The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent David H. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Research - Self-Government
"Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet." - Robert C. Winthrop, Addresses and Speeches on Various Occasions, 1852
Robert Winthrop makes a stark and insightful contrast between self-government and agonistic civil government.
Our nation's Founding Fathers understood the importance of "self-government." America is grounded in this idea. What does this mean? You would have an incomplete notion of self-government if only defining the term as the ability of citizens to vote and elect their representatives.
Government in biblical thought is not just civil government, which, in reality, is the least important governmental form. First and foremost, government focuses on an individual's ability to govern himself. This is why religion must be encouraged, as John Adams noted.
The Bible presents a clear picture on self-government. To have true liberty, man must be governed internally by the Spirit of God rather than by external forces. Government begins within the individual, and then extends outward to the family, church, and community.
So what do Christians base there rules of self-government around? Very simply: The Ten Commandments. God gave the children of Israel these laws so that they might first obey them personally and then carry them out in their families and communities.
The principle of self-government involves God ruling internally from the heart of the individual and is dependent upon man’s obedience to "the spirit of the law of Christ."
Humans have been given a choice ever since Paradise to choose right or wrong. The choices we make in our hearts indicates the nature of our self-governing.
The Bible speaks often on this subject. Ephesians 6:6 explains that we are to obey, "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart."
Consider 1 Timothy 3:5: "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?" This Biblical verse makes it clear that a person needs to first control himself before assuming the responsibilities associated with higher forms of government.
And in Proverbs 25:28 we are told "He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls."
Our hearts are the foundation of self-government. Robert Winthrop's analysis was correct. To govern ourselves effectively, we need to abide by God's commandments.
