LAW and COMMUNITY:
BY WHAT STANDARD
Pastor Paul Michael Raymond s.s.
There are only Two Authoritative Structures at work in all Society. Theism and Humanism. [Theocratic Society as opposed to Humanistic society] Theism is the Authority Structure which uses The Holy Scriptures as its standard. Theism teaches that God’s Word is the infallible rule of both life and faith. Therefore, Theism places the final word of Authority upon the Bible alone. Humanism, on the other hand, has its roots in man’s wisdom and places final authority upon human understanding. In this system of life, man sits upon the throne of judgment, in place of God, and acts as the only sovereign in all matters of life and faith. When contemplating the nature of community, we must realize that every community is centered around a power focus. Either the community is centered around God and His Truth, or man, and his idea of right and wrong. It must be understood, however, that there can be no blending of the two. Light cannot have fellowship with darkness and man cannot serve two masters. Either he will love the one and hate the other, or cleave to the one and deny the other. Whenever a community fluctuates between God’s Wisdom and man’s ideas, for its source of truth, we may call it "sophisticated or moral Humanism". Nevertheless it is Humanism all the same. It has a show of Godliness but denies the power thereof. When man mingles Humanistic philosophies with the establishment and maintenance of the community, he functions outside the Standard of God. The Word of God likens this to idolatry, vanity and vexation of spirit. Since all manner of Humanism denies God and His Authority at the core, it is in direct opposition to His Person and His Law. Fundamental to every community is also the idea of order and peace. When there is order, the net result is peace. The same is true inversely. When there is disorder and confusion, there is contention and social strife. The question naturally arises then, ‘What is the structure of our community? Is it based upon the Order of God’s Holy Standard, or upon Humanistic zeal.’ The answer to this question will be the answer in solving community disorder and decay. If we are to strike at the heart of the dilemma of our nation, we must carefully address this question. ‘By what standard do we live?’ At the root of every lawless act is sin. Because the order and peace of each community is threatened and assaulted by lawlessness, we must deal with it at the source. It is sin, plainly and simply. Sin is the root of all social upheaval. Yet, sin is principally a spiritual problem. The result and consequences of sin is lawlessness and criminal action. Therefore, if a community desires to deal with the outward manifestation of social lawlessness, it must address the spiritual reality of sin. Humanism cannot do this effectively. It hasn’t the Wisdom or the tools to speak to this problem. Thus, the community that is based upon man’s wisdom, which is in opposition against God in the first place, will only add to social unrest, rather than putting that lawlessness to death. Humanism itself becomes the problem by establishing a community, in hope of order and peace, in a sinful fashion, and by sinful means. Because the institution of community was originally established by God, all non-Christian attempts to properly establish and govern community affairs ultimately collapse as a result of its inability to cope with sin. Man-made legislation and enforcement cannot profit as a viable remedy when it is based upon opposition against God’s Law. Every community which cannot properly address and deal with sin, from a Theocratic position, is destructive of itself and corrupts the very nature of community.
Pastor Paul Michael Raymond s.s.
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