Liberating Planet Earth
by Gary DeMar by Gary DeMar
T&Liberation of the Church 91 are really like. I will deliver you into their jurisdiction for a few years.” There are those today within the church who tell us that Old Testament laws are inherently tyrannical. They tell us that the church can live under any system of political law in the world, and still survive. But one system of law is supposedly forever forbidden: Biblical law. That would be intolerable. That would mean that Christians were exercising dominion. The power religionists do not want to hear that; neither do the escape religionists. What we learn in the Old Testament is just the opposite: tyranny was the product of every rival law system in the ancient world except Old Testament law. The God of the Bible is the God of liberation. His law therefore produces liberation. Yet the critics of the Old Testament law system claim that civil rule in terms of Old Testament law would produce tyranny. We can see just how effective the humanists have been in’persuading Christians to give up their heritage of liberty for a mess of bureaucratic pottage. So whenever the church begins to declare God’s holy standards of civil rule, the state is outraged. “How dare you! It is your job to keep the people quiet,” says the present ruler. “It is not your job to speak out on political questions. They are of no concern to the church.” The revolutionaries are equally outraged. “It is your job to preach revolution, not reform; says the Mamist liberation theologian. “It is not your job to preach peacefid change, the reconstruction of society by the preaching of the gospel, and the decapi- , talization of the state. No, the goal is to capture the state, strengthen it, and make it even more powerful.” The escapists are also outraged. “Look, we come to church to have our spirits soothed. You keep bringing up unpleasant topics. There is nothing we can do about any of the world’s problems outside the four walls of the sanctuary. Preach Jesus, and Him crucified — and be sure to leave Him hanging on the cross, where He belongs.” The preaching of the fill-scale gospel scares those who believe
92 Liberating Planet Earth in political salvation, as well as those who believe in irresponsible, world-denying salvation. The message of the Bible is simple in principle: comprehensive redemption. Everything is to be brought under the dominion of Jesus, through His people; who represent Him as ambassadors and judges on earth. Everything. This means that Christ redeemed (bought back) the whole world. It means that there is no neutrality between Christ and Satan. Christ’s rule must be established over everything before He delivers the kingdom up to His Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). Avoiding Pastoral Responsibilities Christian rule means rule in terms of Biblical law by every Christian in his God-given area of responsibility: family, business, education, or wherever. To preach such a gospel, the pastors must possess a vision of dominion. They must understand the Bible so well that they can see how it applies in many different “secular” fields. This is why pastors as a group need to be involved in specialized study, so that they can preach and write with authority. Each pastor needs to know one or two “seculad’ fields to which the Bible speaks. He should be in contact with other Christians who understand their fields. Then he can bring this comprehensive understanding of the Bible into the pulpit. He can begin to motivate Christians to become dominion-oriented. This is a large responsibility. Few pastors know where to begin. They fear making mistakes, speaking out where they have no competence.. Very well; their job is to begin studying until they have more competence. But it is so easy to agree with the state – “Keep the church out of politics (and everything else)”– and to avoid viewing the Bible as the source of blueprints for many areas of life, that few pastors ever begin. They avoid preaching the whole counsel of God. Humanism teaches that the God of the Bible and His Word are not relevant to anything outside of (maybe) family life. The pietists (escape religionists) agree with the humanists. The only way to answer their criticisms is to show that the Bible is relevant to every area of life. This takes hard work, careful study, and risk.
- Page 48 and 49: The Enemies of Liberation 41 Three
- Page 50 and 51: The Enemies of Liberation 43 built
- Page 52 and 53: The Enemies of Liberation 45 for Go
- Page 54 and 55: The Enemies of Liberation 47 To spe
- Page 56 and 57: The Enemies of Liberation 49 or God
- Page 58 and 59: The Couenant of Liberation 51 us al
- Page 60 and 61: The Covenant of Liberation 53 For Y
- Page 62 and 63: The Covenant of Liberation 55 Creat
- Page 64 and 65: The Covenant of Liberation 57 Satan
- Page 66 and 67: The Covenant of Liberation 59 all l
- Page 68 and 69: The Covenant of Liberation 61 their
- Page 70 and 71: The Liberation of the Individual 63
- Page 72 and 73: The Liberation of the Individual 65
- Page 74 and 75: The Liberation of tb Individual 67
- Page 76 and 77: The Liberation of the Individual 69
- Page 78 and 79: i’%e Liberation of the Individual
- Page 80 and 81: 6 THE LIBERATION OF THE FAMILY Hono
- Page 82 and 83: Th Liberation of the Fami~ 75 born
- Page 84 and 85: The Liberation of the Fami~ 77 the
- Page 86 and 87: Th Liberation of the Fami~ 79 ‘ l
- Page 88 and 89: The Liberation of the Farni~ 81 God
- Page 90 and 91: T&Liberation of the Fami~ 83 childr
- Page 92 and 93: The Liberation of the Fami~ 85 By a
- Page 94 and 95: 7%e Liberation of th Fami~ 87 prima
- Page 96 and 97: The Liberation of the Church 89 the
- Page 100 and 101: The Liberation of the Church 93 Per
- Page 102 and 103: The Liberation of th Church 95 For
- Page 104 and 105: Th Liberation of the Church 97 mann
- Page 106 and 107: The Liberation of the Church 99 5.
- Page 108 and 109: The Liberation of the State 101 and
- Page 110 and 111: The Liberation of the State 103 wil
- Page 112 and 113: 4 The Liberation of the State 105 p
- Page 114 and 115: Th Liberation of the State 107 cult
- Page 116 and 117: The Liberation of tk State 109 fata
- Page 118 and 119: . Thg Liberation of the State, 111
- Page 120 and 121: The Liberation of the State 113 man
- Page 122 and 123: Th Liberation of the State 115 13.
- Page 124 and 125: The Liberation of the Economy 117 p
- Page 126 and 127: Z&Liberation of the Ecomy 119 as th
- Page 128 and 129: The Liberation of the Economy 121 T
- Page 130 and 131: I’%e Liberation of th Economy 123
- Page 132 and 133: The Liberation of the Economy 125 w
- Page 134 and 135: T4e Liberation of th Economy 127 ch
- Page 136 and 137: 10 THE INEVITABILITY OF LIBERATION
- Page 138 and 139: The Inevitability of Liberation 131
- Page 140 and 141: The Inevitability of Liberation 133
- Page 142 and 143: The Inevitability of .Lib~ation 135
- Page 144 and 145: The lneuitabili~ of Liberation 137
- Page 146 and 147: The Inevitabilip of Liberation 139
92 <strong>Liberating</strong> <strong>Planet</strong> <strong>Earth</strong><br />
in political salvation, as well as those who believe in irresponsible,<br />
world-denying salvation. The message of the Bible is simple in<br />
principle: comprehensive redemption. Everything is to be brought<br />
under the dominion of Jesus, through His people; who represent<br />
Him as ambassadors and judges on earth. Everything. This<br />
means that Christ redeemed (bought back) the whole world. It<br />
means that there is no neutrality between Christ and Satan.<br />
Christ’s rule must be established over everything before He delivers<br />
the kingdom up to His Father (1 Corinthians 15:24).<br />
Avoiding Pastoral Responsibilities<br />
Christian rule means rule in terms of Biblical law by every<br />
Christian in his God-given area of responsibility: family, business,<br />
education, or wherever. To preach such a gospel, the pastors<br />
must possess a vision of dominion. They must understand the<br />
Bible so well that they can see how it applies in many different<br />
“secular” fields. This is why pastors as a group need to be involved<br />
in specialized study, so that they can preach and write with authority.<br />
Each pastor needs to know one or two “seculad’ fields to<br />
which the Bible speaks. He should be in contact with other Christians<br />
who understand their fields. Then he can bring this comprehensive<br />
understanding of the Bible into the pulpit. He can begin<br />
to motivate Christians to become dominion-oriented.<br />
This is a large responsibility. Few pastors know where to<br />
begin. They fear making mistakes, speaking out where they have<br />
no competence.. Very well; their job is to begin studying until they<br />
have more competence. But it is so easy to agree with the state –<br />
“Keep the church out of politics (and everything else)”– and to<br />
avoid viewing the Bible as the source of blueprints for many areas<br />
of life, that few pastors ever begin. They avoid preaching the<br />
whole counsel of God.<br />
Humanism teaches that the God of the Bible and His Word<br />
are not relevant to anything outside of (maybe) family life. The<br />
pietists (escape religionists) agree with the humanists. The only<br />
way to answer their criticisms is to show that the Bible is relevant<br />
to every area of life. This takes hard work, careful study, and risk.