InJohn 19:10-11, Pilate, as a representative of the government of Rome,says to Jesus “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that Ihave authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” towhich Jesus answers. “You would have no authority over me at allunless it had been given you from above...” That passage is thebasis to recognize that for we who strive for righteousness, the onlygovernment that we will accept is one that governs out ofrighteousness.
Furthermore,Romans 13:1 says “Let every person be subject to the governingauthorities. For there is no authority except from God, and thosethat exist have been instituted by God.” Similarly, and to thepoint, Daniel 2:21 says, “[God] changes times and seasons; heremoves kings and sets up kings...” To this last passage we haveseen time and time again how governments like that of Rome who hadworshiped other gods have fallen by the wayside while Jews as apeople, and Christians exist to this very day.
Thoseof us who strive for righteousness, therefore, are better served bythose who govern with righteousness in mind. But as with us asindividuals, those who govern cannot pick and choose the things whichmay help to judge them as being righteous, while ignoring the otherthings that count by God toward being righteous. In Matthew 5:18-19Jesus says, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth passaway, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all isaccomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of thesecommandments and teaches others to do the same will be called leastin the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them willbe called great in the kingdom of heaven.” In the context of thatpassage, considering those who do not abide by the first and secondgreat commandments of Jesus, we still have a ways to go before allhave seen the true and total Light of the Lord.
So,as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says to “[T] test everything; hold fastwhat is good”, we should be mindful of who governs us and whetherthose who govern us have total righteousness in mind. A governmentthat governs based on only parts of what may constituterighteousness, is a government that leads us to abide by some of thecommandments referred to by Jesus in Matthew 5:19 is a governmentthat doesn't abide by all of such commandments.
Agovernment, then, that enacts laws against abortion and contraceptionbut does not enact laws which help the poor and needy, and to besure, 1 John 3:17 says, “But if anyone has the world's goods andsees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how doesGod's love abide in him?”, is not a government that governs withrighteousness in mind. A government that enacts laws againstabominations like homosexuality but does not enact laws thatencourages loving your neighbor and the strangers among you as youwould yourself, as provided under Leviticus 19:18 and 19:34respectively, is not a government that governs in righteousness. Isthere anyone here who would assert that we are exempt from Leviticus19:18 and 19:34 because it comes from the old Law, considering italso forms the second great commandment of Jesus which is to loveeachother as we do ourselves?
Agovernment that would stir up trouble and hostility against us isalso a government that doesn't govern in righteousness, and thereforegoverns contrary to passages such as Colossians 3:8 which says,“...you must put them all away: ranger, wrath, malice, slander, andobscene talk from your mouth.”
Thosewho would want the government to govern with anything less than fullrighteousness in mind will suffer the same fate as those they chooseto govern them.
Furthermore,Romans 13:1 says “Let every person be subject to the governingauthorities. For there is no authority except from God, and thosethat exist have been instituted by God.” Similarly, and to thepoint, Daniel 2:21 says, “[God] changes times and seasons; heremoves kings and sets up kings...” To this last passage we haveseen time and time again how governments like that of Rome who hadworshiped other gods have fallen by the wayside while Jews as apeople, and Christians exist to this very day.
Thoseof us who strive for righteousness, therefore, are better served bythose who govern with righteousness in mind. But as with us asindividuals, those who govern cannot pick and choose the things whichmay help to judge them as being righteous, while ignoring the otherthings that count by God toward being righteous. In Matthew 5:18-19Jesus says, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth passaway, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all isaccomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of thesecommandments and teaches others to do the same will be called leastin the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them willbe called great in the kingdom of heaven.” In the context of thatpassage, considering those who do not abide by the first and secondgreat commandments of Jesus, we still have a ways to go before allhave seen the true and total Light of the Lord.
So,as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says to “[T] test everything; hold fastwhat is good”, we should be mindful of who governs us and whetherthose who govern us have total righteousness in mind. A governmentthat governs based on only parts of what may constituterighteousness, is a government that leads us to abide by some of thecommandments referred to by Jesus in Matthew 5:19 is a governmentthat doesn't abide by all of such commandments.
Agovernment, then, that enacts laws against abortion and contraceptionbut does not enact laws which help the poor and needy, and to besure, 1 John 3:17 says, “But if anyone has the world's goods andsees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how doesGod's love abide in him?”, is not a government that governs withrighteousness in mind. A government that enacts laws againstabominations like homosexuality but does not enact laws thatencourages loving your neighbor and the strangers among you as youwould yourself, as provided under Leviticus 19:18 and 19:34respectively, is not a government that governs in righteousness. Isthere anyone here who would assert that we are exempt from Leviticus19:18 and 19:34 because it comes from the old Law, considering italso forms the second great commandment of Jesus which is to loveeachother as we do ourselves?
Agovernment that would stir up trouble and hostility against us isalso a government that doesn't govern in righteousness, and thereforegoverns contrary to passages such as Colossians 3:8 which says,“...you must put them all away: ranger, wrath, malice, slander, andobscene talk from your mouth.”
Thosewho would want the government to govern with anything less than fullrighteousness in mind will suffer the same fate as those they chooseto govern them.
