Gary discusses Judges 8-9 as well as the biblical understanding of the separation of church and state.
The steady decline of a nation and the absence of hope for the future can be traced to the spiritual condition of God’s people—the rejection of the Messiahship of the Lord Jesus Christ for the messiahship of the State. The book of Judges depicts a nation’s spiritual decline and the consequent effects on every aspect of culture, including civil government: A biblical education was abandoned (Judges 2:10); everyone did what was right in his own eyes (17:6); paganism was rampant (2:11-13); men abdicated their leadership responsibilities (4:4-10, 17-22; 5:24-31); cowardice prevailed (7:3); the citizens failed to act responsibly, and so turned over leadership to the “bramble men” (9:14-15).
The outworking of sin in a culture distorts a generation’s perspective of what can and should be done to return the nation to its glory. A peo- ple’s abandonment of the truth that God is the sovereign Lord of history opens the way for the growth of sinful views and actions, because it leads Christians to retreat from dominion activity and surrender their culture to God’s enemies. Israel’s spiritual condition became so bad that they saw no hope for the future unless they forsook their true King and chose a king “like all the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:4-9). The people of Israel did not understand that the reformation of a nation must begin with the indi- viduals who make up the nation.
The future of government is dark indeed when men lose their faith in God’s plan for victory over His enemies and in His providential control of history to bring His plan to fulfillment.
God and Government
With a fresh new look, more images, an extensive subject and scripture index, and an updated bibliography, God and Government is ready to prepare a whole new generation to take on the political and religious battles confronting Christians today. May it be used in a new awakening of Christians in America—not just to inform minds, but to stimulate action and secure a better tomorrow for our posterity.
Buy NowGary discusses Judges 8-9 as well as the biblical understanding of the separation of church and state. The state is not the church and the church is not the state. When Christians lose focus in either jurisdiction, the danger of overreach becomes very real. Just like kudzu, one area of authority will overgrow and choke the other.