Theonomy in Debate

Oct 21, 2003
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Watching the series "Locked Up", I am reminded of how the American legal system could use a strong dose of theonomy. Too many repeat violent offenders are either in prison for life or should be, with no rehabilitation, or none foreseeable in the horizon. For what purpose? To what end? So psychologists can study them? So they can ever make life miserable for everyone (including their own miserable existence), including those that might have a chance to rehabilitate? It's messed up, people have no sense of justice these days, and it can only come from an improper and unbalanced view of the attributes of God Himself. Every year in America thousands upon thousands (the documented ones) of innocent babies are murdered, and yet capital punishment is only used (rarely) by 31 states (of 50), despite the nature of the crimes commit ed by violent offenders. In American over forty years, only 1,422 capital punishment sentences have been carried out. Contrast that with the number of abortions over the past forty years and consider how twisted justice and mercy is in America. Things need to change, at the secular society level.
 
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Soyeong

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With the way the world seems to be going I just want to profess Theonomy as a doctrine, join a Fundie church and hunker down waiting on the RAPTURE!

^_^

While it is tempting to want to hunker down and wait for God to deliver us, that is not what we are called to do, but rather we need to be preparing the world for his coming and interceding on their behalf. Though I am in complete agreement with professing a Theonomy as a doctrine.
 
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JM

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While it is tempting to want to hunker down and wait for God to deliver us, that is not what we are called to do, but rather we need to be preparing the world for his coming and interceding on their behalf. Though I am in complete agreement with professing a Theonomy as a doctrine.
Thank you, but I was joking about hunkering down...how else do we govern if not by the Law of God?
 
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JM

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Govern what exactly? Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's.

How do we as Christians govern if elected? How do we lead or manage in the work place? How should we vote? By which standard?

If we are to 'renew our minds' Brother...what does that look like?

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
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JustAsIam77

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How do we as Christians govern if elected? How do we lead or manage in the work place? How should we vote? By which standard?

If we are to 'renew our minds' Brother...what does that look like?

Yours in the Lord,

jm
Yes indeed brother, thanks for clarifying, I agree wholeheartedly.
 
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twin1954

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If we as Christians are elected we govern by the same thing we live by, the law of Christ. We do not place the governed under a yoke of bondage to the law. We simply walk by faith not by sight doing what is good, honest, with integrity and right. A theonomy would put unbelievers under a law that they cannot keep and add to their sin hypocrisy. You cannot force a rebel to worship God. That is what a theonomy does.
 
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Soyeong

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If we as Christians are elected we govern by the same thing we live by, the law of Christ. We do not place the governed under a yoke of bondage to the law. We simply walk by faith not by sight doing what is good, honest, with integrity and right. A theonomy would put unbelievers under a law that they cannot keep and add to their sin hypocrisy. You cannot force a rebel to worship God. That is what a theonomy does.

God is not in disagreement with Himself about which laws we should follow, so the Law of Christ is the same as the Law of the Spirit and the Law of Father, which was given to Moses.

The laws that someone gives reflects upon what they value and who they are as a person. For example, laws that are trustworthy can only come from someone who is trustworthy, while someone who is giving laws that aren't trustworthy should not be considered to be trustworthy, so the opinion that we have of the law matches the opinion that we have of the lawgiver for giving it. So the fact that God is trustworthy means that His Law is therefore also trustworthy (Psalms 19:7, Nehemiah 9:13) and a laws that is holy, righteous, and good, can only come from a God who is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). So if you have such a low opinion of the Law that you consider it to be a yoke of bondage, then you must have an equally low opinion of the Lawgiver for giving it. The Psalms express extremely high praise for God's Law, which certainly matched David's opinion of the Lawgiver, such as repeatedly saying that he loved it and delighted in obeying it, so if you consider the Psalms to be Scripture and to therefore express a correct view of God's Law, then you will therefore share it instead of holding a view that is the opposite of the one expressed in Scripture.

In Deuteronomy 30:11-20, God said that His Law is not too difficult for His people to obey and that obedience brings life and a blessing while disobedience brings death and a curse, so choose life! So believing that we can obeying God's Law is about walking by faith in what God said and about choosing life, while believing that we can't keep it is about expressing a lack of faith in what God said and about choosing death.

A theonomy is a government ruled by God's Law. There is nothing about a theonomy that necessitates that it is imposed upon others against their will.
 
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JM

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Love ya brother but just as you are compelled to speak out against the law I am compelled to speak out for the Law.

If we as Christians are elected we govern by the same thing we live by, the law of Christ.

How does the Law of Christ differ from the Decalogue? I would say they are one and the same.

We do not place the governed under a yoke of bondage to the law.

Like Paul we can "delight in the law of God after the inward man" (Romans 7:22) and "we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." (1 John 5:3) The Law is only grievous if you are trying to earn salvation by it, if you are condemned by it...Christians are neither condemned by it or trying to earn salvation.

We simply walk by faith not by sight doing what is good, honest, with integrity and right.

By what standard do you measure the 'good?' Is honesty somehow different from that required in the old Mosaic covenant?

A theonomy would put unbelievers under a law that they cannot keep and add to their sin hypocrisy. You cannot force a rebel to worship God. That is what a theonomy does.

Hypocrisy brother is denying the universal nature of the Law, it's denying it theologically and affirming it practically.

Yours in the Lord,

jm
 
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