A Biblical Perspective on Current Events

"Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other" (Isaiah 45:22)

Faith-Based Government Programs

February 8, 2001

The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States says: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

The faith-based initiatives President Bush is sending to Congress stirs up time-worn political rhetoric regarding such topics as: 1) separation of church and state, 2) the government controls and regulations concerning all tax revenues, and 3) the flow of authority from the federal government, to state, county, and city governments. We (the government) strive for "politically correct" restrictions; however, oftentimes these restrictions stifle the flow of faith for those who have a Holy Spirit-trained conscience. The conscience is developed and educated by the Spirit and Word of God. In the covenant Christian community, true faith is obedience to God’s word.

If the Congress is going to have a truly faith-based initiative, according to the Constitution, they should not restrict the programs except where they would violate constitutional law. In short, the government has no constitutional right to tell the church how to disciple its people.

Jesus Christ has given spiritual authority to the covenant Christian community to disciple all the nations of the earth. One of His apostle’s wrote, "to him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne as I also overcome and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev. 3:20). This was written about 66 or 67 A.D. before the Fall of Jerusalem. During this time, the apostles and their followers spread His gospel throughout the Roman Empire. They submitted to Jewish and Roman law until it offended God’s higher moral law. Then they obeyed God and not man for conscience sake. It was peaceful and non-violent from their side. They were the greatest generation in God’s covenant people’s redemptive history.

In summary, every American citizen should obey the law of the land. At the same time, Congress has no legal or moral right to put restrictions on faith-based initiatives. "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God… Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor" (Rom. 13:1,7).

If the Congress continues to restrict the faith-based initiatives in the covenant Christian communities, our society will suffer great loss. Our currency still says, "In God We Trust."