Posted today on the Christian website Kjos Ministries was a column entitled, “Will America Be the Next Greece?” followed by the subhead, “Socialism is a godless, secular religion that sees human redemption in government planning.”

The article stated, “There's a debate going on about whether it's accurate to call our president a socialist. . . Socialism has three key characteristics, all of which he buys into.

“First, socialism disdains private property.... Any doubt where our president stands on this? As former Council of Economic Advisors head Greg Mankiw notes regarding the health-care bill, the prime motive was not ‘health per se but … redistribution of income.’

“Second, socialism puts faith in government social engineering. Just think government health care, government takeovers of banks and car companies, and cap-and-trade.

“Third, socialism is a godless, secular religion. (Obama) endorses abortion, including partial-birth abortion, and the legitimacy of sexual behavior that traditional religion abhors. He believes in the redemptive possibilities of government planning, and, going beyond tolerating all religions, he presents them all as equally legitimate.”

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The biblical pattern for how government’s supposed to work today can be found in Romans 13: 3-7.

Romans 13:3 says, “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:”

Jordan explains, “Violators have to be restrained by fear of just retribution from the duly constituted authority. The just administration and enforcement of the laws by the government is what gives stability and is a terror to evil. That’s why it says, ‘Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?’

“That’s talking about natural law, common law. ‘We hold these truths to self-evident that man is endued with certain inalienable rights.’ The Declaration of Independence understood that passage.

“But there are some things that the Creator gives … Government is designed not to produce the good works but to give praise to the good works. Not to be the good worker, not to do the good work, not to support the good work, not to produce them . . . were not talking about some great monolithic government doing it all for you.

“It’s talking about providing a system in which the good works can be accomplished. And praise and honor built up. That’s why our forefathers said, ‘The government which governs best is the government which governs least.’ It only steps in to be a terror to the evil and provides an atmosphere of harmony so the good works can prosper.”

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Romans 13:4-5 goes on, “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.
[5] Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.”

Jordan says, “You see, this is God’s ordinance. When it says, ‘But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid,’ that’s that issue of capital punishment we talked about in Genesis 9.

“Then it says, ‘But also for conscience sake.’ You see, you and I as believers should be motivated to avoid criminal behavior. Motivated to be the best citizens that a country can have by our conscience. We’re to have a system of norms and standards that’s formed by the sound doctrine in our souls.

“Because when we understand what God has established, no matter how man would corrupt what God has established, we have that sound doctrine operative that will respond that way.

“Satan’s policy and M.O. includes human good. You always want to remember that. His attempt is to ‘solve’ problems apart from God and every attempt at solving the problems of mankind apart from God’s Word is only a satanic delusion, whether it’s socialism, communism, internationalism, capitalism, reformation, humanitarianism, welfare, government intervention, government coercion, liberalism, conservativism, organized Christianity, religion . . .

“Whatever it is, no matter how humanly good you might think it would be, a satanic policy of evil is to use human good to solve men’s problems apart from God. You’ve got to have the sound doctrine of God’s Word to be successful.”