Have you noticed
the many new products on the supermarket: "Fat-Free Mayonnaise,"
"Caffeine-Free Soda Pop," "Fluoride-Free Toothpaste" and
"Salt-Free Chips?"
Why
would a product be "Fat-Free" or "Caffeine-Free"? Isn't it
because these substances have been shown to be harmful in some way? Too much fat
may clog arteries. Caffeine beverages may cause sleeplessness. Our bodies do
well on natural food. But when certain substances are added, we start
experiencing annoying or painful side effects. That is why many people look for
products that are free of these substances.
Seeking to keep
our body free from harmful additives improves our physical health. But what do
we do about those harmful additives that pollute our spiritual body? Today there
is a damaging substance that we want to get rid of in the Church. That substance
is the State. It's time to purify the Church. Let's have a State-Free Church!
Harmful Additive in Church
Let's examine
the substance or foundation of the State to see why it is a harmful additive.
First, the State is founded on negative law. Negative law is full of "Thou
shalt nots." It is law upon law, hundreds of new laws every year. It is
really quite a heavy burden.
Secondly,
the State is run by "unregenerated" men. In other words, they are not
baptized of Christ and have not been born again. They are not in the Kingdom of
Heaven. Many of them even try to lock up the doors to the Kingdom and they
themselves will not go in.
The State is
full of unregenerated men, continuing Adam's lineage. Because of Adam's fall,
these unsaved men are under the curse of the law. They continue to follow after
Adam, not acknowledging that Jesus Christ brought us the Kingdom of Heaven,
which is far better.
We wake up and
see this old line of Adam proliferating everywhere. The whole world lies under
the power of Statism. Whether it be in North America, South America, or across
the oceans. The State is everywhere. But there is one place where the State has
no business - and that is, in the Church. Why is the State running our
Church?
Unbelievers are Running Church
Not only is the
State run by unregenerated men, but the unregenerates are trying to run the
Church. They have not been baptized of Him, neither do they know Him, and yet
they are running our Church!
You don't
believe the Church is being run by unbelievers? Ask almost any church in America
about their connections with the State. We know what the Scripture says,
"What communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Corinthians 6:14) Yet
almost every Church is joined to the State through State incorporation.
The Scripture at
1 John 4, verses 1 through 3 gives a "religious test" that needs to be
given to anyone claiming an interest in the Church. It says:
Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets
have gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every
spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God;
And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is not of God; and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye
have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world.
That is an
important passage. Does the State pass this religious test? No. The State does
not confess Jesus Christ. Therefore, if your church is a State corporation,
you have antichrist in your church.
Instead of
confessing Jesus Christ, the State offers "freedom of religion." These
are two very different things. To confess Jesus Christ is to confess one faith,
and one faith only. One Lord, and One Lord only. But "freedom of
religion" allows many gods. You can be of any faith, worship any god, or
even be an atheist.
If the State is
antichrist, then how can it be a legitimate government? Why are we, as
believers, obligated to obey antichrist? For "they have set up kings, but
not by Me. They have made princes and I knew it not. Of their silver and their
gold they have made them idols, that they may be cut off" (Hosea 8:4).
Nature of Church
Let's look at
the other side. What is the nature of the Church supposed to be? The Church is
headed by Jesus Christ and is based upon positive law. It basically boils down
to being obedient to the great command of Jesus Christ: "Love God and Love
thy neighbor as thyself." Love fulfills all the negative law.
Under the light
burden of Jesus Christ, with its one commandment to love, you don't have to
worry about the thousands and thousands of negatives laws. The State, with all
its negative law, is completely fulfilled in Christ. (Galatians 5:14)
The
Church is supposed to be run by "regenerated" people, those who have
been born again and baptized of Him. And for a Christian, there is no freedom of
religion. A Christian has only one Government, one Body, one Head. And that Head
is Jesus Christ. We cannot go out meddling with other gods and obeying them. If
we do, we cease to be a Christian.
Now, can the
State and the Church mingle? Can negative law and positive law mingle? It is an
impossibility. That is why one is the antichrist and one is the Christ. Yet,
look around. Today we find antichrist in our church. And we find antichrist
capturing almost every soul. Soul after soul is weighed down by the heavy
burdens of negative law. And what is preached in the churches is not positive
law. It is Statism: "Obey the law of the land."
Camel Sneaks In
What
happens when the State gets an interest in the Church? The best way to
illustrate is by an example. Remember that old story of the camel? It is cold
outside, really cold. I am in the tent keeping toasty warm, huddled around a
fire. It is a small tent, but it is adequate. I hear a noise and look over at
the door. The camel moves his nose under the tent flap and now I see the camel's
nose. I slap his nose and say, "Get your nose out of here!"
But the camel
says, "I'm so cold out here."
I have a little
compassion and say, "All right, maybe it is okay if you just warm your nose
in the tent." Soon the camel has his whole head in the tent. "Wait a
minute. Get your head out of my tent!"
"But it is
freezing cold out here," cries the camel.
You know the
rest of the story. The camel, step-by-step, moves into the tent. Soon the whole
camel is in the tent and I am out in the cold. The camel, being much bigger, has
pushed me out.
The camel
started out with just a nose in the tent, but soon he took over the entire tent.
What about the State poking its nose in the Church? Don't you think the State
will be like the camel and continue taking over more and more of the Church? No
longer will it be the Church of Jesus Christ. It will be a State church. In
fact, as soon as it lets the State in, it ceases to be the true Church because
Christ is no longer the Head.
Zero Tolerance
If you have a
fine garment, but one of the threads running through it is rotten, the whole
garment is ruined.
What about a
thief who breaks into your house? Would you let him stay for maybe an hour? Oh,
you don't want him there that long because he is packing up your things? Well,
would you let the thief stay five minutes? How about two minutes? No, you don't
want the thief entering your home at all.
You say you are
married. Would you let your wife go out with another man once a month? How about
once a year? No, you don't want your wife to commit adultery, not even once! I
can't blame you. God instilled in a man and wife the desire to be faithful to
each other for the rest of their lives.
When
it comes to the Church, the forest is made up of the trees. We are the trees of
the forest. We, as individuals, are the Church. Therefore, if the trees
(individuals) are of the State, then it is a State church. It is not the pure
Church with Jesus Christ as the Head.
We must separate
from the unbelieving State and be born again. We must be found in Him. We must
draw the line to where Christ is all and in all. There cannot be other gods
numbering, licensing and commanding our lives. "Whether therefore ye eat or
drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians
10:31). For Christ is all, and in all (Colossians 3:11). That leaves no room, as
far as I am concerned, for a secular life.
New Head of Church
What happens
when the State gets an interest in the Church through State incorporation? First
of all, the Church gets a new head. It must surrender the Lordship of Jesus
Christ because it has a new master to please. It becomes an entity that the
State has created and what the State creates, the State controls.
Since this
entity is no longer God's creation, but the State's, who takes over as the head
of this church? It is the State attorney general. He is the head of all State
corporations, including State churches. The State attorney general has the
authority to scrutinize the church on land use issues, permits, taxes or even
what is preached from the pulpit. Right now the attorney general might keep his
nose out. But if the State church starts getting into politics or using funds
irregularly, the State can come in and shut it down because they own the church.
In California, the attorney general has taken over the records of various State
churches and all funds received or paid out are controlled by the attorney
general. A State incorporated church has no right to privacy and all its books
and papers can be examined by the State and federal governments at any time.
A corporation,
by operation of law and by definition, is a State creation. But the Church is a
God-instituted creation. When the "First Baptist Church" registers as
a State corporation, it is given the franchise name of "First Baptist
Church, Inc." It is no longer God's Church, it is the State's corporation.
It is a State church.
Neither
is the pastor the earthly head of the incorporated church. The pastor is just a
hireling of the corporation. The pastor is an officer of the State, doing State
business. As an example, when he conducts a marriage, he does it "under the
authority of the State." He makes sure all the paperwork is prepared and
the required State fees and licenses paid.
Then the State
church is required to install "unscriptural officers" that are subject
to the State. They are not subject to the Scripture. They are normally referred
to as "trustees." They may take on other titles, such as
"elders" or "deacons," but they are basically the same type
of board of trustees that any State corporation has. They sit in office at the
pleasure of the State.
The corporate
officers of a nonprofit corporation are agents for the State. That is why they
hold regular meetings and abide by their Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws.
These provisions are required for State purposes, not by the Scriptures.
Church Becomes Commercial Enterprise
Technically, a
State incorporated church is just another State business. Just like other State
corporations, churches are commercial enterprises competing to attract customers
(members). Such entities cease to be the church when they allow the State to
register them as a State corporation. The church becomes a marketplace and big
business. When this happened in the first century, Jesus upset the tables of the
money changers, and drove the merchants out saying, "Get out of here! How
dare you turn my Father's house into a market!" (John 2:16).
Let's say the
Church acquires property and says, "We have God's property here and we are
going to build a church for the Lord Jesus Christ." Then they go out and
incorporate with the State. The State requires that they appoint trustees to
hold this property in trust. But they will not be holding it in trust for
God. They will be holding it in trust for the State. By incorporating, all
property held by the Corporation is transferred from God to the State. This is
done by operation of law.
The State
incorporated church must exalt the laws of men above the laws of God. The State
church has a relationship with the State by contract and is answerable to the
State as its creator. It must abide by all the laws of the State, even the ones
that are still in the minds of men.
The State church
is subject to all the legislative decrees of the State, which is negative law.
When something new comes up, the State makes more laws because that is the
nature of negative law. If the State should pass a law that is repugnant to the
State church, it still must obey. Charters for State churches must include
provisions to obey all the laws of the State or lose their franchise.
In a State
church, there are people outside the immediate membership who have control of
the church because it is a State institution. The State can stick its nose
further and further into the church so that the church conforms to the State.
For instance, the scripture forbids homosexuality, but the State condones it.
Therefore, the State church must allow homosexuals to be members of their
church. It is public policy. Some State churches even have a homosexual,
unregenerate minister preaching to the congregation.
The U.S. Supreme
Court has held that a corporation is a State creation, that it is State
property and that it is answerable to the State.
Alien Jurisdiction over Church
A
corporation is not a church and cannot be a church by definition. A corporation
admits to State jurisdiction by the very act of requesting permission to exist.
What we have in the churches today is an alien jurisdiction.
Let's look at
who is to have jurisdiction over the true Church. In Colossians, Chapter 1:18,
it says Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the Church, and He is to have the
preeminence. Christ is to have the exclusive preeminence. He is to have the
exclusive jurisdiction over His Church.
What about those
little matters where the State wants to encroach? The State presents many
compelling arguments to justify their interest in the Church. There is zoning
and building permits, fire and safety, asbestos and teacher certification of
schools.
If God tells you
to put up a building at the corner of High and Second Street, should you worry
about zoning? What if the State wants the Church to get a building permit?
There's that old camel's nose trying to get in again. What about safety
regulations? Aren't they for a good purpose? Isn't the State just trying to
help? Yes, the State wants to help, but remember, their help is coming from
unregenerated men. How smart do you think the camel was? What interest did the
camel have inside that tent? He really had no business inside. Yet he presented
a good argument. He said he was cold. The State has a good argument, too. They
say, "It is for the purpose of safety." But don't you think Jesus
Christ can look out for the affairs of His own people?
In all of these
areas, we face a claim of alien jurisdiction over the Church. We face a
violation of the sovereignty and preeminence and Lordship of Jesus Christ. That
is why we have to draw the line and have zero tolerance. If the State wants to
exercise jurisdiction over the Church, how much jurisdiction can they take
without violating the exclusive authority of Christ over the Church?
The only
Biblical stance on jurisdiction is that no branch of the State - the courts, the
legislature, the administration, has jurisdiction over His Church. The State
cannot exercise any authority over the Church or her property because it is all
God's. And God is sovereign. If God is sovereign over the Church, He has to be
sovereign over it all: the people, the ministry and the property.
What about
filling out State forms for tax exemptions? To fill out a form, is to ask for
permission. Because you have requested a privilege, they have a right to say
"yes" or "no." Taxation is a function of a sovereign over a
subject. Why would the child of one sovereign ask permission from another
sovereign? It does not even make sense. It is like my child going to some other
parent and saying, "Daddy, can I do this?" Someone else's Daddy does
not have authority to grant the request. You have to have the proper
relationship in order for a request or a command to be acknowledged.
"Nontaxable" is the only acceptable status for Church property because
it belongs to another sovereign.
Members Must Also be State-Free
Remember that
the forest is known by the trees and the Church is known by its members. There
are many churches who are disincorporating from the State. That's a step in the
right direction, but they need to also have their members sever their
connections with the State. All the members need to be born again as creations
of Jesus Christ.
An unregistered,
unincorporated church is still a State church if the congregation is full of
State residents. Embassy of Heaven Church desires that those who want to
participate be born again and separate from the kingdoms of the world.
Intercourse with the world is adultery. It is not sanctioned by God. We need to
come out from among her, both as individuals and as the congregated body of
Christ. The State has no place in our Church. If they want in, they must go
through the same Door we went through. They must be born again and acknowledge
that Jesus Christ is our Sovereign and our Lord.
Listen to the audio tape, The
State-free Church,
online
