The Spiritual Nature of Governance

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The Spiritual Nature of GovernanceThe Church and its governance are an extension of the God family. Right government is a spiritual matter; human benchmarks are irrelevant. The Church is the Kingdom of God in embryonic form. Christ was born of man that he might qualify for the throne. The saints were conceived by God through the implanting of His Holy Spirit, with the promise of spiritual birth as His sons. We are Christ’s brethren, and fellow heirs of God’s Kingdom. We will possess the Kingdom of God. Applying these seemingly far-off visions is hard today, because such notions of authority and dominion are distasteful. Government is a primary target of Satan’s campaign to wear out and deceive the followers of God. So we cannot defer our responsibility for getting government right today. In fact, the Church must function as an extension of the God-family government into the realm of man. There is no separation between God, Christ, and the Church. We are members of the Body of Christ, and He already sits at God’s right hand, so we already represent His Kingdom. While the jurisdiction of the Church’s authority is limited now, Christ’s full power and authority will one day be extended to us.

The character of our King, Jesus Christ, is the standard for church government. This high standard is achievable, and in fact required, because we have at our disposal the full power of God through the Holy Spirit. Christ is tenderhearted, merciful, and submissive. Christ did not cling to His equality with the Father in Godhead, but rather submitted Himself to God, and gave up His life for us. Indeed, He submitted Himself even to man by dying for us. Right government is exemplified by these traits, and by the Father-Son relationship of the God family. So it should be in the Church. We have to arrange ourselves in submission to each other, just as Christ did. This submission is not imposed, but voluntarily given. True authority is created by voluntary submission; everything else is coercion. Authority and submission exist in harmony within the government of God. As a husband, Christ has authority over the Church so that He can serve her by cleansing, sanctifying, and glorifying her. The Church is administered through various functional roles, but all of which must serve this same end—to nourish, cherish, and ultimately glorify the saints. The key is attitude, not structure. God’s people can make powerful contributions to establishing right government within the Church of God by not grieving the Holy Spirit and developing marriages that mirror the God family standard.

Keywords:
Isaiah 9:6-7 – government – Daniel 2:28, 36, 44 – the Kingdom of God – the family of God – Daniel 7:7-18, 25 – rule – kings – priests – dominion – Acts 3:20 – Ephesians 1:13, 23, 2:10 – Body of Christ – God’s handiwork – Colossians 2:12, 19 – Ephesians 4:1,-6 – peace – humility – Ephesians 4:17-24 – children of God – hesed – mercy – tenderheartedness – Ephesians 4:13 – Ephesians 5:14-21 – Philippians 2:1 – mutual submission – Isaiah 43 – redemption – Ephesians 5:8 – Ezekiel 34:11-16 – I Corinthians 11:3, 12:24 – I Peter 5:1 – marriage – submission – authority – authoritarianism – husband – wife – family