I certainly agree regarding loving our neighbor. My question is what is more loving, correcting a corrupt system of government, one trying to do things God never gave to civil government (admittedly at some cost during the correction), or let it continue to destroy the entire country? I argue that if the church was doing its job, which I think it is starting to do again, those hurt by layoffs or impact on small businesses would find loving neighbors providing true philanthropy, not letting the government do a fake version of the job we ought to do. Philanthropy, as all things Biblical, ought to be personal and relational. Principle should govern over issues and expediency. Faith requires the risk of investment (Genesis 1:26), as only God can bring the increase of fruit.
The purpose of government is never to control by regulation, but provide justice as a foundation for liberty, which includes defense. Regulation and bureaucracy always destroy those. Likewise, government never provides services. Both regulation and service-providing skew the marketplace and corrupt those who are supposed to provide objective justice (with mercy). This alternative model was the original, with due deference to God bringing the increase of fruit, that made us the most successful nation in history. Without the current correction, with emphasis on serving and glorifying God again, we are facing destruction via debt, inflation, insane riot as a childish people panic, and likely invasion. Yes, the correction is painful, but as with a grave illness or damage to the body, strong medicine or surgery is necessary. The correction is dangerous, as the national government holds power never intended by the founders, who I think represented God’s Providence, according to fruit produced, however fledgling and imperfect. (Ironically, they expected us to take stewardship toward a more perfect union. Instead, we now barely have the faith, wisdom or skills to govern ourselves.)
Regarding the one brave enough to undertake these things, what great Biblical hero was without great human flaw? God called such as Moses, Samson, Jephtha, Gideon, and David for dire times. Who are we to judge Another’s servant (Romans 14:4)? While we must hold criminals temporally accountable (Genesis 9:6, etc.), we condemn no one, always hopeful of eternal conversion, as the thief and murderer on the cross with Jesus. As President Trump himself has said, only God can save us.
In such things, I take positions, not sides. Siding with sinful men is dangerous. By taking positions, I can support the good, critique the wrong, seek solutions, and remain a friend. I trust God to trust my neighbors.
I believe that such and more are a part of God restoring the church against its self-centeredness and dereliction of now many years. According to Horace Mann’s design, American textbooks almost completely removed the name of Christ by 1879. There is no condemnation, but repentance and correction, yes.
