Idolatry of Statism

At this point, I'm just going to give you my notes as I have them. They are a little sketchy, and I hope to refine them at some point. The notes are from a sermon by Pastor John Weaver found here.

Statism is the belief that the state is the source of power, authority and law.

We live in a statist society

• Everything must be for the state and nothing against the state
• You're either for us or against us

Many times a statist religion parades under the umbrella of Christianity

• We have so forgotten, so neglected, so turned from the word of God that we forget what Biblical Christianity looks like
• The truth is that most Christians are nothing more than statists

The Mark of the Beast - you do not have to have a literal mark to have a mark

• On the forehead - speaks of the thoughts
• On the hand - speaks of the actions
• Many Christians already think and act like a statist and they don't need a literal mark
• The Christians have made government a God
• Any time you think un-biblically - you're thinking like an anti-christ
• Any time you act un-bibilically - you're acting like an anti-christ

If you won't govern yourself (self-government) then someone will always step in a govern you

At the turn of the century - the individual was the center of power

• Power has been transferred from individuals to fathers to the church (or pastors) to the universities to the government (or judges)
• The state has stolen or usurped power and authority that they never possessed
• Judges used to walk into a courtroom carrying an open Bible and men stood in honor of the open Bible
  • The Bible was tossed out, and now we are to stand in honor of a man
• The robe speaks of absolute power

Power never ever operates in a vacuum - if we don't use the power and authority that God has given to us, it will pass to someone who will use it

So today we have statism

• The state is the source of authority, morality, law and dominion
• Religion becomes a department of the state
• The state becomes the total institution comprehending the life and property of man
• The state must regulate and control everything for the benefit of the state
• Neither law nor authority originates from God, but from the state
• the state will fight against all rival forms of government (including Biblical and self- government)
• Under statism - Christianity increasingly becomes a hindrance and an embarrassment to the powers that be
  • Consequently the government seeks to distance itself from Christianity
  • Used to believe that "Christians make the best citizens" & therefore Christians were absolutely necessary for a good society
  • Since the state is the source it doesn't need Christians
  • Statism teaches that it can create a good, moral society without the need for Christians, the Bible or God
  • There is a denial for the need for Biblical regeneration and conversion
  • Under statism - salvation is not of God - it is of the state
  • Under statism - salvation seeks to save men from the bondage of Christian laws and culture

Three great powers of the state

• Coercion - power of intimidation and enforcement
  • They have weapons and we don't
  • We fear we will be suspected of doing something wrong
• Conscription - power from ability to draft for the military for emergency or economic matters
• Confiscation - power from taxation and eminent domain

Why is the state so nosy? Why do they need to know everything about you?

• Because if the government wants to claim to be god, it must attempt to gain total knowledge over its citizens
• It wants to be omniscient - and it makes itself a rival to the one true omniscient God

The only thing a citizen owes his government is obedience to its laws

• And that obedience is limited by the word of God
• And by the various constitutions of the state
• No citizen owes the state unlimited obedience
• Unlimited obedience is reserved for God and God alone

Is the state's only interest in the welfare of its citizens?

• To answer that question we need to evaluate which laws the state prioritizes in enforcing
• Does the state spend more time prosecuting crimes against citizens or crimes against the state?
• Which crimes does it prosecute more quickly and more intensely.
• The state is only interested in itself.

Government without God is an age old heresy and idolatry

The most potent weapon that the state has is force

• Government is force
• Government is not reason. It is not eloquence. Government is force. Like fire, it becomes a fearful master and a dangerous servant.
• We must stand for truth even if anyone else stands against the truth.

The only escape we have from statism, is obedience to God and His word.

We will never put government in its place until we put God in His place, and that is upon His throne.

Most people never recognize tyranny, because they don't know who God is and that He is sovereign.