Government

SUN., AUG. 10, 1986, 5:38 AM
FARM, STUDY

“And the government shall be upon His shoulders…” Thus says Isaiah about the Messiah who shall come. As Jesus I came as the Messiah, yet I said that My Kingdom was not of this world… that the government of people, in the literal sense, was not to be upon My shoulders. And thus I was rejected… by some because I posed a threat to government and by others because I seemed unwilling and unable to be the powerful leader. What do I, the Holy Spirit, have to say about government these several years after the crucifixion and resurrection?

Some form of government is obviously important for any group of people. I have created people to be diverse in body, mind, and spirit. Some cultures function to lessen that diversity, while others encourage the interplay of differences. Governments develop out of cultural preferences and usually are fairly consistent with the needs of that cultural group. You see, then, that I am still not willing to endorse one form of government over another. I am not willing to take the government upon My shoulders.

Your form of government is called a republic or a representative democracy. There is a president, but he is not kingly in his powers. There is a separation of powers, so that no branch of that government can prevail and have its way without restraint. Freedom is a great value, and it is often lauded in your culture. This translates into a capitalistic economic system, which requires a certain amount of greed and selfishness to function well. This system loves My admonition that to those who have shall more be given, and from those who have not, even what they have shall be taken away. Application of this, however, obviously interferes with the freedom of those who are less able to function. And so government must do something.

Any government must seek the welfare of its people, but which people? and what constitutes welfare? As Jesus I had little to say about government. I called for much more reliance upon the power and helpful capacities of God as Heavenly Father than upon any government instituted by people. Having faith and trust in Me, the Triune God, is possible and desirable under any form of government. No form of government is ideal for the development of spiritual maturity.

Under your government the spirit and power of Christ cannot be officially proclaimed or endorsed. If your government should become a theocracy and proclaim that God in Jesus Christ is the true leader, the freedoms of many would be abridged, and conditions would move toward those of Islamic governments, which do not seem ideal to most Christians.

To what extent should government redistribute wealth? Mormons have developed a system to “take care of their own” and government assistance is not a necessity. Still, some number of Mormons work for government and are paid from tax funds, so there is no real rejection of the distribution system. You Presbyterians are big on freedom and free enterprise, but you have no workable system to help those who cannot or will not function fully in society. Without government help your church would be ineffective in meeting the needs of many people.