Have We Forgotten the First Purposes of Government?

​Have We Forgotten the 1st Purposes of Government?

GLC Weekly (2024-09-11) 

By Thomas W. Jacobson, Global Life Campaign 

You may be surprised at the original purposes of civil government.  Did you know that the first purpose of civil government is to exercise lawful authority, delegated by God, in civil and criminal matters of righteousness and justice?  It is to represent God in such matters and render justice on His behalf.  And did you know that, inseparable from this purpose, is the second purpose:  to protect innocent human life and render justice for human bloodshed?  

That is why our nation’s Founding Fathers declared:  “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life …” (Declaration of Independence, United States).  And why every State in the USA enacted laws prohibiting abortion during the 1800s.  We have forgotten the first purpose, and chosen to be selective about the second purpose.  Yet we innately know that police, military, courts, and government officials should always act to protect human life.  

Let’s start at the beginning.  When Cain murdered his brother Abel, God Almighty intervened directly, for their father Adam had no governmental authority to render justice (Genesis 4:3-12).  By the 10th generation, “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . (T)he earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence” (Genesis 6:5. 11).  “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. . . . Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time.  Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:8-9).  Therefore, the LORD brought a Great Flood to destroy everyone on the earth, but saved Noah and his family to give humanity a new start (Genesis 6—8). 

After the Great Flood, the LORD God did a most gracious and benevolent act:  He delegated some of His authority to mankind to encourage good, punish evil, and render justice, especially for innocent human bloodshed at any stage of life.  The LORD God said:  “Surely I will require your lifeblood … from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man.  Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:5-6).  

Generations later, when the LORD God brought His people Israel out of bondage in Egypt, one of His first acts was to give them His Law through Moses.  All of His Law is founded upon the 10 Commandments, including His command:  “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).  This included prohibiting murder of children in the womb or sacrificing newly born children.  In fact, child sacrifice was a deeply imbedded practice of the nations whose land God chose to give to Israel, and He used Israel to render judgment by annihilating them.  When the 10 tribes of Israel were committing the same evils 500 years later, the LORD brought Assyria to conquer and remove them; and when Judah later began doing the same, the LORD brought Babylon to conquer and remove most of them.  We in the United States have committed much greater evils, sacrificing 65 million babies. 

In this presidential election, all four leading candidates for president and vice president have spoken in favor of abortion – in favor of authorizing the murder of innocent babies in their mother’s womb.  Donald Trump reluctantly changed his position on abortion in his effort to gain more votes, and JD Vance is standing with him; but taking this position does not appear to come from a conviction in their hearts, but due to political pressures.  On the other hand, Kamala Devi Harris and Timothy Walz believe aborting one’s own children is a “health care,” “reproductive freedom,” a civil “right,” without limits.  It seems that none of the four candidates knows the first core purpose of civil government; Trump and Vance don’t fully know the second purpose; and Harris and Waltz have totally rejected both God-ordained purposes.  

When Donald Trump was president, he did more to protect the sanctity of human life from conception than any other president in our lifetimes.  It is sad to see him shrink from that noble position.  I hope he and Senator Vance are open to being persuaded of the righteousness of his former position, and choose to retake that position.  

President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Governor Tim Walz are all committed to restoring Roe v. Wade as the law of the land in the United States, to guarantee a so-called “right” to sex with anyone and “right” to abortion nationwide, overriding opposing State laws.  Here are some of their statements at the Democratic National Convention:  

Harris:  “A harm against any one of us [except babies in the womb] is a harm against all of us. . . . Donald Trump . . . took away reproductive freedom [to abort babies]. . . . Women . . . being forced [!?!] to carry a pregnancy to term. . . . When Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom [to abort babies], as President of the United States I will proudly sign it into law. . . . In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake . . . the freedom to love who you love openly with pride.” [pro-immorality, pro-LGBT] [TJ clarifications in brackets]  
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Walz:  “We protected reproductive freedom [sex outside marriage, abortion] because in Minnesota we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make.  And even if we wouldn’t make those same choices for ourselves, we’ve got a golden rule:  Mind your own damn business. . . . (T)his is a big part of what this election is about:  freedom! [to have sex outside marriage & abort babies]. . . (W)e’ll build a country where . . . health care [to include abortion] and housing are human rights, and the government stays the hell out of your bedroom.”  [TJ clarifications in brackets] 
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PRAY that we as Americans would regain our true identity and convictions, which were anchored in faith in God and trust in the Bible as the Word of God and source of Truth, and included understanding and upholding the first purposes of civil government in order to preserve life, liberty and happiness within the good and perfect will of God.  

For the LORD, the sacred gift of life, and remembrance of the babies,