Pastor-teacher Don Hargrove 

Faith Bible Church

Sunday, Nov. 8 , 2009  

http://fbcweb.org/Audio.html   

 

Salvation (Eph 2:8-9); the SL (Gal 5:16-22; 1 Jn 1:5-9; Rom 12;2), spiritual growth (2 Pet 3:18)

 

GOD’S COVENANTS – Part 20:  The Mosaic Covenant, Part 12:

Laws of Divine Establishment, Freedom and the Rule of Law

                                                                                                                                                                                                (Messiah & A.C. #266)

 

A.   Laws of Divine Establishment (DE).    

            1.  God has ordained certain laws for the survival and freedom of man.

            2.  The laws of DE are designed for believer and unbeliever.

            3.  These laws directly affect freedom, civilization, authority, evangelism, spiritual growth, and perpetuation of the human race. 

            4.  The laws of DE define freedom in terms of privacy, property and authority. 

            5.  Therefore, the five divine institutions, volition, marriage, family, limited government, and nationalism are the basis for the laws of divine establishment.

            6.   God provided the laws of DE to protect and bless individuals and nations. 

            7.  The USA is increasingly in violation of the laws of divine establishment and as such is currently suffering under divine discipline, cf. Lev 18:28; 26:16-27.

            8.  The best thing a believer can do to protect himself, his family, and fellow Americans during times of national degeneracy and crises is to focus even more on the dynamics of the supernatural spiritual life,  2 Chron  7:14; Dan, Eze 14:14; Mt 5:13.

 

B.   Divine Institution #1:  Volition, Freedom!

            1.   Freedom is inseparable from Truth – this is true on two levels.

                        a)   Natural truth as per God-con & laws of DE, Lev 18; Rom 1:18-25.

                        b)   Spiritual truth, Jn 8:32.

                        c)   Satan’s works endlessly against Truth: Jn 8;44;  Rev 12:7-10.

                        d)   Satan, the master deceiver, has done a masterful job on modern man.

            2.   Modern assaults on freedom. 

            3.   The importance of the rule of law, Lex Rex, for protection of freedom.

            4.   Volition is the greatest human gift and greatest issue in the AC. 

            5.   Volition is the command center of life.

            6.    It is God’s desire for man to live in freedom.

 

C.  Divine institution #2:  Marriage.

            1.  Marriage is a divine institution, Gen 1:26-27; 5:1-2; Mat 19:5; 1 Cor 7:2-4.

            2.  The husband and wife relationship was designed by God to be a unit. 

            3.   Marriage is to be held in the highest honor, 1 Cor 7:1-4; Heb 13:4.

            4.   Marriage is the basis for stability in society.

            5.  The greatest issue for the husband is to constructively love his wife with unconditional supernatural spiritual love, Eph 5:22-31.

            6.  The greatest issue for the wife is submission to her husband – as unto the Lord, 1 Pet 3:1ff; Eph 5:22.

 

D.   Divine Establishment #3:  Family.

            1.  Family is the place for personal provisions, Mt 7:9-11; 1 Tim 5:8.

            2.  Family provides leadership, 1 Cor 11:3; Eph 5:23; Ex 20:12; Col 3:20.     

            3.  Family provides guidance, Eph 6:4; Prov 4:1-2, 10-11; Dt 6:5-7; 11:18-21.

            4.  The divine institution of family provides for personal security.

            5.  The divine institution of family provides the place for individualism.

 

E.  Divine Institution #4:  Limited Government, Gen 9:6; Rom 13:1-5; 1 Pet 2:14-15; 1 Tim 2:2.

 

F.  Divine Institution #5:   Nationalism, Gen 10:5; Dt 32:8; Acts 17:26-28.                    

 

G.   Consequences of rejection God’s Truth on any level (DE or spiritual) is always reversionism.  

            1.    The single greatest issue in man’s life is Truth,  1 Tim 2:4-7; Eph 4:12-16; 2 Thess 2:10; Jn 3:18-21; 14:6; 17:17; 18:37; Heb 11:6.

            2.    Only in truth can man find meaning, success and happiness, 3 Jn 1:2-4.

            3.    Reversionism at its core is always about rejection of Truth.   

            4.    National reversionism is about society rejecting of truths of DE.

            5.    Unbeliever reversionism is about the rejection of truths of natural law.

            6.    Christian reversionism is all about relativizing God’s truth

            7.    Anytime truth is rejected, it is exchanged with some lie, Rom 1:25.

            8.    Characteristics of Christian reversionism.

 

H.   Lawlessness and rejection of Truth in the last days of the Church Age, 2 Thess 2:3, 7. 

            1.  Lawlessness, 2 Thess 2:3, 7.

            2.  Religious ascetic reversionism, 1 Tim 4:1-3.  

            3.  Rejection of the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, 2 Pet 2:1-3 

            4.  Religious hucksterism, 2 Pet 2:15.

            5.  Denial of the Return of Jesus Christ, 2 Pet 3:3-4.

            6.   Hedonistic, narcissistic, emotional, “religious” Christianity, 2 Tim 3:1-5

            7.   Rejection of sound doctrine, 2 Tim 4:3-4.

            8.   Self-confident in self-improvements and attainments, Rev 3:15-16.

 

I.  Protection against the lawless/reversionistic influences of our day. 

            1.  Continue living out the spiritual life, 2 Tim 3:10.

            2.  Focus on your future with the Lord, 1 Jn 3:2-3. 

            3.  Do not be surprised at the testings in life, 2 Tim 3:12.

            4.  Keep growing in doctrine, 2 Tim 3:14-17; Mt 4:4.   

            5.  Focus on God’s plan for your life, 2 Tim 4:6-8.

            6.  Do not be distracted by believers in KD, 2 Tim 4:10.

            7.  Continue to lean on the Lord for strength,  2 Tim 4:17-18.