Before t h e L o r d instituted hu man government, there was a divine injunction given against touching the murderer, Cain. But in Genesis 9:5-6 we have the dispensational dealing of God, His economy, which is summed up in the statement, “Whosoever shed- deth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” Here is civil authority blood be shed.” ■Verse two declares, “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves dam nation.” I noticed a man one time, who looked rather furtive, and when he spotted a police officer, he quickly ran the other way. Perhaps we are some times like this. Does our conscience bother us so that we have to study the rear view mirror while going down the highway. Do we have a guilty con science? One of the evident tokens of the last days, a real sign of the times, is a complete disregard for the enforce ment agencies of law and order in the nation. When we find people turning against police officers who are trying to apprehend a prisoner; when riots break out as attempts are made to establish order, we have here a clear indication that people do not actually want crime punished for they know of the wicked ness, in their own hearts. The failure of the courts to impose proper punish ment is often because the public is looking for an escape, feeling that some day they too might possibly need such an excuse from justice. Did you know that we have more murderers in the United States than we have preachers or ministers of all creeds, faiths and denominations. As our Los Angeles City Attorney recently stated, “Amer ica is probably the most lawless nation in the world.” And so it was with ancient Rome. These that resist the law shall receive damnation. This does not necessarily mean damnation in the sense of God’s eternal punishment, but it reflects on judgment or condemna tion, which should follow wicked and corrupt practices and crimes. 5
is a time to resist. And as thousands did resist in the long ago, should such perilous times ever confront us, we would need to take a similar stand. There is a threefold position to re member. First, we should resist if the state requires that which violates Chris tian conscience. I am not talking about pacifism, but rather refraining from those things which are contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Second, we must resist should we be commanded to worship idols. Third, we must resist should we bd commanded to do that which is immoral. Moses resisted, Daniel resisted, Paul resisted, Luther resisted, the Hugvenots left France to go to England in resistance, as did the Pilgrims in leaving England for Amer ica. In studying this portion of Scripture, we need to distinguish between that which is spiritual and that which is divine. Powers or magistrates which have been ordained are divine. For the Christian, certain things have been instituted by the Lord and as such are spiritual: baptism, communion, the church itself are the Saviour’s spirit ual institutes. For all men, however, divine institutions would include such things as marriage and civil govern ment. Just because there are cruel abuses by the government does not in validate their divine charter, any more than a man violating his marriage vows robs the act, as a whole, of its sacred ness. Think what the world would be like without any marriages, vows, and without any civil law. Powers are per mitted of God, some ordained in that sense, sometimes for judgment on the wickedness of a nation. And let us not think that God owes America some special favors. We have departed from a concept of true Chris tianity and are fast becoming a nation of practical atheists, these are those who live as if there were no God. God ordains or permits civil authority. The Psalmist rightly reminds us, that God is the judge, “He putteth down one aind setteth up another.”
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