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“By the transgression of a land many are its princes [rulers; laws], but by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.”

(Proverbs 28:2, brackets added)

Three hundred and ninety-three years ago, our Pilgrim Forefathers landed on the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  They came here with the vision of creating a community, and perhaps a nation, which would teach the Gospel of Christ to the next generation.  To do this they understood they would have to have a government that, by law, would protect that right.  They set us a wonderful example of Biblical wisdom being applied to civil government, when they wrote what has been called the ‘first constitution of America’.  We now call it the Mayflower Compact.  It was the first governing document in America written solely by those who would be governed by it.

Because they were trained in the art of self-government, this first law established in America did not need to be long, and complicated.  Because their self-government was large, their civil government could be small.  It read simply:

“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten…having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our king & country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these present solemnly & mutually in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just & equal laws…constitutions & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet…for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

“In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11 of November…[in the year of our Lord] 1620.”

This was a milestone in human history.  Here, on these shores, a group of common men were choosing the law they would live by.  It was previously thought that common men didn’t have that ability; that they needed so-called nobles to rule them.  However, these Pilgrims would prove that when a person is ruled in his inner man by the Spirit of God, he is likewise capable of choosing laws by which his community can be ruled.

You see, the word govern means control.  Government is always the transfer of power to a few, in relation to the population of the whole nation.  It is necessary for a few to rule in specified government positions since it would be impossible for the whole population to be in those positions.  However, liberty is only maintained if those few represent the will of the people—and—the will of the people can only produce liberty if that will is submitted to the will of God.  The Bible says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17, emphasis added).  It teaches that the person filled with the Spirit of God possesses “self-control”, or self-government (Galatians 5: 22-23).  Thus, the fewer people there are in government positions, the easier it is for the will of God, expressed in the will of God-governed individuals, to flow in that community:  And in that community, or nation, liberty can be experienced to its fullest, possible extent.

Do you want to live in liberty?  Do you want your children to live in liberty?  If you do, you must allow yourself to be ruled by Jesus Christ.  If you refuse His rule, the only other option is for civil government to rule you.  That means larger and larger civil government, which means—less and less individual liberty.  Is that what you want for you and your children?

Think about it; because if you don’t, someone else will do your thinking for you—
and for your children!  And you won’t like what that brings to you.  I’m Don Pinson, this has been Think About It.