Sunday, April 08, 2007

Making Theocracy Work.

The best method of government is theocracy. Theocracy is the rule of God (theos kratos = god rule). Theocracy is the same as the Kingdom of God. Kings rule over kingdoms. God is king of the Kingdom of God, so he rules in the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the same as the rule of God. Christians believe in the Kingdom of God, so we should be supporters of theocracy and not democracy.

For the LORD is our judge,
the LORD is our lawgiver,
the LORD is our king;
it is he who will save us.
Isaiah 33:22
The rule of God is the best, because it is the only way to blessing.

The difficulty with theocracy is in making it work. Because God is spirit and in heaven, we have to find a practical way for him to rule on earth. People with political and judicial power have to find a way to do God's will.

God is not silent, so they can not his will. He has revealed his will to mankind, so it is hard, but not impossible, for rulers to know his will. If God’s will can be known, rulers can choose to obey God and do his will when exercising political power.

The civil authorities can hear God by studying the scriptures and listening to his Spirit. They can also listen to those who speak on behalf of God. Having heard God's will, they can obey God in their political jurisdictions. When political powers obey God’s will, he rules through them and theocracy comes into being. The Kingdom of god becomes a reality as the rulers of a nation freely submit to God.

Every ruler who has chosen to serve God, should be part of a church (a body of believers, not an organisation). The ruler will be under the oversight of the elders of their church and will be receiving teaching from them about the Christian life, just like other Christians. These elders will have a responsibility to teach their disciples how to serve God in the political life. They can help the the ruler listen to the Spirit.

However, the role of these elders is limited. They can persuade and warn, but they must never control. Political rulers are not accountable to God through the church. They are directly accountable to God for their political activities. The church can only teach them to do right and challenge them when they do wrong. Civil leaders are free to serve God directly. They must not go under the authority of the Church.

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