AMERICAN GOVERNMENT God s Government.

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "AMERICAN GOVERNMENT God s Government."

Christal Poole
5 years ago
Views:

1 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT God s Government. NAME PERIOD What is the basis of the Kingdom of Heaven? (Rom 14:17) For the of God is not meat and drink; but, and, and in the. But the of the is, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 must be the principle of action. Love is the underlying of in heaven and earth, and it must be the foundation of the Christian's character. This alone can make and keep him steadfast. This alone can enable him to withstand trial and temptation. {COL 49.1} And love will be revealed in. The plan of redemption was laid in sacrifice--a sacrifice so broad and deep and high that it is immeasurable. Christ for us, and those who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all for the sake of their Redeemer. The thought of His honor and glory will come before anything else. {COL 49.2} What is the underlying principle of God s government? What is love revealed in? So it is with the kingdom of Christ. It is a new creation. Its principles of development are the opposite of those that rule the kingdoms of this world. prevail by ; they maintain their dominion by but the founder of the new kingdom is the. The Holy Spirit represents worldly kingdoms under the symbol of fierce beasts of prey; but Christ is "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29. In His plan of there is no employment of to compel the. The Jews looked for the kingdom of God to be established in the same way as the kingdoms of the world. To promote righteousness they resorted to external measures. They devised methods and plans. But Christ implants a principle. By implanting truth and righteousness, He counterworks error and sin. {COL 77.1}

2 How do earthly governments prevail by and maintain their dominion? (1) (2) What does God s plan of government not employ? The symbols of earthly governments are, but in the kingdom of Christ, men are called upon to behold, not a ferocious beast, but the. Not as a fierce tyrant did he come, but as the Son of man; not to the nations by his... He came as the, bringing to oppressed and down-trodden humanity the rich and abundant grace of Heaven, that by the power of his righteousness, man, fallen and degraded though he was, might be a partaker of divinity. {SW, December 24, 1907 par. 3} What are the symbols of earthly governments? What is the symbol of the Kingdom of Christ? The Law of the Kingdom of God: In the of the kingdom of God who rules the sinless inhabitants of heaven are to be found the principles that should lie at the of the laws of earthly. The laws of these governments should be in harmony with the law of Jehovah, the standard by which all created beings are to be judged. No man should be to act in harmony with human laws that are in to the law that God has given. {17MR 319.1} What should lie as the foundation of earthly governments? What should earthly government laws be in harmony with? No man should be forced to act in harmony with what?

3 The law of being the foundation of the, the happiness of all intelligent beings depends upon their perfect accord with its great principles of righteousness. God desires from all His creatures the service that springs from an appreciation of His character. He takes no pleasure in a, and to all He grants freedom of will, that they may render Him voluntary service. Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 33, 34 What is the foundation of God s government? What does God not take pleasure in? What does God grant to all? Rom_13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the. According to Romans 13:10, what is the fulfilling of the law? What is the benefits of God s law? Psa_119:165 have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. What is something great that happens to those that love God s law? Obedience Leads to Peace.--Each law of God is an enactment of,, and saving power. These laws, obeyed, are our, our salvation, our our [Psa_119:165 quoted] (Letter 112, 1902). {3BC }

4 The law of ten commandments is not to be looked upon as much from the prohibitory side as from the. Its prohibitions are the sure guarantee of in... {FLB 84.6} We are not to regard God as waiting to the sinner for his sin. The sinner brings upon himself. His own actions start a train of circumstances that bring the sure result. Every act of transgression reacts upon the sinner, works in him a change of character, and makes it more easy for him to transgress again. By choosing to sin, men separate themselves from God, cut themselves off from the channel of blessing, and the sure result is and. {FLB 84.7} What do the prohibitions of the ten commandments guarantee? How do we keep God s law? (Joh 14:15) If ye me, keep my commandments. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his : and his commandments are not. 1 John 5:2-3 According to 1 John 5:2-3 what is the love of God? Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into, with every whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 According to Ecclesiastes 12:13-15 God will bring what into judgment? 2Co_5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Who must appear before the judgment seat of Christ? What does this judge seek to do? Isa_33:22 For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. According to Isaiah 33:22, what three things is our Lord? (1) (2)

5 (3) What will the Lord do for us according to Isaiah 33:22? Isa_55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will. According to Isiah 55:7, what does the Bible ask the wicked to do? What will the Lord do when the wicked forsake His way and the unrighteous man his thoughts? What will the Lord abundantly do? (Psa 86:5) For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to ; and plenteous in unto all them that call upon thee. Rev_15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; and are thy ways, thou King of saints. (2Co 10:3) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not after the : (2Co 10:4) (For the weapons of our are not, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (2Co 10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (Eph 6:11) Put on the whole, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Eph 6:12) For we wrestle not against and but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. What is the purpose of the armour of God? What powers do we wrestle against? (1) (2) "Every has the power of the back of it. If it is right to make law, then it is right to enforce it. In denying to the church the power of the, Jesus therefore forbade the church to ask the for laws enforcing and observances. Paul understood this when he said, The weapons of

6 our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Ellen G. White, The Watchman, May 1, What did Ellen White says that the power the church is denied of? What did Jesus forbid the church to do? What does God s government separate itself from? (Joh 18:36) Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. "The doctrine that God has committed to the church the right to control the, and to define and heresy, is one of the most deeply rooted of papal errors. While the [magisterial] reformers rejected the creed of Rome, they were not entirely free from her spirit of." Great Controversy, 293 What is one of the most deeply rooted of papal errors? The Lord has done more for the than for any other country upon which the sun shines. Here He provided an for His people, where they could according to the. Here Christianity has progressed in its purity. The life-giving doctrine of the one Mediator between God and man has been. God designed that this country should ever remain for to worship in accordance with the dictates of. He designed that its civil institutions, in their expansive productions, should represent the of gospel privileges. {Mar 193.4} What did God design the United States should ever remain? But the of all righteousness has designs upon God's purpose for this country. He will bring in enterprises that will lead men to forget that there is a God. and covetousness, which is idolatry, will prevail through the working of the archdeceiver, till the law of God, in all its bearings, shall be made. {Mar 193.5}

7 "And he had two horns like a lamb." The lamblike horns indicate youth, innocence, and gentleness, fitly representing the character of the when presented to the prophet as "coming up" in Among the Christian exiles who first fled to America and sought an asylum from royal oppression and were many who determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of civil and. Their views found place in the, which sets forth the great truth that "all men are created equal" and endowed with the inalienable right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." And the guarantees to the people the right of, providing that representatives elected by the popular vote shall enact and administer the laws. Freedom of was also granted, every man being permitted to worship God according to the dictates of his. Republicanism and Protestantism became the fundamental principles of the nation. These principles are the secret of its power and prosperity. The oppressed and downtrodden throughout Christendom have turned to this land with interest and. Millions have sought its shores, and the United States has risen to a place among the most powerful of the earth. {GC 441.1} What fitly represented the character of the United States when presented as coming up in 1798? Why did Christian exiles first flee to America and seek asylum from? (1) (2) Christian exiles were determined to establish a government upon the broad foundation of what? (1) (2) What great truth did the Declaration of Independence set forth? What principles became the secret of the United States power and prosperity? (1) (2)

8 Such action would be directly contrary to the principles of this government, to the genius of its, to the direct and solemn avowals of the Declaration of Independence, and to the Constitution. The founders of the nation wisely sought to guard against the employment of on the part of the with its inevitable result and. The Constitution provides that "Congress shall make no law respecting an of religion, or prohibiting the thereof," and that "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." God would be pleased to see far more accomplished by His people in the presentation of the truth for this time to the in America than has been done in the past.... As I have testified for years, if we were quick in discerning the opening providences of God, we should be able to see in the to reach many in a divinely appointed means of rapidly extending the third angel's message into all the of. God in His providence has brought men to our very doors and thrust them, as it were, into our arms, that they might learn the, and be qualified to do a work we could not do in getting the light before men of other. Only in flagrant violation of these safeguards to the nation's liberty, can any religious observance be by civil authority. But the inconsistency of such action is no greater than is represented in the symbol. It is the beast with lamblike horns--in profession pure, gentle, and harmless--that speaks as a. {GC 442.2} There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3:12 In Daniel 3:12 what did Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego not do? It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. We should endeavor to disarm by placing ourselves in a proper light before the people. We should bring before them the real question at issue, thus interposing the most effectual protest against measures to restrict.testimonies, vol. 5 p {ChS 162.2} What did Ellen White that we should have effectual protest towards? We are not doing the will of God if we sit in quietude, doing nothing to preserve. Fervent, should be ascending to heaven that this calamity may be deferred until we can accomplish

9 the work which has so long been neglected. Let there be most earnest prayer, and then let us work in harmony with our prayers. It may appear that Satan is triumphant and that truth is overborne with falsehood and error; the people over whom God has spread His shield, and the which has been an asylum for the conscience-oppressed servants of God and defenders of His truth, may be placed in jeopardy. {CCh 336.1} They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's. Matthew 22:21 In Matthew 22:21, What did Jesus say that we should do in regards to Caesar (the government) and that of God? Recompense to evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live with all men. Dearly beloved, not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Romans 12:17-20 What does Romans 12:17-20 say that we should live peaceably with? Act_5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to rather than men. What did Peter and the Apostles say in regards to obeying God or man? This principle we in our day are firmly to maintain. The banner of truth and held aloft by the founders of the gospel church and by God's witnesses during the centuries that have passed since then, has, in this last conflict, been committed to. The responsibility for this great gift rests with those whom God has blessed with a knowledge of His word. We are to receive this word as. We are to recognize as an ordinance of divine appointment, and teach obedience to it as a sacred duty, within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims with the claims of God, we must God rather than men. God's word must be recognized as above all A "Thus saith the Lord" is not to be set aside for a "Thus saith the " or a "Thus saith the." The crown of is to be lifted above the diadems of earthly potentates. {AA 68.2}

10 What does Ellen White say in the event that human government conflicts with our religious beliefs, what should we follow when they conflict? And this gospel of the shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. Matthew 24:14 (Dan 7:27) And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the of the of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Rev 21:3) And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. (Rev 21:4) And God shall wipe away all tears from their ; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Discussion Questions: What are the practical benefits of obeying God s law? In studying these Bible texts and writings from the Spirit of Prophecy, what do you see as the theme or description of God s government? Do you see a danger of government and religion mixing together?

11 As you read the statements of Ellen White, what do you see is the important purpose of the United States? Why do you think the Constitution and Declaration of Independence was so important to Ellen White? What is the ideal government that you think is best and what rights would this government guarantee? What would you do if the laws of the government conflict with your personal religious beliefs?

12 What do you see is appealing about the Kingdom/government of God?

What is the basis of the government of God?

What is the basis of the government of God? o For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17 o But the fruit of the Spirit is love,