Either/or is constantly seeking to displace both/and.
Dualism moves us to wrestle with more than an excellent grasp of Scripture.
We are invited to wrestle with our humanness and our status as ambassadors of the King.
Treasure in earthen vessels.... Partnering with God to see the Kingdom of God spread throughout the earth.
Paul asks the Ephesians (Acts 19) "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" He does not ask if they have mastered Orthodox Doctrine - perhaps because Paul is well aware it takes more than that to actually be a friend of God.
When the Lord shares with Ananias "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:15-16 it seems apparent as we read on that a part of that is to use the legal and governmental systems of his time to spread the Good News about Jesus.
Fast forward to our present day.
Our imperfect system of Government in it's founding documents and history is unique in this regard. There is a clear appeal to "Nature's God", to "the Supreme Judge of the world", "reliance on...divine Providence" and dedication of the signers "lives fortunes and Sacred honor" while there is a definite avoidance of recognizing or assigning a "national church" (denomination).
The majority of the founders were monotheists, and many were devout Christian believers.
Let me be clear.
I do not believe human government will ever usher in the Kingdom of God. However, history seems to demonstrate human government can help of hinder the progress and process - again, not to say God isn't working when opposed by merely human detractors or dictators.
If human life is precious and the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, then government and law that protects life and minimizes the opportunity of the (spiritual) enemy to have his way is good. We have a "we the people" system. It is important that believers play a significant role in that system. If we do not, others will.
The fruit and freedoms harvested from the influence of the Bible and Christian thought are endemic to many Western governments, but just like Israel, the comforts and prosperity enjoyed because of God's ways can lead to forgetfulness and neglect.
A spiritual revival will also result in some form of civic revival. Unlike Israel, we have an intentional distinction between civil and spiritual "law", but both are essential.
I love the article. There is indeed a revival going on and gaining momentum. Environments where the Spirit is given room to move will be greenhouses like Antioch. Rhythms of worship, prayer and impartation of Spirit infused Scriptural understanding with lead to assignments that expand the church and spread the Kingdom.
I hope some of those assignments include law, government, and positions that lead to civic involvement and influence.
I appreciate this article. Spiritual discernment requires effort rather than just reaction. As we all do our daily “doom scrolling” it is so hard to stop and test what we see against the Word. Yes, we are always looking for signs of true revival, but what we see is often a mile wide but only an inch thick. Ultimately I find that staying in the Word calms a restless heart and brings clarity to all the confusion. Thank you for the history and background on some of the revivals of the past. It is somewhat comforting to be reminded of the political confusion that came alongside people turning to God.
Either/or is constantly seeking to displace both/and.
Dualism moves us to wrestle with more than an excellent grasp of Scripture.
We are invited to wrestle with our humanness and our status as ambassadors of the King.
Treasure in earthen vessels.... Partnering with God to see the Kingdom of God spread throughout the earth.
Paul asks the Ephesians (Acts 19) "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" He does not ask if they have mastered Orthodox Doctrine - perhaps because Paul is well aware it takes more than that to actually be a friend of God.
When the Lord shares with Ananias "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:15-16 it seems apparent as we read on that a part of that is to use the legal and governmental systems of his time to spread the Good News about Jesus.
Fast forward to our present day.
Our imperfect system of Government in it's founding documents and history is unique in this regard. There is a clear appeal to "Nature's God", to "the Supreme Judge of the world", "reliance on...divine Providence" and dedication of the signers "lives fortunes and Sacred honor" while there is a definite avoidance of recognizing or assigning a "national church" (denomination).
The majority of the founders were monotheists, and many were devout Christian believers.
Let me be clear.
I do not believe human government will ever usher in the Kingdom of God. However, history seems to demonstrate human government can help of hinder the progress and process - again, not to say God isn't working when opposed by merely human detractors or dictators.
If human life is precious and the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, then government and law that protects life and minimizes the opportunity of the (spiritual) enemy to have his way is good. We have a "we the people" system. It is important that believers play a significant role in that system. If we do not, others will.
The fruit and freedoms harvested from the influence of the Bible and Christian thought are endemic to many Western governments, but just like Israel, the comforts and prosperity enjoyed because of God's ways can lead to forgetfulness and neglect.
A spiritual revival will also result in some form of civic revival. Unlike Israel, we have an intentional distinction between civil and spiritual "law", but both are essential.
I love the article. There is indeed a revival going on and gaining momentum. Environments where the Spirit is given room to move will be greenhouses like Antioch. Rhythms of worship, prayer and impartation of Spirit infused Scriptural understanding with lead to assignments that expand the church and spread the Kingdom.
I hope some of those assignments include law, government, and positions that lead to civic involvement and influence.
I love this line Fred: "A spiritual revival will also result in some form of civic revival. "
I appreciate this article. Spiritual discernment requires effort rather than just reaction. As we all do our daily “doom scrolling” it is so hard to stop and test what we see against the Word. Yes, we are always looking for signs of true revival, but what we see is often a mile wide but only an inch thick. Ultimately I find that staying in the Word calms a restless heart and brings clarity to all the confusion. Thank you for the history and background on some of the revivals of the past. It is somewhat comforting to be reminded of the political confusion that came alongside people turning to God.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!