the future, with the State embracing all other gov- ernments, fosters economic theory and practice that incites a buy-now and-pay- it-later philosophy. Why worry about debt when there may not be a future, and I may not have to repay my loan? Moreover, why consider leaving an in- heritance when there will be no earthly future to inherit? For too long Christians have be- lieved the future should be considered only in terms of heaven or the events that lead to the second coming of Je- sus Christ. Concern about the time in between receives little consideration. Because of this false idea, many Chris- tians abdicate their responsibilities toward economics, education, science, and civil government. Tis conception of the future has accelerated the debili- tating doctrine that the end of all things is near, leading to further inactivity on the part of Gods people. God instruct- ed His people to inuence the world: Te apostle Paul had to rebuke some of the Tessalonians for ceasing to work simply because of the possi- bility that the Lord might return im- mediately (2 Tessalonians 3:10-12). Christians since then have often been notorious for embracing escapist atti- tudes toward work due to their escha- tologies [doctrine of the last things]. Rather than aggressively moving for- ward to take dominion over the earth, the Church has all too often lapsed into an irresponsible passivity, approaching her commission with the attitude: You dont polish brass on a sinking ship. Je- sus, however, instructed us to take the opposite approach. In the parable of the ten minas (Luke 19:11-27), the master gave each of his servants money and told them, Do business with this until I come back. In this story, Jesus com- mands us to take the oensive and do business until He returns. 1 Te biblical view of the future pres- ents the truth that history is moving forward, and every Christian is respon- sible before God to show himself a good and faithful steward of his God-given gifts. God requires an accounting. Te pagan idea of time presents his- tory as a series of never-ending cycles with little, if any, purpose. King Nebu- chadnezzar of Babylon dreamed vividly about a future with purpose and devel- opment, not a series of never-ending cycles conning man to the impersonal forces of nature. Te king understand- Counsel of Chalcedon Issue 6 2010 6 So Whats Your View of the Future and Does It Matter? ably was confused about his dream because it did not t the pagan cyclical view of the future. After the age of iron, the age of gold should have reappeared. At the dreams conclusion, however, a new dimension was added to this pagan rulers understanding. Time is not governed by cycles, but by God. Time is linear, with a purpose. Time is governed not by forces of nature, but by the sovereign decree of God. Ne- buchadnezzar tried to adapt his pagan view with the revealed view. He built a golden statue, seeing himself as the one who would change the pagan cyclical history and avoid the inevitable judg- ment through the accomplishments of his power and authority. Te kingdom of God has purpose because God directs its every move- ment. History is not bound by a nev- er-ending series of cycles, with God powerless to intervene and govern. Te future, as Nebuchadnezzar came to realize, is governed by God. Earthly sovereigns who fail to recognize Gods absolute sovereignty will be destroyed: You [Nebuchadnezzar] continued looking [at the statue] until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. Ten the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time, and became like cha from the summer threshing oors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and lled the whole earth (Dan. 2:34-35). Te pagan idea of the future is a myth. Te future belongs to Gods people and Christians are not trapped in futile historical cycles. Te Christians view of the future determines how he lives, plans, and works in the present for the future. Even during Israels captivity under Babylo- nian rule, the nations darkest hour, the people were told to plan and build for the future: Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope (Jer. 29:5-6, 11). Gods words seemed contrary to what people saw all around them. De- struction and captivity awaited the na- tion, yet God commanded them to pre- pare for the future. In spite of every pes- simistic view, God wanted the peoples desires and hopes to be future-directed. Build for what will be. Te psychologi- cal benet of such a mindset does much to spur the church of Jesus Christ to greater kingdom activity. A preoccu- pation with defeat brings defeat by de- 7 Counsel of Chalcedon Issue 6 2010 So Whats Your View of the Future and Does It Matter? fault. Why would anyone wish to build for the future when there is no earthly future hope? Who would invest in a los- ing proposition? Why should anyone work to establish a godly home, school, business, or civil government when all such institutions seem doomed despite our eorts? Unconditional Surrender Christians must become condent of their earthly future as well as their heavenly future. We must take God at His word as did Joshua and Caleb (Num. 13-14). Tings looked bleak for Israel (13:32-33), but Gods promise of victory allowed Joshua and Caleb to look beyond the apparently negative circumstances. God, on numerous oc- casions, promised Israel they would possess the land: Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel (13:2). Since the majority refused to believe God, they died in the wilderness, never seeing the Promised Land. Like Joshua and Caleb, we must trust Gods sovereignty and be future-oriented: We must become optimists con- cerning the victory that lies before Christs people, in time and on earth. We must be even more optimistic than Joshua and Caleb, for they were only asked to spy out the land of Canaan. Tey were called to give their report prior to Christs sacrice at Calvary. Why should we be pessimistic, like that rst generation of former slaves? Why should we wander in the wilder- ness, generation after generation? Why should we despair? Why should we adopt the mentality of slaves, or the mentality of the beleaguered garrison in the last outpost? It is Satans garri- sons that are de fending the outposts. And when Christians recognize their responsibilities for building the king- dom, master the law of God as a tool of dominion, realize a vision of freedom through self-government, and lead their fellow believers into battle in every area of life, Satans troops will nd them- selves defending their last outpost. And the gates of hell shall not prevail against Gods church. 2 Te hope of the future is real be- cause the Christian knows that God governs the aairs of men and nations (Psalm 22:28; 47:8; Daniel 4:35). Endnotes 1. Joseph McAulie, Do Business Until I Return, New Wine, (January, 1982), 29. 2. Gary North, Unconditional Surren- der: Gods Program for Victory, 5th ed. (Powder Springs, GA: American Vision, [1988] 2010), 317.