BY THIS STANDARD-Greg L. Bahnsen

[CalledOut238]

Originally Posted by Amanah

Christ did fulfill the law on the cross, his shed blood means there is no more need for the sacrifice of bulls and goats. Christ shed his blood for the remission of sins. He gave us the Holy Ghost and wrote the law on our hearts, without the Holy Ghost it is impossible to obey the commandments of God.

But, the ethics of the bible are still the same whether OT or NT, Idolatry, adultery, murder, homosexuality, covetousness, etc are all still sin, what the OT gives us is case law and judicial law for practical applications for federal, state and local government rather than using the humanistic philosophies of men.

We still live in a world where there is a need for judicial and legislative government like it or not, and it might as well be patterned according to God's law.

God's law would not be legalizing abortion and gay marriage. God's law would do away with our worthless penal system and institute restitution and capital punishment.

You’re now moving into a realm of governmental construct using the Tanakh as a blueprint. The scriptures are a guide to the righteous in living their lives and not for the wicked of the world. This is a misapplication of scriptures; and the Mosaic law, that was designed for a Theocratic society. Which the Israelites rejected and demanded a King as the other nations. Probably one of the saddest scriptures in the bible is found in 1 Samuel 8:7. Rejecting the King of the Kings; for an earthly monarchy, is a major turning point in Israel’s societal structure.

1 Samuel 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Wanting their Messiah as a physical Monarch to rule the earth is the main reason the tribe of Yehudah; and their brethren, rejected Jesus. Christ always taught the Kingdom of God is within us and can be found by faith in that which we do not see. When Christ comes back for his children he should find us working in the field of the children of men who are lost.

Luke 17:20 (KJV) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Romans 14:17 (KJV) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Judaizers act as if the Ten Commandments are the only moral and ethical commandments to guide those pursuing righteousness. As I noted earlier, Christ raised the bar dealing with the heart of his children.

Matthew 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Born again saints’ biggest enemy is their own flesh. And we lean upon the power of Christ’s spirit to help us crucify the old person in our hearts. We have plenty of teachings of ethical and moral guidance in the new testament that are much higher standards than the ten commandments.

1Corinthians 6:8 (KJV)Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren. 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:19 (KJV) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8 (KJV) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Trying to apply scriptural principles to shape a civilization of the ungodly and wicked citizenry is folly. It is the same analogy of when government tries to take the gun rights away from those citizens who obey the laws. The criminals will keep their guns terrorizing the law abiding citizens who are left defenseless in their homes.

1 John 5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

The only answer to our societal woes in the world is for the conversion of the sinner to a saint. Then converts follow the leading of the Holyghost to transform their lives. The Just shall live by faith.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Selah

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by CalledOut238

You’re now moving into a realm of governmental construct using the Tanakh as a blueprint. The scriptures are a guide to the righteous in living their lives and not for the wicked of the world.

1 Timothy 1:8-11 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; (9) Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, (10) For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (11) According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

This is a misapplication of scriptures; and the Mosaic law, that was designed for a Theocratic society. Which the Israelites rejected and demanded a King as the other nations.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; (15) Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. (16) But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. (17) Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. (18) And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: (19) And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: (20) That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.

Wanting their Messiah as a physical Monarch to rule the earth is the main reason the tribe of Yehudah; and their brethren, rejected Jesus.

John 19:7-15 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. (8) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; (9) And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. (10) Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? (11) Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. (12) And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. (13) When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. (14) And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! (15) But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

Matthew 21:33-39 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: (34) And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. (35) And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. (36) Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. (37) But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. (38) But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. (39) And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

Christ always taught the Kingdom of God is within us and can be found by faith in that which we do not see.

Luke 17:20-21 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: (21) Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Within
Better, in the midst of. Meyer acutely remarks that “you refers to the Pharisees, in whose hearts nothing certainly found a place less than did the ethical kingdom of God.” Moreover, Jesus is not speaking of the inwardness of the kingdom, but of its presence. “The whole language of the kingdom of heaven being within men, rather than men being within the kingdom, is modern” (Trench, after Meyer).
- Vincent's Word Studies


The New Covenant consists in the writing of the laws of God in the hearts of Israel, not in the replacement of the laws of God with a new set of laws:

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: (33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Romans 2:12-16 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (13) (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (14) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: (15) Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) (16) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

con't. in next post

[Esaias]

The laws of God (His commandments, statutes, judgments, ordinances, etc) were given to Israel to be a witness and a light to all nations:

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. (6) Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. (7) For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? (8) And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

The nations are to learn the law of Jehovah from his witnessing people:

Isaiah 2:2-5 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (3) And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (5) O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

There are only two ways for society to be governed: either by rebellious man following rebellious antichrist philosophies, or by righteous men following God's Word. Jesus declared that man is to live by "every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God". The attitude of wicked and rebellious man and his ideas of "secular government" are summed up by the Psalm:

Psalms 2:1-3 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? (2) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, (3) Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

The apostolic church understood this correctly and clearly:

Acts 4:23-31 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. (24) And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: (25) Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? (26) The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (27) For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, (28) For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (29) And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, (30) By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. (31) And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

Powers and principalities are secular authorities:

Titus 3:1 Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

Christianity is at war with them:

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

This warfare is not one of physical weapons, but spiritual and ideological:

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (4) (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The church's mission includes the mandate to teach the secular authorities the will and ways of God:

Ephesians 3:9-11 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: (10) To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, (11) According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Amanah

we would all have to become farmers so the fields could be gleaned. or, churches could all have food pantries and soup kitchens.

Nobody "had to become farmers" in ancient Israel. There were those who farmed, those who raised cattle, those who did carpentry, those who built ships, those who engaged in marketing and commerce, those who raised and trained horses... in short, pretty much everything and every trade that was common to human societies everywhere.

If a nation decides to follow the Word of God instead of the words of Marx or Jefferson or Stalin or Hitler or the pope or Mohammed or the Shah or Clinton or Trump et al, then the only people who would need to find new occupations would be those engaged in forbidden activities (idol makers and sellers, prostitutes, etc).

Regarding the gleaning of fields: what is commanded is not that one have fields to be gleaned, but that one allow gleaning of their fields. Thus, if you did not have a field, the command did not apply.

Furthermore, theonomy is not about recreating ancient Israelite agrarian society. It is about living according to the Word of God. New situations require the discovery of those Biblical principles that give rise to the specific commandments, statutes, judgments, etc, and applying those principles to those new situations.

The whole idea of theonomy and reconstruction is that people would look to the Bible for "how to live", both as individuals, and as societies. It requires and necessarily implies (and all theonomists understand this) that men would pray, sit down, and discuss, and seek wisdom from God. Theonomists understand that during a reconstruction of society there will be discussion, debate, and differences of interpretation concerning God's Word. But at least men are seeking the wisdom that comes from above rather than doing what they do now - which is discuss, debate, and hammer out differences of interpretation of Marx, Lenin, Hitler, Jefferson, the Federalists, the AntiFederalists, etc.

Every single argument levied against theonomy is purely hypocritical, because those same arguments apply to secular non-theonomic government as well. The only way to be both non-theonomic and non-hypocritical, is to be an open and honest humanist, who admits they simply will NOT be ruled by God's Word, or else a die hard black block militant anarchist who admits they simply will not be ruled by anyone but themselves.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Amanah

We should not be misled by the cries of the socialists that we must somehow reinstitute the specific land legislation of Old Testament Israel, or anything comparable to it. They appeal to this law because it is one of the very few laws in the Bible that appears to give power to the State to redistribute property. But the Year of Jubilee was not a case of "socialism after the fact." It was the requirement laid down by God in advance of the conquest of Canaan. God was the original owner of the land, and He established land tenure in a land which He gave to His followers through military conquest. Those who wanted the land had to agree in advance to the terms of ownership established by the covenant with the Owner. They knew exactly what these terms were. These terms were comparable to private building codes or other permanent restrictions on real estate(still called "covenants") which are inserted into the deeds by the developer of the property prior to his offering it for sale to the general public.


https://www.garynorth.com/public/14676.cfm

I would disagree with North on this point (and several others, actually). I do not think North is a proper representation of theonomic thought. Neither did his father-in-law, Rushdoony.

[Amanah]

We are on the verge of hard core socialism, Dems coming out as proud socialists/communists.

We now have children coming out as gays, gays are celebrated in our society, and to say anything against them is hate speech now.

Our greatest revivals are happening in countries that are in economic collapse, with failed govt.

Our prison system is a joke.

Priests continue to molest children and apologize and nothing happens to them.

Maybe there was a time in this country when Christian people could make a govt based on enlightenment ideals work, but that time has passed. Our govt is legislating in favor of sin.

Liberty has become licentious.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Amanah

We are on the verge of hard core socialism, Dems coming out as proud socialists/communists.

We now have children coming out as gays.

Our prison system is a joke.

Priests continue to molest children and apologize and nothing happens to them.

Maybe there was a time in this country when Christian people could make a govt based on enlightenment ideals work, but that time has passed.

The "Enlightenment" was just another form of humanism raising its ugly head, although it was tempered by the fact that it occurred among a generally professingly Christian population. Therefore, the humanists could not go as hard-core as they would have liked (Voltaire, the Jacobins, etc being attempted exceptions).

Personally, I think the future lies with the younger generations, who are giving evidences of being essentially sick and tired of the gluttony of insanity previous generations have bestowed upon them. The radical individualism of the previous decades is being questioned by them, many of them are looking back to tradition and family as things that need to be valued and restored.

Nature has a habit of correcting things, and Nature is just a euphemism for God's Providential control of things.

I recently met up with some family, including a cousin who I had never met before. He's younger than I am by about 15 years or so. Yet, his ideal is to have a family on a piece of land and be self sufficient, free from unwarranted interference by government. Unlike my generation, who at his age wanted nothing more than big screen tv's, endless vacations, and a great job at a great company, with all the perks of lasciviousness.

So, things are not as bleak as they may at first appear. One just has to escape from the modern "want it now" mentality, and understand we didn't get into this mess overnight, and we're not getting out of it overnight, either.

[CalledOut238]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The church's mission includes the mandate to teach the secular authorities the will and ways of God:

I have been out typed on this reply, Esaias. ! I am in no way arguing against the theocracy that Christ will institute and establish after the resurrection and judgment.

Revelation 21:1 (KJV) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

When interpreting scriptures we must always consider the audience the verses were intended for at time they were written. As well as their symbolic meaning for those saints in the future who should consider their application in their lives. To respond to your usage of 1 Timothy 1:8-11, I would ask that we examine the previous verse to put this in context. Timothy is rebuking those blending the Traditions of the Elders; with the Torah, and mandating these teachings be incorporated into the new Christian faith.

1Timothy 1:7 Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.

Strong's G3547 nomodidáskalos; from G3551 and G1320; an expounder of the (Jewish) law, i.e. a Rabbi: doctor (teacher) of the law.

In verse eight we see Timothy using a simile of civil and Mosaic law. Ask yourself who are the listeners? Saints or Sinners? I am sure you will affirm that the answer is obvious. Timothy is using the comparison of civil and Mosaic laws to teach a spiritual principle. The Mosaic law was only punitive to those who disobeyed that law in that period. This punitive recourse is true for those who disobey the civil laws in current times.

11Timothy 1:8 (KJV) But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully.

Strong's G3551 nómos; from a primary némō (to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), genitive case (regulation), specially, (of Moses (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively (a principle): law.

Using the verses of Deuteronomy 17:14-20 only confirms the original Mosaic Law was the guiding principles of a Theocratic society for the children of Israel. Our Heavenly Father wanted the Israelites to show the nations His glory by following these principles. To shine the light of the One true God being ruler of the nations. And this is a type and shadow of Christ’s Kingdom with the New Heaven and Earth. But it also showed the weakness of the fleshly covenant in which the inner man was not converted. The Israelites failed with this glorious calling out and desired to be like the other nations. The Old Covenant and their Savior was REJECTED by the people of the covenant!

1 Samuel 8:7 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

“Communism: communism (from Latin communis, "common, universal") is the philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose ultimate goal is the establishment of the communist society, which is a socioeconomic order structured upon the common ownership of the means of production and the absence of social classes, money and the state.

Socialism is a range of economic and social systems characterized by social ownership and workers' self-management of the means of production as well as the political theories and movements associated with them Fascism:
Fascism is a form of radical authoritarian ultra nationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and control of industry and commerce.

Democracy: Democracy (Greek: dēmokratía, literally "rule by people"), "Rule of the majority" is sometimes referred to as democracy

Anarchy is the condition of a society, entity, group of people, or a single person that rejects hierarchy. The word originally meant leaderlessness, but in 1840 Pierre-Joseph Proudhon adopted the term in his treatise What Is Property? to refer to a new political philosophy: anarchism, which advocates stateless societies based on voluntary associations.

Republic: (Latin: res publica) is a form of government in which the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are not inherited.

Oligarchy: (from Greek oligarkhía; from olígos, meaning 'few', and arkho, meaning 'to rule or to command'. Is a form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may be distinguished by nobility, wealth, family ties, education or corporate, religious or military control.”

These are all definitions of governmental forms from Wikipedia. I really don’t like Wikipedia that much, but most go there when doing a quick research of terms. I do agree that if the righteous are in power; and are following Godly principles, that the people would fair better. But what we face today is an Oligarchical rule of the International Satanic elite. Those who are righteous trying to get into political position in any of these forms of government must comply with their world vision. Theonomy is noble and is the foundation of the Messianic Kingdom that will be instituted when Christ reigns. The reason this will work for Christ’s Kingdom? He is the Righteous King, Judge and High priest; that no man will ever be able to duplicate, because he is the Creator incarnate. As far as these earthly systems of governments of men they will all fade away as dust in the wind. Do I need to source Kansas?

Daniel 2:44 (KJV) And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Nothing wrong with longing for a theocratic society; but until then, I believe the church’s responsibility is to the Lost of the World. To share the Gospel and see sinners being born again and converted by the Spirit of Christ. We can change the world by letting the Love of the Holyghost; that is shed abroad in our hearts, to be the light into the darkness of this world.

Matthew 5:14 (KJV) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Selah

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by CalledOut238

I have been out typed on this reply, Esaias. ! I am in no way arguing against the theocracy that Christ will institute and establish after the resurrection and judgment.

Yes, the whole world shall be submitted to Christ, and sin itself will be no more. BUT, because Christ reigns now and His Kingdom is to be advanced in this age by the preaching of the Gospel, we should avoid the temptation to batten down the hatches and hide out, as it were, from our responsibity to represent Christ to all people and nations. Which many in this day have unfortunately done, retreating from the conflict and surrendering the field to the enemy.

We can change the world by letting the Love of the Holyghost; that is shed abroad in our hearts, to be the light into the darkness of this world.

Matthew 5:14 (KJV) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Selah.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Yes, the whole world shall be submitted to Christ, and sin itself will be no more. BUT, because Christ reigns now and His Kingdom is to be advanced in this age by the preaching of the Gospel, we should avoid the temptation to batten down the hatches and hide out, as it were, from our responsibity to represent Christ to all people and nations. Which many in this day have unfortunately done, retreating from the conflict and surrendering the field to the enemy.

Secular society dominates all the predominant forms of communication/education:

Social Media
Public Schools
Universities/colleges
TV/Movies

I believe we need to communicate the gospel and truth to our culture with any means available to us.
We can teach responsible use of technology without banning it because it is an important platform of communication.