The Universality of Divine Self-Government
The government of Jerusalem cannot be compared to any form of government found in Athens. In the end, government within Athens becomes progressively and literally diabolical.
The history of political philosophy has largely been a record of discussion and debate over the role and responsibility of the civil government. “Government” in this context almost universally means civil government, with the possible exception of medieval and pre-modern Byzantium and Western Europe where the concept of government was extended for a time to the Church.
In post-Enlightenment times, particularly in the Anglo and American traditions, political philosophy has turned around the issue of the respective responsibilities of the state versus the freedoms of the individual. The debate has turned around more or less civil government.
Jerusalem has a very clear and definitive view on such issues derived from its constitutional documents. The Scriptures declare distinct, but limited, roles for the State, the Church and the Family—the core institutions of the Kingdom. We will trace these through in forthcoming essays. But, while the governing role of each and any institution in Jerusalem is holy, but nevertheless limited, government itself is not. Within Jerusalem, government is maximal.
The government of which we speak is divine government: after all, Jerusalem manifests the Kingdom of God. Jerusalem represents the City of redemption where, progressively, all things are restructured and reformed around the reign and dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ. Within Jerusalem all enemies are progressively placed under His feet. Government, divine government, in the City is therefore universal in scope and intent. Consequently, within that great City we are not led to speak of minimal government and maximum individual freedom. We have been taught to speak, rather, of universal, comprehensive, complete Divine government of the City—and therefore limited, delegated government for every human institution.
This is palpably evident throughout the constitutional documents, but a few citations will suffice. In the Lord's prayer, our Lord commands us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10). The coming of the Kingdom of God is sure, certain, and infallibly the pre-determined and declared will of the infinite, infallible, eternal God. Therefore, we are commanded to pray for it, with absolute faith, completely certain that it will come to pass. Moreover, the Kingdom of God is not some ethereal, other worldly, non material kingdom: our Lord makes clear that it is coming upon earth, as the growing crescendo within human history, as all enemies are progressively placed under His feet. This is the great goal that all human history is orientated towards, and is working towards—whether men are aware of it or not.
But notice how the Kingdom is characterised in the parallelism: the coming of the Kingdom is equivalent to God's will being done upon earth, as it is in heaven. In heaven, the government of God is universal, expressed through and reflected in all the myriads of beings, both angelic and human, through all its institutions and structures; through all its ordinances and services. As the Kingdom of God comes upon the earth, the same universal nature of God's government that exists in heaven becomes progressively evident within Jerusalem.
Secondly, the Lord's apostle, Paul tells us that all reality within Jerusalem is being made subject to the Lord Jesus Christ. Within that city, every thought is being taken captive (II Corinthians 10:5) to the obedience of Christ. The government of the Kingdom is so pervasive and universal that, by the Spirit of God, it does what Athenian human powers have never been able to do—which is to govern, direct, control and subdue even the thoughts and intentions of the human heart.
It is a characteristic of God's Word, when animated by the Spirit, that it captures, controls and transforms each human being from the inside out. “For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the divisions of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). Each Believer is charged with working to bring forth and manifest this divine government in his life. “So, then,” says Paul, “whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God.” (I Corinthians 10:31)
Thirdly, the will of God is manifest in His commandments. The summary of those commandments is given to us by our Lord: “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind.” (Luke 10: 27) Heart, soul, strength, and mind represent the totality of our beings: but to leave us with no doubt, the Law of God commands that respectively all of our heart, soul, strength and mind are to express a comprehensive and total love for God. The subjugation of all His enemies includes subduing the enmity which resides in the hearts, souls, and minds of His people. Every part of a person is to be devoted to the Lord.
It is an irrefutable maxim that he who is able to win total control over the human heart, over every thought and intent of the heart, will thereby have won total control over human society.
The Kingdom of God on earth manifests an ever increasing realm of divine government. Within Jerusalem, government is universal. But the most basic and fundamental form of government is within the human heart—and even and especially there the Kingdom has totalitarian claims and its realm is universal. This means that the most fundamental and pervasive realm of government within the Jerusalem is self-government. The most fundamental realm of divine rule in the Kingdom is the human soul willingly, deliberately, and increasingly successfully subjecting itself to the will and commands of God in all things—so that the goals, the motives and the standards of the individual are increasingly conformed to God's commands and God's Word.
Thus, within Jerusalem's walls, divine government is universal and maximal. But the most fundamental and important manifestation of God's rule is in the human heart, that seat of sin, which means that the most fundamental and important manifestation of God's government in Jerusalem is the rule of self-discipline, and of willing self-conformity to the Word of God.
The most important realm of government is government of self. Any society which cannot manifest righteous self-government out of the hearts of its citizens is doomed to ultimate failure and collapse. But Athens, that "alternative" city, the city of Unbelief, to this day has utterly failed to command the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It has tried valiantly. It has spent untold money on universal programmes of education and re-conditioning. It has tried universal propaganda. It has tried totalitarian regimes. It has tried religion. It has tried bribery, intimidation, and threats. All have failed.
Unable to change the human heart, it has failed miserably to produce a realm of willing self-government amongst the governed. Consequently, Athens is doomed to failure and eclipse. He Who sits in the heavens laughs. For He alone can create a new heart. His atonement makes it possible. His Spirit alone can transform His people from the inside out.
Jerusalem is a holy City where the Lord rules. But His realm of government is first and foremost over the thoughts and intentions of each individual heart—for from the human heart are the springs of life itself. That means that the most important governmental realm within Jerusalem's walls is a willing self-government of the soul.
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