Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove

Faith Bible Church

Sunday, Nov 29, 2009

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html

Salvation (Gal 1:6-10; Rom 11:6); SL (Jn 4:24; Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19), SG (1 Cor 13:11; Gal 4:19; Heb 12:1)

GOD’S COVENANTS – Part 25: The Mosaic Covenant, Part 17:

Divine Institutions versus the curse of National Reversionism

(Messiah & A.C. #271)

A. Laws of Divine Establishment (DE).

1. God has ordained certain laws for the believer and the unbeliever which we call laws of DE or DI for the purpose of the survival and freedom of the human race.

2. These laws of divine establishment define freedom in terms of privacy, property and authority.

3. Both the privacy of the individual and the function of legitimate authority are necessary for the function of human freedom.

4. These laws of divine establishment also play a significant part in resolving the angelic conflict - Satan is always trying to gain success without these principles.

5. Overview of the five divine institutions.

a) #1 Volition/freedom.

b) #2 Marriage, Gen 2:18, 2:23; 1 Pet 3:7.

c) #3 Family, Gen 2:24.

d) #4 Limited Government, Rm 13:1-7. 5 types of government:

1) Unbiblical: Anarchism (Tolstoy, David Friedman).

2) Unbiblical: Natural/Family State (Aristotle, The RCC).

3) Unbiblical: Social Contract (Hobbes, Locke, Rouseau).

4) Unbiblical: Power (Spengler, Oliver Wendell Holmes)

5) Biblical: limited; divinely ordained as a necessary evil.

e) #5: Nationalism.

B. Rejection of the Laws of DE always leads to personal/national reversionism.

1. God writes the laws of DE in the soul of every man, Rom 2:14-15.

2. However, man has proclivity to suppress knowledge of God as well as His laws of DE, (Rom 1:18-25).

3. The suppression and perversion of God and Truth always leads to reversionism – state of a degenerate mind, Rm 1:28

4. Only two directions in life for the believer: in process gaining the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16; Gal 4:19; Rom 12:2) or in the process of being turned over to a depraved mind, Rm 1:28; Eph 4:15-24; 1 Jn 2:15; 2 Tim 4:10.

5. Truth is the only means of gaining freedom from the corrupting forces of a degenerate society and apostate Christian culture, Jn 8:32.

C. Historical Survey of the horrid effects of suppression and rejection God’s Truth in contrast to the salubrious effects of laws of DE and Bible doctrine.

1. Ancient Greece and Rome (5th B.C. – 4th A.D.)

2. Constantine’s “Christendom” & the Medieval Mess (4th to 16th).

3. 16th century pagan Papal Rome.

4. How positive volition and the Reformation (16th -20th ) was the first to bring human dignity, freedom, capitalism, and prosperity on national bases.

5. The Nietzschean world (20th) & the inception of the death of Western Civ.

6. Our postmodern “death of Truth” age.

7. The Word of God is sufficient for all areas of life, 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Cor 10:5.

D. Divine Institution #1: Freedom and its 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 central to economic dev.

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 work best in a society which is influenced by the biblical ethic.

E. Divine Institution #1: Freedom and Truth.

1. True personal freedom is incompatible with government security.

2. The 8 building blocks of temporal freedom:

3. When man, believer or unbeliever, fails to orient to Truth, he will necessarily default to relativism and reversionism, with his twin “gods” of 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 as 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.

           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 rever., 2 Tim 4:10. Some of the characteristics:

a. The Lord, the POG, and Bible doctrine are relativized, Mt 26:70.

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.