Dear Eric, I am a recent subscriber to your podcast and I love it so far.
I want to respectfully challenge/ question/ debate you about something and I think this letter is a good way to do this. Not sure if you’ll actually read this but maybe?
It is December 12, 2020 and I believe the election was stolen from Donald Trump illegally. I am praying for our government, that it will be overturned and that justice and truth and sanity will prevail in all the governments above us.
I am a 46 year old father of 6 and husband for 20 years, I’ve been a Christian since I was 18. I live in NY and work in CT and I love this nation.
I am also writing a non fiction book about what I call the gospel of the state. It contrasts the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ to the gospel of the state which I think most people of the world have embraced, including many Christians. The gospel of the state was best put to words by some of the founding fathers and by Karl Marx.
Been recently reading some of the writings of some of the founding fathers of the US. I see stark contrasts between their beliefs and writings and those of Jesus Christ.
You said in a recent podcast “shame on Christians who don’t fight back for our rights as Americans to vote and defend the constitution of the United States.”
I love the US and believe its been a force for the Lord in the world in many ways.
BUT, the government of the United States is not the nation, it is not the United States. The government of the United States is certainly not the ecclesia. Wicked principalities and powers connect and oppress people through governments, including our own. Therefore the government is not sacred, it is not a thing of Jesus Christ. IT is not a thing that we are to strive to control even if that is out of self-protection. It is a thing of the constitution. And the constitution is weak, it is weak in that it is easily ignored even by those who supposedly swear oaths to it. It is a 250 year old document of brilliant ideas about government. But reality shows that we collectively ignore the constitution, most of us don’t know what it even says and why it says it. And therefore it is very weak and almost irrelevant.
Voting also is weak and easily undermined by conspiring Satan followers, as what seems to have happened in PA, MI, WI, GA, and AZ, (curiously in all the swing states). If voting administrators want to cheat then the true vote becomes irrelevant. Furthermore, voting is not a good thing if voters are not lead of the holy spirit. Voting is also not a good thing if the Holy Spirit leads us not to vote at all and we do so anyhow. (as I believe he led me to this election cycle). “Of the people, by the people and for the people” is not a good thing if the people are following Satan (either intentionally or unwittingly).
In contrast to the constitution and the government, Jesus Christ is a real and living person. He is not weak in any way, he is not undermined and Satan cannot undo his government.
He personally is the government of God of today and the future. His followers are personally his “presidents”, his “senators”, his “judges” and his “representatives”. We are his ministers and ambassadors to people from another race entirely. We are the government agents to and for the fallen members of the human race and to the wicked principalities and powers in heavenly places. We are to seek the Lord and kingship of Jesus Christ not the control of human government.
THEREFORE, the Christian is not called to defend the constitution of the federal government of the US (as good as a foundation to govt as it may be). And I do believe its the best government man kind has devised.
Christians are not called to die and shed the blood of tyrants so that we can vote and so that we can live free of persecution.
The extent of our involvement with the government is to pray for it so that we can live quiet and peaceful lives. and to hold it accountable to submitting to Jesus Christ.
I do understand the desire for war and brining violence to the evil forces arrayed against us through confused men. But I believe Jesus does not want this, and never has. I believe the American Revolution could have happened without blood shed. I believe that slavery could have ended without blood shed. I even believe that Hitler could have been undone and vanquished without blood shed by the German ecclesia of the 1920’s and 1930’s.
I’d love to talk and debate more about this in person or through writing. I highly respect your opinion and am also a major fan of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another,
and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them,
a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.–Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
Adam: notice is the first paragraph of this declaration of independence the foundation of this new government is the assumption of separate but equal powers among the earth. The founders felt it was their right and duty to form a separate but equal government among and as one of the powers of the earth. The list of reasons are brilliant the maturity and integrity of these men seems to be impeccable. The logic and bravery of these men is supremely admirable.
BUT a desire to establish a government among the other powers of the earth is a dangerous thing. A motive and a line of logic that does not jive well with the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. This is the foundation of our government and it is not a thing of Jesus Christ. It is a motive with a foundation of of Satan. To pursue power among the powers of the earth is equivalent to budging our way at the table of the wicked principalities and powers in high places talked about in scripture (Eph 3:10, Eph 1:21, Rom 8:38). These men were tired of the persecution of the King of England and decided to violently push their way to the table of power that he was oppressing them from.
I love America I think it has the best form of government yet conceived on earth. Don’t get me wrong with this post, I believe our founding is truly a story of bravery and standing up to tyranny. But I cannot see the motives and logic of our founding when they declared independence and took up arms as something of Jesus Christ. I don’t believe that they were being led of the Holy Spirit as Jesus followers.
I believe they were being led by desire for a seat at the table among the powers of the earth. They wanted to be a peer to the kings of the earth. And their harsh treatment made it much easier to push them over the edge. Would they have if England had treated them well? We will never know.
We’ve seen this before:
Israel demanded they be like the other nations when they demanded a king like Saul. (1 Samuel 8:7)
The followers of Jesus asked for militant messiah-king to get them out from under the Romans. (John 6:15)
Satan tempted Jesus with a kingship over all the world. (Matthew 4:8-10).
Many Christians in the 4th century church succumbed to the temptation of political power and favor by embracing Emperor Constantine and his required Christian religion over Rome. (Read the history of Rome from AD 300 to about AD 330.)
Countless governments throughout modern history have embraced the idea of Christendom, the merging of human government with the church.
Its a history of carnage and error.
I write this post to put to rest (perhaps mostly in my own head) the idea that the formation of the American govnermnt was a thing of divine origin.
I know many of the men involved were wonderful well meaning men but I do believe they were deeply mistaken about the nature of human government and the ecclesia of Jesus Christ. They were living and reacting according to the gospel they had embraced which was likely supportive of ideas of Christendom and that the gospel was essentially just a lesson in how to get to heaven.
Had they heard the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ, they may not have bothered with a revolution and a war. It may have been thrust upon them anyhow but we can never know that.
Would it not have been better if the king would have freely granted their freedom? Repented of his cruelty and violence and left them alone with motives of Christian love and freedom. And perhaps even helped them to form an even more perfect government and not sustained such a devastating loss of life and wealth in defeat in the process?
The way of Jesus Christ is better. Turning the other cheek is superior. Suffering persecution is better than striking back. Jesus can work out what we think only violence can bring us.
Warning this post is long, please read in entirety.
There are three types of people who will read this post:
Those who read this and quickly become angry then refuse to try to understand what I am saying. They wont care what I’m saying and will say “I am throwing my vote away and thereby supporting the other side.”
Those who do not read blog posts and will not read much beyond a few words and frankly don’t care, and will not be able to understand.
Those who read and understand and conclude that there is a good chance they have embraced an entirely different gospel from that of the new testament, and this see that election is exposing that.
Most Christians have not heard and therefore have not embraced the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. They’ve embraced the gospel of salvation only. They’ve embraced a gospel that has little to do with earth. They have allowed the state to manage the earth. They’ve bought into the idea that the state always controls things here on earth and that Jesus just rules heaven. But the gospel that John the Baptist and Jesus Christ preached does not teach that. The earth is the Lords! and he will have it once again.
If you are reading this then please don’t stop, please keep reading. God may be using this election to expose something and this post will explain it.
When John the Baptist and Jesus Christ began to preach the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. Part of their message was that the religious and governmental systems that the people were loyal to and cooperative members of, including their political systems, were not loyal to God. That is a very big deal and nothing to wink at. These systems were essentially branches of the domain of darkness (Colossians 1:13), or the kingdom of Satan. These systems were not only not loyal to God but they were openly hostile to God and were loyal to Satan without understanding it. John taught his followers to repent of sin but also to repent of loyalty to Satan and his principalities and powers. Principalities that ruled through both the Jewish religious and the Roman civic authorities.
Looking back through history it is not hard to see now, the blatant evil in the Jewish and Roman governments of the first century. That is true of most history, governments almost always are evil, and if not just wait a generation or so, for Satan to impose himself.
But if we were living back then I might imagine it was not so easy to accept John’s call to come out from among both the Pharisees and the Romans and be separate (2 Cor 6:17).
Human government apart from Jesus Christ is a branch of the government of Satan. Of that I am sure, that is the most consistent reality that can be seen throughout history. Human government is the biggest threat to human safety and well being. Some of the best and brightest and well intentioned men have been corrupted during their pursuit of power. George Washington’s greatest accomplishment was walking away from power when he could have been king.
When I became a Christian 28 years ago I heard the gospel of salvation. I think my experience is average of most Christians of today. I decided to follow Christ, to accept him and to begin to attend church and try to live for him and free of sin. I did not however hear the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ articulated until decades later. Which is the entire story, the gospel of salvation is true but it is incomplete, there is much more to the story. I have attempted to share this gospel in other posts.
The gospel of the kingdom brings Jesus and God out of heaven and sets them right here on earth. Right here in the midst of Satan’s dominion, right under his nose and right where he doesn’t want Jesus to be. Another way of saying this is that Jesus Christ is re-claiming the earth through his followers. His followers make up what is called his ecclesia, his called out ones who gather in his name, his government on earth. Additionally, his method for advancing himself into the earth is through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.
The gospel that John and Jesus preached does not and did not keep God in heaven and man on earth. But the gospel that evangelicals and many denominations preach today keeps God in heaven. And that we are to tolerate, cooperate with, and even pursue control of human government (apart from him) here on earth.
The gospel of the kingdom merged man and God into a new kingdom, a new and alternative system of government. That alternative system of government that represented Jesus Christ to the rest of fallen humanity enslaved by the world system is called the ecclesia (poorly translated church).
The ecclesia of Jesus Christ was and is a place and a people where God is in charge. And he is in charge as a life-giving spirit through and by each member. He rules through a people who are to die daily to the world system and to their own fallen nature.
So that Jesus Christ can live through his followers, who are also referred to as his ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20).
We all know that Jesus is high and exalted and seated far above all principality and powers. But he also is the creator of the earth, He made it and he owns it and he deserves it. And He is setting out to reclaim it from Satan. Will we cooperate with him in that? or will we will be forced into forever cooperating with Satan?
Today…Where Is Jesus Lord?
Fast forward to here and now. Here and now being late October 2020 days before the presidential election in the USA. Trump v. Biden, one of the most contentious and tumultuous political seasons that I can remember.
Many on each side pressure others to be sure to vote, be sure to weigh in and decide who should rule the human government which imposes itself over the American nation.
Many teach that it is our duty to vote because people fought wars against evil people to give us that right to vote.
Many believe that the human government as defined by the founding fathers and the constitution is an extension of the will of Jesus Christ.
Many believe that Jesus is for one candidate over and against the other, and if his followers will just vote for the right one. Then Gods will will be done and we will be blessed for it.
Many believe that Jesus is up there guiding his people to support certain candidates and to oppose others.
John MacArthur whom I have respect for has come out saying it is impossible to be a Christian and vote for Joe Biden and his Democrat ticket.
I tend to agree for a number of reasons. Where I may differ from MacArthur is that he aligns himself with Trump. MacArthur gives the two main reasons for this being abortion and the homosexual and transgender agenda imposing itself on society. However, a thoughtful person sees that Trump does support abortion in several cases.
Trump also is supportive of LGBT moral agendas around the world. Its intellectually lazy and possibly dishonest to say otherwise. This is my biggest problem with many republican and conservative politicians. They say one thing during elections but don’t lead accordingly when they have power. They seem to become (once elected) as much a part of the evil system that is our federal government as the other side. In my opinion voting Trump is voting Democrat – Lite. Voting Republican is often a lot like voting for a democrat from a few decades ago. They are still cooperating with wherever “the state” is taking society. They are cooperating and they must cooperate with wherever Satan is taking society with his human government. And where he is attempting to take humanity is in the opposite direction of Jesus Christ. Even very Godly Christians if elected, necessarily will cooperate with Satan if they want to remain in power in the government.
Where the state is taking society is not along the way of Jesus Christ. Only the ecclesia of Jesus Christ is and can do that. And the ecclesia is its own government from above. It is not to be a part of human government neither can it be. Jesus Christ himself is the head of the ecclesia and his followers cannot fit into our two party system. Cannot be a part of the principalities and powers who report to Satan (whether they realize it or not).
The founding fathers did an amazing thing, it was brilliant, it was and remains, in my opinion. The best human system of government, apart from Christ, that the world has ever seen. But it is not the ecclesia.
But you might argue yet look at the church, its almost irrelevant, almost every pastor in our land preaches a different often times nonsensical self-centered sermon. Most are about our government, during this election cycle, many are not even Christian people anymore themselves. Many have made God to be in their own image and have thrown out scripture. You might argue then “We need the federal government because the church is irrelevant.”
And to that I would say God has no back up plan to his ecclesia. The government cannot do what the ecclesia is not currently doing. The only hope for mankind is not America, it is and remains Jesus Christ. It remains God’s people following Jesus Christ alone. No human government system be it a denomination of certain types of churches, or a federal government can replace Jesus personally guiding and directing his people from within.
Separation of Church and State sounds nice but this Marxist idea puts the state in ascendancy over the church. It distorts and mutilates the church in order to make it be an obedient subset of the state.
Left, right, center terminology about politics originated in Europe in the 1830’s, among the Philosophers who were leading up to the communist philosophy of Karl Marx.
Our government is not the body of Christ.
If all the Christians were as passionate about following and obeying Jesus Christ. And about making him Lord of their lives and their Christian fellowships. Then the government and its politics would take care of itself. If we can absorb ourselves and obsess ourselves with making Jesus Christ Lord of the earth. We wouldn’t need a president to fight our battles and protect us from the devils who already hold so much power in our government.
The Gospel of the State
The American government is not of Jesus Christ. I understand how biblical and how godly most of the founding fathers were. I understand how they prayed and wanted to build a government that was not evil like what they had experienced. But the truth is, our government has almost entirely embraced what I call the gospel of the state. Most of our government today openly and blatantly ignore the constitution and the laws they don’t like and even basic sanity like not killing babies. And not enslaving black people. And not medically experimenting on the weak. And not enslaving the minorities with a cruel welfare state in exchange for votes. The constitution is only as strong as the resolve of everyone to follow it. Voting is only as good as the people being voted for. Germany voted in Hitler, if the majority is nuts then what good is voting? If Satan can control the votes then its not a system from Jesus Christ. (January 2021 update) If a minority of powerful people in swing states can manipulate the votes to nullify the will of the majority, what good is voting?
Much of our politics is Marxist already, which is atheistic. It is hostile to Jesus Christ. I know this because politicians and philosophers openly take things Jesus taught, remove him and try to implement his policies. They have a real problem with Jesus personally, have no faith he is alive today, and many don’t believe he existed (even while they plagiarize him.) I dare say that a modern American Christian with their intense support for politicians resemble atheist Marxists more than Jesus Christ this election season. Their hope is in their government and their chosen politicians. They have just replaced communism or Marx with the constitution, or more commonly with a conservative candidate for presidency. In the minds of these Christians the highest place on earth is given to the president, how many people refer to the president as the “leader of the free world” or the one who is “running the country”.
Let me be clear:
Jesus Christ is high and exalted above the free world (and unfree world).
Jesus Christ is the constitution for my government.
Jesus Christ is my founding father.
Jesus Christ is “the last best hope for mankind.”
These titles belong to Jesus Christ alone. And to deny him that and give it to Trump or Biden or some other politician I believe is idolatry for the Christian… if you care. If this angers you, why?
“For kingship belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.” Psalm 22:28-31 ESV
I believe that Jesus does not want me to vote this year. Not to slight Trump, who I’d normally vote for over the other side. Not because I’m mad at him. I tend to think that God is using him to stir up and expose things that need that.
I have heard the gospel of the kingdom, and it changes everything for me. It explains everything for me.
I want the kingdom of Jesus Christ to rule the earth. I am voting no confidence in the American government. It is too large, Trump wasn’t able to effectively drain the swamp (even if he wanted to) because the swamp worked for him. America will (maybe) thrive and continue not because we elect the right president but because the American people follow Jesus Christ. And if we won’t, then we are done for. We could elect one of the 12 apostles to run the executive branch he’d be limited in what he could do with our current situation.
For more on this topic read Tim Keller’s article below.
