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Family government
Parental government...
Continuation of a series on the separation of church and state...
Faith Fellowship Church...PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013...Terry Dashner
Pope Leo XIII said, "The family was ordained of God that children might be trained up for himself; it was before the church, or rather the first form of the church on earth."
I agree wholly. The Bible has a lot to say about the family unit. The Bible declares that husbands and wives are to be the heads-of-state in their homes. Parents are given a lot of latitude in regards to ruling over the affairs of the social, economic, and paternal home. And the parents model stability, learning, and spirituality on a very basic and visual level.
It is true. The family is one government among many.
God has placed every believer in the body of Christ--strategically. We are called, appointed, and enabled by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the Father's purpose for our lives. What He has reserved for Himself to do, we can not do. On the other hand what He has told us to do, He will not do by Himself. We are to work hand-in-hand with God, but we are not to usurp authority by going at it alone. For example, God called me from an early age to preach the Gospel. I'm positive that He could do a much better job than I; however, He refuses to do it Himself or even send an angel in my place. He has called me. I must go, and He has been with me every step of the way.
In light of what is said, think about this. If there are many kinds of God-ordained governments, which there are--civil, state, county, municipality, school, church, and family--then each has its own responsibilities and can not be substituted in the place of another. For example, a family government can not usurp the authority of a national government and a national government should not "butt in" the affairs of the family government. Now obviously the family unit can not run national affairs, collect taxes, maintain a world-ready army, and etc. But on the other hand, the national government should not usurp the authority of the family and try and educate its children, train them morally, or make them good citizens by forcing the will of the state on them.
It is the parents' right and duty before God to "train up a child in the way he should go." That duty, as burdensome as it is at times, should not fall on the civil government's shoulders. Only a family unit can instill lasting character, virtues, and godliness in its children. And the parents do it by a living example.
Maybe Americans have problems delineating the differences between church and state because we've forced each one into roles that neither one was designed to function in. A particular church "sect" or denomination should not govern in the role of civil government. But on the other hand, the civil government should not exterminate the role of the church or what the Judeo-Christian ethic has built in this nation--laws and public institutions which shall always be subject to God's Law.
We should never elevate the state over God's way of doing things. Consider this. We have dropped the ball in rearing our children according to the Bible way. We have freed ourselves from our family responsibilities by giving our children to the state to raise, educate, and care for. The state was not ordained by God to usurp the authority and responsibilities of family government. Because we have substituted roles and usurped authority, we've taxed and burdened our civil government to the breaking point.
But not only has the family unit failed in its responsibility to its children, the church has often failed too. Why? Because God has commissioned it to assist the widows and orphans, but we have said no repeatedly by passing that responsibility to the state. Shame on us! The church, the family, and the state must get back to what they were designed to do. When that happens, there will be synchronization between church and state and not abandonment by one for the other.
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming again.
Pastor T.
Pastors a small church. Terry Dashner More Articles Reverse Mortgages And Government Benefits - Dave Lewis
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