DON'T BE INDIFFERENT TO CORRUPTION
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By Rev. Adauto Rezende
Is submission to secular governments unconditional or not? What are the limits of the State's power over Christians? Are there guidelines and rules on these issues in God's Word? In this article, I would like to address this subject, desiring to clarify such matters. As an introduction, I will present the confession of an elderly man who witnessed some of the numerous atrocities of Nazism during World War II. His account reveals how subtly, apathy and neglect creep into the heart of man.
Consequently, they lose feeling about the pain and the suffering of others. The man reported: “I lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. I considered myself a Christian. I had attended church since childhood. During World War II, we heard stories about persecution against Jews, however, as it is nowadays, we tried to distance ourselves from reality. A railroad track ran right by our little church, and on Sunday mornings we could hear the whistle in the distance followed by the clatter of steel wheels moving over the tracks. One Sunday during preaching, we heard screams coming from the moving train. We then realized that the locomotive was transporting Jews captured in the various nations of Europe. They were like cattle in wagons on the way to the Auschwitz death camp[1]. The screams of men, women, and children were disturbing the members during the Sunday sermon. After a while, some felt so bothered that they thought about giving up attending church. Everyone agreed that something needed to be done.
The solution was not to stop the train —that would be close to suicide. They didn't plan to plead the prisoners' cause— that would be pointless. Who could do anything to stop the extermination of the Jews? Excusing the guilty conscience, they stated: “We were just a small community”. Instead, we decided to simply change the service's liturgy. We resolved to sing as the train passed. We sang as loud as possible to cover up their cries.” The church member, an elder, recalled the episode decades later. While the Nazis found extermination the final solution to eliminate the Jews, the little church found the answer in the intonation of their voices to suppress the sound of the supplications and clamors of the Jews. “When we heard their cries for help, we just sang a little louder.” What does this narrative have to teach contemporary society? What are the similarities between the Third Reich and with N.W.O.?[2]
As in Hitler's day, the New World Order aims to ingrain blind obedience to the state in the human mind, targeting global domination. Relying on a technological, economic, and political apparatus, they promote absurd and irrational ideas, investing billions in the propagation of Marxism and all sorts of perversions. With the support of the globalists, they invaded and captured universities, schools, and governments, and almost total control of the world's media. They are dominating much of the present generation with their demonic fallacies, devoid of absolutes. Biblical principles are affronted, mocked, and hated by world leaders and oligarchs. They Reject Christian doctrines and propagate a pragmatic ecumenical religion.
They also have countless liberal theologians, or sometimes neophyte Christians, who obscurely contribute to the nefarious plan of mass control. One of the methods is to use texts of biblical rules in relation to secular leaders. Legitimizing the mentioned references, however, an honest hermeneutics of the texts and their contexts is essential, in order to clarify the unwary not to fall victim to this decoy. The most quoted by them are the texts of the apostles' Peter and Paul.: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer…”[3]
Making a correct exegesis of the text, the Bible says that if you do good and not evil, then the magistrate truly constituted by God will honor you. That is, they were appointed to enforce laws where the guilty are punished, and the innocent are protected. For example, the moment exemplary citizens, honest and pious, are falsely incriminated, while crooks, homicides, and depraved, are exonerated, this is injustice. When corrupt leaders do not judge fairly, but condemn the innocent, and acquit the wicked, such authorities do not meet biblical criteria.
The same rule applies to Peter's writings. He wrote: “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is the will of God that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk of fools.” Like the texts presented by Paul, Peter states that leaders truly appointed by God will be recognized by their actions.[4]
When the Bible says that the civil government must condemn the evildoer and praise the one who does good, we understand contextually that secular leaders must practice justice, integrity, and impartiality, among other moral virtues. Such governments are to be heeded and respected by Christians. The Scriptures report that in the near future, the world will be governed by an individual who will receive political and religious (probably from ecumenism), power and support from world authorities This leader will hate God's people, and Christian values, in addition to an intense hatred of God, a curious reality that is happening in several nations. Having a pious appearance, he is described as a beast, energized by Satan. The man will be crueler than the sum of Caligula, Hitler, and Lenin. He will remove the divine laws that hold humanity back from moral chaos, replacing them with the laws of his god, the devil, spreading his wanton rules throughout the world.
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John described the man in the last book of the Bible: “And he (the antichrist) opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain…” [5]
Therefore, I ask some questions to theologians who defend governments that call evil good and good evil; of those who say that darkness is light and light is darkness; of those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter, as described by Isaiah. Should Christians accept and obey government laws that are antagonistic to the Word of God? What were the causes of the genocide of thousands of disciples in the first centuries? Other millions annihilated during the Inquisition? What will be the motivations for the extermination of several believers during the antichrist government?
I only find one answer to such questions: they did not and will not obey civil and religious leaders when they violate and outrage Divine Law.
Obedience to human authorities is conditional on these principles.
On the other hand, what contributed to the extermination of millions of Jews in Nazi concentration camps?
It was the indifference of Western governments and a large majority of “Christian” denominations, either cowardly or allied with a perverse system, as described in the narrative above.
The Jew Mordecai is a great example of a man who honoured God.
“After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the king’s command?” And when they spoke to him day after day, and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.
And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was filled with fury. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone.
So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.[6]
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Interesting is the question of the Persian ruler's servants to the Hebrew, “Why do you transgress the king's orders?
Would Mordecai, in our days, be called a rebellious Christian, for not honoring a corrupt and evil leader? According to the narrative, the Jew did not face down himself, because he did not recognize Haman as a divinely appointed authority and because of his religious convictions.[7]
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A similar case happened hundreds of years later. The apostles, fulfilling Christ's order to preach the gospel, were arrested and presented to religious leaders who forbade them to announce salvation through Christ. However, they replied, to those who were supposed to be obeyed: “But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!.” [8]In other words, human law should never be obeyed when it supersedes divine law.[9]
Faced with these challenges, what would be the conduct of the church? What are the practical actions of the Christian? What are the guidelines of the Word of God?
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1. Condemn sin
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“Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.….” [10]
We cannot remain silent in the face of injustice, in the face of perversity, in the face of corruption. We must denounce such leaders, announcing God's judgment against their impieties, even if this causes persecution, dishonor, defamation, or who knows, maybe our freedom. Just look at the lives of the Lord's prophets. Isaiah, according to tradition, was sawn in half by a murderous tyrant, Elijah was pursued by an evil king and his wife, and Jeremiah spent much of his ministry persecuted, mocked, beaten, and thrown into a mud pit by political and religious authorities of his nation. Daniel, the prophet thrown in the lions' den, and his three friends were thrown into a fiery furnace by Babylonian authorities. John, the Baptist, was beheaded for rebuking an adulterous ruler, and according to the book of Revelation, many believers will be beheaded during the last human government. Why did the disciples and prophets suffer and will suffer reproach, imprisonment, mockery, violence, and even death? Because they had pointed out the sins of their rulers and didn’t comply with worldly and demonic ordinances and rules, divergent from the Word of God. It is interesting to point out that, on the contrary, the false prophets enjoyed the privileges and freedoms for “respecting the laws” of their governments.
The solution, yes, is to stop the train — Even if it costs our lives. That little church in Germany did not plead the cause of the Jews, but they cowered — we must plead, the causes of the oppressed who cry out for help in our cities, we must denounce abusive laws of governments and cruel leaders. We must use the resources that the Lord has delegated to set free Satan's victims.
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2. Pray
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“Plead, LORD, with those who plead with me; fight against those who fight against me. “Let those who seek to kill me be humiliated and despised; let those who plot my ruin retreat in shame.”“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.” [11]
All the prophets mentioned, even in the face of the supposed ineffectiveness of their preaching due to the hardness of the people’s hearts, even in the face of a rebellious and apostate people, did not stop praying. The prophet Samuel said, “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.” [12]Paul wrote to the disciple Timothy that Christians should pray for the authorities so that the church could enjoy peace. [13]The imprisoned prophet Jeremiah was summoned by the Lord to pray in order to hear God in the midst of his questions, “While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him a second time: “This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’.” The disciples, faced with fierce persecution, prayed to the heavens crying out for divine intervention against their enemies, in order to announce the gospel with power and authority: “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one… Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant, Jesus. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” [14]
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In conclusion, your prayer must be authentic, devoid of hypocrisy, remembering that He knows your heart. Therefore, he will not punish you for expressing your feelings, such as sadness, indignation, or frustration resulting from the impieties, injustices, corruption, and perversion of this world. You Should open your heart, in the certainty that God will hear you and will surely calm your soul: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.” [15]Also, remember that you are not alone. The Holy Spirit will help you in your intercessions. [16]
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3. Watch
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What to watch for?
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One of the answers is found in Jesus' eschatological sermon. After revealing to his disciples about natural and cosmic catastrophes, the aggravation of the sin, and the appearance of false Christs and false prophets, He concluded his words by saying: It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch. Therefore keep watch…” [17]
Certainly, the Lord not only warned them but much more Christians of this generation, who witness the prophetic fulfillment that he had described. We should be vigilant not to be contaminated by sin, manipulations, untruths, or by liberal Christianity. Watch against apostasy. Watch against temptations. Satan comes in many forms. Stay vigilant! Don't be deceived by fallacious arguments and demonic fables. Guard your heart, “Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” [18]Guard against grudges, hatred, sorrows, and revenge, remembering that the Lord is the avenger, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
[19]
The master put sentinels to prevent anyone from destroying his property. Likewise, the Lord expects us to act as sentries, being on guard against any enemy that tries to destroy his work. God put the church in the world; however, Satan tries to put the world in the church. He will use every opportunity to weaken God's work, causing
us to let our guard down!
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4. Make use of the spiritual armor
We are not called to make an armed revolution against godless governments. The Lord will be the annihilator of human governments, however, we have very powerful spiritual weapons to defend ourselves and attack our enemies. According to the Scriptures, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” [20]We are summoned to put on the whole armor of God, to stand firm against the wiles of the devil.[21]
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“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.;” [22)
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Don't be indifferent in the face of human atrocities, pray, be vigilant, ´put on the divine weaponry, and don't sing louder when you hear the cry of the victims in the wagons that pass near you. Even if you have to stop the train!
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All Glory be to God!
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[1] Of the 1.3 million people deported to the Auschwitz concentration camps during World War II, around 1.1 million were murdered in the most horrendous forms of torture by the Nazis. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1288821/auschwitz-deportees-deaths-by-background/
[2] New World Order
[3] Romans 13: 1-4
[4] I Peter 2: 13-15
[5] Revelation 13: 6-8 (NASB 1995)
[6] Esther 3:1-6 ESV
[7] Flavius Josephus - History of the Hebrews 11.6.5 “Now there was a certain Haman, the son of Amedatha, an Amalekite by birth, who used to be with the king; and the foreigners and Persians worshiped him, as Artaxerxes had commanded such honor to be paid to him; but Mordecai was so wise and so observant of the laws of his own country that he would not worship the man. When Haman observed this, he asked its origin; and when he perceived that he was a Jew, he was indignant and said to himself, that while the Persians, who were free men, worshiped him, this man, who was but a mere slave, would not prostrate himself before him.”
[8] Acts 4:19
[9] Remembering the existence of Old Testament verses that would support the referred leaders against Mordecai and the disciples (Ex. 22:28, Eccl. 10:20)
[10] Proverbs 31:8-9
[11] Psalm 35:1-4
[12] I Samuel 12: 23
[13] 1 Timothy 2: 1-3
[14] Acts 4:24-31NIV
[15] Psalm 34:17–19
[16] Romans 8: 26
[17] Mark 13:34-35
[18] Proverbs 4:23 New King James Version (NKJV)
[19] Romans 12:19-21 New International Version (NIV)
[20] Ephesians 6: 12
[21] Ephesians 6: 11
[22] 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 New International Version (NIV)