Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove
Faith Bible Church
Sunday, Nov 22, 2009
http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html
Salvation (Eph 2:5; Jude 1:19;
1 Pet 1:23; 1 Cor 2:12); SL (Zech 4:6; Jn 15:4-5; Gal 5:22-23), SG (Philip 3:12-14)
GOD’S COVENANTS – Part 24: The Mosaic Covenant, Part 16:
Bible Doctrine, Divine Institutions, Capitalism, and
Freedom
(Messiah & A.C. #270)
A. Laws of Divine Establishment
(DE).
1. From natural law written in the heart of man
to the 5 laws of DE.
2. While God has ordained the 5 laws of divine
establishment for the protection and blessing of both the believer and
unbeliever in society, man’s proclivity is to suppress the truth about God and
pervert His laws of DE, Rom 1:18-32.
3. Since man has a
sinful propensity to distort those laws of divine establishment (written in the
heart of man), it is critical for every Christian to understand, develop, and
orient to these laws and their principles as recorded in God’s Word.
4. The United States of America is currently
the 5th cycle of degeneracy and
suffering under Divine discipline, Dt 28; Lev
18; 26; Rom 1:18-32; Isa 5:20.
5. We are living in the era of impending death
of Western civilization
a) The 19th century’s “death of God”
(Nietzsche).
b) The 20th century’s postmodern “death of
Truth.”
c) C.S. Lewis and the Abolition of Man.
d) Francis Schaeffer’s line
of despair.
e) The coming death of man and its horrid
consequences.
f) Society’s only hope is a return to the God
of the Bible.
B. Understanding and Appreciating
Bible doctrine as the Complete Philosophy.
1. Bible doctrine as the Philosophy.
Propositional revelation alone (PRA)
a) Epistemology: PRA … Bible tells me so
b) Soteriology: PRA… Justification by faith
alone...believe in the LJC!
c) Hodology: PRA… spiritual life through unhindered Holy
Spirit.
d) Metaphysics:PRA…in Him we live and move & have our beings.
e) Ethics:
PRA…we ought to obey God rather than man.
f) Politics: PRA… Constitutional
republicanism….Proclaim liberty!
g) Economics:
PRA…Laissez-faire capitalism:
Have I not the right to do what I will with my own?..Thou
shalt not steal.
Thou shalt not covet.
2. The WOG is the only totally sufficient guide to
all of life , 2 Tim 3:16-17.
a) The authority of Scripture.
b) The inerrancy of Scripture
c) The clarity of Scripture
d) The power of Scripture
e) The meaning of Scripture.
f) The superiority of Scripture, 2 Cor 10:5.
3. The whole counsel of God concerning things
necessary to honor and glorify God in all things is either expressly set down
in Scripture or by good, and necessary consequence may be deduced from
Scripture, Mt 4:4; 2 Cor 10:5; 2 Tim 3:16-17.
4. Growth in doctrine or inept defense and
consequent demise of Christianity.
5. The failure of human/secular epistemologies
to discover Truth.
a) #1 Experience.
b) #2 Common sense.
c) #3 Philosophy.
d) #4
Pragmatism – i.e. some form of human success.
e) #5 Intuition.
f) #6
Circumstances.
g) #7 Existentialism – Christian and secular in
foreign policy.
6. Christian axiom or humanistic axiom?
7. Biblical doctrinal system is deductive, in
contrast to all other systems.
8. The issue for the pastor-teacher is to spend
his entire life in developing, constructing, and teaching the Biblical view on
every issue of life, 2 Tim 2:15.
9. Every believer has the right to expect to get
the biblical viewpoint.
10. It is incumbent upon any believer who
disagrees or opposes any views taught from the pulpit to develop and build the
correct view from the Word of God.
11. It is critical for every believer to build his
entire worldview regarding every issue of life on the Word of God.
12. Biggest problem today is that the
post-doctrinal Christian man has been so influenced by the skeptical
philosophies of the world that he no longer has confidence that the Bible can
adequately guide him to Truth in all areas.
13. Since the post-doctrinal Christian has
rejected the Bible for absolute authority in regards to economics, government
and politics, he necessarily turns to himself for authority and answers (e.g.
Protagoras, Kiergeegard).
14. The skeptic Christian (about sufficiency of
Scripture) deep down really is a dogmatist who neither intends nor is able to
defend his dogmas.
15. The post-doctrinal Christian, having
rejected the Bible for absolute authority, turns to empiricism, rationalism, existentialism with the result that many have become
socialists, communists, utilitarians, pragmatists,
and Marxists who reject capitalism – freewill, individual responsibility,
consequences.
C. Overview of the Laws of Divine
Establishment.
1. #1
Freedom.
2. #2 Marriage, Gen 2:18, 2:23.
3. #3 Family.
4. #4 Limited Government, Rom 13:1-7. 5 types of government:
a) Anarchism (Tolstoy, David Friedman).
b) Natural/Family (Aristotle, the RCC).
c) Social Contract (Hobbes, Locke, Rouseau).
d) Power (Spengler, Oliver Wendell Holmes)
e) Christian view: divine institution of
limited power, Rom 13:1-7.
5. #5 Nationalism.
D. Divine instution
#1: Freedom and Capitalism.
1. Maximum temporal freedom has only existed
and is only possible in
nations which have recognized the values of private property and
capitalism.
2. Private property is central to economic
theory and development.
3. Laissez-faire capitalism is the economic
system that is most compatible with God’s Word (Rom 13; 1 Pet 2:14-15).
4. The Bible clearly teaches the right of
private property and capitalism, Ex 20:15, 17; Mt 20:15; Acts 5:1-5.
5. In spite of the fantastic success of true
capitalism, attacks on capitalism continue at a fever pitch.
6. Socialism as an economic system is a logical
impossibility.
7.
Only in true capitalism is there the recognition of the sacredness of
privacy, property, freedom, and life under the rule of law.
8.
Only in true capitalism is there a separation of business and the
state.
9. Capitalism and free enterprise is consistent
with the biblical view of man.
10. Capitalism and free enterprise works best in
a society which is influenced by the biblical ethic.
E. Truth & Freedom versus relativism,
reversionism, and loss of freedom.
1. True personal freedom is incompatible with
government security.
2. The 8 building blocks of temporal
freedom:
a) #1, Primacy of the
individual.
b) #2, Private property.
c) #3, The Protestant work ethic.
d) #4, Individual
responsibility.
e) #5, Generosity.
f) #6, Rule of law.
g) #7, Federalism.
h) #8,
Republicanism.
3. When man fails to orient to Truth, he will
necessarily default to relativism and reversionism, with his twin “gods” of
personal peace and affluence.
4. In personal & national reversionism
there is always a willingness to give up freedom for personal
peace & affluence - as well as excuse evil for price of expediency.
5. The reversionist with his twin gods of
personal peace and prosperity is always more than happy to accept any kind of
authoritative government for security – just as long aS
it means security for his personal peace and prosperity.
6. The Biblical truths with all their virtues,
values, and absolutes demand absolute commitment, 2 Tim 4:1-18.
7. Lack of absolute commitment always results
in rev., 2 Tim 4:10.
a) The
Lord, the POG, & Bible doctrine are relativized,
Mt 26:70-75.
b)
Priorities are reversed, 2 Tim 4:10.
c)
Life dominated by the OSN, Eph 4:17-19.
d)
Life of reaction and distraction, Mt 6:31-33; 1 Jn
2:15.
e)
Life of FSH, 2 Tim 3:4; Ecc – contra 1 Tim
6:6-7; Philip 4:11.