The Higher Liberty
Order the book The Higher Liberty
The Higher Liberty
by Gregory HHC, d
Minister of His Holy Church
Go to the Table of Contents
One
form of Government
Why were the apostles accused of
saying that there is another king, one Jesus?
The Church was a government,
established by Christ, for His purposes according to the precepts of
God. The natural state of man is the image of God and the natural
state of God’s government for men is a community of men serving
God by freely serving one another. It would be composed of men in
possession of their endowed rights exercising the power of choice. It
would be a community under the authority of God rather than men.
Even today the definition of the
Church is:
“In its most general sense, the
religious society founded and established by Jesus Christ, to
receive, preserve, and propagate his doctrines and ordinances.”
“A body or community of
Christians, united under one form of government by the profession of
one faith, and the observance of the same rituals and ceremonies.”
While this definition of the
Church may be accurate our understanding of it can be greatly altered
by altering our understanding of “His doctrines and
ordinances.” To change our understanding of the gospel, it is
only necessary to change our understanding of words used in it and
their context in history.
If God said that he desired the
people to be free of the bondage of Egypt and to never return there
again then the purpose of Christ can be no less. Our opinion of the
purpose of the Church established by Christ has been altered over the
years by the teachings and interpretations of men until the Church
gives the appearance of a form of godliness, but denies the power of
the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and the truth that Christ’s
sacrifice set men free in Spirit and in truth.
If
the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
John 8:36
And ye shall know
the truth,
and the truth
shall make you free. John 8:32
Republics may take many forms
and may have different types of governments within their general
condition of recognized and individual freedom. In one sense a
republic signifies the state of the people existing independently of their form of
government. In such republics the leaders are not rulers because they are
titular in nature.
“Natural law was the first
defense of colonial liberty...Some colonists went so far to claim
that they were granted by the ‘King of Kings’ and
therefore ‘no earthly Potentate can take them away.’”
This idea of the government
being separate from the people is not unique or foreign to the Church. Israel was
originally a republic dependent on free will offerings and the voluntary participation of
its citizens in service of its nation and society. Its leaders or
government ministers were kept separate from the people. The people’s contribution to government and their participation
in it was always by freewill choice.
Their ministers did not stand
between God and the people as some teach today. They were doing
something unique and essential for a healthy society. They stood
between the “gods of the world” and a free people living
in liberty under God.
They did this by supplying the
services and benefits of government without exercising authority one over the other, as God and Christ has said from the beginning.
But the adversary works his
sorcery through the servants of subversion. Promising liberty from
their responsibilities through sloth he brings in servitude. Turning minds and hearts through the sophistry of scholars, the
promises of politicians, and the apostasy of the modern church the voice of the people is tempted to reject God again and return
to the tribute and bondage of rulers.
Instead of living by the perfect
law of liberty through charity the voice of the people elect
“men who call themselves benefactors” of the
people but “who exercise authority one over the other”,
contrary to the decrees of Jesus.
The Kingdom of God only binds
men together by faith, hope, and charity. Jesus Christ and the
apostles, like Gideon, would not rule over the people. Moses led the people out of bondage
into a system of government where there were no kings who could
exercise authority one over the other, no government to make laws and
cause the people to bow down and serve them.
God uses such governments to
punish the people who reject and turn from Him to set up men as gods
through sloth or consent. The Ministers of God’s government are
not like Cain, Nimrod, Pharaoh, or Caesar, but are to be titular
leaders of a peculiar people.
----------
Return to the Table of Contents, Alphabetical Index or purchase the book The Higher Liberty
Related Articles and Audio:
Romans 13 part 1
http://www.hisholychurch.org/media/audio/rm/Romans131.ram
ROMANS 13 verse 1 the higher liberty
Does God want us to be subject or to be free?
http://www.hisholychurch.org/sermon/romans13.php
Romans 13 and I Peter 2,13-14
Is the Bible consistent about setting men free or does it contradict itself?
http://www.hisholychurch.org/sermon/romanspeter.php
Romans 13, NN Video Series:7-10 4:32
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SEMYx6affo
Footnotes:
|
