The Fetters of Federal Funding

It has become so commonplace in our modern welfare state to assume that the civil government exists to take care of us. In many ways, the civil government has been elevated to the position of deity—able to dispense resources, wisdom, and protection ad infinitum. Unfortunately, many otherwise private, Christian organizations have unwittingly bought into this mindset by relying on federal funding. As it has been made abundantly clear elsewhere on this site, God has instituted civil magistrates to punish evildoers, not to provide for citizens (cf. Romans 13:3-4; 1 Peter 2:14). By utilizing federal funding, organizations are not only legitimizing the unjust taxation of an overgrown federal civil government but are also asking for more oversight and intrusion.

Christian organizations should not only discontinue the use of any federal funding, but they should also forfeit any so called “privileges” from the federal civil government—such as a “tax-exempt” status via a 501(c)3 status (click here for more on that). While the taxation of the federal civil government has certainly gone beyond what is proper, we must not seek special treatment from the federal civil government while everyone else is not “tax-exempt.” We all—especially explicitly Christian organizations—need to seek to delegitimize the unbiblical welfare state we have been relying on in America.

The ultimate goal for a Christian in America should be to see all aspects of his society—self-government, family government, church government, civil government—brought in to conformity to God’s Law. However, as we work toward that goal, let’s stop relying on and legitimizing an unbiblical federal civil government. Let’s stop right now.

Wicked Men Understand Not Judgment

In yesterday’s edition of the Delaware State News there was an article entitled, “Obama orders employment protection for gay, transgender workers” (p. 9). Here’s the scoop: Not only has the President made such “discrimination” illegal for all federal jobs, but he is also seeking to expand the bill to all employers (i.e. private companies). Here is another case of the federal government seeking to unjustly interfere in private affairs. Even without considering the evil of homosexual behavior, private contracts are entered into voluntarily. If I want to own a business with only Christian employees, I would not contract with practicing homosexuals—but nor would I contract with practicing fornicators, idolaters, or swindlers.

Instead of ruling according to God’s Law, Mr. Obama has forsaken it. Absent of an ultimate standard of right and wrong, the President has set his own opinion as the ultimate authority. Revealing his manifest abandonment of God’s Law, the President said this: “It’s not just about doing the right thing, it’s also about attracting and retaining the best talent.” Furthermore, Obama referred to the cause of homosexuals when he said it was a cause of “irrefutable rightness.” Rightness? What is rightness when there is no ultimate right and wrong? This is the fruit of secular humanism and America’s rejection of God’s Word. The fact that our nation’s leader is praising and promulgating sinful behavior is a judgment of God upon us.

The Scripture says, “They that forsake the Law, praise the wicked: but they that keep the Law, set themselves against them” (Proverbs 28:4, GNV). Mr. Obama has forsaken the Law of God and is praising the wicked. Christians are by definition set against those who are spurning God’s Law. But what are our “weapons of warfare”?

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to cast down holds. Casting down the imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5, GNV)

We speak the truth and call on the wicked to repent (cf. Proverbs 24:24-25). Here’s the thing: It’s not that people like Mr. Obama believe we should stop calling people to repent—they just believe we should be using a different standard. The standard they would have us use is the standard of modern-day humanism—an arbitrary standard with no foundation for ultimately calling anything right or wrong. Really, they want us to use their standard. They would want us to “convert” to secular humanism and call on “fundamental Christians” to repent of their “bigoted hate speech.” Look, if this were about my standard, I don’t know what would I would promote or condemn. But it’s not about my standard and it’s not about your standard—it is about God’s standard. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). When a man rejects God’s Law, he cannot judge properly:“Wicked men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord, understand all things” (Proverbs 28:5, GNV). May we seek the Lord and call on all those in our nation—not just Mr. Obama—to repent and follow Christ.