A Look at the Source of Freedom by
Gary Ray Branscome
The maker of, “heaven and earth, the sea, and everything that is in them” is king
over every ruler, every judge, and everyone in a position of authority, and
they must all account to Him for every decision that they make (Exodus
The First Commandment gives us the right to worship the
God of the Bible, and to refuse to worship any other god, or any ruler who
demands to be worshiped (as did Caesar). Likewise, it gives us the right to
condemn any ruler who promotes the worship of idols, or finances an
“educational” system that attacks the truth of God’s Word.
The Second Commandment gives us the right to treat
God’s name with respect, and to refuse to obey any ruler who orders us to curse,
swear, or speak falsely in God’s name. Likewise, it gives us the right to
condemn any ruler who uses God’s name to justify evil.
The Third Commandment gives us the right to join with
others in worship. No ruler has the authority to forbid congregational
worship. Likewise, we have the right to seek legislation that would
protect our right to worship.
The Fourth Commandment gives us the right to teach our
children, instruct them in God’s Word, and pass on our faith to them. No ruler
has the authority to interfere with, or in any way infringe on, that
right. Likewise it gives us the right to condemn any legislation that
forces taxpayers to support schools that teach contrary to God’s Word.
The Fifth Commandment gives us the right to life. No
ruler has the authority to murder anyone, to order us to murder anyone, or to
pass laws that allow the murder of some (by abortion etc.). Likewise, it gives
us the right to condemn those who murder the old, deformed, or babies in the
womb; to protest organizations that promote such murder, and to condemn rulers
who allow it. [While the Bible allows capital punishment and defense of the
nation in time of war, it makes a clear distinction between that and murder.]
The Sixth Commandment gives us the right to be
faithful to our spouse, to refrain from any sexual activity outside of
marriage, and to respect God’s plan for marriage. No ruler has any authority to
order us to commit immoral acts, encourage immoral acts, or demand that we condone
or approve of immoral behavior (including homosexuality). Likewise, this
commandment gives us the right to ignore and condemn any ruler or legislation
that would require us to allow transvestite men to use the same restrooms as
little girls; or any legislation that would punish us for condemning such
behavior, or for refusing to use pronouns that affirm sexual perversion.
The Seventh
Commandment gives us the right to own property, and condemns those who would
take it from us. Rulers who kill people and take their property are condemned
by God. And, we have a God-given right to condemn any abuse of power aimed at
making rulers rich, giving them kickbacks, or
redistributing the wealth. While the Bible does tell us to pay our taxes, and
allows the government to provide assistance during times of national disaster,
taxes are to be a payment for services rendered not an attempt to redistribute
the wealth.
The Eighth Commandment gives us the right to a good
reputation. No ruler has any authority to falsely accuse us, spread lies about
us, or order us to bear false witness against someone else. Likewise, it gives
us the right to condemn character assignation on the part of rulers or
political parties.
The Ninth and Tenth Commandments give us the right to live
a, “quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1Tim. 2:2). In
short, no ruler has the authority to conspire against us, or in any way cause
law-abiding citizens to live in fear of the government; or to use the law to legally
deprive us of our spouse or our property. Likewise, it gives us the right to
protest all such activity on the part of rulers, and to work through the legal
system to end such abuse.
Conclusion
Our God given rights are not limited to the Ten
Commandments, but are taught elsewhere in Scripture. For example: the words, “He
who steals a man, and sells him, or is caught with him, shall surely be put to
death,” give us the right to liberty, and anyone who would enslave a
Christian, or keep him in servitude, is serving Satan, not God (Exodus 21:16).
Because all rulers must account to God for what they
do, they need to realize that what authority they have has been given to them
by God, “For the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do
well,” so “That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and honesty” (1Peter 2:14, 1Timothy 2:2). And, any ruler who uses his position
to deny our God given rights is in rebellion against God.