Household Principles: March 2005
Table of Contents
I Am Glad to Be a Mother
Lord, I am satisfied tonight to be
A mother, in a world gone mad with hate;
Here in this hour of earth’s agony,
I do not ask that I might do some great
Magnificent achievement, bringing fame;
I do not covet larger fields to roam;
I only want to keep alight the flame
Of God’s love, shining from a Christian home.
I thank Thee for the children; if the way
Should lead to heartbreak, grant me courage, Lord;
I will remember that there was a day
Thy mother’s heart was pierced, too, by the sword;
Thy grace will be sufficient now — as then;
I am glad to be a mother, Lord — Amen.
(Composer unknown)
“By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Privilege and Responsibility
Acts 16:31-32
The principle of “thou . . . and thy house” is indeed a great blessing and privilege. Not only is the head of the house saved as a child of God, but his whole house is also brought into a place of wondrous privilege by virtue of its connection with him. They do not stand in the same relationship to God as the saved parent, but they are in a place of blessing and privilege, for God’s purposes and desires are that a believer’s whole household should be saved. The Christian parent acting in faith and obedience to Him can count upon God for their salvation. This is a great comfort.
Along with this privilege, a serious responsibility goes with the thought of “thou . . . and thy house.” If the head of a household belongs to God, then his household belongs to God also. Accordingly, he is responsible to rule his house for God and to train the children for Him. They are to be brought up in the way of the Lord and commanded in the paths of righteousness in separation from the world. If evil is allowed in the household, God holds the head responsible for it.
Adapted from The Christian Home
by R. K. Campbell
The Faith of Moses’ Parents
Exodus 2:110
The faith of Moses’ parents stands out as an example of overcoming the power of the enemy to destroy their child. Their faith sought to protect this “goodly” child in two ways. First, they protected their precious little son by making the home a sanctuary for him. “By faith Moses, being born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw the child beautiful; and they did not fear the injunction of the king” (Heb. 11:23 JND). Second, when they could no longer hide him, they put him into the ark in the river, the place where he had been sentenced to die, but where the ark would preserve him from death. God honored that faith.
The example of how Amram and Jochebed protected their precious little son by hiding him in the home from the destroying power of the enemy should encourage us as parents today to boldly stand on the Lord’s side for the good of our children. He will honor such faith. The time given to us as parents to keep the children at home is relatively short in comparison to the time they will be out of the home.
The Ark
There came the time when “she could no longer hide him.” This seems to be a realization on the part of the mother. At that time the faith of Jochebed, the mother of Moses, rose to a power she knew was higher than Pharaoh. The problem of saving the child was beyond her power. They lived in the enemy’s land. The time had come when the parents had to “cast out” the child (Acts 7:21). This was difficult to do because they loved the child and also their God. They would not put the child loved by them and their God in the river without something between it and the waters of death. She prepared an ark to keep the waters of death from her child, and she placed Moses in it. The ark was the sign of their faith in Jehovah. It is a picture to us of the Lord Jesus who went down into death for us and gave us deliverance from its power. Though we and our children are under the sentence of death, the Lord bore the sentence for us and rose again with power over death. It is right for us to trust Him to preserve our families at all times, and especially when circumstances are beyond our power to do so.
“When he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son” (Acts 7:21). God honored the faith of that family and sent Pharaoh’s daughter to take him as her son. Little did she realize how she was fulfilling the reward of Jehovah for the parents’ faith, nor did Moses’ parents realize how the house of Pharaoh would prepare Moses. But understanding all these things was not of importance, except to the One who was really in control. The Lord was in control, and faith in Him and obedience to Him were what was important. And whoever was on His side would be the ultimate victor.
At the suggestion of Moses’ sister, the mother of Moses was called as a nurse. Pharaoh’s daughter said to the mother, “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.” The child was given back to the parents with a new responsibility and reward.
To Whom Does Moses Belong?
To whom does this child now belong? Pharaoh’s daughter had claimed it, but she gave it back to the mother to take away and raise for wages. The parents had given up their own claims to the child and in faith had put him into the ark. The child really belonged to the Lord Jehovah. The parents must consider the child as entrusted to their care to raise for Him. What a blessed thing for us to take our children from the Lord in this way and seek to raise them for Him! Later on, when Moses came to years, he also chose to walk the same path of faith (Heb. 11:2426). So, the example of faith is passed from one generation to the next.
This is a beautiful lesson for us regarding our children. First of all, when possible, we must seek to keep our children from the evil of this world which is under Satan’s dominion. He is the god and prince of this world. We must recognize the Lord’s authority in our home. It is the only way of overcoming the power of the enemy. The Lord desires the preservation of our children more than we do. When they must go out into the world into circumstances that are beyond our control, we should recognize the Lord’s power and authority in every place. This is to recognize the headship of Christ over our homes and over our children wherever they may be. Our place is to own His headship over our children when they are in the home, by bringing them up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” and then to trust in Him when they go out into the world. If we do not own the Lordship of Christ in our homes by seeking to keep our children from evil while they are in our care, how can we trust the Lord to preserve them from evil on the basis of our faith when they leave the home?
Trusting in God’s Goodness
With these thoughts, no doubt we are brought to realize how often we fail in the practical part of faithfully keeping our children. We are made to realize it is only the sovereign goodness of God that can give what we need. The willingness of Moses’ parents to humbly accept from the Lord the difficult situation He had allowed them to be in serves as a lesson for us. They neither blamed others for the situation they were in, nor proudly considered themselves unworthy of such a trial. But rather, by putting their precious little child into the ark, they entrusted him into the same hands that had allowed all the difficulties. They overcame by their faith in the Lord, and their faith in the Lord showed out in their works. There can be no doubt that the Lord was in control of the situation at all times. This should encourage us, in all our weaknesses and failures, to trust Him at all times and to let it show in the order of our homes.
D. C. Buchanan
Household Grace and Government
Genesis 7:1; Acts 2:39
“The Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation” (Gen. 7:1). Because of his faith, the same promise of preservation from the Lord to Noah was good toward his household. This order established by the Lord Himself opens the door for faith to be exercised by the head of every household where God is honored. May the Lord give us each obedience of faith in His promise, for “without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). “For the promise is unto you, and to your children” (Acts 2:39).
Faith
“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith” (Heb. 11:7). This faith of Noah that caused him to build the ark serves as an example for our time. God has told us that just as He destroyed the past world with a flood, He is going to destroy this present world with fire (2 Peter 3:7). It is important then that we exercise the faith of Noah, both for ourselves and our households. The ark for us is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He alone delivers from the coming judgment. In this way Noah is also a type of Christ who, as the righteous Head of a saved family, saves all who are in association with Him. In this respect we do not have to build the ark, but rather bring our families into it. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).
Let us not conclude by this that the necessity for the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the children of Christian parents is denied. “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This is as true of a Christian’s child as of everyone else. Grace is not hereditary. The principle to be impressed upon Christian parents is that Scripture inseparably links a man with his house. The Christian parent is warranted in counting upon God for his children, and he is responsible to train his children for God.
Separation
The practical result of faith in the Lord Jesus will be that we make our homes a place of separation from the world, and a refuge from the evil of it. The whole system of living in pleasure without God is about to be judged. The same evil moral conditions that were the cause for God’s judgment in the time of Noah are with us today and will bring down His judgment on this present world. The fear of God coupled with faith in the Lord Jesus will cause us to make a place of refuge from it for our families.
These principles are confirmed by many other examples in Scripture. Abraham was taken into God’s confidence in respect to the judgment about to fall on Sodom and Gomorrah, and this was specifically in reference to the way he ruled his house. The Lord could say of Abraham, “I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him” (Gen. 18:19). A man who knows how to command his house is worthy of God’s confidence. This is a wonderful truth, but one that should exercise the heart and conscience of every Christian parent.
Likewise Moses, when the children of Israel were about to depart out of Egypt, would insist that “we will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters” (Ex. 10:9). Pharaoh wanted them to leave their children behind, but God’s mind was that all should go — young and old. But sad to say, today many dear believers profess to go out to serve the Lord, but they leave their children morally in Egypt. The children are educated and trained for this world rather than for the kingdom of God.
Again, later in Israel’s history, Joshua could say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15). He and his house were linked together, and he would not serve the Lord apart from them. The Christian parent should not leave any shadow of doubt as to the real, deep-seated purpose and object of his soul. The management of his home should reflect this.
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus said to Zaccheus, “This day is salvation come to this house” (Luke 19:9). In the case of Cornelius, the Lord told him, “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:1314). In both cases their houses were connected with the blessing. This precious truth runs throughout the Word of God, in every dispensation.
What wonderful blessing can result from a godly beginning for a child! Moses’ parents were able to teach him only in his earliest years, but as a result, in later years, he boldly “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:2425). Samuel spent only his younger years with his family, but the strong and godly influence of that home was felt throughout his life. Timothy was the product of a mixed marriage, for his father was a Greek. Yet, the faith of his mother and grandmother resulted in much blessing in his life. Paul refers to their “unfeigned faith.”
Government
On the other hand, if we look through Scripture, we shall find that in every instance where there has been failure in this matter, it has produced its own results under the government of God. Eli’s sons “made themselves vile, and he restrained them not” (1 Sam. 3:13). As a result, they died under the government of God, and eventually his household lost the privilege of being priests of the Lord (see 1 Kings 2:27). David committed a serious sin, and the Lord said to him, “The sword shall never depart from thine house” (2 Sam. 12:10). Four of his family died, no doubt under the judgment of God. Many other examples of both blessing and failure could be brought out from Scripture, but these are sufficient to show the principle. The essence of the matter is this: Oftentimes the failures of my children reveal the unjudged failures of my own life, and a righteous God may use them to chasten me, because I have not judged myself.
In conclusion, let us remember that grace and government are parallel truths. One does not negate the other. Thus, David’s sin was pardoned, but he suffered under God’s government. Grace can and will restore, but we may bear consequences of our failure in spite of grace. Likewise, let us never take pride in the way we have managed our households, as if God blesses only on that account. No, we must remember that God blesses on the ground of His sovereign grace, and if there is any blessing in our homes, let us give Him the glory for it. Just the same, God holds us responsible for the way our homes are conducted and deals governmentally with us according to our conduct in the home.
Various
Order, Obedience and Love
1 Corinthians 14:33
There are three great divine principles that should characterize the Christian home, namely: order, obedience and love. Not only must these all be present in a Christian home, but they must be in proper balance with one another. God wants these things to be an integral part of our homes so that they will be beacons of light in this poor world. Yet how often our homes fail to reflect that heavenly light that has shined into our hearts (2 Cor. 4:6) because we have neglected the Word of God and communion with our Lord!
Order, obedience and love are inseparable, for without obedience and submission, there can be no order. Where there is no love, there will be no true and lasting obedience in unity, and where there is no unity, there again can be no order.
Order
God is a God of order. He “is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor. 14:33). Disorder and confusion belong to the kingdom of Satan and darkness, but He that is clothed with honor and majesty, who covers Himself “with light as with a garment,” cannot permit disorder in His kingdom. This state would be utterly inconsistent with light and derogatory to majesty. As to His divine wisdom, it expresses itself in that perfect order which characterizes all His counsels and works. It is this principle of divine order that pervades the universe. When we consider the heavens and the firmament, we find that their language testifies not only to the glory of God, but also to the fact that God is a God of order. We see the same thing in the lower creation around us — all is in the same perfect order.
Likewise, this same spirit of order and harmony breathes from every page of the Holy Scriptures, and this is done so that our daily life may have that same spirit of order and harmony. Surely the Lord Jesus, in His life on earth, was always the pattern and expression of it!
Now, in this dispensation of grace, the believer in the Lord Jesus is “blessed . . . with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3) and has infinitely higher privileges than Israel did in the Old Testament. In view of all this, has God’s principle of order been set aside or relaxed? On the contrary, the richness of our blessings and the nearness of our heavenly relationship are the very reasons why order is the more insisted upon, whether in the house of God or in our own houses.
By the word “order” we understand such a condition of things and persons that everything and everyone is found and moves or acts in the proper, appointed place, sphere and time. In this way, order is one of the essential requirements for human happiness, prosperity and success.
The spirit of the world today is one of revolution and change, and as a result, disorder tends to characterize the world around us. Sad to say, this spirit of disorder is appearing not only in the world, but also among Christians everywhere. No doubt the ultimate cause of this is the spirit of disobedience, pride and independence. This leads us to a consideration of the second divine principle we have mentioned—obedience.
Obedience
The first sin that entered this world was disobedience. It has made the world what it is today — a place of violence and corruption, sorrow, death and, ultimately, judgment. Prior to man’s sin in the Garden of Eden, it was pride and disobedience that led Satan to his fall. That sin of disobedience has turned him into an arch deceiver and the father of lies.
On the other hand, those angels who did not fall are spoken of in Psalm 103:20 as those who “excel in strength, that do His commandments.” Their strength is combined with obedience, in contrast to fallen angels, whose strength is combined with disobedience.
Although disobedience was the first sin, it resulted in a second terrible sin which grew from the first. It was the sin of self-sufficiency and independence which was shown out in Cain and ultimately became characteristic of the world system that he began. Combined with this sin is envy and hatred against everything that is good and right, and we know that this resulted in Cain’s murder of his brother Abel for no other reason than that God had respect to Abel’s offering. Thus we see that disobedience is most serious and has far-reaching consequences.
In contrast, what were the motives in the heart of the Lord Jesus, when He came into this world? He came in perfect submission, perfect obedience, and as the perfect, dependent Man. Through His work on Calvary’s cross He has redeemed us from “this present evil world” and brought us into the family of God. God expects that His family will be characterized by that obedience and dependence that was exhibited so fully by His beloved Son. The Christian home should thus be characterized by obedience and submission rather than by the self-will and disobedience that is the character of Cain’s world. Surely, there is nothing so difficult for the heart of the natural man as obedience and submission to another. His heart rebels against this more than anything else. But God does not simply exhort us to obedience; rather, He brings in another divine principle, that of love.
Love
In speaking of every principle of divine truth, we must keep the spirit of self-judgment before us, considering our individual failure in it all. Surely this is true of order and obedience, but perhaps even more so when we consider love. It was God’s intention that the testimony of believers to this world would be that “ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). We would all agree that we have failed in this, and perhaps we have also failed in the exhibition of love in our home life.
We know that “God is light” and that “God is love.” It is important to recognize that light and love are closely connected and are inseparable. John writes, “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10). Our God has not only shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but He has also shed abroad in our hearts His love, by the Holy Spirit given to us. The Lord Jesus, when He was on earth, was always the exhibition of God’s light and love, and it is only in walking with Him that we will be able, in some measure, to do the same.
In fixing our eyes on the glory of Christ, we will be able to treat self (which is the opposite and opposer of love) as a judged and condemned thing. Love is the very opposite of self. It forgets self to think only of its object. Just as light cannot be hidden, so love also cannot be hidden. It wants and looks for an object, in order to make the object as happy as itself. It cannot be shut up to itself, but goes out to its object, to spend itself upon it. Thus we see, for example, in Ephesians 5, the character of divine light and love brought out, and its manifestation in the walk of those who belong to the family of God.
In the Christian home love will be the bond that brings order and obedience together in the right way. Where love is shown, obedience will be the happy response to that love, and if correction is needed, the object of that correction will see clearly that love is the motive behind it. Where love is the character of the home, order will still be insisted upon, but all in the household will realize that order is maintained because of that love and is for the ultimate good of all.
All Kept in Balance
The Christian home must be characterized by a meshing of order, obedience and love. These things must be kept in balance, and only in walking with the Lord, following His Word, and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit can this be done. An overemphasis on order and obedience, but without love, will produce rebellion. An emphasis on love to the exclusion of obedience and order is not true love, but rather a love of self that refuses to take the time and effort needed to insist on proper behavior. Such an attitude will produce chaos and ultimately a despising of the authority that refuses to set guidelines and see that they are followed.
No doubt all who read this will be aware of their own shortcomings, and surely we would all take our place in admitting our failure. However, let us not be discouraged, but rather ask the Lord for grace to model our homes according to the pattern of Scripture and according to that perfect One who is always our example!
J. A. von Poseck (adapted from Light in Our Dwellings)
Setting an Example
2 Timothy 3:10
Children need not be very old before they become adept at discerning real sincerity or the lack of it in their elders. They may not be able to describe their reactions, but they are nonetheless influenced by what they observe. Therefore, it is very important for parents to consider that their dear children are watching them and their ways — not that parents should act before them what they are not, but they should be very careful to have no relapses in the consistency of their walk, for little eyes and little ears will take in much. They will discern whether or not their parents’ Christianity is the practical kind that governs the whole manner of life. Their future may more or less depend on what parents do, rather than on what they counsel. This is not said to nullify the importance of instructing them in “the right ways of the Lord,” but to emphasize the importance of living practically before them what is taught to them.
What Is the Value If . . . ?
Of what value would it be to instruct children that “the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3) and that He sees them when they cheat their playmates if they see their parents take advantage of their neighbor or the grocer? In like manner it would be ineffectual to speak to them of God’s hearing any lies they tell if they observe their parents practicing deceit — not that the parents’ failures are really any excuse before God for the children to sin.
The Apostle Paul was the instrument used by God to the salvation of many of the early Christians to whom he wrote. He said to the Corinthians, “In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15); they were his children in the faith, and as his beloved children he admonished them (vs. 14 JND), but he sent Timothy to them to bring to their remembrance his ways which were in Christ (vs. 17). He was a fond parent, teaching his children by word of mouth and showing them by example how they should walk. Timothy was also Paul’s son in the faith, and he had a jealous care for Timothy’s spiritual welfare. Paul wrote freely and intimately to him, and he spoke affectionately of him to others. He gave Timothy words of “edification, and exhortation, and comfort,” but he was not content to stop there; he wrote to him: “Thou has fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity [love], patience” (2 Tim. 3:10).
Paul’s doctrine was important, and it is today; it is all the distinctive truth of Christianity. But Paul reminded his beloved son and coworker of his manner of life — it was one of truthfulness, uprightness and integrity. His purpose was equally impressive, for it was to get through this world to God’s glory and to reach the Christ who had captivated his whole being. He had that day-by-day faith in God that counted on Him in any and every circumstance. We see many examples of his long-suffering in Acts and in his epistles, and he loved the dear Corinthians, though the more he loved them, the less they loved him. As to patience, he could say, “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience” (2 Cor. 12:12). Even his apostolic authority was never allowed to interfere with his exercise of patience, but rather it was demonstrated through patience.
Parents, Consider Your Ways
May Christian parents consider their ways, and may they be formed more after the pattern of Paul’s ways toward his children in the faith. Parents occupy a somewhat similar position in that they are to act as spiritual, as well as physical and moral, guides to their children.
There is no place where we have to be more careful not to indulge the flesh, nor to allow relapses in Christian conduct, than in the home. Someone has said, “If you want to know me, come and live with me.” It is in the family circle where our real state is most apt to be seen. Oh that young parents may realize the great importance of living as Christians before their children! It is of great importance how the little things of life are done. And if we walk consciously before God all the time, it will make no difference whether we are at home or abroad, with our brethren in Christ or among the ungodly at work.
P. Wilson (from The Institution of Marriage
and Related Subjects)
A Lesson From Enoch
“Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters” (Gen. 5:22). Apparently it was that little infant that caused Enoch to walk with God.
When the care of raising children begins in a family, we start on a new course of lessons. The baby is fretful and will not sleep. Mother has had the little one all day, and it is the father’s turn. He must walk the floor late at night with the precious baby in his arms, when he fain would be asleep in his warm and cozy bed. Happy the parents who at such a time can learn to walk with God, as they walk the floor with a crying, restless infant. They will find those dreaded night-watches turned into heavenly communion, with their best and dearest Friend. The silent house, when everybody else is asleep, will be found to be just the place where your Lord and you can walk together undisturbed.
And if the baby comes down to the brink of that cold, dark river, and that little life, that has grown dearer to you than your own, seems about to slip away, you learn one of the deepest lessons that this life can teach, to say in very truth, “Thy will be done.” May we each find, as Enoch found, that our little darlings lead us, or drive us, to walk with God, and in this wondrous companionship may we find strength and comfort for the parents’ path.
G. C. Willis
The Reelection of President George W. Bush
1 Timothy 2:2; 2 Timothy 3:11
The recent presidential election held in the United States was one of the closest in history, as evidenced by both popular and electoral college votes. Four years ago the election was so close over the Florida vote that the results were in doubt for several weeks. This time the outcome was more quickly known and Bush declared that he has a definite mandate to govern. Regardless of how one interprets the details, the election clearly manifests that the country is seriously divided.
A Country Divided
The country has been divided before. For example, in the election of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was pitted against Stephen Douglas, Lincoln swept the north without difficulty, but so strong was the feeling against him in the south that he did not receive a single vote in nearly one-third of the states. As the moral issue of slavery divided the country then, so it is significant that it is on moral grounds that this latest election was decided. In fact, a significant percentage of those who voted for George Bush said that the moral issues facing the country were far more important to them than such things as the state of the economy or the war in Iraq.
Those who voted for John Kerry were equally adamant in their views, and many were bitter and frustrated when George Bush was finally declared to be the winner. The country has scarcely seen such strong feelings and emotional reactions since the days of the Civil War.
George Bush has made a definite profession of being a true Christian. In his first term, he clearly brought his Christianity into his administration, perhaps more than any other president within recent memory. Even Jimmy Carter, who was most forthright in his testimony as a Christian, did not bring his Christianity into such visibility as George Bush has done. For most believers, it seemed like a breath of fresh air after the repeated scandals that surfaced in Bill Clinton’s presidency. Evangelical Christians applauded Bush, and many who were disgusted at the increasing moral turpitude of America felt that finally they had a man at the top who was going to turn things around. Others of a more liberal inclination were angered at what they considered to be an improper merging of church and state, and they felt that their liberties were being curtailed. Such liberals even invoked their own version of morality, arguing that a God of love would point us toward more tolerance, even if that tolerance meant the giving up of real moral accountability. Now that George Bush has won a second term, the strong feelings have increased on both sides.
Facing Moral Issues
Certainly America is facing moral issues that are becoming increasingly complex as time goes on. In particular, the issues of abortion and same sex marriage have seriously polarized the country. Kerry, although a nominal Roman Catholic, has repeatedly taken an anti-Biblical stance on these and other issues. He favors abortion on demand and also would allow same sex marriage, although stating that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman. Bush, on the other hand, wants to curtail abortion as much as possible. He clearly wants the federal government, not the courts, to decide the marriage issue and to define marriage as being only between a man and a woman. Likewise, Bush favors the death penalty for murder and perhaps some other crimes, while Kerry is against it. Bush would like to see public prayer allowed in schools, while Kerry voted against it. If George Bush has brought his Christian moral values into his presidency in a very real way, John Kerry’s voting record on various issues has earned him the reputation of being one of the most liberal of all senators.
True Christians in the U.S.A. can be thankful that a man with Christian values and moral principles has again been elected to the presidency. Many prayed that the Lord would allow believers to continue to “lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2), and it appears that God has answered this prayer. We can be truly thankful that one who wants to rule in the fear of God has still been the choice of a majority (admittedly a slim one!) of Americans. We may well ask, however, in the light of the Word of God, what the future holds.
Scripture clearly tells us that “in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Tim. 3:1) and then follows with a description of the desperate moral degradation that will characterize the world, especially Christendom, in the last days. The Book of Jude also describes the moral decline that will occur and tells us that there will be “mockers in the last time, who . . . walk after their own ungodly lusts” (vs. 18). Likewise, Peter in his second epistle prophesies of the last days and how there will be those who “have known the way of righteousness” who will be again entangled in “the pollutions of the world” (2 Peter 2:2021). Earlier in the chapter he uses the example of Sodom and Gomorrah to warn “those that after should live ungodly” (vs. 6). No doubt this is a clear reference to Christendom, where the Word of God is known and preached and where the truth of God is available to all. The Book of Revelation describes the awful judgment of God on this world after the true believers are called home, and it particularly delineates the judgment of God on the part of the world that has known the gospel. Thus it is clear that, while we can be happy that there has been some respite from the moral decline in the U.S.A., we must recognize that the relief is temporary and that the downhill slide will continue.
On the one hand, we know that God instituted government in this world after the flood in Noah’s day (Gen. 9:56), and in the New Testament this is reinforced. Paul could say of rulers, “The powers that be are ordained of God” (Rom. 13:1). In the same chapter he also says, “But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil” (vs. 4). On the other hand, a man who wants to govern by Christian principles will find that he faces increasing opposition and must compromise in order to manage the affairs of the country effectively. This difficulty then begs the question, “Should the Christian be involved in government?” If the believer wants to govern, he will find it difficult to enforce Christian principles, for in governing he must of necessity work with others in this world who are not believers. Since the unbeliever has no new life in Christ and thus cannot work with Christian principles, the believer can interact with the world only on its level. Rather than the world being elevated, it is the believer who will always be dragged down by such an arrangement. Although he might seem to do some temporary good, his testimony will eventually be ruined and his effectiveness as a witness for Christ curtailed. Indeed, this is what ruined the church’s testimony in the fourth century after Christ, when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, and believers were elevated to positions of prominence and authority. The end result was the Dark Ages, where the church ruled the world, but every kind of evil took place under the guise of religion.
The Heavenly Calling
It is far better for the believer to recognize his heavenly calling as being apart from this world. Let him recognize that he is in the world but not of it, and that his “commonwealth has its existence in the heavens” (Phil. 3:20 JND). As such, he will be content to be an ambassador for Christ, representing God’s interests in this world, but taking no part in its politics or government. He will be far more effective for the Lord in this way and will not be found hindering the purposes of God. God has told us that the moral decline will occur, and while we should, no doubt, take a stand against this, let us do it as ambassadors for Christ rather than behaving like Lot, who took part in the government of Sodom in a vain effort to stem the tide of evil.
If the Lord leaves us here, it remains to be seen what will happen in the election of 2008. We can be sure that the liberal element will be doing all in its power to bring about a change, and believers in the U.S.A. may well shudder in thinking of the consequences. Let us hope that during the next little while, “He that shall come will come” (Heb. 10:37), and that we will be with the Lord before America faces another presidential election. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
W. J. Prost
Theme of the Issue
From Adam onward God has arranged that the families of men live as households. To the head of the household He gives privilege and responsibility, and the faith and actions of the head of the house have a preserving or destroying effect upon the whole household. This issue outlines a few of God’s household principles.
“The Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (Gen. 7:1).
“By faith Noah, being warned of God . . . prepared an ark to the saving of his house” (Heb. 11:7).
“For the promise is unto you, and to your children” (Acts 2:39).
The Household Relationship Given to Noah
Genesis 7:1
God’s word to Noah was, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation” (Gen. 7:1), showing us that household relationship with its corresponding responsibility is attached to its head. No mention is made of the righteousness or faith of the household, but the whole house entered the ark on the ground of its relationship with the head.
Adapted from To the Parents
of My Grandchildren by G. C. Willis