Legitimate Governments: A Government's Responsibilities To God and To Its People

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Legitimate Governments:
A Government's Responsibilities To God And To Its People

by Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org
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LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENTS

Legitimate Governments are established and maintained by God for the purpose of maximizing the happiness and well-being of the people within their jurisdiction. The people should obey the laws and regulations of their legitimate Government.

      "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.
       For there is no power but of God: the powers that
       be are ordained of God. 

      "Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth
       the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall
       receive to themselves damnation."

          (Romans 13:1-2 KJV)

Does this means that we must always do whatever our Government wants us to do, no matter what? No, it does not. Jesus says that we should give the Government whatever rightly belongs to it. But we should give God whatever rightly belongs to God. This proves that the government's rightful powers over us are not unlimited.


     "Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar
      the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things
      that are God's." (Matthew 22:21b KJV)

Moreover, God requires the Government to rule wisely and to do good, not evil to the people. The Government is supposed to be "the minister of God to thee for good."


   "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the
    evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do
    that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 

   "For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if
    thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not
    the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a
    revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

          (Romans 13:3-4 KJV)

But what if the Government fails in its obligation to do good? What if it does evil continuously? Then it loses its authority from God and becomes illegitimate; and it should then be replaced with a better Government. That is exactly what happened at the time of the American Revolution. The Government of England was doing evil continuously to the American colonists. Thus it needed to be replaced.

A legitimate Government will govern with the informed consent of its people. Dictatorships which use force against the will of the people are not legitimate; and they should be replaced. Governments which lie to their people in order to obtain consent are not legitimate; and they should be replaced. Just as Mankind is God's trustee for taking good care of the Earth, so each Government is God's trustee for taking good care of the people under its jurisdiction.

May the Lord bless this presentation.


     Rev. Bill McGinnis  <><
     bmcgin@patriot.net

Please also see this presentation within its full context at http://www.loveallpeople.org/bigworldview.html

Blessings to you. May God help us all.

       Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org

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