EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO THE WORD–GOD’S STANDARD OF GOVERNMENT.  Readers of this website have seen that in print numerous times.  Within the family of God, government isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.  Without government and strict enforcement of it, lawlessness reigns supreme.  Excellent cases in point were the fiascos that took place in Baltimore, Maryland a couple of years ago, in Portland, Oregon a couple of months ago and in Washington, D.C. on January 6th of this year when we saw chaos and anarchy raise their ugly heads.  The local police were not allowed to use the necessary force to stop the rioting and destruction that gripped the affected areas of those municipalities.  Lawlessness reigned during those riots because the rule of law was not applied.  Any and every time there is no Law (government) enforcement, there is lawlessness, as those three examples prove.  Chaos and anarchy reigned because those who could have and would have stopped it were not allowed to do so.  Millions of dollars went up in smoke along with the livelihoods of many of Portland’s and Baltimore’s citizens.  Destruction and death occurred in D.C. because of a lack of spine on the part of those in charge.

The same principles hold true within the spiritual realm.  Without obedience to the governance provided by God’s Law, godless man wreaks mayhem.  In the physical realm, a few bodies in the street would have stopped the carnage in seconds.  In the spiritual realm God sends warnings before the death sentence is carried out.  Individual sicknesses, “natural disasters,” etc. serve as warnings before wars, pandemics, etc. bring on death and destruction.  The patient Lord of Lords sent all manner of warnings before COVID-19 made its appearance.  The body count has exploded because man refuses to obey His government/Law and does not understand God’s warning signs.  Not only is the end is not in sight with COVID-19, God-rejecting man, including those who claim to embrace Him, have no clue as to why the virus is wreaking havoc globally.

Man, including churchman, does not understand God’s government and its connection to judgment.  Both are on-going, cumulative and inclusive.  Let us examine the connection among these three extremely important and inexorably intertwined parts of God’s relationship with His most cherished creation–mankind.  Without recognition of their existence and the connection among them, man cannot be converted in this life, will not live in obedience in this life and will not live eternally in the next one.  The only knowledge of God’s system, belief in it and obedience to it will head off catastrophe.

Government (the Law) and governance (enforcement of the Law) are absolutely necessary in every aspect of life.  Even in nature there are laws that govern her existence, how she continues to exist and in what condition she exists.  When those laws are disrupted or ignored, trouble arises.  For example, drought and flooding are the results of nature’s failure to produce either enough or too much rain.  God, He tells us, is in charge of nature.  When man obeys His Law, man receives “rain in due season” along with other blessings.  When man doesn’t obey Him the drought occurs, along with other curses.  Read Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 for proof.

The phrase “eternal judgment” conjures up the vision of God sitting on His throne handing down a singular verdict at a singular, and future, point in time.  Though this scene will one day be played out, there are many judgments to be made in our lives before that final judgment occurs.  Another point needs to be made at this time.  Judgment is not always negative.  Man determines whether God’s judgment of him is negative or positive.  Again, everything comes back to God’s Word–His instrument of government.  Just as a civil judge makes his social judgment based on the Law of the Land, God renders His spiritual judgment based on His Law–the Holy Scriptures.  His judgment, whether it is made now or in the future, has eternal implications.

The word “eternal” means that the end is unknown.  In the case of the believer, eternal judgment begins the moment of his true conversion and will end on the day of his final judgment.  When that will be remains a question.  Judgment is eternal, inclusive and cumulative, meaning that it involves the totality of one’s life “walk”–how one conducts one’s life.  A believer walks correctly or incorrectly–not some of each as sinners saved by grace proclaim.  As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 2:5, if a believer continues to sin he “treasures up (accumulates) sin” until the day of judgment.  If he continues to commit sin, his continued “repentances” have no effect for his continued sinning shows that he in fact has an “impenitent heart.”  God knows the heart (mind) of all people.  God is long-suffering and patient.  He wants “all men to be saved” and gives all men the opportunity to “repent,” “turn from their wicked ways,” “seek His face” and obey His Law, which means to submit to His governance.  In 2 Peter 3:9 He tells us this: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise … but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  Recall in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that repentance of sin must be followed by turning from sin.  As Romans 2:5 and 6:23 tell us, when repentance is followed by sin, eternal death is the end result.  The wages of continued sin, even though repented of in every case, is death.  The gift of God–eternal life–must be earned through strict obedience to God’s Law.  As Jesus told the prostitute and the man at the Bethesda pool following their repentance, “Go and sin no more.”  Faith alone is not enough, for faith without works (of obedience) is dead faith (Jam. 2:10,14,17,18, 20,22,24,26).  We live by our faith.  If our faith is dead because of sin, we are spiritually dead.  All of the religiosity one can muster will have no effect on this Truth.

Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we could be forgiven of our PAST sins (Rom. 3:25), then  receive the Holy Spirit which empowers us to resist Satan’s temptations to sin.  Jesus continues to intervene on our behalf when we slip.  However, if we continue to slip, we “treasure up” our sins until the day of final judgment which will follow Christ’s return.  We must grow in faith and obedience (Eph. 4:15/1 Pet. 2:2/ 2 Pet. 3:18).  We cannot remain spiritual babes, as Paul told the Hebrew Christians (5:11-6:7).  God is love and loves His human creations.  But His love does not save us.  Recall that Jesus, upon hearing that the rich man kept the Law, “loved him.”  However, Jesus told him that he would not receive eternal life because of the “one thing you lack” (Mk. 10:17-22).  Note verse 21.  Christ’s love for him did not overcome the fact that he would not give up that one sin.  L.J.