OUR
GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS
The Foundation of Freedom
by
Gary Ray Branscome
True freedom, the kind of freedom that
comes from God, is not the freedom to sin, but freedom from sin (John
8:32). Therefore, the kind of political freedom that comes from God, is
not freedom from the law, but instead is freedom secured by law.
Abolish the law, and every criminal will be a tyrant free to rape, rob,
slander, imprison or kill. Abolish the law, and every honest person
will be a prisoner of fear, living in constant danger. In fact, because
revolution overthrows the rule of law, and by overthrowing it does away
with all of the restrictions that the law places upon rulers, it can
never produce freedom. On the contrary, after a revolution the new
rulers are free to rape, murder, imprison or execute whomever they
will, and there is nobody to stop them. Therefore, it should be clear
that the kind of freedom that comes from God only exists when the
system of law will not allow an abuse of power, and when rulers who
commit crimes receive the swift, sure punishment that justice requires
(Ecclesiastes 8:11). [Note: The American War of Independence was not a
true revolution, because it was carried out by the duly constituted
Colonial Governments (not revolutionaries), and sought to preserve the
rule of law (not overthrow it).]
Now it is true that
laws can be used to commit crimes as well as punish them. (Matthew
23:14). Many of the problems in our own nation stem from the fact that
the law is being twisted to protect criminals, while legitimizing such
crimes as abortion. The enemies of Daniel tried to use the law to
destroy him, and would have succeeded if God had not intervened (Daniel
6:14-16). Therefore, we need to recognize the fact that laws that
constitute an abuse of political power, represent a breakdown in the
rule of law not a legitimate expression of it. Moreover, the abuse of
power subverts freedom, while the law that secures freedom condemns the
abuse of political power, namely the moral law of God.
AT THE
NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW
Since Christ has
been given a name that is “above every name,” all rulers are to
acknowledge Him as Lord, and recognize the fact that any authority they
have is a trust from Him, that needs to be administered according to
His will (Philippians 2:10, Romans 13:1, Daniel 4:25). Furthermore,
because sin has obscured our natural sense of right and wrong, rulers
need to recognize the fact that the Ten Commandments were given to
provide us with a reasonable basis for civil law. At the same time, it
must be understood that the purpose of government is not to make us
righteous, but to punish those who commit crimes (Romans 13:1-4, 12
Peter 2:14). [Romans 2:15, Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1, Genesis 9:6,
Galatians 3:11, 1Timothy 1:8-10, Ecclesiastes 8:11.]
One thing that sets
the American system of government apart from all others, is its
acknowledgement that our rights come from God, and that government
exists to protect those rights. Yet there are forces at work today that
would like nothing more than to give government the authority to decide
what rights we should have, or not have. To that end, they have
reinterpreted the First Amendment to take away the very freedom it was
written to protect. And, they would like to take away our right to
spread the gospel, by calling it “religious harassment.” Therefore, I
want to make it clear that the Ten commandments not only are not an
infringement on our freedom, but are the basis of our freedom and the
source of our God given rights.
DEVOTION
TO GOD
By requiring us to
worship Him, to the exclusion of all others, God has given us the right
to worship him to the exclusion of all others. Furthermore, because
that right comes from God, rulers have no God-given authority to deny
it. Therefore, the First Commandment is the foundation of religious
freedom, and we have every right to secure that freedom by enacting
legislation that would require rulers to respect both our right to
worship, and the Author of that right.
Because we have
lost sight that fact, we no longer enjoy freedom of conscience in the
United States, but are instead forced (through taxation) to support
things that we could never otherwise support in good conscience,
including a system of education that is hostile to our religious
beliefs.
RESPECT
FOR GOD
By forbidding us to
take His name in vain, God has given us the right to treat His name
with respect. Furthermore, because that right comes from God, no ruler
has any legitimate authority to deny it (Acts 5:29). Therefore, this
Commandment goes hand in hand with the First in underscoring our
religious freedom, and we have every right to secure that freedom by
enacting legislation that would require rulers to respect that right,
(even to the point of ordering military officers not to swear in God’s
name).
Because we have
lost sight of that fact, we have been forced through tax support for
the “National Endowment for The Arts,” to finance (in the name of art)
a crucifix dunked in urine and an actor who urinates on stage into a
toilet bowl containing a picture of Jesus.
WORSHIP
By commanding us to
remember the Sabbath Day, God has given us the right to set apart one
day each week as a day of rest and worship. Furthermore, because that
right comes from God, government should not interfere with it, and we
have every right to secure our freedom by enacting legislation that
would require both rulers and employers to respect that right. Or to
put it another way, the purpose of Sunday closing laws is to guarantee
our freedom to worship, not to force worship. At the same time, Jesus
made it clear that certain functions necessary for the protection of
life, such as police or hospitals, could be exempted (Mark 3:1-6, Luke
6:7-11).
THE
FAMILY
By commanding
children to honor their father and mother, God has given parents the
right to control the education of their children, and children the
right to be taught by their parents, live according to the standards
they have been taught, and care for their parents in their old age.
Furthermore, rulers have no God-given authority to deny that right, and
we have every right to seek legislation that would protect that right
(including the right to discipline).
Because we have
neglected our responsibility in that area, we are forced (through
taxation) to support schools that teach evolution, sex education
courses that encourage immorality, death education courses that deny
the afterlife, and values education courses that teach children to view
themselves, rather than God's Word, as the final authority.
MURDER
By forbidding
murder God has granted us the right to life. Furthermore, because that
right comes from God, governments exist to protect it, and we are
authorized by God to seek and enact legislation that would require
rulers to respect it (Romans 13:1-4). Moreover, that right
automatically takes precedence over any made-made “right,” such as the
“right to choose (murder)” that is often used to justify the cold
blooded butchering of unborn infants.
Although the Bible
allows rulers to provide for national defense and execute criminals,
they are not allowed to abuse their authority, as David did when he
ordered the death of Uriah. On the contrary, every precaution is to be
taken to insure that only the guilty are put to death (1 King 2:23,
24,31, Ecclesiastes 3:8, Romans 13:4, 1 Peter 2:14, Genesis 9:6, Exodus
23:7, Genesis 14:14, Deuteronomy 19:10, Proverbs 28:16, Psalm 72:14,
Ecclesiastes 8:11).
Because we have
neglected our responsibility in this area, over forty million babies
have now been butchered in the United States alone, and the advocates
of murder are pushing for laws that would allow them to kill the
elderly and the handicapped.
ADULTERY
By condemning
adultery God has given us the right to lead moral lives, be faithful to
our spouse, and have a spouse that is faithful to us. Furthermore,
rulers have no legitimate authority to deny that right or to pass laws
that encourage its denial, while we have every right to seek
legislation that would protect that right (Romans 13:1, Exodus 20:14).
In fact, because God instituted government to protect that right, laws
that make the marriage commitment a legally binding contract are in
full accord with His will.
Because we have
neglected this right, adultery, rape, illegitimate births, and divorce
are reaching epidemic proportions, while educators and pornographers
are subverting morality. [Matthew 19:7,8, 1 Timothy 2:2, Exodus
22:16-19, Leviticus 20:10-16, Matthew 5:28,32, 2 Samuel 11:2-4,27,
Deuteronomy 22:33-39.]
I might also add,
that by condemning adultery God has given every child the right to be
conceived and born in the normal way to parents who are man and wife.
That right, stands in unbending opposition to those who would “clone”
people just to harvest their organs, or deliberately deform them via
“genetic engineering.”
THEFT
By condemning theft
God has given every one of us the right to property. Furthermore,
because that right comes from God (not from government) government not
only does not have any God-given authority to deny it, but government
exists to protect it (Romans 13:1, 1Peter 2:14). Therefore, no ruler is
ever justified in using his authority to confiscate or steal our
property, or to allow others to steal it, either outright or by
allowing them to steal someone’s labor [slavery] (Exodus 21:16).
While rulers
deserve a salary and have legitimate expenses that must be met, God
never intended for them to use the power to tax either to make
themselves rich or to appear as benefactors at our expense. Therefore,
while we should never refuse to pay our taxes we should work through
the system to see that the power to tax is not abused (Romans 13:6,
Luke 22:25,26, Nehemiah 5:15, 1 Kings 12:12- 24).
[Note: While God (out of compassion
for the lost) allowed the children of Israel to purchase slaves from
the heathen, believers who were in bondage were to be treated as
indentured servants (Exodus 21:1-167, Leviticus 25:10 and 39-55). At
the same time, the law of Moses did not place any tax on real property
(such taxes oppress the poor), but did provide certain safeguards
against those who would use the misfortune of others to amass huge
tax-free land holdings (Leviticus 25).]
FALSE
WITNESS
Because the law of
God condemns false witness, no ruler is ever justified in falsifying
evidence in order to get a conviction in a court of law. That being the
case, we are authorized by God to enact any legislation necessary to
insure that our government does not allow the falsification or
withholding of evidence (Romans 13:1). At the same time, because
government exists to protect our God-given rights, the law of the land
should condemn those who are guilty of slander, perjury, or fraud.
The requirement
that we be regarded as innocent until proven guilty, is actually a
safeguard against slander as well as false imprisonment, and the Magna
Carta, which is basic to our free system of government, was adopted to
end such crimes on the part of King John. [See 1Kings 21:9,10.]
[Note: Those who prophesy falsely in
God’s name are guilty, not only of taking His name in vain, but also of
fraud (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 and 13:1-5).]
CONSPIRACY
By condemning
covetousness, the law of God condemns criminal conspiracy. For that
reason, those who have been involved in planning a crime are just as
guilty as those who actually do the dirty work. In fact, even if
criminals are caught before they able to carry out a crime, they can
still be prosecuted. And, that holds true for those inside of
government as well.
CONCLUSION
Because king Alfred
incorporated the Ten Commandments into the English system of law, they
are fundamental to our entire system of government, and most of our
other laws simply apply those commandments to specific situations.
Moreover, those commandments are basic to freedom, and history has
taught us that freedom can only prevail when rulers are subject to the
moral law of God, and a division of power makes it possible to hold
them accountable for their crimes.