What is an “Open Heaven?”

What is an “Open Heaven”?

Do you live with an open heaven?

One night I had a dream where one angel was telling another angel to “move the golden hole.” Hmmn . . .

It was like there was a “hole” or “window” in heaven that they moved over a young man we know. He was in his 40’s and not yet married, although he desired to be married.

I knew instinctively that he was going to be blessed and would be married soon after the “window” of heaven had been “moved” above him.

And, yes, he was soon married after I had the dream.

This got me thinking. What causes God to open heaven for us? What can we do that moves God or the angels to move “the golden hole” above us? What are some of the ways that God opens heaven?

I was able to spot several instances in His word that specifically state the heavens opening.

1. Tithing – Malachi 3:10

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the LORD of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.”

2. Water Baptism – Mark 1:10

“Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him;” Matthew 3:16

“After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,” Luke 3:21

“Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened.”

3. Prayer – Acts 10:11

“On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground.”

4. Full of Holy Spirit/martyrdom

“But being full of the Holy Spirit, he (Stephen) gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;” and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” Acts 7:55,56

5. Seen by Jesus

Jesus answered and said to him (Nathaniel), “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

And He said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” John 1:51

6. Divine Dreams

He (Jacob) had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. Gen 28:11

7. Divine Visions

Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I (Ezekiel) was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. Ezekiel 1: 1

After these things I (John) looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.” Revelation 4:1-2

And I (John) saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. Revelation 19:11

8. Divine Call – Acts 9:3

As he was traveling, it happened that he (Saul) was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

9. Divine Provision – Psalms 78:23,24

“Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven; He rained down manna upon them to eat and gave them food from heaven.”

There are many ways to get under God’s “open heaven” (God’s abundant blessing) mentioned in His word that don’t specifically call it an “open heaven”. See how many you can find. Hint to get you started: Matthew 5: 2-12.

Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

At the Judgment Seat of Christ Believers Get Backpay for Their Work

Because I had no knowledge or teaching about the Judgment Seat of Christ, I was clueless when it came to some basic questions.

“Are there different degrees or levels in heaven?” asked my mother one day when I was still college age.

“If we’re saved by faith, why do many Scriptures say ‘God will render to every man according to his works?’ Isn’t this a contradiction?” I had big questions and no answers.

After graduating from Luther Theological Seminary in 1970 I went to a small non-denominational church in Little Rock, Arkansas. Mel Amerine, a gifted pastor and teacher was teaching about “The Foundation Doctrines of the Faith” from Hebrew 6:1-2.

In my Lutheran background I was unaware of the doctrine of eternal judgment as listed in Hebrew chapter 6. In fact, I don’t remember ever hearing about the judgment seat of Christ. But as the teacher kept speaking about the topic and drawing his congregation into the Scriptures, I realized that some of my biggest Bible questions were getting answers. I learned there are many judgments in Scripture, not just one big one at the end. I discovered that yes, we are saved by grace through faith, but we will also be judged for our works. Believers will be repaid for what they do, whether good or bad. Major portions of Scripture began to fall into place for me. What a relief!

Look with me for a brief intro to the Judgment Seat of Christ. A person is saved (justified) by grace through faith. John 3:16 plus many other Scriptures establish this foundational fact. Jesus took the full penalty for our sin on Himself! Later, every believer “must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed (rewarded) for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” (II Corinthians 5:10)

St. Paul explains more about this judgment in I Corinthians 3:8-15. Notice the context is in relation to our works, our labor. It says our works will be tested by fire. Yes, there’s fire at the judgment seat of Christ. (That was news to me; I thought fire was only in hell.) Anyway, everyone’s work that survives the fire test will be rewarded. If a man’s deeds are not approved, he will suffer loss. Loss of what? Loss of reward in heaven even though he himself shall be saved. Wow! This puts a fear of God in me. It also makes me happy—I hope to get rewarded!

The believer in Jesus Christ will be rewarded for his deeds, his service, his attitudes, his willingness, his motives, his words. Everything will be revealed, nothing hidden.

The Bible describes the rewards in various pictures or symbols: crowns, inheritance, nearness to the throne in heaven, degrees of glory, and level of authority in heaven. I began to read the Bible with new eyes. This whole subject of inheritance or rewards is a major Bible theme. How could I have missed it?

It all stems from the judgment seat of God where a believer is judged on the basis of his service!

Photo image by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash

Take Care What You Listen to

Take care what you listen to
Take care what you listen to

Jesus had a habit of dropping gems. Be not afraid! Take courage. Lo I Am with you. Gems that we love to hear . . . but easily dismiss.

Here’s a gem for today. Take care what you listen to Mark 4:24.

This week I felt pressure to mow a thistle patch before the thistles went to seed. I knew deep down that the thistles were too tall for our mower. But did I listen to my “early warning system,” aka the Holy Spirit?

No, I was listening to the pressure from the thistles as they began to bud. I could hear the thistles as they began to flower. And I knew I’d be in trouble, big trouble, if those thistles went to seed and spread their seeds all over our property.

So What did I do? I tried to mow in spite of that inner knowing. Consequently, I ended up breaking a belt on the mower. I repented for 2 days of lost time and $55 dollars of lost time and money.

Will I ever learn to take care what I listen to?

The stakes get higher as we mature and get into greater service. That is to say, To whom much is given much is required.

By your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Mark 4:24

We who have a big dipper–will receive a big earful from God. Those with a little dipper, will receive small doses from heaven.

Next comes a huge warning. For whoever has, to him shall more be given Mark 4:25. And he will have extra. And he who has little ears, will only receive a pint-sized download from heaven.

But watch out! No one is ever static. We are either growing or diminishing in our capacity.

Let’s apply this to faith. We are either exercising faith and getting stronger faith, or our “faith muscles” are getting flabby. And some will even lose what they now have.

Apply to joy. We are either growing in joy or going downhill in the joy department.

Apply this to finances, home relationships, willingness to serve, or hunger for God.

Or apply this to power before God. This week I spent time getting filled with the Holy Spirit by means of talking in tongues. The same day a lady called on the phone who had a terrible headache. By faith, I dealt with the headaches and the devil. (That was the need in her particular case.) She received partial deliverance. Enough deliverance to start coming to church services.

What are you listening to? How large a measuring cup are you using?

Changed by Love: The Untold Stories

Publisher’s note: On June 15th the US Supreme Court Defied God and Damaged Our Nation

The article below is timely in light of the fateful court ruling. Read the testimonies of LGBT people who have changed by the power of God and love of the church.

They call themselves “formers.” And Wednesday, they were on Capitol Hill telling a story the Left doesn’t want you to hear. “We exist,” Elizabeth Woning told NBC News. Surrounded by men and women who’ve walked out of the LGBT lifestyle, her message to Congress is: stop pretending change isn’t possible. Because this group knows better than anyone—it is.

So many of the House’s bills, Elizabeth pointed out, “are based on the premise that LGBTQ people only have one option, and that there are no other ways forward—when we know from our own lives that this is not true.” Wearing shirts that say “CHANGED,” the group hoped to persuade Congress that their Equality Act and therapy bans may actually be doing more harm to the community than good.

On Wednesday’s “Washington Watch,” Janet Boynes tried to explain why the Left is trying so hard to keep testimonies like theirs quiet. “We’re being silenced,” she insisted, “because we can debunk what they’re saying. They will not sit down and debate any of us that have come out of the life of homosexuality, because we can challenge their ideology. I am in the living example that change is possible through the power of God… We came here to tell our stories [believing that] they’ll impact many men and women and family members who have loved ones dealing with that issue of homosexuality, transgenderism…”

Boynes, who had a traumatic childhood, watched her dad abuse her mom—then became a victim of sexual assault herself. She says that’s when she started to associate men with “rape and abuse.” Despite knowing God, she says she met a woman who she felt safe with and started to have a sexual relationship with her. “I walked away from my faith,” she admits. “After that four or five years, I was empty.” She tried to fill the void with food, drugs, other women. “These are the things that I started medicating my pain with outside of God… I never dealt with the issues that propelled me to go into that life…”

Janet says, “There are Christians that walk away from their faith to go into the homosexual life. But the Bible says, ‘When I leave 100 sheep,’ God said, ‘I’ll leave that 99, and I’ll come after you. And God came after me.” She met a woman at the grocery store in the middle of the night who told her she was a Christian. “I told her I was a lesbian. She invited me to church. Two weeks later, I went to church and I have rededicated my heart to the Lord.” She wants people to know, “it was the church, the body of Christ, that assisted me in my journey of walking out of that life.”

She hopes Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) takes that to heart after their chance meeting outside the Capitol yesterday. Janet saw her across the grounds and stopped to talk to her. She handed Pelosi a book full of testimonies like hers. “I hope she takes the time to read it, because these bills they’re coming up with [are] to silence us… And as long as [we’re silenced], they’ll continue to make inroads…” And the next target, she warns, are kids.

Christians, she says, can’t afford to sit back. But in a world where they’re called “homophobes” or “haters,” some are shrinking back. “What would you say to them?” I asked her. “What should they do?” Love them, she said simply. “God never called them by their shame. He always called them by their name.” Let them know, “God is there for them. God loves them. And I believe that what He has done for me, He will continue to do for them and their families as well.”

The Iowa Blessing

I enjoy publishing stories of God’s blessings. At the Church of the Living Water we pray each Sunday morning for our leaders. Watch this music video for a few minutes. You will be inspired.

The Iowa Blessing: Worship Leaders from churches all over the state of Iowa came together to create a music video to show unity and share a message of hope. 

3 Inspiring Stories from Iowa

These stories are published by the Family Leader Foundation based in Des Moines, Iowa. Greg Baker leads the Church segement of the Family Leader. Thanks to Greg Baker for publishing these events which show God as Chief Reconciler.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5.

1. Governor Reynolds and Mayor Cownie Join Prayer Vigil at Des Moines Police Department

Last night, we were blessed to help host a prayer event with Al Perez, Des Moines Metro pastors, and governing leaders just outside the Des Moines Police Department. Governor Kim Reynolds, Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie, Chief Wingert and DMPD officers, and over 100 African-American, African, Hispanic, Asian, and white pastors from all across the Des Moines Metro joined together to pray for peace, justice, unity, and righteousness for our schools, city, state, and nation. 

 praying for governor praying for officers2
Pastors praying for
Governor Reynolds
Pastors praying for 
Des Moines Police Officers

2. God Answers Two Police Officers Prayers Through Two Hispanic Pastors

On Sunday night, an African-American Des Moines police officer and a white police officer prayed that the demonstration outside the Des Moines Police Department would remain peaceful. An hour later, right as time reached curfew, Pastors Ian Rojas and David Sixtos, who are part of the Church Ambassador Network, were able to negotiate an agreement between police and demonstrators. Both sides agreed to kneel for two minutes to honor George Floyd and others who have fallen to injustices. Following the kneeling, demonstrators left just a few minutes past curfew.  

 police protestors kneel
 Des Moines police officers kneel with protestors 

3. Officers Kneel with Protestors and Pray Lord’s Prayer Together in Fort Dodge

Check out this video of Fort Dodge police kneeling with demonstrators and reciting the Lord’s Prayer together (link is to a Facebook video, you may need to log in to Facebook to view): 

Fort Dodge protest prayer

These past few days continue to illustrate the consequences of sin from not only this generation but many generations before us. A member of our team shared how these very racial issues we are facing today are largely the same issues he faced growing up in the 1960s and 1970s. They were not new then either. Since the beginning of time the enemy has used what the Bible calls factions and divisions against us. These factions ultimately keep prideful attention on ourselves, and off of our Creator. These very factions become the root of some of our deepest sins in history, American slavery, the Jewish holocaust, and the genocide in Rwanda as examples. 

What an incredible God we serve! As we learned during the initial days of COVID 19, God has and will continue to use His Church. It is an honor to partner with you!
Greg

— 
Greg Baker
Executive Vice President,  The Family Leader Foundation 
Director, Church Ambassador Network

You are Such a Good Listener

You are such a good listener

My daughter surprised me last week. “You are such a god listener!” she exclaimed.” Yes, a surprise. If she had said, “You never listen,” I may not have been so surprised.

Her accolade, of course, made me happy and want to become a better listener. I was all ears.

Our daughter continued, “People are troubled these days. They need someone to talk to.” Our daughter is sensitive and aware of people and their feelings. She suggested I give a “gift of presence” to people in the community by announcing that I will be available to listen to anyone who comes to the church sanctuary or calls during certain hours. (From my perspective, I’m already available. But then, not everybody knows this.)

So I kept listening. Our daughter explained her rational to me and to her brother Ethan, who serves as associate pastor in our church:

“I think this addresses a) that you’re offering a listening ear, which I think is what will most speak to people, and b) that you’re not offering answers, just your presence. These two things, presence and listening, are two of the most humanity-restoring things we can offer, and what you both are so good at giving to me.”

Here’s the blurb she wrote as we announced this to the world:

We’re here to listen, if you’d like to talk. In these uncertain times, we’re all under a tremendous amount of stress. You’re handling it very well! We’d like to come alongside you and listen to what’s on your heart. We don’t have all the answers, but we can offer a listening ear, and just be there with you for a moment in your day.

If you’d like to talk with Pastor Mark, he’ll be standing by his phone on Tuesday and Thursday mornings in the month of May. Here’s his number: 563-554-1401.

Do you think anyone would call?

Yes! A fellow named L called and talked almost 40 minutes, He asked for prayer for someone close to him and even sent a picture.

Later, I got to thinking, “Am I a good listener?”

I remembered a Pastor S who came earlier into my office and poured out his heart for nearly an hour.

I remembered R who sometimes calls or comes two or more times a week. He says he doesn’t have anyone else to talk to.

I thought of a woman with severe cancer who needs to talk and ask questions. She wants me to be her “cancer coach.”

Why Listen?

One time, years ago, I was planning to resign. An elder, Tom said, “Not now!” I’m so glad I listened.

Joab, an Israeli military general in the Bible, won an important battle because he listened to a wise woman (2 Samuel 20:17f).

Love listens. When we love people, we listen to them.

Many people are lonely and feel isolated. Nearly everyone wants someone to listen to them with empathy.

Part of the ordination ritual for priests in the Old Testament included sprinkling blood on the ear. It was called a “filling” or consecration and equipped the priest for service (Leviticus 8:22f). If we want to serve people, we need to hear them.

God has given us two ears and one mouth. This ought to be a clue about God’s will for our lives!

Two Caveats for Great Listeners

One, our chief concern is that folks learn to pour out their hearts into the “ears” of the Almighty. He’s the One Who cares the most. He’s the One Who gives results.

We always want to direct people to God. Yet, sometimes people just need to talk with someone with flesh and blood.

Second, a good listener need not listen to gossip and evil. Sometimes we need to cut people off or redirect a conversation.

Who is the Best Listener?

No doubt–God Himself! Give ear to my prayer, O God; And do not hide Yourself from my supplication (Psalm 55:1). The book of Psalms could be summarised as one great plea for God to listen.

So again, we want to direct people to God, to pour out their hearts to Him. And if we love people, we will listen to them.

Are you a good listener?

4 PEOPLE WHO COULD HAVE BEEN DISCOURAGED…and weren’t

JOSEPH.

He was the favored son of twelve, and his dad made him a colorful coat. He wore it–big mistake. Then he had a dream about his brothers bowing down to him, and he told them. Big mistake #2. They were jealous and hated him, finally selling him as a slave. So much for a fancy coat.

He could have been bitter, but instead he did what he could for his new boss. Captain Potiphar could see that Joseph was trustworthy and gave him charge of his home. Then he got framed by Potiphar’s wife for wisely refusing her advances–and landed in prison.

But the same thing happened. Rather than turning resentful and becoming a victim, he did what he could. The guard could see that he had character and put him in charge of all the prisoners. We are told, “Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it” (Genesis 39:22).

So while he kept going down and down, from son to slave to prisoner, he accepted his situation without growing bitter or hateful, and the Lord gave him success.

Then he interpreted dreams accurately for the butler and baker and asked the butler to remember him before Pharaoh when he was reinstated. He forgot. Again, he could have grown so resentful as to become unusable to the Lord or to people. But he maintained his positive spirit in the presence of pain rather than surrendering to doubt or depression, which would have blocked his ability to perform his duties.

When Pharaoh needed an interpreter for his two dreams, the magicians and wise men all failed. Then the cupbearer remembered the young man in prison, the Hebrew–two lousy years later. Joseph could have been consumed with unforgiveness, blocking him from the ability to interpret dreams.

Not Joseph. He was up for the challenge, and he became the second most powerful person on the planet. Had he given in to discouragement, which would have been understandable, he would have sacrificed his future. Way to go, Joe!

JOSHUA.

Moses is dead. He had totally dismantled the most powerful nation of the world with ten plagues in two weeks. He managed to wipe out the Egyptian army with one wave of his rod. He was the human instrument for signs and wonders of colossal proportion never seen before or since on the planet. He took a nation of two million on a hike for forty years through barren land.

During that time their shoes and clothes did not wear out. They were served up breakfast from heaven–every day. He made water flow from a rock two times. He spoke with God face to face on a regular basis.

Now Joshua is taking over. “Okay, go for it, Josh.” Hard act to follow? No. Forty years of hard acts. Joshua is told to bring the nation across the river and into a hostile land that would be theirs–if they can overcome the nationals who have other plans for them, some of whom are giants.

God speaks to Joshua, at least hesitant about his job description if not shaking in his sandals: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

That word is repeated three more times in the same chapter. Really? Don’t be discouraged? With what he has been handed? Impossible command. Who could obey it? How could he not give in from time to time? Come to think of it, what command from God is possible? How about, “Pray without ceasing,” or “Rejoice in the Lord always,” or “Have no anxiety about anything?”

Every command is an impossibility. If they were not, we could pull off the Christian life without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Joshua put his trust in the right place, and he carried out his assignment to the fullest. Good going, Josh!

DAVID.

When he as a fugitive returned to Ziklag with his fighting men, they found that the Amalekites had raided their camp, burned it and had taken captive all the women and children. The men wept “until they had no more strength to weep” (1 Samuel 30:4).

“And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul…But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God” (6b). He asked the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” The Lord answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue all” (8). He went after the enemy with six hundred.

An Egyptian was found that tipped them off on where the Amalekites were. They attacked them by surprise and recovered everyone and everything! Way to encourage yourself in God rather than giving in to despair. Nice save, Dave!

PAUL

When Paul and Silas came to Philippi, they went to a place of prayer down by a riverside and spoke to a group of women. One of them, Lydia, opened her heart, was baptized together with her household, and convinced them to stay at her house.

Going again to the place of prayer, Paul and Silas were met by a demonized slave girl who made her owners rich by fortune-telling. After days of annoyance, Paul commanded the demon to leave. The angry owners dragged Paul and Silas to the magistrates, who along with the crowd tore off their clothes and beat them with rods. Then they threw them into prison and fastened their feet in stocks.

So what should you do if you were badly beaten unjustly, uncomfortable with stocks, and sleep eludes you? At midnight Paul leaned over and asked Silas if he knew any good worship choruses. They sang while the other prisoners listened.

An earthquake shook the foundations of the prison and opened all the doors. The jailer assumed that he had lost all the prisoners and drew his sword. Paul stopped him saying that no one had escaped. Amazing for Paul to have that kind of authority with all the prisoners. This made the jailer fall before Paul and ask how he and his household could be saved. After the wounds were washed, the happy jailer and his family were baptized. A new church in Philippi, one that Paul felt especially close to, was launched out of great suffering. Nice call, Paul!

John Adams’ Warning to America and You

John Adams’ Warning to America

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” President John Adams to Massachusetts Militia, October 11, 1798.

Who Was John Adams?

The second president of the United States of America, Adams was blunt and forthright. A founding Father of the nation, he became an early critic of Britain’s treatment of America. Willing to take unpopular stands, he even represented British soldiers accused of murder during the Boston Massacre.

Though not a signer of the constitution, he strongly favored independence and was an advocate for the Bill of Rights. (Adams could not sign the constitution because he was in England representing American interests at the time.)

Adams was a devout Christian; even his opponents considered him a highly principled man.

He married Abigail Smith. Their correspondence is still admired and read today for insight into social and political matters of the time.

Why is John Adams’ Warning Important for Us Today?

Adams’ warning sounds an alarm for America today. He knew the limitations of democracy and a democratic constitution. In the same address, he warned, “We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion.”

John Adams saw the Christian religion as a restraint on human passion. He realized that self-government was ineffective without morality based on Christianity.

If America shrugs off genuine Christianity, our constitution will not work according to Adams. What does that say about America today?

During his long life, Adams warned about rioting and bloodshed akin to the French Revolution.

We all know our country faces trouble and division today. Adams tells us why: because we have thrown off morality and Christianity. (The use of the term “religion” in Adams’ day univeraly meant “the Christian religion.”

You can read Adams address in entirety here.

But should the People of America, once become capable of that deep simulation towards one another and towards foreign nations, which assumes the Language of Justice and moderation while it is practicing Iniquity and Extravagance; and displays in the most captivating manner the charming Pictures of Candour frankness & sincerity while it is rioting in rapine and Insolence: this Country will be the most miserable Habitation in the World. Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge or Galantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-3102

What Should We Do About Adams’ Warning?

We need revival. Nothing short of supernatural revival will stem the tide of of destruction that Adams warned about.

We need the humility and prayer and repentacne that allows God to send revival.

We need to know God loves us enough to send us warnings, to give us time to take action.

One time I drove up the hill in our town called Mark Twain Overlook. As I gazed over our city and the Mississippi River, I was surprised to hear the voice of God speak to me.

“As long as you are in this town, believe Me for revival.”

Do we really need John Adams’ warning to America? The Bible has already warned us many times. Read the book of Judges. Read Isaiah. Read the Gospels. God’s warnings are clear.

Still, when an American president warns, it’s worth listening to and taking action.

Are you a part of a prayer group in your church that calls on God for revival? If not, could you start one? Is your faith stirred up for revival and renewal?

Do you see what will happen if God does not send revival?

Purpose of Government? Do You Know What It Is?

What is Purpose of Government

What is the Purpose of Government According to the Bible?

The purpose of government is seen in three scriptures.

Government is related to authority and all authority is from God.

For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God (Romans 13:1). Scripture declares God has established governmental authority.

Why? What are the purposes of government? And why am I addressing this question?

I’m writing because one young man recently stated as he wrote to me, “I hate government.”

I’m also writing because there is a greater need to understand government and it’s God-given purposes. We need to know the purpose of government, its extent and limitations.

I’m writing because not many others are addressing government from a Biblical point of view.

What is the Purpose of Government?

The one explicitly stated purpose of government in the Bible is to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good (1 Peter 2:14).

Some see punish and praise as the only Biblical purpose of government. There are however, other inferred purposes for civil government.

Let’s go back to the garden. God set Adam in the garden to cultivate it and keep it (Gen 2:15 NASB) Or to work it and watch over it (ESV). The Hebrew word for work or cultivate is abad. Abad is translated 227 times out of 290 occurrences in the King James Bible as to serve.

It may seem strange to consider the Garden of Eden as the initial government that God ordained. I am not the first to think this, however. Dispensationalists, as well as others, consider the garden as the original government of God on earth.

The view of government as “servant” or “minister” aligns closely with the New Testament reference in Romans 13:4. Here the Holy Spirit declares through the apostle Paul For the government is God’s servant to you for good (ESV).

Therefore, I conclude the first purpose of government that God established was “to serve.”

The Hebrew word for keep or watch is shamar, which means to keep, to watch, to guard, to protect.

Notice that these passages do not tell exactly how government is to serve or protect. That can change in various circumstances or times. These passages give a lot of leeway in what governments can or cannot do. The Scriptures offer many opportunities for people of all political persuasions to implement government policies.

1 Tim 2:1-8 shows a third intention of God’s plan for government: that you may lead a quiet and peaceful life with all Godliness and dignity. God ordained government to help keep peace and quiet in society, to keep the populace undisturbed and undisturbing of others. The governments job is to protect and defend people.

Godliness (eusébeia) means piety toward God, reverence and respect. The job of governors and those in authority is to operate in an attitude of fear of God.

Honesty (semnótēs), sometimes translated gravity or respect, is a necessary characteristic of a servant of God.

In Summary, What are the Purposes of Government?

According to the Bible, our source of truth and the revelation of the mind of God, the purpose of government is to serve; to punish evil and praise good; to guard and defend; and to promote peace and quiet, Godliness and honesty.

It seems to me that any other purpose can be included in the above.

If you see otherwise, please let me know and include the Scripture reference to go with it.