Since I was young, I dreamed of finding the “right” person to marry. I longed for someone to spend my life with—someone who would stand with me through the good times and the challenges. Like so many others, I wanted a spouse I could depend on. The key to realizing such a wonderful relationship is in its foundation, its center.
Good government of the people requires that the government take responsibility to protect every individual citizen’s God-given rights. In government by the people, we noted the people’s responsibility to be mature, self-governing citizens that properly steward their private property. Now let’s look at government for the people, which is how the government and the people work together so that the power of government remains with the people.
First, in “Government of the People,” we will examine the responsibilities of the government and its chosen representatives and leaders. Second, in “Government by the People,” we’ll take a look at the people’s responsibilities.
As Americans celebrate the 242nd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is a good time to reflect on the subject of government. Is there any Biblical basis for a particular form of government?
We saw in Part 1 that to be “asleep in Christ” refers to a born-again believer who is physically dead and awaits the return of Christ. That is when believers will “wake up”! That is our great hope for the future. Now let’s see more of the how and when those who are asleep in Christ will get up.
Many sincere Christians believe that upon death a believer goes to heaven to live with the Lord. They even teach that those who died are conscious and are “looking down” upon those of us on earth. This teaching opens the door to spiritualism and evil spirit impersonation of the dead (familiar spirits). What do the scriptures say about those who are “asleep in Christ”?
In the Eastern culture of the Bible, the word “father” is used of someone who begins or supplies something. God, our heavenly Father is the beginner and source of mercy, glory, spiritual ability, and light.
In Part 1, we saw the great truths in Psalm 91 that show God’s great love and protection for the Messiah. Now we will see in Philippians 2 how God kept His promises to Jesus Christ by raising him from the dead and making him lord. And we will see in Ephesians 6 what we have today with Christ in us, the hope of glory. We can trust in our heavenly Father’s unlimited supply, and not in man’s meager attempts at sufficiency.
Sometimes it’s pretty easy to trust in people. It is how we were taught since birth. We put our confidence in our Dad and Mom that they will feed, clothe, house, and love us. We trust in our school teachers to give us what we need to know. We even trust our employers to pay us what we’ve agreed upon.
In Love and Marriage: As Christ Loved the Church, we saw that God’s plan for marriage as expressed in Ephesians 5:25 tells husbands specifically in the marriage relationship to love their own wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.