Notes on Locke, pt. II

I thought it would be fun to look at the scriptures Luther and Locke focused on.  How do the principles of America come out of God’s word?  Oh, by the way, when Locke came up with these principles there was nothing in daily life either in England or elsewhere that would confirm them.  Historians are stunned at how a guy studying the human thought process and scripture could have arrived at these profound ideas.

            LibertyTake a look at Romans 9:1. I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit

Heb.9:9,14 According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper…

What is the function of conscience concerning the Holy Spirit? 

I Tim. 3:9 They must hold the mystery of faith with a clear conscience

What is the function of conscience in faith?

Romans 13:1-7 however, says we are to be subject to the governing authorities.  What function is conscience in being subject?  Are there any limits to what Government can ask one to do? ( “We ought to obey God rather than man”Acts 5:29) 

Lk. 20:25  Finally, Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and to God, that which is God’s.” So does Caesar own everything? Why or why not? (We belong to Two Kingdoms—spiritual and temporal) Luther concludes that conscience is one voice the Holy Spirit uses and thus an individual’s conscience of faith trumps government.  Locke concluded this to be our most important  freedom. 

American colonists had more thoughts? America was the place you came to get free land and practice your faith as you saw fit.  If you deny people freedom of their conscience or freedom of their faith, that is, you deny them the ability to be the kind of person they aspire to be in relation to God, that not only quenches the Holy Spirit, it denies something called the American Dream—ability to be the person they want to be.  Hence the 1^st Amendment’s “free exercise clause” is vital to the entire social contract.  See also Gal. 5:1.  For freedom, Christ has set us free.  Stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Slavery to sin, of course, is what Paul is writing here.  But if God gives you a job to do, does this passage have a subsequent meaning? Please note the American Dream is much larger than getting rich or an easy life. Rom. 14:17 “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy.”

Rights Property protection is fundamental. God, in a relationship with Himself, puts us in charge of certain resources (Parable of talents, etc. shows God expects us to ‘profit’ and advance his cause.) The resources i.e., property must be held inviolate.

Jeremiah 17:5-8.Thus says the Lord, cursed is the man who trusts in man…Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.  He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit. Hence, the spiritual man is fearless with God at his side and this works best when government protects each person’s mission and resources

 Augsburg Confession, Luther:”All government in the world and all established rule and laws were instituted and ordained by God for the sake of good order…and this temporal power is not in place to protect the soul, but with the sword and physical penalties it protects body and property from the power of others.”  Locke concluded that one of the vital purposes of Government was to protect property, which God gives us to fulfill His mission.  In Declaration, Jefferson supposedly changed Locke’s “Life, Liberty and Property” to “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness” because some founders didn’t want to protect slavery.  Slavery was scheduled for limits and repeal according to the Constitution later written.  (Then repeal was ignored when cotton became king with the cotton gin.)

.  Free speech? See Romans 10:9. Because if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Faith talk isn’t optional.  Silence is unloving when God commands us to speak. “We cannot help but speak of the things we have seen and heard.” Acts4:7

Separation of Powers Is 33:22  For the Lord is our judge: the Lord is our Lawgiver; the Lord is our King.  He will save us. Thus, three branches or functions.  But only God can fulfill all three.  The rest of us are flawed men and it is best that we have checks and balances on each other, that is how a social contract or common morality works.

Tolerance Now the founders all were kids in 1740-42 when the Great Awakening took place, a religious revival that stunned the colonies because so many people found faith and renewed faith.  They were also surprised that neighboring colonies with a different state religious denomination reacted the same way they had.  Conclusion: We are all one country!

But does everyone have the same walk? Of course not!  See Rom 14:13, Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Luther said this means we would be wise to tolerate our brother and not interfere with his walk with God.  Also Rom 15:5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another in accord with Christ Jesus, that together with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is Locke’s theme of tolerance  We must repent and acknowledge our own sin too. Jesus tolerated.  As son of God he could have called down lightning on those who disagreed with him.  Instead he just let them walk away.

EqualityAre all men equal? Rom. 3:10-12. None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;no one does good, not even one. They sure are in sinfulness!  How about in faith?  John 3: 16 for God so loved the world that whosoever… Let me see a show of hands. How many of you are a ‘whosoever’?  And see Gal. 3:27-28. For as many of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The Old Testament also has passages that God favors no person, but each man must pay for his own sins.

Nature and Nature’s God originates the idea of Government among men—left this out in the interests of time.  Self-evident truth, Jefferson said.

So if someone asks who gave us July 4, say it was many people but it started with God inspiring Paul writing to legal-minded Romans, then Luther, 500 years ago today and Locke and finally our founders.

One more thing. Anybody been to Independence Hall in Philadelphia? Is it big and impressive? Everyone says how small it is and the furniture is so plain.  These were such ordinary men.  Yet they staked “their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor” on simple government that, with the faith of the citizens, followed God. Now you are an ordinary person, right? Given what they started, how in faith they gave birth to a country unlike anything else in the world, is there any reason you would not join their effort to continue it?  Is there any good reason you would fail to vote?  I mean, even if you don’t like politics or the politicians, wouldn’t you vote your principles of faith in faithful government.  Think what the future world would say about our country if we fell under tyranny just because we didn’t take the opportunity to think about our vote and do it.  So I want to encourage everyone to register, to get involved, to vote.