Don't Ever Say "It Can't Happen Here" (Part One)

Don't Ever Say "It Can't Happen Here" (Part One)

Gary draws parallels between historical events, particularly Acts 17, and the current political climate, urging Christians to take an active role. There are two swords mentioned in the Bible. One sword belongs to the State (the iron sword), while the other sword belongs to the Church (the sword of the Spirit, the word of God). There is a proper place for both swords as we shall see, yet there is t [...]

The Church's Fight Includes Politics

The Church's Fight Includes Politics

Gary emphasizes that the role of Christians in the political sphere is crucial for maintaining the proper authority and limitations of civil government. The church is a government ordained by God. It has rulers (overseers/elders: 1 Tim. 3:1–7), members (flock: Acts 20:28), laws (goodness of God’s law: 1 Tim. 1:5–11), sanctions (“removed from your midst”: 1 Cor. 5:2), and a legacy (“the gates of Ha [...]

So Now What?

So Now What?

Gary discusses “covenant faithfulness” among Christians, while also critiquing the lack of a unified Christian voting block. “Society” possesses no will of its own, but reflects the people’s will. The will of the people is either based on the autonomous will of men or reflects the will of the Triune God of Scripture. E.C. Wines (1806-1879) writes: In political, as well as physical scie [...]

Simplistic Political Answers Abound

Simplistic Political Answers Abound

Franklin Graham began his article, “Christians must focus on God, not politics,” with the obligatory acknowledgment that he has “always used whatever influence and platform [he] had to urge everyone to vote.” Then comes the inevitable “but”: “But as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I have a higher calling than getting out to vote or ‘getting out the vote,’” Graham wrote. Is a “minister of [...]

Don't Know Much About the Constitution or Economics

Don't Know Much About the Constitution or Economics

Gary argues against Robert Reich’s proposal to nationalize SpaceX and Starlink, connecting private enterprise, constitutional limits, and government-run education. Before science as we know it today could get started in proposing theories, certain assumptions about the way the world works had to be understood to be valid and operationally consistent. These universal laws operated predictably becau [...]

God and Government: A Quick Course in Biblical Politics

God and Government: A Quick Course in Biblical Politics

In a year where politics are as inevitable as the change of seasons, Gary DeMar dives deep into the pivotal question: What role should Christians play in politics? The notion that Christians should avoid government is mistaken both logically and biblically. In fact, government is about much more than what we call “politics.” Government is much broader and encompasses self-government, f [...]

Creating a "Just" Society

Creating a "Just" Society

Gary responds to a recent article by Christian apologist Greg Koukl about Christians being involved in culture and politics. The objection from Christians that religion and politics do not mix can be answered in at least four ways. First, it’s true that the Bible’s primary concern is not politics. Of course, the same could be said about the family and church not being the Bible’s primary concern. [...]

Progressives and Presuppositionalists

Progressives and Presuppositionalists

Gary highlights a few “non-negotiables” that he found online from a self-proclaimed “progressive pastor.” Some have abused Jesus’ name and deeds in their attempts to bring about a “better society.” Jesus has been portrayed as a social revolutionary, the purveyor of a “liberation theology” which is little more than Karl Marx dressed in religious garb. Ronald H. Nash, a long- [...]

Confronting the Myth that Pastors Must Stay Out of Politics

Confronting the Myth that Pastors Must Stay Out of Politics

Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice “is firing back against the absurd, un-American demands that pastors must ‘stay out of politics.’… Rice is urgently calling on Christian leaders across the nation to STEP UP, find their courage, and get aggressively involved ahead of the most important midterm elections of our lifetimes.” This is almost a day late and a dollar short. It’s going to b [...]

Transgenderism Weighed, Measured, and Found Wanting

Transgenderism Weighed, Measured, and Found Wanting

Gary weighs, measures, and analyzes the debate over transgender sports with track and field events. The Christian’s starting point is the Word of God which rests upon God Himself. “[M]en need an epistemological ‘Archimedean point of reference’ to understand their cosmos and themselves; but only a revelation from One transcendentally outside of the cosmos can provide the pou sto essential to knowle [...]

The Inescapable Fact of Religion

The Inescapable Fact of Religion

In this continuation of his first lecture, Gary points out that if the biblical God is not recognized in a culture, something else will always take His place. In debates on subjects where there are fundamental disagreements, several basic preliminaries must be established before a meaningful discussion can take place. The first principle is to establish the starting point for the ultimate authorit [...]

The First Principles of Every Debate

The First Principles of Every Debate

We must always begin with first principles in any debate. The Bible states a simple but fundamental fact: God’s government over all things is singular, absolute, without compromise, and without legitimate competitors. All earthly governments are delegated by God’s decree and limited. Contrary to the Declaration of Independence, it’s false to claim that “governments are instituted among men, derivi [...]

Legislating Morality is an Inescapable Concept

Legislating Morality is an Inescapable Concept

In an earlier article and two-part podcast, I responded to a Facebook post regarding the application of God’s law in the NT, including laws found in what is described as the “law of Moses.” The Mosaic Law is God’s Law that was revealed to Moses. Moses did not initiate it. The FB poster went on to write: “[Gary DeMar] also believes [God’s laws] should be legislated in secular government.” There is [...]

Working Inside the System

Working Inside the System

Gary discusses some arguments people are raising online against trying to reform our current system of government. God did not reserve His commandments for just the nation Israel and the church. Scripture makes it clear that all kings in Israel should copy the law in the presence of the Levitical priests so the rulers would be careful to observe every word of the law (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). Even n [...]

The Rod and the Staff

The Rod and the Staff

Gary discusses Christian worldview, the pastorate, and current events. Government consists of sovereignty (legitimacy to rule: Romans 13:1), representation (accountability to the rule of another: Exodus 18:17- 23), law (a moral code by which to rule: Romans 13:4), jurisdiction (authority to enforce sanctions in the name of the ruler: 1 Peter 2:13-14), and continuity (stability and longevity of gov [...]

The Consequences of Not Preaching Politics from the Pulpit

The Consequences of Not Preaching Politics from the Pulpit

I heard a pastor say that the Session of the church where he was being considered as a pastor would not be permitted to preach on politics. He agreed with the restriction. This was troubling to me. No one can preach through the Bible and ignore politics. The Bible is filled with politics. There are two books of the Old Testament named Kings. The books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and First and Second [...]

Christians, Politics, and the Apostle Paul

Christians, Politics, and the Apostle Paul

Political liberals are more than willing to use every means necessary to get their message out, even breaking tax laws they supported. When, in 1800, President John Adams received a letter from Germany, proposing to send over to this country “a company of schoolmasters, painters, poets, etc., all of them disciples of Thomas Paine,” he made prompt and emphatic reply as follows: “I had rather counte [...]

The Christian Past that Was

The Christian Past that Was

If there was ever a distorted version of American history, it is Warren Throckmorton’s recounting of our nation’s religious history in his book The Christian Past That Wasn’t: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths that Hijack History. Part of the distortion comes from the fact that there is no neatly packaged starting point for the past. Certainly, specific events can be documented: the signin [...]

The Vision of the Self-Appointed

The Vision of the Self-Appointed

Newspeak and media brain-washing are the tactics, but many are (finally) starting to question the “upside down” world of the cultural elite. When individuals lose their identity, when civil government becomes the only government and people live in service to the State, “the standard of living falls, refugees flee across borders in abject poverty, and barbed wire and walls go up along b [...]

The State of American Disunion (Part Two)

The State of American Disunion (Part Two)

Gary concludes his interview with Rod Martin about several recent elections and what he thinks might be coming in the near future. The claim of neutrality by Christians is judged harshly in the Bible: “I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth” (Rev. [...]