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Last week we considered simple rebellion as a primary reason that people in government come up with such stupid, and sinful ideas. This week, we consider another reason for this problem; spiritual warfare. I often find that most Christians are actually anti-supernaturalists. Despite all of the biblical references, they choose not to believe explanations that are beyond human reason. One reason for this is supernaturalists who subscribe to angels and demons. Unfortunately, most supernaturalists have a tendency to go too far the other way; they perceive “demons at you doorstep” like Peter Popoff. Most supernaturalists see the demonic everywhere.
The correct view of the supernatural is that the created order is maintained by angelic powers. A study of the literature of the ancient world, whether Hebrew or Greek, or Egyptian shows that the created order has two aspects to it. One aspect is the natural order, which involves the laws of science. The other is the social order, which involves, the family, the state and the church. The social order also involves ethics, politics and economics. The ancients also thought that God, the Creator, placed the angelic powers to guard and maintain the created order. These angelic powers affect not only the physical order, but also the social order. Before the fall of man into sin, these angelic powers served God, and pointed man to Him. After the fall of man, these angelic powers are in rebellion to God the Creator. You will note, that when our Lord Jesus Christ came on the scene, He spent a lot of time freeing those who were demonically possessed. He also healed people and freed men of their sin by dying on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20 speaks of the superiority of Christ to these angelic powers. He created these powers and gave them their authority when he ordained the family, the state and the Church.
Those angelic powers that rebelled against God (also known as demons), the Creator, seek to steal, kill and destroy men. They do so first, by deceiving men and blinding them to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When failing to keep men from Christ, they seek to make Christians ineffective, by deception and other forms of attack. For those who do not have Christ, they seek to destroy them by keeping them in poverty and misery. They keep men enslaved, miserable and without hope in this life or the next. One reason that bad ideas come into existence and keep coming back is that these fallen angelic powers seek to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). They whisper their lies to men who are receptive to their ideas. Then they give these lies supernatural power to stay in the minds of men who do not have Christ. Their fallacious ideas even stay in the minds of those who have Christ, but have not submitted every thought to His lordship. The result is that the family, the state, and the church operate in ways that are contrary to God’s will.
The local pastor has the job of preaching the whole word of God in such a way that the members of his congregation develop a Christian worldview. This Christian worldview is one in which the Bible is authoritative in all of the areas of their lives. Consequently, the believer will love what God loves and hate what God hates. He will also live in accordance with the will of God. The obedient Christian will glorify God not only in his church life, but his home life, work life and in his political/ voting life. Every aspect of his life will be submitted to the will of God as revealed in the Bible. Liberal theology allows people to believe and act in completely contradictory ways.
The Christian voter, will vote in accordance with a Christian worldview. As such, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality are obvious reasons to vote for or against a particular politician or political party. Economics are not as obvious as these other aspects of the social order, but it is just important. I have taught economics at a major university in Texas. In these classes, I would show my students that taxation and regulation reduces the size of the market. I would also show how government regulation and taxation reduces the amount of labor that can be hired. I would explain the many problems associated with socialism, and still some students will argue that socialism is the better than free markets. While some might criticize my method of teaching, I realize that part of this confusion is due to a lack of experience on their part, but I also realize that part of the problem is due to their spiritual blindness. Socialism promises so much, but it rewards people with poverty, misery and death.
The Christian politician will often find that he is under attack. This attack involves human beings, who are being manipulated by fallen angelic powers. Political foes and the media will attempt to sway the view of the Christian politician because his views are contrary to those who do not have Christ. The Christian politician needs the prayer of his voters to make sure that he lives in such a way that he glorifies God. He also needs prayer for wisdom, courage, self- control, and justice. He also needs prayer that he will be the type of leader that he should be.
For those politicians who do not have Christ, there is confusion as to the nature of morality. As Proverbs 28:5 says, “the wicked do not understand justice.” The politician without Christ has a worldview formed by the fallen angelic powers that seek to steal, kill and destroy. Consequently, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and socialism can also seem right to him. Many of these people can claim to be Christian, but will enact legislation that is contrary or hostile to Christian faith and practice. These politicians need the prayers of their voters also. We should pray for their salvation in Jesus Christ first of all. We should also pray that these politicians would have the right kind of advisers around them to influence them in a way that is consistent with the will of God. We should also pray that the wrong type of advisers would be removed from them.
In the end, the Christian voter has a responsibility to ensure that the person that he votes for stands for and lives up to a Christian worldview as much as possible. This politician might be a Christian, but he might be a Mormon or even a Muslim, but one candidate is always closer to the truth than the other. Ultimately it is God who puts a man into a position of authority, but the individual believer has responsibilities that he must perform. The Christian voter also has a responsibility to pray for our political leaders, regardless of the party he is in. The Christian politician, like all those in authority is accountable to God. The Christian politician represents not only himself, and his political party, but Jesus Christ as well. Both the individual Christian voter and the Christian politician must faithfully fulfill their responsibilities if there is to be justice and righteousness.
The correct view of the supernatural is that the created order is maintained by angelic powers. A study of the literature of the ancient world, whether Hebrew or Greek, or Egyptian shows that the created order has two aspects to it. One aspect is the natural order, which involves the laws of science. The other is the social order, which involves, the family, the state and the church. The social order also involves ethics, politics and economics. The ancients also thought that God, the Creator, placed the angelic powers to guard and maintain the created order. These angelic powers affect not only the physical order, but also the social order. Before the fall of man into sin, these angelic powers served God, and pointed man to Him. After the fall of man, these angelic powers are in rebellion to God the Creator. You will note, that when our Lord Jesus Christ came on the scene, He spent a lot of time freeing those who were demonically possessed. He also healed people and freed men of their sin by dying on the cross. Colossians 1:15-20 speaks of the superiority of Christ to these angelic powers. He created these powers and gave them their authority when he ordained the family, the state and the Church.
Those angelic powers that rebelled against God (also known as demons), the Creator, seek to steal, kill and destroy men. They do so first, by deceiving men and blinding them to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When failing to keep men from Christ, they seek to make Christians ineffective, by deception and other forms of attack. For those who do not have Christ, they seek to destroy them by keeping them in poverty and misery. They keep men enslaved, miserable and without hope in this life or the next. One reason that bad ideas come into existence and keep coming back is that these fallen angelic powers seek to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). They whisper their lies to men who are receptive to their ideas. Then they give these lies supernatural power to stay in the minds of men who do not have Christ. Their fallacious ideas even stay in the minds of those who have Christ, but have not submitted every thought to His lordship. The result is that the family, the state, and the church operate in ways that are contrary to God’s will.
The local pastor has the job of preaching the whole word of God in such a way that the members of his congregation develop a Christian worldview. This Christian worldview is one in which the Bible is authoritative in all of the areas of their lives. Consequently, the believer will love what God loves and hate what God hates. He will also live in accordance with the will of God. The obedient Christian will glorify God not only in his church life, but his home life, work life and in his political/ voting life. Every aspect of his life will be submitted to the will of God as revealed in the Bible. Liberal theology allows people to believe and act in completely contradictory ways.
The Christian voter, will vote in accordance with a Christian worldview. As such, abortion, euthanasia, and homosexuality are obvious reasons to vote for or against a particular politician or political party. Economics are not as obvious as these other aspects of the social order, but it is just important. I have taught economics at a major university in Texas. In these classes, I would show my students that taxation and regulation reduces the size of the market. I would also show how government regulation and taxation reduces the amount of labor that can be hired. I would explain the many problems associated with socialism, and still some students will argue that socialism is the better than free markets. While some might criticize my method of teaching, I realize that part of this confusion is due to a lack of experience on their part, but I also realize that part of the problem is due to their spiritual blindness. Socialism promises so much, but it rewards people with poverty, misery and death.
The Christian politician will often find that he is under attack. This attack involves human beings, who are being manipulated by fallen angelic powers. Political foes and the media will attempt to sway the view of the Christian politician because his views are contrary to those who do not have Christ. The Christian politician needs the prayer of his voters to make sure that he lives in such a way that he glorifies God. He also needs prayer for wisdom, courage, self- control, and justice. He also needs prayer that he will be the type of leader that he should be.
For those politicians who do not have Christ, there is confusion as to the nature of morality. As Proverbs 28:5 says, “the wicked do not understand justice.” The politician without Christ has a worldview formed by the fallen angelic powers that seek to steal, kill and destroy. Consequently, abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, and socialism can also seem right to him. Many of these people can claim to be Christian, but will enact legislation that is contrary or hostile to Christian faith and practice. These politicians need the prayers of their voters also. We should pray for their salvation in Jesus Christ first of all. We should also pray that these politicians would have the right kind of advisers around them to influence them in a way that is consistent with the will of God. We should also pray that the wrong type of advisers would be removed from them.
In the end, the Christian voter has a responsibility to ensure that the person that he votes for stands for and lives up to a Christian worldview as much as possible. This politician might be a Christian, but he might be a Mormon or even a Muslim, but one candidate is always closer to the truth than the other. Ultimately it is God who puts a man into a position of authority, but the individual believer has responsibilities that he must perform. The Christian voter also has a responsibility to pray for our political leaders, regardless of the party he is in. The Christian politician, like all those in authority is accountable to God. The Christian politician represents not only himself, and his political party, but Jesus Christ as well. Both the individual Christian voter and the Christian politician must faithfully fulfill their responsibilities if there is to be justice and righteousness.
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