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.
About the author:
Pastors a small church.
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