Limited Government is Godly and Holy

Liberals, progressives, and religious humanists, will use passages out of context to try to argue otherwise, but they would be ignorant and wrong.  The Bible gives overall guidance on every subject, even governance and when we try to do man's way instead of Yahweh's, we end up with the numerous fiascos in history including our current Obamacare fiasco.

Why does Yahweh demand limited government?  Two fold really and both very valid reasons.  The first is that it will become a great totalitarian beast and monster otherwise as history shows over and over, and second, humans trying to solve anything on a large scale through legislation and bureaucracy never fixes anything truly and long-term, only creates greater problems because of the sin nature. Having said that, what is the role of government, particularly the federal government?  The federal government is simply there to ensure overall border, international trade negotiations, and security, nothing more, punish evil doers who violate that at the national level, period.   The state government is to do the same, but at the state level.  Nothing more, nothing, period.  That is the extent of what Yahweh has determined for the government to do, general welfare and collect taxes to ensure that and that the nation's individuals having this safe and secure environment can then thrive individually and as a community in their full talents, as well as potential.   They are to provide a general framework of laws to ensure this happens, but as the Bible tells us not to give preference, not even to the poor.  That's right.  In Leviticus 9:15 we are told that the rules are not to give preference to the poor for that would be injustice.  Laws should be blanket to the general welfare of all, not having preference for any group or segment ever, for any reason.  

I read something that made a good points.  We of faith should not treat the state as either redemptive or eternal. “No man can redeem the life of another,” wrote the Psalmist (Ps. 49:7). Rather, it is the Lord who “will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity” (Ps. 98:9).  The state is to be a godly agent that not only allows men to follow God but also contains the harm that would occur in the absence of any public constraints on evil behavior. “The one in authority,” wrote Paul, “is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer” (Rom. 13:3, 4).  Even the modern welfare state has increasingly turned into what author Herb Schlossberg calls “the idol state,” using “the language of compassion because its intention is a messianic one.”The Bible suggests that an expansive government is bad not only because it might demand to be treated like God, but also because it will reflect the sinfulness of its participants and mistreat its citizens.  The Bible suggests that an expansive government is bad not only because it might demand to be treated like God, but also because it will reflect the sinfulness of its participants and mistreat its citizens. The inescapable problem is that man is a fallen creature, all too willing to do wrong. This sinful nature is exacerbated by the accumulation of power, which, warned Lord Acton, “tends to corrupt.” Why else would God have instructed the Israelites that their king was neither to acquire too many horses and wives, and too much gold and silver, nor to “consider himself to be better than his brothers” (Deut. 17:16-17, 20)? In fact, when the Israelites initially requested that God give them a king, He cautioned, through the prophet Samuel, that such a ruler would oppress them, and that they would receive no relief when they cried out. And history has certainly shown that “power was on the side of their oppressors–and they have no comforter” (Eccles. 4:1).  I concur  with these assessments.  While I am grateful for the SSDI and the assistance given to me, my goal from the moment I received it has been to get off this assistance ASAP and my prayer to the Lord has been that my gifts, given by him in the arts will do just that and render me an independent self-sufficient forevermore member of society in spite of the Fibromyalgia.

 As for the ills of society, in a sin corrupted and nature society, the only solution for its' ills is to be the changing of heart, spirit and soul by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  That then changes how one sees one's fellow man, as IMAGO DEI, but there has to be true profound change, conversion and ongoing re-charge of the Holy Spirit, true fellowship with others, and prayer, a true and deep union with the Trinity.  In addition, what we require is to leave most of the problem solving to individuals, businesses and individual communities, as well as the Church.  For example ministries are being created to address the insurance issue, creating non-insurance alternatives for Christians, those of faith based on their conscience.  If the government were to turn almost everything over to the private sector, the pastors/ministers truly taught sola scriptura biblical truth, allowed for the infilling of the Holy Spirit and all the gifts, people would come up with an array of solutions in their own communities and across the nation for healthcare and much much more, especially if taxation were low.  For example, a ministry was formed strictly as an alternative to insurance, where faith based members pay into the pool and that helps to cover a good percentage of healthcare costs for the participants and their family. Innovation and collaboration, honoring Biblical concepts, precepts and such can produce great results without bureaucracy and that is what Yahweh expects.

Shalom and Amen