Written and compiled by Gary Kukis

This doctrine was taken out of the Laws of Divine Establishment (HTML) (PDF) (WPD), with some revisions and additions made November 8, 2015 and again on January 21, 2018.

Quotations:

 

Robert Dean: The divine institutions are designed to provide for the security, the safety, the perpetuation of the human race, and they are not culturally conditioned. They are for every culture, for every human being, believer or unbeliever.

 

Spencer W. Kimball: Every divorce is the result of selfishness on the part of one or the other or both parties to a marriage contract. Someone is thinking of self comforts, conveniences, freedoms, luxuries, or ease. Sometimes the ceaseless pin pricking of an unhappy, discontented, and selfish spouse can finally add up to serious physical violence. Sometimes people are goaded to the point where they erringly feel justified in doing the things that are so wrong. Nothing of course justifies sin.

 

Alan Greenspan graphic from Izquotes; accessed November 8, 2015.

Introduction: R. B. Thieme, Jr. originally taught that there were 4 divine institutions. I have increased that to 5, and I made a minor change in the first divine institution (which Bob taught as being human volition). Please understand that I do not make changes or additions to Bob’s doctrines merely to put my own spin on it. I may think about a particular concept for months before putting it down on paper. However, there have been other occasions where, an idea pops into my head and I begin developing it right then and there. The additional divine institution included herein is not original with me, but comes from Pastor Ron Adema.

1)     Definition and Description:

        (1)    It might be best to first name the divine institutions, and then to describe them in general. The five divine institutions are: (1) The function of the human soul—primarily the function of volition; (2) Work; (3) Marriage; (4) Family; and (5) Human government.

        (2)    A divine institution is that which is created or designed by God in order to preserve and protect the human race, as well as preserve and protect man’s volition, which is essential to the Angelic Conflict—(HTML) (PDF) (WPD).

        (3)    A divine institution can be a custom, practice, concept or organization which naturally arises from the activity of man on earth.

        (4)    Divine institutions are virtually universal and they are designed by God for the people of all nations. Divine institutions are for believers and unbelievers alike.

        (5)    Divine institutions provide freedom, stability, orderliness and organization for the human race.

        (6)    Divine institutions are related to the Angelic Conflict, insofar as, our free will decisions are an integral part of the Angelic Conflict. Therefore, it is important for these institutions to be related to a system of authorities as well as vehicles by which human volition is preserved.

        (7)    Not every single person is intimately involved with every single divine institution (for instance, a person may be raised by an unmarried mother and choose not to marry, and so does not directly experience marriage or the ideal family). However, the organizations of marriage and family are designed for the stability of the society in which he lives. In this way, marriage and family impact his day to day life, even though his personal experience is not ideal. Therefore, every person is affected by and involved with all 5 divine institutions.

        (8)    If the divine institutions are compromised, contaminated or corrupted, a society or nation may collapse because of this.

        (9)    Man has free will and man has an old sin nature; therefore, men will constantly try to corrupt, compromise or destroy these institutions.

        (10)  It is very common for those who want to corrupt, compromise and destroy these institutions to go after the youth of a country in order to do so. That is, they attempt to convince the youth that these institutions are old, outmoded, and outdated.

        (11)  Examples of corruption of the divine institutions:

                 (1)    Corruption of the volition of the human soul might be accomplished by a government with too much power (it coerces the volition of its citizens); by the use of drugs (so that the individual’s life will be devoted to the pursuit of drugs); or by sexual lust (for instance, the constant pursuit of sexual gratification).

                 (2)    Work is distorted by retirement, social security, disability insurance, 30-hour work weeks, etc. This does not mean that some percentage of people in society do not work. There will always be those who are legitimately ill, have serious mental problems, have honest-to-goodness medical problems, or are too old to work. When over a third of the population of a country is not working (as is the case for the United States), then that is a serious problem for society. A woman who stays at home with her children is legitimately working.

                 (3)    Marriage is corrupted by divorce, by living together (not making a lifetime commitment), and by gay marriage.

                 (4)    The family unit is threatened by single-parent families, unwed mothers, and gay marriage that demands the right to adopt children.

                 (5)    Human government can be distorted by socialism or by anarchy, which are, interestingly enough, at opposite ends of the government continuum. Revolution is a direct affront to human government.

        (12)  All divine institutions are associated with free will and a system of authority (or, authorities).

        (13)  Robert Dean: These divine institutions each carry and authority structure within them, and that authority relates to the fact that within that sphere of operation there is one primary person or entity in the place of responsibility. So that when another authority or entity comes in and supplants that authority that is when there is a conflict. For example, it is not the role of the government to come in and supplant the role of parents when it comes to what goes on inside of the home.

        (14)  Although one may argue that there are many additional divine institutions (e.g., the military, a local police force, etc.), the 5 named above are the most fundamental with the most widespread application.

2)     The First Divine Institution—the function of the Human Soul

        (1)    God created the human soul and the human soul is made up of self-consciousness, mentality, emotion, norms and standards, and volition as the authority of the soul.

        (2)    We are concerned with the volition which God has given us (most list human volition as the first divine institution).

        (3)    Our decisions mean very little unless they are free will decisions. Therefore, we need some modicum of freedom and privacy in order to make meaningful free will decisions.

        (4)    One of the most troubling doctrines to believers (and even to unbelievers) is the coexistence of divine authority and human freedom. As a result, there have been extreme views:

                 (1)    There is only divine authority and man’s volition is illusionary; or...

                 (2)    Man’s freedom is dominant, and we can be saved one day and lost the next, because of our human freedom.

                 (3)    The Bible teaches that which is between these two extremes, and we have our own children to illustrate this truth to us. If you know your child well, then you can predict what he or she will do under certain circumstances. You may or may not like what they choose to do, and you may spend a significant part of their lives teaching them not to do these things, and yet they do them anyway. You are the authority, and yet they still have free will. This is one way in which our relationship with God is analogous to our relationship with our children. God has authority; He knows us intimately; and we have free will, within reasonable limits (that is, we cannot jump into the air and fly).

        (5)    The Bible teaches that we have true and real free will. This does not mean that we can choose to fly or break the speed of light while jogging, but it means, with regards to important and meaningful decisions, we can choose what to do (the most important decision being, whether to believe in Jesus Christ or not).

        (6)    In a society of thousands or millions of souls, committing crimes can cause us to lose much of our freedom and our privacy. If we make criminal decisions which deprive others of their freedom, property or life, then we have forfeited our own rights. Ideally speaking, justice can remove our soul’s ability to make free will decisions by execution or it can severely reduce the exercise of our volition (this can be accomplished by incarceration, monitoring devices or probation). You will note, there is a progressive loss of freedom and that, when a person is reintroduced into society, coercion and controls over his volition and privacy are lessened with time and increased personal responsibility. Ideally speaking, we are taking a person who has misused his volition by committing a criminal act and putting him back into society, with the idea that we gradually return his privacy to him. We, as parents, do the same thing with our children. Our child does wrong and we limit the use of their volition (they are grounded; they have privileges removed). Then, we gradually introduce our children to the use of their own volition, ideally explaining to them at the time how their bad behavior has resulted in these restrictions.

        (7)    God gave man authority over the earth and the ability to make true free will decisions. Gen. 1:27–30 2:19–20

        (8)    Even under perfect environment, man had the volition to choose for or against God. Gen. 2:16–17 The Lord God gave the man this command. The Lord God said, “You may eat from any tree in the garden. But you must not eat from the tree that gives knowledge about good and evil. If you eat fruit from that tree you will die!” Therefore, man’s volition existed side-by-side with God’s sovereignty. Man has free will because God has decreed him to have free will.

        (9)    After man fell, his soul continued to have volition, and choices which man made had consequences (see Gen. 4, which is about Cain and Abel).

        (10)  One of the final things spoken by Moses was to encourage his people to remember and obey the Word of God: “The Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it. Behold! I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, in that I command you today to love Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, so that you may live and multiply. And Jehovah your God shall bless you in the land where you go to possess it. But if you turn away your heart, so that you will not hear, but shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days on the land where you pass over Jordan to go to possess it. I call Heaven and earth to record today against you. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live, so that you may love Jehovah your God, and that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him. For He is your life and the length of your days, so that you may dwell in the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give it to them.” (Deut. 30:14–21). God sets before us, life and death, blessing and cursing, and asks us to choose. This is, in part, the choice of the gospel; as well as a societal choice (as a corporate entity).

        (11)  There is a similar passage in Isaiah: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together,” says Jehovah; “though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword; for the mouth of Jehovah has spoken.” (Isa. 1:16–20).

        (12)  Paul gave the New Testament equivalent of those passages when he spoke to the men of Athens: “And He [God] has made all nations of men of one blood to dwell on all the face of the earth, ordaining fore-appointed seasons and boundaries of their dwelling, to seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though indeed He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also certain of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring. Then being offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold or silver or stone, engraved by art and man's imagination. Truly, then, God overlooking the times of ignorance, now He strictly commands all men everywhere to change their thinking, because He has appointed a day in which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man whom He appointed, having given proof to all by raising Him from the dead.” (Acts 17:26–31).

        (13)  Our human soul is faced with choices; free will is the essence and importance of the human soul.

        (14)  The unbeliever makes decisions with respect to the laws of divine establishment and to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

        (15)  The authorities over the human soul of the believer is the Word of God [Bible doctrine] and the laws of divine establishment (which is what we are in the midst of defining).

        (16)  God’s perfect design is to preserve human freedom, so that man may continue to be able to choose for or against God.

        (17)  Part of the limitations of freedom includes the fact that we share this world with another 6 billion people, each of whom has his own volition.

        (18)  The laws of divine establishment allow for our volitions to all operate in such a way that, we can choose for or against God, and the human race is preserved.

        (19)  The volition of the human soul is not absolute. Just as we are limited by God’s Natural laws of physics, we are also limited by sharing this planet with 6 billion other human souls.

        (20)  God has provided us with a system of authorities to balance the function of the volition of the human soul.

        (21)  God has provides certain moral laws which help to balance the function of human volition.

        (22)  Our human volition is expressed individually and corporately (as part of a group).

        (23)  For the believer, his authority is God, expressed by Bible doctrine pertinent to the dispensation in which we live.

        (24)  For the unbeliever, authorities are defined by the laws of divine establishment, which both preserve and protect him.

        (25)  That introduces 2 problems for the unbeliever: (1) how does he understand and follow the laws of divine establishment, if he chooses to reject the gospel of Jesus Christ; (2) and what happens when unregenerate man rejects these laws altogether? In fact, even believers reject many of these laws.

        (26)  God has provided the human soul with mentality, memory, a conscience and norms and standards, so that man is able to understand the laws of divine establishment and to use reason to discover these laws.

        (27)  Just as Satan deceived the woman, men deceive other men, and offer up various systems of thinking which are false. Just as man can choose to reject God, he can also choose to reject the laws of divine establishment and be misled by other men. This is how we have, for instance, the establishment of communism all over he world. Communism rejects many of the laws of divine establishment, and therefore, we would expect communism to be at odds with Christianity. Therefore, we would expect communist countries to outlaw or severely restrict the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of the Word of God (which is why many communist countries actually outlaw the Bible).

        (28)  Inside of our soul is a conscience, and on that conscience are to be written correct norms and standards which help us to determine what is right and wrong. Even unbelievers and heathen have a conscience, which is a system of inner authority. Rom. 1:18–20 For God's wrath is revealed from Heaven on all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, holding the truth in unrighteousness, because that which can be known about God is clearly revealed within them, for God revealed it to them. For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things made, both His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse. Even the hardcore criminal personality has some concept of right and wrong, even though this may not be entirely in line with God’s mandates (for instance, most criminals look down upon child molesters and condemn their activities as extremely wrong). However, this gist of this verse—and it is universal with all those who have developed a conscience—that God has revealed enough of Himself so that all men are without excuse.

        (29)  Freedom and authority should always be balanced. One cannot exist without the other.

                 (1)    God has given us life experiences—e.g., the raising of children—to illustrate this.

                 (2)    You constantly monitor your children to give them the proper balance between authority and freedom.

                 (3)    You do not follow them around like an omnipresent drill sergeant and direct their every move, from age 0 on up.

                 (4)    Nor do you just let them be free to do whatever they want to do.

                 (5)    Even the most insane parents (I refer you to the television show Wife Swap) exercise either some modicum of discipline and also allow some semblance of volition.

                 (6)    Parents ought to raise their children so that, generally speaking, their children will make the right choices as they grow and become adults.

                 (7)    This requires a balance of freedom and authority.

        (30)  The exercise of freedom results in inequality.

                 (1)    There is an inverse relationship between freedom and equality; the more freedom there is, the less equality there is; the more equality there is, the less freedom there is. North and South Korea provide us with examples of this. There is very little freedom in North Korea, and the people are fairly similar in their salary possessions. However, in South Korea, where a reasonable amount of freedom is allowed, there is much greater economic inequality.

                 (2)    Inequality is not a bad thing. There will be inequality in heaven. The Bible speaks of various crowns that will be bestowed upon some believers and Paul speaks of his life as a race, which he seeks to win. Furthermore, the Bible does not teach that equality of outcomes ought to be enforced by anyone or anything.

                 (3)    The more freedom a population has, the more there will be unequal results. I have 3 brothers, and all of us have worked hard for most of our lives, and, as a result, we have material blessings (which are unequal). I have 3 cousins who have not worked as hard or have spend much of their time engaged in criminal behavior. The end result is, they have fewer material things (and, in 2 of those cases, they only have material things because of their wives).

                 (4)    The moment a government entity steps in to make things more equal, the more likely there will be a tremendous number of undesirable consequences. A good example of this is the government’s recent decision that more people ought to be homeowners. My guess is, some of the sincere thinking was, put people who have been, heretofore, irresponsible; give them a big responsibility (owning a house) and they will become more responsible. So, government began to give out loans through decisions made by a variety of unelected bureaucrats. These loans were given to people with questionable incomes and background. The immediate results seemed great. More people bought houses; there was a greater demand for housing; therefore, more houses were built; and housing prices began to skyrocket (making every homeowner richer). However, there came a point when, people who had these new loans, who were irresponsible to begin with, continued to be irresponsible, and did not pay their mortgages. Many ended up in houses which they could not afford (previous government programs had very strict requirements when it came to the ratio of income to housing), and our market was flooded with houses. This brought a sudden end to housing construction (and also put thousands of builders out of business); and inflated housing prices began to plummet. This brought on a tremendous recession, which some have (wrongly) proclaimed as the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. The lesson is this: government should not attempt to equalize outcomes, as there will be a flurry of unforeseen negative consequences.

                 (5)    This does not mean that we maximize freedom and minimize equality. Quite obviously, government needs to control criminal behavior, which is a legitimate Biblical control of human freedom. Someone with a gun cannot come to your front door and say, “Give me your house.” The government needs to protect freedom, privacy and property. This function of government is legitimate and taught in the Bible.

                 (6)    Our own experience has shown us that, even though the great freedom of America has resulted in great inequality; it has also resulted in a reasonably prosperous lower class. One of the great places to observe freedom versus equality is South and North Korea. South Korea emphasizes freedom and North Korea emphasizes equality (except for the ruling class, of course). The end result is a very prosperous South Korea and a struggling North Korea, where the poor in South Korea are much better off than the poor in North Korea.

        (31)  The ideal use of human volition is to choose to believe in Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins and was raised from the dead by God (this is called the gospel). This must always be a free will choice. No one can be born a Christian and no system of authority can make a person into a Christian. If you are a believer, quite obviously you exercised your volition to believe in Jesus Christ. In order for there to be the opportunity to believe in Jesus Christ, there must be freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, and freedom to worship as one sees fit.

        (32)  The founders of our country recognized the importance of freedom, and therefore, sought to limit government with the Bill of Rights, wherein these rights are enshrined.

        (33)  Although dishonest historians have attempted to obscure the beginnings of the United States, our founding fathers were very religious (that is, most of them believed in Jesus Christ and they believed that the Bible is God’s truth), and therefore, they attempted to organize a government which reflected their faith. The idea that a few hundred deists just happened to put together a really good constitution and government is absolutely preposterous (and yet, that is what is taught in many of our schools).

        (34)  The second most important decision we can make is to daily take in doctrine, to learn about God, the plan of God and our place in it. Again, this requires the freedom of speech, association, press and worship—freedoms enshrined in out Bill of Rights.

        (35)  We are born with the freedom to accept or reject God; we are born with the freedom to accept or reject His Word. The laws of divine establishment are designed in such a way as to allow the true function of this freedom.

        (36)  The soul has the mentality to understand divine mandates, but God has allowed us volition, which may use to override His authority.

        (37)  If we reject God, He will reject us. Witness the horrendous living conditions in any communist or socialist government, which are anti-God systems of government. These nations reflect a wide scale rejection of Jesus Christ as well as a rejection of the laws of divine establishment. Note the example of (Red) China, which has allowed, in the past decade or so, increasingly more freedom; and, as a result, that nation has begun to grown and prosper. Even though there are still heavy restrictions on religion in China, there are more and more people who have believed in Jesus Christ in China.

        (38)  Satan attacks the souls of believers and unbelievers both.

                 (1)    Satan supports and tries to prop up nations where freedom is curtailed, particularly with regards to God.

                 (2)    Satan encourages sinfulness, which is using the volition of the soul to make wrong choices.

                 (3)    Satan encourages the kind of decisions which limit future options. A person who takes drugs, for instance, sets himself up for a life of severely limited options, as well as a dramatically compromised soul.

                 (4)    For the unbeliever, Satan tries to turn him away from the gospel and the laws of divine establishment.

                 (5)    For the believer, Satan turns him against the laws of divine establishment and against Bible doctrine.

                 (6)    One of Satan’s greatest attacks on human volition and on Christianity is Islam, a system where really insane Muslims routinely target only slightly less-insane Muslims, sometimes killing them in their place of worship for not being Muslim enough (or not being the right brand of Islam). Attacks are made against non-Muslims as well. It should be clear that this violates the balance between personal volition and external authority.

                 (7)    Another of Satan’s attacks is the nanny state where the government makes increasing decisions on our behalf; many of which are direct attacks upon the other divine institutions.

                 (8)    At the heart of almost every Satanic attack is dishonesty. Remember what Satan told Eve? “You will not die.” (Gen. 3:4b). Therefore, dishonesty should be the foundation of all anti-God religion, government and philosophy.

                 (9)    I mentioned Islam, which is fundamentally a dishonest system. Adherents to Islam are told to be dishonest when dealing with unbelievers, if that will move their religion forward in a society. They will repeatedly tell us how the Koran is against the killing of innocent people, and yet, on a typical day, there are 5 or 6 jihad attacks throughout the world with 10–30 innocents being killed. See the website http://thereligionofpeace.com/ to verify these numbers.

3)     The Second Divine Institution, Work

        (1)    Before and after the fall, man was designed to work. Re- establishing community Graphic; from Museum of the City; accessed November 8, 2015.

        (2)    Before the fall, God made man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work. And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward in Eden. And there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground Jehovah God caused to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food. The tree of life also was in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden. And from there it was divided and became four heads. And Jehovah God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to work it and keep it (Gen. 2:8–10, 15).

        (3)    After man sinned, God gave Adam ground that was more difficult to work and He warned man that he would work hard in order to eat. “The ground is cursed for your sake. In pain shall you eat of it all the days of your life. It shall also bring forth thorns and thistles to you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken.” (Gen. 3:17b–19a).

        (4)    Although the earliest professions were farmer and rancher (Cain and Abel), early man quickly developed a number of vocations: builder (Gen. 4:17), musician (Gen. 4:21) and metal-worker (Gen. 4:22). Early man also engaged in criminal activity, even before this activity was clearly defined (Gen. 4:23–24). At the very beginning, as far back as Gen. 4, man is closely associated with his vocation.

        (5)    Work is an integral part of man’s existence. Even though man works hard, he will also receive personal satisfaction from his work. Eccles. 9:9 speaks of two things which are to bring enjoyment in life: a man’s right woman and his labor. Since this passage refers to him as under the sun, this refers to believers and unbelievers alike.

        (6)    God expected even the poor to work. God told the farmers in early Israel not to harvest everything in the field, but to leave portions of the field unharvested. This was so that the poor of the land and immigrants could come through and harvest this themselves. Lev. 19:9–10 23:22 Deut. 24:19–21

        (7)    One of the great stories in the Bible is about Ruth, a Moabite, who moved to Israel, but was quite poor. Therefore, she worked the fields of Boaz for that which he had not harvested. Ruth 2:2, 15

        (8)    Nowhere in the Bible is there some sort of welfare system recommended where a man or a woman sits at home and receives a check. Instead, hard word is presented as honorable. Prov. 6:6–12 10:5

        (9)    However, the poor were not to be ignored or abandoned. “If there is among you a poor man of one of your brothers inside any of your gates in your land which Jehovah your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother. But you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him enough for his need, that which he lacks. For the poor shall never cease out of the land. Therefore, I command you saying, You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor, and to your needy, in your land.” (Deut. 15:7–8, 11).

        (10)  There was a national fund for the poor, which amounted to 10% every third year, which averages out to 3⅓% per year. “When you have finished paying all the tenth of your produce in the third year, the year of the tenth, you are to give it to the Levite, the foreign resident, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deut. 26:12).

        (11)  This takes into consideration that there is a small segment of society that is unable to work or limited in their ability to work. In most cases, family members take up the slack. We are left with perhaps less than 1% of the population that is unable to work and therefore needs some assistance.

                 (1)    The idea that the United States provides food stamps to 1 out of 6 people is absolutely ridiculous. There are not that many people who require assistance.

        (12)  Hard work is always presented as admirable; and laziness is spoken of as a personal failing. Prov. 24:30–34 Eccles. 5:18–20 Eph. 4:28

        (13)  Ideally speaking, if you work hard at your job, there are going to be times that you gain some satisfaction from this; and you tend to appreciate your time of rest even more. Eccles. 9:9

        (14)  When a person pursues a vocation which is his passion, that person often receives a great deal of satisfaction from their work.

        (15)  I personally have known people who do not work, who collect a check from the government even though they are perfectly capable of working. These people tend to be unhappy, unfocused, angry and even a little nutty. Work is so fundamental to man’s existence that, apart from it, man’s soul goes awry.

        (16)  Even Paul writes to the Thessalonians and tells them, if they don’t work, then they should not eat. 2Thess. 3:10

        (17)  When it comes to work, there are systems of authority. Sometimes, this system of authority is within the human soul. You know what you must produce, you understand the seasons, and you recognize what you must do in order to preserve your food in order to eat when food is not growing.

        (18)  Most of us go to a job where we work for someone else. The owner, manager, boss, department head, shift manager is the authority over us; and the larger the organization, the greater the organization and the more layers of authority there are. These authorities are for believers and unbelievers alike.

        (19)  A few of us go to work as the owner, manager, boss, department head; so we often arrive at work earlier than anyone else in order to organize those under our authority.

        (20)  Satan has attacked the concept of work with the welfare state, section 8 housing, and food assistance programs. One of the things which has stuck in my mind, over the years, is a mother and daughter who rented a house from me, and section 8 paid the rent for them. Every morning, their job was to get up, sit on the couch, break open the smokes, and watch tv. Now, you might think that, having no job, their house would be clean and their kids well taken care of. Not a chance. The kids ran around unsupervised and the house was one of the filthiest houses I had ever been in. Furthermore, these were unhappy people. I found huge piles of beer cans all over after they moved out.

        (21)  Satan also attacks the divine institution of work with unfair business owners and with unions. Although the owner of a business gets to call the shots because he owns the business and has made all of the investments, his choices are important. If he exploits his workforce, there can be a backlash of union activity, which completely distorts the system of authority (however, the owner of the company chose to distort his own authority first). There have been a number of companies which have been successful and part of their strategy has been to treat their workforce with dignity and respect (Coors, HEB, Whole Foods, Starbuck’s, and Wal-Mart quickly come to mind).

                 (1)    Union leaders have figured out that, they can organize public employees—even when these employees are well remunerated—and demand pretty much anything, as there is very little personal integrity when it comes to the management of public works (that is, they do not care what costs they incur; they simply ask the taxpayers to pay more money).

                 (2)    So you see how these institutions are distorted. Bad employers caused unions to spring up, which, in turn, moved into the public sector, where salary and benefits were almost unlimited, even though there was no indication that the problems the unions originally fought to correct even existed in any form in the public sector.

        (22)  There is this weird approach to heaven, where some people seem to think that we will float about on clouds playing harps. There is every indication that we will have responsibilities (i.e., work) in heaven.

        (23)  The Pulpit Commentary: It is with no small labour that the agricultural ant of Syria clears its field, keeps it well weeded, gathers in the corn, and stores this in subterranean granaries. Nature is a great factory. All life involves work. Even the silent forest apparently sleeping in the hush of noon is busy, and if only we had ears to hear, we might detect the elaboration of the sap and the growth of the leaf, showing that every tree is hard at work on its appointed task.

        (24)  The more that I have studied Scripture, the more I have been swayed as to the importance of work in the life of every individual. I have had many experiences in my life which confirm this. I can think of two sets of people, one where one of them did not work; and the other where both the husband and wife did not work. In both cases, the people were not normal, and were overly concerned with and unrealistically motivated by their own wants. They were all unhappy people, always searching, but really needing some guidance and/or structure in life. One thing that work does, is it gives our lives structure and purpose.

        (25)  Gary North goes off on an interesting tangent here: Righteousness leads to blessings in history, both spiritual (inward) and dominical (outward). The works of the righteous man’s hands are intended to shine before men, just as his personal behavior is to shine. The works of a righteous nation (Deut. 4:5–8) and the church (Matt. 5:14–16) are also to shine before men, calling attention to the superiority of the Bible’s principles of administration (garden keeping) to all other principles. God did not do sloppy work in His own name when He created all things. Neither individuals nor nations are to do sloppy work in the name of God.

4)     The Third Divine Institution, Marriage

        (1)    Marriage, the third divine institution, mixes freedom, privacy, authority and responsibility (and, unless otherwise indicated, these points apply to believers and unbelievers alike). Marriage Quotation Graphic from Life Hack; accessed November 8, 2015.

        (2)    Monogamy, a permanent relationship between one man and one woman, is ordained of God to remind mankind that He has from the beginning a design called right man-right woman, Gen. 1:26:27 5:1-2 2:18-25 1 Cor 7:2-4.

        (3)    Marriage is the most basic and fundamental organization in the human race. Even the unbeliever, whose life is a total failure, can have great temporary happiness by marrying the right woman, Eccl. 9:9

        (4)    Under the authority of the laws of divine establishment, the right man-right woman relationship becomes the normal, legitimate expression of category 2 love, 1Cor 7:9 1Tim. 5:14 Eph. 5:22, 23, 28, 33 Heb. 13:4. Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

                 (1)    As an aside, I have known believers and unbelievers alike who have led immoral and licentious lives; and, in marriage, turned this around. The relationship of marriage became clearly more important than, say, skirt chasing.

        (5)    The husband has authority and responsibility for his wife, and the wife has volition, which, in marriage, she has, at least at one point in time, surrendered to her husband. The husband has all the authority; there are no exceptions or rationalizations. Violations of a principle do not change the principle. Col. 3:18–19

        (6)    It is the husband’s duty to love his wife and the wife’s part to obey her husband. This does not mean that the husband has to sit around and work up emotional feelings for his wife; but he is to treat her with respect and care, as she becomes his responsibility in marriage. Eph. 5:25–31

        (7)    Marriage is the basis for stability in society and for the formation of civilization.

        (8)    The laws of divine establishment are designed to protect freedom and to preserve the human race; marriage both protects and preserves the human race.

        (9)    Marriage is a relationship analogous to our relationship with God. God has the authority and He has taken upon Himself the responsibility for us. As believers, we may accept or reject His authority, which affects the nature of the relationship. Eph. 5:22–26

        (10)  It is the stability of marriage—this applies to both believers and unbelievers—that allows for preservation of a nation, which in turn preserves the human race and human freedom.

        (11)  When a husband and wife pray to the same God, this is a corporate witness for God in the Angelic Conflict. Matt. 18:20 1Peter 3:7

        (12)  Satan, society and unbelievers attack the institution of marriage:

                 (1)    Satan attacks marriages from within, to try to destroy them.

                 (2)    Marriage is presented by society as a 50-50 proposition with no clear line of authority (as has happened in the era of the woman’s movement).

                 (3)    Satan and society attack the marriage unit with substitutes, usually attempting to exploit the sexual drive: promiscuity, sexual perversions, homosexuality, lesbianism, and various distortions of marriage (homosexual unions, polygamy, living together).

                 (4)    Homosexuality is one of the great attacks upon marriage in the time in which we live. Why is there this great move within education to present homosexuality as normal behavior? Why do homosexuals want to teach to children that anal intercourse between 2 males is equivalent to normal intercourse even before a child knows what that word even means? It’s not difficult. If you get to a young person before or at puberty, sexual function at that age can impact long-term sexual behavior. Teaching homosexual behavior as normal behavior leads to more homosexual behavior.

                 (5)    It is a lie that we are either born homosexual or heterosexual. Although there are certainly a number of people with that predilection in their lives, children are pliable, and homosexuals recognize that. A significant number of young people, if caught at or before puberty, can be sufficiently brainwashed to at least try out homosexual acts. Even though 80% of these people, in adulthood, will not engage in homosexual acts; homosexuals are simply interested in more sexual objects, not necessarily life-long converts.

                 (6)    Most people far overestimate the number of homosexuals in society. In a recent study of over 110,000 men and women, only 2.2% of men and 1.5% of women were attracted exclusively or mostly to the same sex. People estimate that about 25% of people are gay or lesbian. This is because of the fundamental dishonesty of the gay and lesbian movement in conjunction with liberal propaganda, which exaggerates greatly the plight of gays and lesbians in society and their numbers. After all, if people knew that the fundamental definition of marriage was being changed by less than 2% of the population; and that a very small percentage of that 2% would actually participate in such a change; support for gay marriage would decrease dramatically. However, the fundamental key to this movement is dishonesty and distortion.

                 (7)    Robert Dean: We see this today. This is what is lost in the current debate that we are gradually losing related to same-sex marriage. Marriage is not something just for believers. It is for believers and unbelievers. Marriage is a foundational element in all culture and it is what it is because God designed it that way, and once we get a culture based on human viewpoint paganism they then want to go in and change and modify these different foundational elements. Once you completely shift your foundational elements what happens to the house built on that foundation? It collapses. The problem we have in our culture is that when you reach a larger and larger majority that buys into these ideas then eventually you are going to see a complete self-destruction of the culture. It will implode. We are not going to fall because we are going to be defeated from the outside; we are going to fall because we are going to be defeated from the inside.

                 (8)    There is always a fundamental dishonesty of Satanic attacks against the divine institutions. No proponent of teaching homosexuality in the classroom will ever be honest about their intentions. They will never say, “We think that homosexuality as a behavior needs to be taught to children before they have reached puberty.” They will introduce it dishonestly, in the form of a bullying program or as an alternative children’s book, or as an attempt to lessen rampant prejudice.

        (13)  Even for the unbeliever, God’s Word recommends that he do two things to find happiness in life: find his right woman and marry her; and then to find the work that he loves doing, and to pursue that. Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going (Eccles. 9:9–10; ESV).

5)     The Fourth Divine Institution—Family

        (1)    The family provides the framework for maintaining order within a society. Children are taught establishment and biblical norms and standards, the clarity of absolute rights and wrongs, and authority orientation. The Most Easily Recognized Institution (graphic); from CWRU; accessed November 8, 2015

        (2)    Because we are born into this world as completely helpless, God has designed the family as the proper unit within which to raise a child and to protect the mother. Ideally speaking, this requires the child’s biological parents.

        (3)    With regards to family, the ideal is 1 male and 1 female believer, married, growing spiritually, and raising up children. Part of our growing process is learning from both the male and female of the species, whether we are male or female children.

        (4)    The ideal family for the unbeliever is 1 male and 1 female and their biological children.

        (5)    This provides protection for the souls and bodies of the children as well as guidance. The idea is to take this helpless thing and raise them so that they are able to make their own decisions as a grownup.

        (6)    Parental authority is the way of preparing children for a normal life. Permissiveness destroys this because the child learns how to use his volition, but he does not understand the importance of authority. There is certainly a place for the discipline of a child within the family. Prov. 23:13

        (7)    Parents who control nearly every aspect of their child’s volition until they leave the home also undermine that child’s need to learn how to make his own decisions. There is a happy medium to be found, somewhere between the parent who allows their children unrestricted use of their volition to the parent who is a drill sergeant. Prov. 29:15, 17 Eph. 6:1, 4 Col. 3:20–21

        (8)    The highest expression of parental love is to teach through the forms of discipline. Prov. 13:24 23:13

        (9)    Children are all born with sin natures. Therefore, in order to introduce this child into society, and we need for that child to behave responsibly—with respect for the volition, privacy and property of others. Prov. 22:15

        (10)  From age 0 on up to when the child leaves the home, the parent enforces specific decisions, teaching the child why such decisions are made; and gradually, these children are allowed to make their own decisions. It is like teaching a child to swim; you do not throw them into the deep end first day out and say, “Swim.” There needs to be a little more guidance and instruction before that occurs.

        (11)  Because of the old sin nature and a child’s natural rebelliousness, sometimes it takes awhile for good training to catch on. Prov, 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Therefore, a child often goes through a rebellious period of time—in some cases, their teens and their young adulthood—but good sound teaching will generally win out in the end.

        (12)  Through discipline and teaching; children respond by honoring their parents, resulting in a longer life for the child. Eph. 6:1–3

        (13)  There is an enforced humility which eventually yields to the adult child’s own personal humility.

                 (1)    Enforced humility is the parent saying, “It is my way or the highway, young man.”

                 (2)    Personal humility is the child, at some point, choosing to make the correct decision on their own.

        (14)  Parents must teach poise, objectivity, respect for police, patriotism, and willingness to serve to protect freedom. Believers are to teach Bible doctrine to their children. Deut 6:6-9, 7:9 Prov. 4:1 5:7 7:24

        (15)  It is the responsibility of parents to instill respect for the Word of God, the teaching of Bible doctrine, plus recognition of authority of the pastor-teacher. This is a spiritual responsibility over and above their establishment responsibility. Deut. 6:6–9 Prov. 22:6 1Tim. 5:1 2TIm. 3:15

        (16)  The parent is also to set an example for the child. Parents who act honorably in all things teach their children to do likewise, which is a blessing to the child. Prov. 20:7

        (17)  Nations in which marriages are crumbling are destroyed from within. One example of this is crime; a criminal is much more likely to have come from a single-parent home than from a nuclear family. This is one way that the disintegration of marriage affects all of us. A child born out of wedlock, according to one study in Washington state, is twice as likely to engage in criminal behavior than a child born to a married couple. A person born to a single teen mother is 10x more likely to be a chronic juvenile offender.

        (18)  Incidentally, race is not a factor with regards to criminality. When various races are normalized by looking at those raised in a 2-parent family, then there is very little difference between the races with respect to criminality.

        (19)  When parents do not fulfill their responsibility and children do not "honor" their parents, the nation suffers from insecurity, instability, and eventual loss of liberty. National disintegration begins in the family.

        (20)  This brings about internal decay in the client nation and in any nation.

        (21)  As an occasional watcher of Wife Swap, it is clear that the producers go out to find the flakiest of families, where the parents, for the most part, are terrifically unbalanced. However, no matter what a mess they have made of their lives, it is clear that they love their children, and a little exposure to someone who is just as wacky on the other side, often brings them to a more balanced approach to child-rearing (and it is clear, even in the case of unbelievers, that their desire is to do the best job they can in their marriage and in raising their children).

        (22)  There is a balance of free will and authority within a family: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. And fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:1–4).

        (23)  Robert Dean: As Christians living in any culture-whether it is the Greco-Roman culture at the time of the New Testament or whether in France at the time of the French Revolution, In New England or California in early 21st century where the state wants to have more and more control over children-have a problem trying to implement their responsibilities before God. We are always faced with this challenge of living in the devil's world. Education is to be family-centered and family based. It is the job of the parents to train and educate children in everything. Public school systems and public school curriculums are all shaped by different worldviews. Our job is to train our children as a Christian and pass on a Judeo-Christian biblically based worldview. Proverbs chapter four emphasizes the parental role.

        (24)  When one generation fails to teach norms and standards, virtues and values, and authority orientation to its children, they become dysfunctional adults and their children continue the process of national decline.

        (25)  Statistics are mistakenly used to show that there are a disproportionate number of African Americans caught up on the wrong side of the law (as well as being more likely to use and/or sell drugs, to engage in underage drinking; to become pregnant out of wedlock). Even though this is true, it is not the color of a person’s skin which is the determining factor—it is the family unit, or the lack thereof. That is, if we examine crime statistics of the children of both Black and White nuclear families, there are no appreciable differences. The key for these negative factors in the lives of children is single motherhood, not race. The United States is a client nation to God, but it still makes a lot of stupid decisions. One corporate decision the United States has made is to encourage single motherhood among Blacks (when you subsidize something, you get more of it; when you tax it, you get less of it). We subsidize single black mothers in this nation, and the result is criminality on the part of their children. This is a good example of a client nation making a lousy corporate decision.

        (26)  Satanic attacks upon the family unit:

                 (1)    Just as before, Satan attacks the divine institution of the family with substitutes: single-mother households, gay-parent households, pre-school, public education (which attempts to undermine the authority of the home). As I write this, we have a school board in Montana which wants to introduce homosexuality and homosexual positions to grade school children, teaching it to be equivalent to heterosexual activity.

                 (2)    Satan also attacks with broken families, setting children against the parents or parents against their children.

                 (3)    Robert Dean: [Awhile ago] a firestorm of reaction set in, ignited by a piece on MSNBC by Mellisa Harris-Perry, one of their hosts. She recorded a commercial for MSNBC in which she stated that children do not belong to their parents but are the responsibility of the members of their community. She is not the first to state this idea. Hillary Clinton stated this idea in her book It Takes a Village back in the 90s. But she didn't originate this idea. This is just a manifestation of a series of ideas that are a result of the most extreme form of thinking from the Enlightenment, which rejected all divine authority. Ever since the late 1700s there has been this aspect of Enlightenment thinking that the ultimate authority is not God, it is whatever we derive from empiricism or rationalism; in other words, the majority vote determines what is right, not God. As the elements within our society that have bought into that increase then the society comes under tremendous weakness.

                         (1)    Dean continues: Harris-Perry said: "We have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents or kids belong to their families and recognize that kids belong to whole communities." This is a communist idea, a statist idea, and it is a complete rejection of divine institution number three. But once we transform divine institution number one (which we have done) nobody is responsible for their actions anymore. It is somebody else's fault. Now we redefine responsibility; we redefine marriage; we can redefine the family. And it is not the responsibility of parents to train their children, it is the responsibility of the government to train the kids. This idea goes back in history to Plato, and probably earlier.

                         (2)    In The Republic Plato said: "All those in the city who happen to be older than ten they will send out to the country; and taking over their children, they will rear them-far away from those dispositions they now have from their parents-in their own manners and laws that are such as we described before. And, with the city and the regime of which we were speaking thus established most quickly and easily, it will itself be happy and most profit the nation in which it comes to be."

                         (3)    In other words, if you want to have the best citizens in your country the government has to raise your kids.

                         (4)    Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78): "...the education of children should not be left to their father's capacities and prejudices, especially since it is more important to the state than to their fathers; for in the natural course of things the father's death often deprives him of the ultimate benefits of having educated his child, but his country will sooner or later feel the effects of what he has done: the state remains while the family is dissolved." Rousseau's thinking was part of the Enlightenment thinking which began to take root and influence western civilizations in the late eighteenth century, and this grew and flourished throughout the nineteenth century. But at the heart of this understanding of the role of family and the role of education is a theological concept. And that is true for all of these people. It is expressed clearly in Emile where Rousseau stated: "There is no original perversity in the human heart." There is a rejection of what God said as being the basic nature of human beings, and that is that they are fallen. Scripture says: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So modern education philosophy is ultimately based upon a concept that can be traced back through John Dewey, back to Rousseau, back to Plato, that the nature of a child is basically good; not basically evil. That changes the perspective of what you are going to do with children in the classroom.

                 (4)    One attack upon the family and upon the marriage is sex education. it is our fault, as parents, that there is sex education in the schools. The schools said, “Let us handle teaching sex education to your children” and most parents thought to themselves, “Whew; I no longer have to give the talk to any of my kids. Score.” Is there anything more uncomfortable than a mother or father having to sit down, one-on-one, with one of their children, and tell them about sex? However, that is what God designed. Even if you are given the opportunity to abrogate your responsibilities as a parent, that does not mean the result will be beneficial to your child. It is this abrogation of parental responsibility which results in teachers telling your children that there is no difference between heterosexual or homosexual behavior.

                 (5)    Sex education even distorts normal heterosexual behavior; particularly when the teacher has the attitude that kids are going to have sex, no matter what we say or do. That exact same teacher, when looking at the drop-out rate of a school, would never say, “Kids are going to drop out. There is nothing you can do about it.”

                 (6)    Abortion is a result of a lack of natural affection, one indication that a society is on the decline.

                 (7)    Rom. 1:22–32 describes a number of areas where our negative volition and Satanic attacks overlap: Professing to be wise, they became foolish and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into a likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things [any sort of idolatry]. Because of this, God gave them up to impurity in the lusts of their hearts, their bodies to be dishonored among themselves, who changed the truth of God into the lie, and worshiped and served the created thing [any sort of creature worship, including that of Satan] more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. Because of this, God gave them up to dishonorable passions, for even their females changed the natural use to that contrary to nature [lesbianism]. And likewise, the males also forsaking the natural use of the female burned in their lust toward one another [homosexuality], males with males working out shamefulness, and receiving back within themselves the reward which was fitting for their error. And even as they did not think fit to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do the things not right, having been filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, iniquity, covetousness, malice, being full of envy [this includes this idea that we deserve this or that], murder, quarrels, deceit, evil habits, becoming whisperers, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, proud, braggarts, devisers of evil things, disobedient to parents [attack on the family], without discernment, covenant breakers [people who do not honor the contracts which they sign], without natural affection [including a natural love toward one’s own children], unforgiving, unmerciful, who knowing the righteous order of God, that those practicing such things are worthy of death, not only do them, but also approve those practicing them. Such things are actually glorified. Have you ever heard of gay pride week?

                 (8)    When dealing with young people, one tool that a parent must have and use is discipline. The parent needs to have the freedom to smack that kid (not on the face, but on his behind), so that the child knows, “I ain’t playing with you!” So, when it comes to Satanic attacks, what do we expect to happen? Public schools are being defanged, so there are very few public schools today which allow for swats or other kind of discipline. When it comes to parents, some children can say that they have been spanked, and outside authorities are sometimes brought into the picture. Sometimes this is from an over-zealous school nurse or teacher; and sometimes, it is state law; and, of course, this has been made illegal is some European countries.

6)     The Fifth Divine Institution—Human Government and Nationalism

        (1)    The divine institution of national governments helps to preserve the freedom of peoples of the earth. It is God’s plan for there to be many nations. When a nation is negative toward the plan of God, it is isolated from other national entities. When there is a lot of positive volition within a nation, that nation protects the freedom of its citizens. Deut. 32:8 Acts 17:26

        (2)    God’s approach to nationalism is made clear when God judges the Tower of Babel, the first United Nations building, where the descendants of Noah were divided by language in order to get them to separate and to spread out over the earth. Gen. 11:1–9

        (3)    A national entity protects human volition and allows for man to be evangelized. Acts 17:26–27a “And God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward Him and find Him.”

        (4)    Divine institutions balance volition and authority. Rom.13:1–7 tells us the importance of the authority of the national entity (and other authorities within the entity): Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

                 (1)    A state or federal government requires funds to make it work; which is why we are not to withhold taxes.

                 (2)    A government simultaneously protects your rights from the incursion of another person’s free will; and vice versa. That is, criminal behavior is contained, so that we can live and function in peace, which in turn allows for evangelization and Bible teaching.

        (5)    This approach of nationalism also serves to contain evil. We see in the Middle East regarding the many revolutions taking place (aka the Arab Spring) and the blurring of their borders that there is increased chaos and lawlessness, which reduces evangelism and the teaching of Bible doctrine. Evil may grow and expand within a nation, but nationalism, for the most part, constrains this evil geographically. Nationalism similarly protects other sovereign nations from importing evil from another nation.

                 (1)    Throughout the world, there are now, in 2015, dozens of evil Islamic organizations which are looking to expand their influence.

                 (2)    Although these groups may be partially sponsored by this or that nation, they often move outside of the boundaries of that nation.

                 (3)    However, other national entities can keep these groups out, if they so choose.

                 (4)    The preservation of national entities keeps such organizations out or has a police/military force to keep them under control if they are inside of a nation.

        (6)    To perpetuate the human race and bring history to its logical conclusion, God has designed the nation to protect the freedom and rights of the people within the nation and to protect the other people on this planet.

                 (1)    This does not mean that all nations are free.

                 (2)    Under the concept, a people get the government that they deserve, some governments are going to be oppressive, intrusive and over-bearing.

                 (3)    However, there will be freedom in some nations, which is often where the gospel and Bible doctrine spring from.

                 (4)    Furthermore, people from the outside will be drawn to a nation where there are many believers. Furthermore, it will be drawn to its customs and culture (often, what they are expressing is positive volition toward the gospel). This is why some foreigners move to the United States and become Christians and that nation’s greatest patriots.

                 (5)    At the same time, we witness a corrupt government in the United States attempting to reduce the influx of productive Christian citizens and to encourage immigration of those who are interested in becoming dependent upon government largesse.

        (7)    Ideally speaking, a nation provides equality under the law and a maximum amount of economic freedom for its citizens. Both of these ideals will result in unequal outcomes.

                 (1)    There must be a system of common law which prohibits crime and thereby protects the freedom, rights, life, and property of individuals. It must be a system of law which does not overstep the law by using the law to try to solve social problems. Law, therefore, must always be objective. Subjective distortion of the law uses legislation to invade individual rights, to steal personal property, and to erode human freedom; all in the name of the common good.

                 (2)    A government should not try to favor one sort of people over another (although, a government can show preference to divine institutions over human institutions, to the point of even outlawing the latter).

                 (3)    People are not born equal, and it is not up to the government to try to make them equal.

                 (4)    People use their unequal abilities to work. It is not the government’s job to look at me and Donald Trump, who are in similar businesses, and take from Donald Trump and give to me, because he is slightly better off than I am, as a result of our work.

                 (5)    A government should protect the freedom of its citizens; and therefore, it should not take money or opportunity from citizen A and given that to citizen B.

                 (6)    When a government, political candidate or political party encourages us to disobey the 10^th commandment (we are not to covet the possessions of anyone else, even if they are rich), then we know that person or entity is wrong and they will lead our nation astray.

        (8)    What about welfare? Isn’t it immoral to reject welfare as a part of the government structure?

                 (1)    The Old Testament clearly made welfare a part of Israel. They were to look out for the widows and orphans.

                 (2)    Their welfare was a combination of public and private efforts. Public welfare cost the citizens of Israel 3⅓% per year. Although Israel collected a higher tax rate, most of that money was used to fund spiritual projects.

                 (3)    Private farmlands were to leave the corners of their farmland unharvested so that the poor could come in and harvest what remained. This was a private decision, but clearly encouraged by the Law of Moses.

                 (4)    Applying the same standards to today suggests that our welfare ought to be shrunk dramatically; and I would suggest that welfare be done only at the local level (city or county levels).

                 (5)    This would destroy the current Democrat party, which has become the party of free stuff. Every election, they think of something else that they can give away, which is bankrupting our country.

        (9)    God promises blessing to the nation which follows His laws. These would be the laws of divine establishment for all nations. "If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.” (Lev. 26:3–6).

        (10)  Similarly, there is great cursing for the nation which was a client nation to God, but has turned away from God. You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit. Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat any of it. Your donkey shall be seized before your face, but shall not be restored to you. Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, but there shall be no one to help you. Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless. A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually, so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see. The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. "The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone. And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away. You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them. You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off. You shall father sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours, for they shall go into captivity. The cricket shall possess all your trees and the fruit of your ground. The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. "All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young (Deut. 28:30–50).

        (11)  There ought to be a common culture which reflects the spiritual life, morality, esprit de corps, nobility, patriotism, and integrity of a nation through its literature, art, music, and drama. One of the present weaknesses of the United States is, illegal aliens moving into the states and then maintaining their own national identity. Because of their illegal status, they make no attempt to enter into the American society. The same is true of Muslims in European society.

        (12)  There should be a system of government which functions under its power without abusing its power to destroy freedom and establishment. There should be an administrative body to represent the functions of taxation, law enforcement, honorable jurisprudence, maintenance of the military, and enforcement of law and order without the destruction of human freedom.

        (13)  Ideally speaking, the economy ought to be based on free enterprise and capitalism. Labor has no right to dictate the policy of management. Smart management always takes good care of its workers. Government, labor, or criminals do not have the right to superimpose their policy on management. The separation of business and state is an important distinction.

        (14)  Government ought not to disparage the divine institutions.

                 (1)    I have heard candidate Barack Obama and a number of Democrats talk about people working hard and yet not advancing in society as much as they think we ought to. Hard work is a good thing, and people who work hard, over time, will generally be successful in a free society (not everyone will be a Donald Trump or a Bill Gates). In any case, it is not the government’s job to evaluate the work that we are putting in and then determine, by means of some bureaucracy, that we ought to be paid more; and then to redistribute wealth in order to bring that to pass.

                 (2)    Proposition 8, in California, was a definition of marriage as being the union of one man and one woman. The arrogant Judge Walker overturned this decision of the people. It is up to society to determine, under our form of government, what constitutes marriage and what does not. This judge created a right (the right for homosexuals to get married) out of whole cloth. Studies have shown that there are a variety of factors involved in people choosing to engage in homosexual activity, many of which have nothing to do with genetics (although genetics is a factor, but not a determining factor).

                 (3)    When government shows a preference to single motherhood by providing a myriad of benefits to single mothers (with a threat to permanently remove such benefits if that mother marries), the government is deciding against the institutions of marriage and family. We have studies which show that single parent homes produce far more criminals than do traditional family homes. By encouraging single-motherhood, a society destroys itself from the inside (by encouraging criminality).

        (15)  Negative volition and scar tissue of the soul explains why some of those who live in a great nation actually think poorly of their own nation and its history. Not only are their souls blinded, but they have nothing which they can compare their life to (apart from, at best, some trips to foreign countries). Their souls have sucked in false thinking and anti-establishment thinking.

        (16)  Good government can be easily corrupted when people look to government rather than to themselves or to God to solve their problems.

                 (1)    Absolute power in the hands of insecure and incompetent rulers, whose power lust feeds on an insecure generation demanding something for nothing, results in a nation selling its heritage of freedom for a mess a pottage.

                 (2)    In demanding security from government an insecure generation becomes an entitlement generation.

                 (3)    Insecure politicians offer some form of socialism that is always divorced from establishment principles found in the infallible Word of God.

                 (4)    If you seek security in any other than God then you are a weak dysfunctional adult.

                 (5)    The government’s job is to protect freedom, not direct it.

        (17)  Good government is designed to protect its citizens and their freedom with respect to the divine institutions and to the laws of divine establishment.

                 (1)    Good government protects the volition, privacy and property of its citizens.

                 (2)    This requires a proper system of law enforcement, jurisprudence, and a system of law whereby a person is innocent until proved guilty, where only proper testimony is allowed and no hearsay is permitted, and where double jeopardy does not exist.

                 (3)    Similarly, a good government protects the people from the government itself. That is, the government is not to look to control the volition of others (apart from their criminal activity), nor is the government to rob us of our privacy or property.

                 (4)    Good government will support the work ethic and will not provide multiple ways for people to live without having to work (as our government does with welfare, section 8 housing and social security). A government which coerces people not to work through government handouts destroys the souls of those people (even if this is done with the best of intentions).

                 (5)    Good government is going to support the divine institution of marriage; society may or may not choose to recognize other forms of unions; but none of these other unions (whether polygamous or homosexual) are designed by God.

                 (6)    Marriage also is a protection for the children which may intentionally or unintentionally be brought into the world. When a government shows preference for, say, single-mother families, that government is making decisions to destroy itself from the inside. Studies have linked all kinds of anti-social and negative behavior to single mother households. More children from a single mother household will be involved in underage drinking, use drugs, get pregnant, commit crimes, go to jail, and/or head their own single-mother household.

                 (7)    It is the simple adage: tax it, and you get less of it; subsidize it, and you get more of it. I write this in 2015 where we are taxing businesses and wealth and profit and capital gains, and our President and a number of economists and newspaper reporters seem to be shocked that more jobs are not being created. At the same time, our government encourages single-motherhood by subsidizing them. Should we be shocked that more and more children are being born to unwed mothers? Tax Graphic from Professor Steve Cunningham’s Econ 219 Course; accessed November 8, 2015.

                 (8)    Quite obviously, a good government will pass laws which look to encourage obeying the final 6 commandments. A government (or political candidate or party) which encourages it citizenry to covet the wealth which belongs to the rich, will destroy that nation from the inside.

                 (9)    The Bible gives us a good idea as to how much a government ought to tax. If my understanding is correct, there were 2 tithes (10% each) to be paid by the people; and another tithe paid every 3 years for the poor. Since much of that was designed to go to the Levites and to the spiritual concerns of nation Israel, an across the board tax of 13⅓% would be ideal for a nation (and churches would not be taxes). 3⅓% per year would be spent on welfare concerns. Private philanthropic organizations would be encouraged, but there must be a clearly high percentage of any collected funds going to actual needs (50–90%) in order for such organizations to be tax exempt. Organizations like the Clinton Foundation (where money is paid for political influence) and various Hollywood foundations, where 4% must go to an actual charity, should be eliminated.

                 (10)  Quite obviously, no government is ideal; even that of the United States, which is the greatest nation in the history of man. We do not get to disobey our government simply because it is not ideal. Luke 20:25 Rom. 13:1–7

        (18)  The national entity and the military:

                 (1)    The exterior protection of freedom comes through a strong, well-prepared military. Although the Bible does not give us a list of the great pacifists from this or that era, or the great businessmen; it does give us a list of the great soldiers from David’s time. This is one of the many ways that the Bible indicates great respect for the military. 2Sam. 23 1Chron. 11

                 (2)    The highest compliment which Jesus paid to a man was a military man because he understood authority and he understood Jesus’ authority. Furthermore, Jesus did not tell this man, “Put down your sword and follow Me.” Matt. 8:5–10

                 (3)    Wars are a part of human history. There is nothing that we can do to stave off war, apart from having a strong military. Matt 12:29 24:6 Luke 11:21

                 (4)    God both uses and blesses the military of a client nation. God used the Jews to destroy the great degeneracy of those nations in the land of Canaan. The destruction of all the people in Jericho is one example of many. Joshua 6

                 (5)    Failure of the military on the battlefield indicates lack of training, lack of self-discipline, poor equipment, but mostly lack of respect for authority and no spiritual motivation or incentive to fight.

                 (6)    Failure of the military means loss of freedom.

                 (7)    Therefore, freedom is always related to authority. Freedom without authority is anarchy; authority without freedom is tyranny.

                 (8)    The military establishment is an index to national character. Successful armies maintain freedom. This is why universal military training is an axiom in the laws of divine establishment. Num 1:2-3 31:3-5 Deut 24:5 Judges 3:1-2 2Sam 22:35 Psalm 18:34 144:1.

                 (9)    Military training is useless when the men of a nation are reversionistic, apostate, and degenerate. Draft dodgers, slackers, and deserters are sinful in the eyes of God. Num 32:6–7, 14, 20-23.

                 (10)  Antagonism toward authority destroys the function of the military as the instrument of freedom.

                 (11)  Military victory is the means of maintaining peace, not the modus operandi of politicians (Josh 11:23; Psalm 46:7-9). Politicians generally are divorced from reality, saying "`Peace, Peace,' when there is no peace" (Jer 6:13-14, 8:11).

        (19)  A government is a reflection of the souls of its citizens. The amount of positive or negative volition toward the gospel and toward Bible doctrine determine the direction of a nation.

        (20)  A client nation will have a significant number of believers with a significant subset of them who are growing spiritually. Their thinking and actions within the nation will determine whether or not that nation is a client nation to God.

        (21)  Joshua encouraged his own people, the nation Israel: “Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you. And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.” (Joshua 23:11–16). A nation makes corporate decisions; decisions which are based upon thousands and millions of individual decisions. Quite obviously, these things are said to believers in Jehovah Elohim.

        (22)  If we reject His Word (negative volition toward Bible doctrine), God will reject us. Hosea 4:6–9 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [= Bible doctrine]; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of my people; they are greedy for their iniquity. And it will be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.

        (23)  Good decisions of national leadership result in greater options for greater decisions. Bad decisions by the national leadership destroy freedom options and enslave the nation.

        (24)  God’s view of internationalism is first made known with His judgment of the original ‘united nations’ at the tower of Babel, where the human race was then divided into nations.

        (25)  The formation of the Jewish nation set up the perfect standard of what a national entity should be. The Biblical proof that nationalism is authorized by God is found in Gen. 10:5 Deut. 32:8 Acts 17:26-28.

                 (1)    Interior protection of freedom is provided through a proper system of law enforcement, jurisprudence, and a system of law whereby a person is innocent until proved guilty.

                 (2)    The exterior protection of freedom comes through a strong, well-prepared military.

                 (3)    A government of whatever category must protect the freedoms and rights of its citizens without interfering with those rights by the illegal use of power.

                 (4)    An economy must be based on free enterprise and capitalism. Labor has no right to dictate the policy of management.

                 (5)    There must be a system of common law which prohibits crime and thereby protects the freedom, rights, life, and property of individuals.

        (26)  Satan is always on the attack against nationalism: Satan attacks with internationalism, which includes, but not limited to, the United Nations, communist movements (true communism, in theory, is a worldwide movement), Islamic terrorist groups (also, ideally speaking, a worldwide movement), the so-called Green movement, and attempts by members of our own Supreme Court to appeal to or apply international laws or standards.

                 (1)    Again, in a Satanic attack, dishonesty is key.

                 (2)    The Green movement involves large amounts of money and socialism. Some proponents of this movement make millions of dollars on the movement (Al Gore, for example).

                 (3)    However, socialism has made inroads into the green movement as of late, and cap and trade type legislation and Kyoto agreements are means by which huge sums of money are transferred from the United States to poorer countries, with a large percentage of that being taken off the top by sponsors and heads of state.

                 (4)    You never hear, “Realistically, we have no idea if these billions of dollars in wealth transfer will have any affect upon global warming or not; we just want the money because we cannot run our own countries.” Or, “We just want to skim off our fair share off the top and pass the rest along.”

        (27)  Islam is an attack against nationalism.

                 (1)    Islam is an international movement.

                 (2)    Islam is not simply a religion; it is a universal system of law designed for all mankind.

                 (3)    Their end game is to establish control over nation after nation, and to destroy all opposition within that nation. However, they start small, establishing small but independent communities within a nation.

                 (4)    When Muslim population is low (1–2%), they are seen as a peace-loving minority. The United States, Australian, Canada, China, Italy and Norway all have Muslim populations below 2%.

                 (5)    At 2–5%, major recruiting occurs within the jails. Denmark, German, the United Kingdom, Spain and Thailand have Muslim populations between 2–5%.

                 (6)    At 5% and above, Muslims exert an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. France, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Trinidad & Tobago all have Muslim populations between 5–8%.

                 (7)    When Muslims reach 20%, expect rioting, jihad militia formation, sporadic killings, as well as the burning of churches and synagogues. Ethiopia has a Muslim population of 33%. Bear in mind, there will be some overlapping in these categories, and some behaviors will be manifest if a particular area within a nation has a higher concentration of Muslims.

                 (8)    At 40%, there are widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare. Bosnia, Chad and Lebanon have Muslim populations between 40–60% (in my lifetime, Lebanon was once touted as a nation with a great mixing of religious.

                 (9)    At 60% and above, there will be unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, as well as ethnic cleansing. Sharia Law is used as a weapon and Jizya, a tax which is placed upon infidels. Albania, Malaysia, Qatar and the Sudan have Muslim populations between 60–80%.

                 (10)  At 80% and above, there will be state-sponsored ethnic cleansing and genocide. Bangladesh, Egypt, Ezaz, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syrian, Tajikistan, Turkey and the U.A.E. have Muslim populations in the 80 and 90% ranges.

                 (11)  At 100%, there is supposed to be peace, because everyone is a Muslim. Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen are nearly at 100%. However, at this point, they kill one another for being of the wrong faction or not being dedicated enough.

        (28)  My theory is this: Satan is the great counterfeiter and he understands the Tribulation and the Jewish evangelism in the Tribulation (Jews will be scattered throughout the earth at that time). What he would like is, a counterfeit Tribulation, where Muslims are the evangelists during a time of great terror and suffering. This will be a world war, possibly called the Great American-Muslim (or Christian-Muslim) war in the 21^st century. I am not a prophet; this simply seems like a logical conclusion to this conflict.

        (29)  When Bob used to speak of the Great Tribulation with the Revived Roman Empire attacking Israel, that made no sense to me. However, as an Islamic empire, such a thing makes perfect sense.

        (30)  Revolution is also anti-God and anti-establishment.

                 (1)    We have the example of Absalom’s revolution against his father David (2Sam. 15).

                 (2)    Of course, we have the examples of Dathan and Abiram revolting against Moses in Num. 16.

                 (3)    More importantly, we have the example of the Jews resisting Roman authority and revolting as Rome; and God allowed them to be put down in a.d. 70. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience (Rom. 13:1–5). This was written at a time when Rome was not too friendly to Christians.

                 (4)    The results of the French and Russian revolutions argue against revolution; despite the problems with existing governance.

                 (5)    The American Revolution was not a true revolution. Our founding fathers did not want to destroy the governing authorities of Britain and take control of Great Britain. They sought first representation in government; and secondly, when no such representation was forthcoming, independence from Britain. Quite obviously, all of our founding fathers had sin natures, so that some of the things which were said and done were wrong. However, our founding fathers sought not to depose the British government, but to become independent of it. Therefore, the American Revolution is a misnomer and the American War for Independence is more accurate of a designation.

The Doctrines which follow are taken directly from above for the purpose of insertion into other documents. Apart from the Biography, nothing which follows is new or different from above.

Proverbs 8:14–16 With me [wisdom, divine viewpoint] is proper counsel and proven success; with me comes discernment and strength. By me, kings reign and rulers properly adjudicate just results; by me, princes, noble, and all those who must judge righteousness, properly exercise their power. This is a reference to reliance upon wisdom in the divine institution of human government.

This is taken directly from the Doctrine of the Divine Institutions (HTML) (PDF) (WPD). The ESV; capitalized is primarily used below.

Some of this doctrine was written nearly a decade ago, so some of the applications are dated. I have updated some of it to reflect the change.

The Fifth Divine Institution—Human Government and Nationalism

1.     The divine institution of national governments helps to preserve the freedom of peoples of the earth. It is God’s plan for there to be many nations. When a nation is negative toward the plan of God, it is isolated from other national entities. When there is a lot of positive volition within a nation, that nation protects the freedom of its citizens. Deut. 32:8 Acts 17:26 2.     God’s approach to nationalism is made clear when God judges the Tower of Babel, the first United Nations building, where the descendants of Noah were divided by language in order to get them to separate and to spread out over the earth. Gen. 11:1–9 3.     A national entity protects human volition and allows for man to be evangelized. Acts 17:26–27a “And God made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.” 4.     Divine institutions balance volition and authority. Rom.13:1–7 tells us the importance of the authority of the national entity (and other authorities within the entity): Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.         1)     A state or federal government requires funds to make it work; which is why we are not to withhold taxes from them.         2)     A government simultaneously protects your rights from the incursion of another person’s free will; and vice versa. That is, criminal behavior is contained, so that we can live and function in peace, which in turn allows for evangelization and Bible teaching. Obviously, it is easier to drive to church on Sunday if the roads are well-managed and there is no armed conflict taking place within the nation. 5.     This approach of nationalism also serves to contain evil. We saw many revolutions taking place in the Middle East called the Arab Spring; and there was a blurring of their borders which resulted in increased chaos and lawlessness. When this lawlessness continued, it reduced evangelism and the teaching of Bible doctrine. Some churches were even burned. Evil may grow and expand within a nation, but nationalism, for the most part, constrains this evil geographically. Nationalism similarly protects other sovereign nations from importing evil from another nation.         1)     Nationalism must protect its own borders, when necessary, and keep out bad influences. I say when necessary, because some borders require an active defense and others do not. The border between the United States and Mexico is no longer respected by those south of us; so that border needs to be defended. The northern border of the United States is respected by both Americans and Canadians, so no border need be defended with vigor.         2)     Throughout the world, there are dozens of evil Islamic organizations which are looking to expand their influence (even though I wrote much of this in 2015, this is still true today).         3)     Although these groups may be partially sponsored by this or that nation, they often move outside of the boundaries of that nation.         4)     However, other national entities can keep these groups out, if they so choose. Obviously, this is the wise thing for a sovereign nation to do.         5)     The preservation of national entities keeps such organizations out or has a police/military force to keep them under control if they are inside of a nation. 6.     To perpetuate the human race and bring history to its logical conclusion, God has designed the nation to protect the freedom and rights of the people within the nation and to protect the other people on this planet.         1)     This does not mean that all nations are free.         2)     Under the concept of nationalism, a people get the government that they deserve, some governments are going to be oppressive, intrusive and over-bearing.         3)     However, there will be freedom in some nations, which is often where the gospel and Bible doctrine spring from (freedom and the spread of the gospel often occur hand-in-hand).         4)     Furthermore, people from the outside will be drawn to a nation where there are many believers. Furthermore, it will be drawn to its customs and culture (often, what they are expressing is positive volition toward the gospel). This is why some foreigners move to the United States and become Christians and that nation’s greatest patriots.         5)     At the same time, we witness a corrupt government in the United States attempting to reduce the influx of productive Christian citizens and to encourage immigration of (1) those who are interested in becoming dependent upon government largesse; or (2) those whose intent is to harm the United States. 7.     Ideally speaking, a nation provides equality under the law and a maximum amount of economic freedom for its citizens. Both of these ideals will result in unequal outcomes.         1)     There must be a system of common law which prohibits crime and thereby protects the freedom, rights, life, and property of individuals. It must be a system of law which does not overstep the law by using the law to try to solve social problems. Law, therefore, must always be objective. Subjective distortion of the law uses legislation to invade individual rights, to steal personal property, and to erode human freedom; all in the name of the common good.         2)     A government should not try to favor one group of people over another (although, a government can show preference to true divine institutions over false human institutions, to the point of even outlawing the latter).         3)     People are not born equal, and it is not up to the government to try to make them equal.         4)     People use their unequal abilities to work. It is not the government’s job to look at me and Donald Trump, who are in similar businesses, and take from Donald Trump and give to me, because he is slightly better off than I am, as a result of our work.         5)     A government should protect the freedom of its citizens; and therefore, it should not take money or opportunity from citizen A and given that to citizen B, who has a lower economic standard.         6)     When a government, political candidate or political party encourages us to disobey the 10th commandment (we are not to covet the possessions of anyone else, even if they are rich), then we know that person or entity is wrong and they will lead our nation astray. 8.     What about welfare? Isn’t it immoral to reject welfare as a part of the government structure?         1)     The Old Testament clearly made welfare a part of Israel. They were to look out for the widows and orphans.         2)     Their welfare was a combination of public and private efforts. Public welfare cost the citizens of Israel 3⅓% per year. Although Israel collected a higher tax rate, most of that money was used to fund spiritual projects.         3)     Private farmlands were to leave the corners of their farmland unharvested so that the poor could come in and harvest what remained. This was a private decision, but clearly encouraged by the Law of Moses. This indicates that the needs of the poor ought to be a concern of the government and a private concern as well.         4)     Applying the same standards to today suggests that our welfare ought to be shrunk dramatically; and I would suggest that welfare be done only at the local level (city or county levels).         5)     Many cities have placed difficult demands on many organizations which privately provided food, clothing and shelter for the poor. These demands need to be lifted or made reasonable.         6)     This approach, however, would destroy the current Democrat party, which has become the party of free stuff. Every election, they think of something else that they can give away to those who have not earned it, which is bankrupting our country. 9.     God promises blessing to the nation which follows His laws. These would be the laws of divine establishment for all nations. "If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.” (Lev. 26:3–6). 10.   Similarly, there is great cursing for the nation which was a client nation to God, but has turned away from God. You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall ravish her. You shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it. You shall plant a vineyard, but you shall not enjoy its fruit. Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you shall not eat any of it. Your donkey shall be seized before your face, but shall not be restored to you. Your sheep shall be given to your enemies, but there shall be no one to help you. Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and fail with longing for them all day long, but you shall be helpless. A nation that you have not known shall eat up the fruit of your ground and of all your labors, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually, so that you are driven mad by the sights that your eyes see. The LORD will strike you on the knees and on the legs with grievous boils of which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. "The LORD will bring you and your king whom you set over you to a nation that neither you nor your fathers have known. And there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone. And you shall become a horror, a proverb, and a byword among all the peoples where the LORD will lead you away. You shall carry much seed into the field and shall gather in little, for the locust shall consume it. You shall plant vineyards and dress them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worm shall eat them. You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil, for your olives shall drop off. You shall father sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours, for they shall go into captivity. The cricket shall possess all your trees and the fruit of your ground. The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. "All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you. They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever. Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything. And He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. The LORD will bring a nation against you from far away, from the end of the earth, swooping down like the eagle, a nation whose language you do not understand, a hard-faced nation who shall not respect the old or show mercy to the young (Deut. 28:30–50). 11.   There ought to be a common culture which reflects the spiritual life, morality, esprit de corps, nobility, patriotism, and integrity of a nation through its literature, art, music, and drama. One of the present weaknesses of the United States is, illegal aliens moving into the states and then maintaining their own national identity. Because of their illegal status, they make no attempt to enter into the American society. The same is true of Muslims in European society. 12.   There should be a system of government which functions under its power without abusing its power to destroy freedom and establishment. There should be an administrative body to represent the functions of taxation, law enforcement, honorable jurisprudence, maintenance of the military, and enforcement of law and order without the destruction of human freedom. 13.   Ideally speaking, the economy ought to be based on free enterprise and capitalism. Labor has no right to dictate the policy of management. Smart management always takes good care of its workers. Government, labor, or criminals do not have the right to superimpose their policy on management (in a good economy, management will be fighting over the available workforce). The separation of business and state is an important distinction. 14.   Government ought not to disparage the divine institutions.         1)     I have heard candidate Barack Obama and a number of Democrats talk about people working hard and yet not advancing in society as much as they think we ought to. Hard work is a good thing, and people who work hard, over time, will generally be successful in a free society (not everyone will be a Donald Trump or a Bill Gates). In any case, it is not the government’s job to evaluate the work that we are putting in and then determine, by means of some bureaucratic set of standards, that we ought to be paid more (and, conversely, that someone should be paid less); and then to redistribute wealth in order to bring that to pass.         2)     Proposition 8, in California, was a definition of marriage as being the union of one man and one woman. The arrogant Judge Walker overturned this decision of the people. It is up to society to determine, under our form of government, what constitutes marriage and what does not. This judge created a right (the right for homosexuals to get married) out of whole cloth. Studies have shown that there are a variety of factors involved in people choosing to engage in homosexual activity, many of which have nothing to do with genetics (although genetics is a factor, but not a determining factor).         3)     When government shows a preference to single motherhood by providing a myriad of benefits to single mothers (with a threat to permanently remove such benefits if that mother marries), the government is deciding against the institutions of marriage and family. We have studies which show that single parent homes produce far more criminals than do traditional family homes. By encouraging single-motherhood, a society destroys itself from the inside (by encouraging criminality). 15.   Negative volition and scar tissue of the soul explains why some of those who live in a great nation actually think poorly of their own nation and its history. Not only are their souls blinded, but they have nothing which they can compare their life to (apart from, at best, some trips to foreign countries). Their souls have sucked in false thinking and anti-establishment thinking. 16.   Good government can be easily corrupted when people look to government rather than to themselves or to God to solve their problems.         1)     Absolute power in the hands of insecure and incompetent rulers, whose power lust feeds on an insecure generation demanding something for nothing, results in a nation selling its heritage of freedom for a mess a pottage.         2)     In demanding security from government an insecure generation becomes an entitlement generation.         3)     Insecure politicians offer some form of socialism that is always divorced from establishment principles found in the infallible Word of God.         4)     If you seek security in any other than God then you are a weak dysfunctional adult.         5)     The government’s job is to protect freedom, not direct it. 17.   Good government is designed to protect its citizens and their freedom with respect to the divine institutions and to the laws of divine establishment.         1)     Good government protects the volition, privacy and property of its citizens.         2)     This requires a proper system of law enforcement, jurisprudence, and a system of law whereby a person is innocent until proved guilty, where only proper testimony is allowed and no hearsay is permitted, and where double jeopardy does not exist.         3)     Similarly, a good government protects the people from the government itself. That is, the government is not to look to control the volition of others (apart from their criminal activity), nor is the government to rob us of our privacy or property.         4)     Good government will support the work ethic and will not provide multiple ways for people to live without having to work (as our government does with welfare, section 8 housing and social security—that is, using Social Security to provide subsistence to people who have not retired yet). A government which coerces people not to work through government handouts destroys the souls of those people (even if this is done with the best of intentions).         5)     Good government is going to support the divine institution of marriage; society may or may not choose to recognize other forms of unions; but none of these other unions (whether polygamous or homosexual) are designed by God.         6)     Marriage also is a protection for the children which may intentionally or unintentionally be brought into the world. When a government shows preference for, say, single-mother families, that government is making decisions to destroy itself from the inside. Studies have linked all kinds of anti-social and negative behavior to single mother households. More children from a single mother household will be involved in underage drinking, use drugs, get pregnant, commit crimes, go to jail, and/or head their own single-mother household. There are many studies which tell us this; and the book of Samuel teaches us this as well (David’s sons were essentially raised by their mothers on the government’s dime; and they were mostly worthless reprobates).         7)     It is the simple adage: tax it, and you gget less of it; subsidize it, and you get mmore of it. I write this in 2015 where wwe are taxing businesses and wealth aand profit and capital gains, and our PPresident and a number of economists and newspaper reporters sseem to be shocked that more jobs are not being created. At the same time, our government encourages single- motherhood by subsidizing them. Should we be shocked that more and more children are being born to unwed mothers? Tax Graphic from Professor Steve Cunningham’s Econ 219 Course; accessed November 8, 2015.         8)     Quite obviously, a good government will pass laws which look to encourage obeying the final 6 commandments. A government (or political candidate or party) which encourages it citizenry to covet the wealth which belongs to the rich, will destroy that nation from within.         9)     The Bible gives us a good idea as to how much a government ought to tax. If my understanding is correct, there were 2 tithes (10% each) to be paid by the people; and another tithe paid every 3 years for the poor. Since much of that was designed to go to the Levites and to the spiritual concerns of nation Israel, an across the board tax of 13⅓% would be ideal for a nation (and churches would not be taxed). 3⅓% per year would be spent on welfare concerns. Private philanthropic organizations would be encouraged, but there must be a clearly high percentage of any collected funds going to actual needs (50–90%) in order for such organizations to be tax exempt (or, in the alternative, unless an arm of a private church, these could also be made taxable). Organizations like the Clinton Foundation (where money is paid for political influence) and various Hollywood foundations, where 4% must go to an actual charity, should be eliminated.         10)   Quite obviously, no government is ideal; even that of the United States, which is the greatest nation in the history of man. We do not get to disobey our government simply because it is not ideal. Luke 20:25 Rom. 13:1–7 18.   The national entity and the military:         1)     The exterior protection of freedom comes through a strong, well-prepared military. Although the Bible does not ever give us a list of the great pacifists from this or that era, or the great businessmen; it does give us a list of the great soldiers from David’s time. This is one of the many ways that the Bible indicates great respect for the military. 2Sam. 23 1Chron. 11         2)     The highest compliment which Jesus paid to a man was a military man because he understood authority and he understood Jesus’ authority. Furthermore, Jesus did not tell this man, “Put down your sword and follow Me.” Matt. 8:5–10         3)     Wars are a part of human history. There is nothing that we can do to stave off war, apart from having a strong military. Matt 12:29 24:6 Luke 11:21         4)     God both uses and blesses the military of a client nation. God used the Jews to destroy the great degeneracy of those nations in the land of Canaan. The destruction of all the people in Jericho is one example of many. Joshua 6         5)     Failure of the military on the battlefield indicates lack of training, lack of self-discipline, poor equipment, but mostly lack of respect for authority and no spiritual motivation or incentive to fight.         6)     Failure of the military means loss of freedom.         7)     Therefore, freedom is always related to authority. Freedom without authority is anarchy; authority without freedom is tyranny.         8)     The military establishment is an index to national character. Successful armies maintain freedom. This is why universal military training is an axiom in the laws of divine establishment. Num 1:2-3 31:3-5 Deut 24:5 Judges 3:1-2 2Sam 22:35 Psalm 18:34 144:1.         9)     Military training is useless when the men of a nation are reversionistic, apostate, and degenerate. Draft dodgers, slackers, and deserters are sinful in the eyes of God. Num. 32:6–7, 14, 20-23.         10)   Antagonism toward authority destroys the function of the military as the instrument of freedom.         11)   Military victory is the means of maintaining peace, not the modus operandi of politicians (Josh 11:23; Psalm 46:7-9). Politicians generally are divorced from reality, too often proclaiming "`Peace, Peace,' when there is no peace" (Jer 6:13-14, 8:11). 19.   A government is a reflection of the souls of its citizens. The amount of positive or negative volition toward the gospel and toward Bible doctrine determine the direction of a nation. The more degenerate a people become, the greater force of government will be necessary to control them. 20.   A client nation will have a significant number of believers with a significant subset of them who are growing spiritually. Their thinking and actions within the nation will determine whether or not that nation is a client nation to God. 21.   Joshua encouraged his own people, the nation Israel: “Be very careful, therefore, to love the LORD your God. For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you, but they shall be a snare and a trap for you, a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good ground that the LORD your God has given you. And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed. But just as all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you have been fulfilled for you, so the LORD will bring upon you all the evil things, until he has destroyed you from off this good land that the LORD your God has given you, if you transgress the covenant of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them. Then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you, and you shall perish quickly from off the good land that he has given to you.” (Joshua 23:11–16). A nation makes corporate decisions; decisions which are based upon thousands and millions of individual decisions. Quite obviously, these things are said to believers in Yehowah Elohim. 22.   If we reject His Word (negative volition toward Bible doctrine), God will reject us. Hosea 4:6–9 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [= Bible doctrine]; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to Me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. The more they increased, the more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame. They feed on the sin of My people; they are greedy for their iniquity. And it will be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds. 23.   Good decisions of national leadership result in greater options for greater decisions. Bad decisions by the national leadership destroy freedom options and enslave the nation. 24.   God’s view of internationalism is first made known with His judgment of the original ‘united nations’ at the tower of Babel, where the human race was then divided into nations. 25.   The formation of the Jewish nation set up the perfect standard of what a national entity should be. The Biblical proof that nationalism is authorized by God is found in Gen. 10:5 Deut. 32:8 Acts 17:26-28.         1)     Interior protection of freedom is provided through a proper system of law enforcement, jurisprudence, and a system of law whereby a person is innocent until proved guilty.         2)     The exterior protection of freedom comes through a strong, well-designed and well-prepared military.         3)     A government of whatever category must protect the freedoms and rights of its citizens without interfering with those rights by the illegal use of power.         4)     An economy must be based on free enterprise and capitalism. Labor has no right to dictate the policy of management.         5)     There must be a system of common law which prohibits crime and thereby protects the freedom, rights, life, and property of individuals.         6)     Despite there being an ideal government of sorts, this does not give us the right to rebel against a government which is less than ideal. 26.   Satan is always on the attack against nationalism: Satan attacks nationalism with internationalism, which includes, but is not limited to, the United Nations, communist movements (true communism, in theory, is a worldwide movement), Islamic terrorist groups (also, ideally speaking, a worldwide movement), the so-called Green movement, and attempts by members of our own Supreme Court to appeal to or apply international norms, laws or standards to our government.         1)     Again, in a Satanic attack, dishonesty is key.         2)     The Green movement involves large amounts of money and socialism. Some proponents of this movement make millions of dollars on the movement (Al Gore, for example).         3)     However, socialism has made inroads into the green movement as of late, and cap and trade type legislation and Kyoto agreements are means by which huge sums of money are transferred from the United States to poorer countries, with a large percentage of that being taken off the top by sponsors and heads of state.         4)     You never hear, “Realistically, we have no idea if these billions of dollars in wealth transfer will have any affect upon global warming or not; we just want the money because we cannot run our own countries.” Or, “We just want to skim off our fair share off the top and pass the rest along.” 27.   Satan attacks nationalism through revolution.         1)     No government is perfect; flaws with every government can be found.         2)     No leader, president, prime minister or dictator is without flaws.         3)     Therefore, it is always possible to find some set of reasons why a people ought to revolt against their government or against this or that leader.         4)     An imperfect government or leader is not an excuse to rebel against them. In a true democracy, the believer may vote and even advocate for his preferred choice; but he must also accept the will of the people, even if a terrible candidate is elected.         5)     What the believer does not have permission to do is to enact a violent overthrow of their own government. The believer can disobey the government insofar as evangelism and Bible teaching is concerned; but is subject to all other laws.         6)     The rare case when a believer may rebel against a nation is similar to the situation of Rahab the prostitute, who aligned herself with a nation clearly led by God, against everyone that she has ever known and against everyone that she was related to. In such a rebellion, the believer is cognizant that everyone in the country which you have rejected is now your enemy. I cannot think of a good example here from contemporary history. Best I can come up with is South Vietnam’s resistence of the North (which forces were bolstered by existing communist regimes). 28.   Islam attacks nationalism.         1)     Islam is an international movement.         2)     Islam is not simply a religion; it is a universal system of law and the suppression of individual thinking designed for all mankind.         3)     Their end game is to establish control over nation after nation, and to destroy all opposition within that nation. However, they start small, establishing small but independent communities within a nation. These are often called no-go zones.         4)     When Muslim population is low (1–2%), they are seen as a peace-loving minority. The United States, Australian, Canada, China, Italy and Norway all have Muslim populations below 2%. These figures and examples came from a video which has been cleansed at YouTube (it can still be found). These percentages were true around 2015 or so.         5)     At 2–5%, major recruiting occurs within the jails. Denmark, German, the United Kingdom, Spain and Thailand have Muslim populations between 2–5%.         6)     At 5% and above, Muslims exert an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. France, the Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Trinidad & Tobago all have Muslim populations between 5–8%.         7)     When Muslims reach 20%, expect rioting, jihad militia formation, sporadic killings, as well as the burning of churches and synagogues. Ethiopia has a Muslim population of 33%. Bear in mind, there will be some overlapping in these categories, and some behaviors will be manifest if a particular area within a nation has a higher concentration of Muslims.         8)     At 40%, there are widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare. Bosnia, Chad and Lebanon have Muslim populations between 40–60% (in my lifetime, Lebanon was once touted as a nation with a great mixing of religious views.         9)     At 60% and above, there will be unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, as well as ethnic cleansing. Sharia Law is used as a weapon and Jizya, a tax which is placed upon infidels. Albania, Malaysia, Qatar and the Sudan have Muslim populations between 60–80%.         10)   At 80% and above, there will be state-sponsored ethnic cleansing and genocide. Bangladesh, Egypt, Ezaz, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syrian, Tajikistan, Turkey and the U.A.E. have Muslim populations in the 80 and 90% ranges.         11)   At 100%, there is supposed to be peace, because everyone is a Muslim. Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen are nearly at 100%. However, at this point, they kill one another for being of the wrong faction or not being dedicated enough. 29.   My theory is this: Satan is the great counterfeiter and he understands the Tribulation and the Jewish evangelism in the Tribulation (Jews will be scattered throughout the earth at that time). What he would like is, a counterfeit Tribulation, where Muslims are the evangelists during a time of great terror and suffering. This will be a world war, possibly called the Great American-Muslim (or Christian-Muslim) war in the 21st century. I am not a prophet; this simply seems like a logical conclusion to this conflict. Similarly, I believe that it is very likely that certain European countries will erupt into an all-out rebellion led by the forces of Islam. 30.   When Bob used to speak of the Great Tribulation with the Revived Roman Empire attacking Israel, that made no sense to me (lessons 472 and following of the 1981 Revelation series). At the time, much of Europe was Christian, with little animosity towards the Jewish people. However, Europe in the past 20 years has taken in a great many Muslim refugees. If these nations become major Islamic nations, then this prophecy makes perfect sense. 31.   Revolution is also anti-God and anti-establishment.         1)     We have the example of Absalom’s revolution against his father David (2Sam. 15). Many of David’s own sons were anti-authoritarian yet desired great power.         2)     Of course, we have the examples of Dathan and Abiram revolting against Moses in Num. 16.         3)     More importantly, we have the example of the Jews resisting Roman authority and revolting as Rome; and God allowed them to be put down in a.d. 70. Paul wrote to the believers in Rome: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience (Rom. 13:1–5). This was written at a time when Rome was not too friendly to Christians.         4)     The results of the French and Russian revolutions argue against revolution; despite the problems with existing governance.         5)     The American Revolution was not a true revolution. Our founding fathers did not want to destroy the governing authorities of Britain and take control of Great Britain. They sought at first representation in government with some measure of autonomy; and secondly, when no such representation was forthcoming, independence from Britain. Quite obviously, all of our founding fathers had sin natures, so that some of the things which were said and done were wrong. However, our founding fathers sought not to depose the British government, but to become independent of it. Therefore, the American Revolution is a misnomer and the American War for Independence is more accurate of a designation.