The Government of Man Versus the Government of God

Scripture Ref: Luk 15:11-24

By Apostle Carel Marais, preached at Harvester Reformational Church Pretoria, 12th February 2012.

The Bible is the most misunderstood book on the planet, not only by those who do not prescribe to it, but also by many of those who claim to know its message. Simply stated, the Bible is about a King, a Kingdom and his royal family of children. The story and message are about the desire of a King to extend His Kingdom into new territories through His royal family. The Bible therefore is about the government and rulership found in Gods Kingdom. Looking at the word “Kingdom” immediately brings thoughts of government, authority, dominion, royalty and rulership to mind. This is manifested in the exercise of authority and jurisdiction over territory and citizenry. The Greek word used for government literally means to steer, to pilot or to act as a rudder. So government is the power given for the purpose of making and enforcing laws for a certain territory. Earthly governments derive their authority from the people either through a process of choice or by usurping authority through force. God's authority as King is inherent. No one gives Him authority. He has authority because of who He is and because He created the earth and everything that lives in the earth. That is why Jesus could say that all authority has been given to Him.(Matt 28:18) His Father had all authority and therefore had the legal right to give it to His Son. In the same way we now have to establish and proclaim that authority on this earth.

Worldly government get their authority by way of a vote or violence – It is not inherent authority. In the Kingdom, God suggests a somewhat different route: when we think our superiors are wrong we are called to pray and submit to them. We like to do what is right in our own eyes. In the Church today we are governed by worldly systems and in the government of man we fight for authority through the most popular vote; and when that does not work we will start a revolution/rebellion which is the root of all sin – the same sin that evicted Adam and Eve out of the garden of eden. This was the same with Israel in Judges 21:25: In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Today we are in the same predicament, we have no King, and we want to do what we think is right. Jesus did nothing unless the Father first revealed it to Him – That is submission. Now if the Godhead submits to one another, why can't we? This is the core of what we have to face, the rule of God versus the rule of man, and of course the rule of Satan. The essence of the Gospel is simply: Jesus came to replace the existing Satanic world order with the order of God. The choice is then: Whose government do we accept? Because, we're going to be governed by one for sure! What is the mandate then? It is to restore the church to the original governing concept of God the Creator – it is the restoration of a King, His rulership and His Kingdom.  And the only way to do it – is to start living it. Like Jesus we are to show this new level of operating in a brand new lifestyle. Jesus showed them a better way – we are to show the world a better way.

Gods kingdom is often just the opposite of the kingdom of the earth. So you want to be a leader? Well, start at the bottom and serve. Want to be rich? Give all you have away. Want to overcome those who oppose you? Then love them.  Satan's rule however is manifested through wars, pride, greed, lust, sickness, poverty, cruelty, bitterness and oppression. Easy to chose, it seems, isn't it? But we know it is not as easy, for the devils ultimate tool is deception. He is the father of all lies. The devil has no power whatsoever over us, only that what we give to him, through hurt and human offence we open our hearts to resentment, bitterness, hate, anger and fear. Through sin we give him the legal right to enslave us. This is what we see happen in our Scripture Ref: Luk 15:11-24. Being deceived by foolish ambition and thinking that he could live his life the way that he wants to live it – the youngest son ended up in a pigsty. A change of government took place – he moved from one kingdom to another kingdom Luk 15:15 “And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country” No longer his fathers government, nolonger his own government but “he joined himself to a citizen of that country” And as soon as he moved under a new government – he was subject to and judged by the law of this new government.  Immediately he moved from being a son to a serf, a slave: Luk 15:16-19  “And he was longing to fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, and no one gave to him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father abound in loaves, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you and am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” Now suddenly he understands – salvation for him laid in his conversion to the reign and rule of his Father. “Make me like one of your hired servants.” This was his rehma moment – Luk 15:20 And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

I believe that this is the time and the season when God is establishing his new governance over Satan through the church; replacing the shadow with the reality. Now is the time for the church to rise up in establishing Kingdom dominion or enforcing Kingdom governance. We now move with Christ in His victory parade enforcing Kingdom dominion and governance over all spiritual tyrants – stripping them of all their sham authority and then marching them naked through the streets.  2Co 2:14 'Now thanks be to God, who always causes us to triumph in Christ, and He revealing through us the odour of the knowledge of Him in every place' A complete victory was achieved by the death and resurrection of Christ, so that every thing is now in subjection to him. Eph 1:20-21 'God raised him[Jesus] from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever'

See we now rule with Christ having the mandate of enforcing the governance of the kingdom of God upon the earth today. We have complete victory through him who loved us. (Rom 8:37)  Satan is no longer in control – but 2000 years ago the church arrived as Christ's occupying army/government enforcing His victory over every power and principality in the heaven's. Jesus is the supreme commander and we his army and Col 2:15 says 'He/Jesus [then] stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets'

A new way of living has been announced and a new season has come. It is the season of the revealing of the son's of God who take dominion
over the enemy. A new level has been opened up in the spiritual and Christ is calling every believer to this next level of living. We again need to acknowledge Him as Lord and King. We again need to understand that His original purpose and plan is to extend His rule and reign/government through His children – which is through us. It is coming under His complete governance/rulership. And once we are under the rulership of this King, He then takes personal responsibility for us, not as serfs, but as family and royal children. James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God, resist the Devil and he will flee from you” Submit your will and plans to God, let Him reign in your life and then when you resist the devil, he is facing a living God and not a living me, resulting that he must flee because he is already conquered by Jesus.  We can not conquer the devil on our own, for then we forsake all thework Jesus have done, it is only through the resurrected Christ in us, that we can overcome the enemy. We therefore need not to even fight, argue or reason with him, we have no case with him. Jesus had overcome him.

Resisting on the other hand is another issue; we constantly have to resist his lies and deception with the truth of the word. This is how the kingdom works. There are different levels of maturity, children, young men and fathers. Each have overcome (John 1:12-14) a certain aspect of the evil one, or to say it another way, have come into accepting a certain measure of gods government and rule in their lives. The older, matured persons word and life should simply teach the young. But we see how even the older brother is deceived – staying in his fathers house but not completely submitting to his government. Luk 15:25-32 The father answered the older son in verse 31 “Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.” What they both missed was that wile living in the house of the Father, while they submit to his government, they come under His welfare. What they missed was that the father's personal commitment was to look after the needs of his children. What they missed was that wile living with dad everything that dad owned they automatically had excess to.

It's the story of a father and  his son's who was ignorant to the concept of kingdom. Like the youngest son we too demand of God to 'give us our share of the inheritance now' Not understanding that inheritance has more to do with power and authority than with money and wealth. What the youngest son missed in the beginning he only understood once he had lost everything, and sometimes in our ambition for money and wealth we will fight to win
the popular vote or even try to come up top by starting a revolution, and in all of that we loose everything. See in this Kingdom he is King; but he is also a dad and today we need to acknowledge that His original purpose and plan is still the same. It is to extend His rule and reign/government over the enemy and the darkness that satan brings over creation. And he wants to do it through you and me. It is to became accurate in the way that we live as a body of believers so that the kingdom of God could be manifested through signs and wonders so that others should come to faith in Jesus Christ. A body of believers becoming accurate in what they do each day, establishing the reign of God on the earth.This is the core of what we have to face, the rule of God versus the rule of man, and of course the rule of Satan. The choice is then: Whose government do we accept? And
the mandate then? It is to restore the church to the original governing concept of God the Creator – it is the restoration of a King, His rulership and His Kingdom.