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Depart From All Iniquity
One of the largest unreached people groups in the United States I see the Church failing to call to "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance..." are our civil officials and judges. "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few...."
Because our civil officials are ministers "of God to thee for good" with the sacred duty to "beareth not the sword in vain," but as "a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil," (Rom. 13:4) it is, and always shall be, the responsibility of the Church to preach to the civil officials and judges, educating them to what is "evil" in accordance to "the ordinance of God" set forth in His Holy Bible.
If the civil officials, of any society, have problems distinguishing between what is good and evil, then societal moral breakdown points directly to the Church's failure to care for the civil officials' spiritual and physical well-being, and their eternal life.
The fact that they are in an office of power, and "the powers that be are ordained by God," and because many civil officials and judges in America today resist the power and disobey the ordinance of God, they "that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." (Rom. 13:2)
By willfully disobeying the ordinance of God, the civil officials defile their office, abrogate their authority, pollute the land, and damn their souls to hell!
This is the message that the Church is failing to get across to civil officials today: In the Day of Judgment they will be held directly accountable for every decision, judgment, and law they make.
"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few." (Luke 10:2)
One of the most flagrant areas we see the civil officials and judges in open rebellion to "the ordinance of God" is in regard to the unabated and unaddressed murder of countless millions of children by abortion.
According to numerous Scriptures murder is the shedding of innocent blood, and murderers are to be prosecuted by the civil officials and judges to the full extent of the law. Murder, in this case the shedding of innocent blood by abortion, is a capital crime. Therefore, our civil officials and judges in order to "bring forth fruits suitable for repentance..." must write and adjudicate criminal law appropriate to the capital offense.
However, instead of writing criminal law suitable for their repentance, for years now our civil officials have adopted a tradition of writing regulatory law which is in direct rebellion to the "ordinance of God."
Specifically I refer to the tradition of state and federal lawmakers writing regulatory controls to ban some abortion procedures, like the Partial-Birth ban, or no abortions for teen-age girls without Parental Consent and other notification laws. These regulatory controls clearly make the commandment of God, "Thou shalt not kill," of no effect.
To illustrate this I'll apply this modern legislative tradition in retrospect to what Jesus said to the civil officials in Matthew 15:3-9 (KJV).
"But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" For God commanded, saying "Thou shalt not kill," (Ex. 20:14) and, "If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, then thou shalt give life for life." (Ex. 21:22-23) But you say, we will regulate some abortion procedures, and whoever commits murder by other abortion means, "he shall be free." (Matt. 15:6) "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, 'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'"
It is interesting to note that in Matthew 15:4, Jesus upholds the death penalty commandment, "He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." (Ex. 21:17) Jesus does this to show the civil officials how far they transgressed "the commandment of God by their tradition." This begs the question, since Jesus upholds the death penalty for not honoring father and mother, how much more so do you think His judgments will be against civil officials who make the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" of no effect while little babies are murdered by abortion?
"The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few."
One of the most disgraceful practices among us is how some Christians encourage our civil officials to ignore the commandment of God by supporting this tradition of writing regulatory controls when capital laws for murder are required. Can you imagine Christians going around encouraging civil officials to disobey the commandment of God?
Imagine after John the Baptist rebuked Herod for the sexual crime of adultery saying, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife," (Mk. 6:18) then some other Christians come along and tell Herod, "You don't have to listen to that preacher out in the wilderness. Just pass a Spousal Consent or Notification Law and we'll call you good." Sound ridiculous? Well, that is exactly what is happening. Christians are encouraging our civil officials to ignore the commandment "Thou shalt not kill" and write regulatory controls!
Jesus said, "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:18-19)
Surely we cannot believe that the people "called the least in the kingdom of heaven" will be seated on the back pew in the heavenly congregation praising God? No! Jesus says that those who "work iniquity" must "depart from" Him. (Matt. 7:23) This type of "iniquity" means lawlessness: to disobey the commandments of God.
Even the Christians who have the faith to prophesy, cast out demons, and do many wonderful works in His name, (Matt. 7:21-22) even if these Christians "work iniquity," then in the Day of Judgment they must depart from Jesus!
This should be an awakening for Christians who have made it their life's ministry to lobby civil officials to disregard the commandment of God, and teach other people to do so. The Law-Maker and Judge has said you will be "called the least in the kingdom of heaven."
Furthermore, it is a shame that so many civil officials and judges go to church on Sunday and are reassured by their pastors that they will be saved from the wrath to come. With God there is no respect of persons. (Col. 3:25) God is not impressed by our civil officials' and judges' tradition of writing abortion controls while they ignore the shedding of innocent blood.
At God's Judgment Bar, a profession of religion will not save any man from damnation who has willfully disregarded His commandments. "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few." Therefore, let everyone that names the name of Christ Jesus depart from all iniquity.
Jim Rudd
Editor
July 22, 2000
email: editor@covenantnews.com
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