God's Government
Q:
What does the principle of God’s government means?
Does it apply to Christians although we are under grace?
M.T.
A:
Our reader has brought to our attention a key question to bring the believer into the wonderful peace of God.
God is operating today on the basis of grace towards this world - the day of grace - when all may come to know God as made known in the blessed Saviour; come to God in the assurance of sins forgiven, accepted before a holy God in all the acceptance of Christ, one with Him, members of His body. This matchless grace gives us the knowledge which brings us consciously into relationship with the Father as not only children, but also sons.
The believer is thus brought into a new position as under the government of God. God’s government is the rule in this world of His moral standards in righteousness. In scripture, it is seen in various ways. In the “world to come” or millennium, then “the Prince shall reign in righteousness.” Today, God is governing in this world providentially by establishing rulers and giving seedtime and harvest. However, for the child of God, we recognize this government as we experience the chastening of the Father. In Hebrews 12, we see revealed to us the Father’s care for His children, teaching us (discipling) to bring us into conformity with our Lord Jesus, so that we can reflect Him today, in this world, for the Glory of God and for our blessing. This government of the people of God is often referred to as believers being “subjects of the Kingdom.” It is now that the believers are seen in the Kingdom of Heaven, where God rules and the Lord has His rightful place. The believer as a citizen of Heaven lives under the rule of Heaven, and God as a Father brings those citizens, governmentally, into the pathway of righteousness.
JAP
