GOVERNMENT – NOW AND IN THE FUTURE

July 2010 article by Norman Phillips

Here we are then, some 2 months or more on from the General Election when again we saw the three main parties competing against each other to form the new government. Did you vote, or were you one of the large section of electors who refrained from casting their vote for any one of them?

An aura of disillusionment appeared to have gripped the nation, and this is understandable when we see many of those previously elected involved in corruption, fraud, sleaze and immorality. It appears to get worse with every new government; they become drunk with power and, to coin a phrase, ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. The strange thing, however, is that some of those involved in wrongdoing don’t see that they are doing anything wrong when they are caught out. The lack of confidence in our rulers is reflected in the election results as no party had a clear majority and thus a coalition government was formed. This is a government working on compromise and I think that two parties with different aims and ideals will, in the long run, fail. We must, however, acknowledge that there are some members of parliament that to a degree have a semblance of honesty and integrity, but they are seldom heard, their voices being often lost in a mire of sleaze.

When I was a young man, before coming to knowledge of the Truth, I quickly became disillusioned with governments. I stopped voting because I asked myself a simple question that you may think to be naive. It was this – how can you trust a politician to be faithful to a nation when that politician may not be faithful to his/her own family?

We must, of course, accept that corruption abounds in all walks of life, and the reason for this is summed up in two quotations from the Bible.

“The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked”. (Jeremiah 17 v 9)

“Every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived it brunet forth sin.” (James 1 vs 14-15)

These sad indictments are upon all of us, and yes, many endeavour to lead a good and honest life. But to overcome the weaknesses identified by the scripture, we can do no better than turn our hearts and minds to our great Creator, the Living God, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

God has set out in the Holy Bible a manifesto for a world of peace and harmony. Unlike the manifesto of political parties which changes seemingly like the wind changes direction, His manifesto does not change. It was delivered once for all and from generation to generation it remains the same. It promises a new world order and for believers we know the change will be soon because of the state the world is in now. There are many references to what God’s Kingdom will be like. Why not see for yourselves by turning to the following references in the Bible?

Isaiah 65 v 17 and chapter 66 v 22 tell us of the new world order. The same prophet in chapter 11 verses 6-10 tells us of the animals all living in safety with each other and chapter 35 verses 1-10 paint a wonderful picture of a happy and fulfilling life in a renewed earth.

There are many other references in the Bible to this new life given to those who ‘put on’ Christ, so I would urge you to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness while there is time to find it.