Posted in The Principle Approach: Self-Directed Study

Welcome to The Christian Form of Our Government... 

Week 12—Assignment

• Lesson 6
  • The Christian Form of Our Government—5^th Principle section only
• Supplemental Resources:  
  • T&L pgs. 79-81; 128-130—Outlining The Christian Form of Our Government
  • T&L pgs. 240-249—Key to Expanding the Principles
• Assignments:  None

This week we are discussing the 5^th principle—The Christian Form of Our Government.  You may want to review this principle in Week 5 of our “PA Summary”.

Lesson 6—The Christian Form of Our Government

v    “As men we have God for our King, and are under the Law of Reason:  as Christians, we have Jesus the Messiah for our King, and are under the Law reveal’d by him in the Gospel…”

“The Reasonableness of Christianity” John Locke, 1695

            Do you recall in the Bible when the people of Israel were demanding a king?  What was God’s response?

1 Samuel 8:5-9—“…appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.  But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed to the LORD.  The LORD said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them. "Like all the deeds which they have done since the day that I brought them up from Egypt even to this day--in that they have forsaken Me and served other gods--so they are doing to you also.  "Now then, listen to their voice; however, you shall solemnly warn them and tell them of the procedure of the king who will reign over them."

            Jesus Christ is our king!  In fact, He is the King of Kings!  A Christian Form of Government does not include a monarchy for Jesus Christ is our king and we shall look to none other.

            During the making of America, the Word of God was used as the political textbook.  The monarchal reign of England had been the example for the colonies of both Jamestown and the Pilgrims.  Though Jamestown was more of a transplanted England in many respects, the Pilgrims were the ones who deviated.  They compared all things to God’s Word.  They used the Word of God as their political textbook.  They recognized that Jesus Christ was their king.  They would have no monarchy. 

            As you’ll recall from the 4^th Principle—Conscience is the Most Sacred of All Property—we learned that the greatest of all property is internal; the free choice of opinions and communication of them.  The liberty of conscience is the most sacred of all property.  This requires that we be Christ-governed to be conscientious; requiring that the internal demands of God’s laws be written on our hearts.  So it follows that the first aspect of our Christian form of government is internal.  Here’s is a breakdown that I hope is helpful. 

Two aspects of our Christian form of government—

• Internal (Spirit of the Law) – Nature and Essence
  • The Christian Principle of Self-Government (2^nd Principle)
  • Conscience is the Most Sacred of All Property (4^th Principle)
  • The Christian Principle of American Political Union (7^th Principle)
• External (Letter of the Law) – Structure and Framework
  • The Separation of Powers
  • The Principle of Representation
  • The Dual Form of Our Government

The Separation of Powers

Isaiah 33:22—For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is He who will save us.

• Legislative
  • When we contemplate doing any action—we are, in essence, legislating how we will perform this action.
  • Either we are governed by the laws of God and man—or we are lawless.
• Executive
  • Putting plans into action and doing the action, or executing the plan, becomes our executive function.
• Judicial
  • Reviewing action already taken becomes our judicial or judging function.
  • A Christian has the Bible as God’s law upon which to base his judgment of action.
  • As the Constitution is the law of the land, the Bible is the law of the individual.

The Principle of Representation

Exodus 18:17-27

Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro’s advice

• Moses was the people’s representative before God and they were to take their disputes to him.
• Moses was to teach God’s decrees and laws; show the people the way to live and the duties they were to perform.
• Select capable men…
  • Who fear God
  • Trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain
• Appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
• They were to serve as judges for the people; but take the difficult cases to Moses. 

Rev. Thomas Hooker, Connecticut, 1638

--The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut based on Deut. 1:9-18

• Lecture leading the way to the first written constitution in America—Connecticut. (T&L pg. 241; CHOC, I, pgs. 250-252)
• Dr. Hooker’s development of the political principles of representative government.

1. The choice of public magistrates belongs to the people by God’s own allowance.
2. Privilege of election shouldn’t be exercised according to the humors, but according to the blessed will and law of God.
3. Those who have power to appoint magistrates, they must set bounds of power and place to which each magistrate is called. 

The Dual Form of Our Government

Matthew 22:37-40—Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

• 1^st Commandment—Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, & mind.
  • Individual Christian self-government—represents one’s duty to God
  • National Federal Government.—represents one’s duty to his country
• 2^nd Commandment
  • Individual Christian self-government—basis of our relation to our neighbor—all those around us.
  • State Government—Basis for the relationship of the individual states.

Separation of “Church and State”

Matthew 22:37-40/Exodus 20:1-17—10 Commandments

Duties to God Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.

Duties to Man And the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God.

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

            The principle of The Christian Form of Our Government is layered with The Noah Plan as follows:

The Christian Form of Our Government

Grade Level	Layer	Red Books
Primary	The Christian Idea of Man and Gov’t.; Representation; 3 Branches of Gov’t.	T&L pgs. 243-245 CHOC, I, pgs. XIII-2—Christian Idea of God, Man, & Government
Elementary	The Law and the Gospel as the Basis of Our Gov’t.—Christianity & Gov’t.	T&L pgs. 245-247 CHOC, I, Dedication Page (I), pgs. 182-183, 28A, 28B, 25-28, 245-252; 375 (2nd paragraph), 240B, 405-410
Junior High	“A Gov’t. Resting on Moral Principles”; Christian Morality in Leadership	T&L pgs. 247-248 CHOC, I pgs. 47, 364B, 396-397, 416-417, XIV (2nd paragraph)
Senior High	The Pulpit and American Indepedence	T&L pgs. 248-249 CHOC, I pgs. 372-390

Note:  These are suggestions only and not necessarily the way you need to approach this and not necessarily the way I have approached these areas of learning.  We have freedom in education! 

Summary of the Christian Form of Our Government

            With the Lord as our lawgiver, judge, and king; we call on Him when we are planning an action, before we execute an action; and when we review our actions.  All aspects must be compared with the Bible—our political, educational, and life textbook—to walk in His will for our lives.  Beyond our personal application, Christ is the lawgiver (Bible), our judge, and King.  We will always serve Him.  From here, the Founding Fathers were inspired to have three spheres of government—legislative (law making); executive (law enforcement); and judicial (review).

            It is essential in a representative form of government; that self-government exists.  In order to self-govern, the people need to know God’s laws and His decrees.  Also, when choosing representatives the people are responsible for choosing high caliber men who fear God, who are trustworthy men, who hate dishonest gain, and who will not show partiality.  The people should consider the will and law of God in their choices.  Then they may be blessed of God.

            In these and other aspects, America became a Christian nation, not because of a majority of Christians in America, but because her form of government was Christian.  Our God only needs a remnant.  At the founding of our nation, He used a remnant of His most dedicated followers to accomplish the Godliest form of government known to man.  We can be encouraged that He only requires a remnant to maintain the Godliest form of government known to man.

 Karen