The Only Reliable Reference Point

People need a reliable reference point in order to formulate their thoughts and decisions. Without this point of reference chaos ensues. We live in a culture which has denied any notion of an absolute reference point of authority other than subjective humanism. If the culture is going to be rescued from its own grave-yard spiral into oblivion it must embrace the Christian Scriptures as that reference point of absolute and reliable authority. 

Re-establishing a Biblical Reference Point

If Christians are to re-establish the Scriptures the one and only reliable authority they first need to understand how they apply to the real world. Too many Christians are ignorant of the Scriptural answers to the nation’s problems.  Understanding what to do and then to actually do it takes effort. It takes time and deep consideration of what the Scriptures teach on various social and economic issues.  It also takes courage and cunning. Most of all it takes unyielding commitment to the cause of Christ. Christians usually tend to view the Scriptures in a religious vacuum only to be used to regulate the behavior of the individual, family and the church. They do not understand that God’s word, particularly His Law, is also to be used to structure and regulate the entire culture including the political and governmental structure and function of men and nations.

Not Politics

Of those Christians that understand the use of the Law-Word of God for all of life, many are too focused on politics. Politics then becomes the saving issue and not Jesus Christ or the Gospel. Institutional issues become society’s problem and not man’s sin. Too many saints jump into the political arena seeking certain types of candidates only to elevate them as the messianic hope. They look for more government programs and new legislation as the answer to cultural problems. This is a flawed assumption. It is wrong thinking and will produce horrible results. Monolithic centralization of power is un-biblical and dangerous. 

The Messianic State

Once a nation is convinced that there is no absolute source of truth one which is just, predictable and reliable, they turn to the state. Whenever the Revelation of God is viewed as no longer having any basis for civil law and societal order the people look for direction elsewhere. They look to the state for answers, direction, and ultimately salvation. What they get is tyranny, slavery and misery. Whenever God is believed to no longer operate within the physical Universe the people are ripe for statist takeover.
In his book, God and Government, Gary DeMar says, “Once the state put God out of the way, it then could remove the individual. The individual is nothing; the nation is everything…The voice of the State becomes the voice of God.”

This is precisely what happened in Nazi Germany under Hitler and the National Socialist party. While the effort to remove God and the benefits of His Law from society primarily comes from government schools, it is also enforced by the courts and the legislative branch at all levels of government.

Mono a Mono 

Since there has been a gradual shift in thinking toward an anti-Biblical humanistic  reference point, the way back simply must be the way we have arrived as this point, gradual and by degrees. That means that the Christians must make a conscientious effort to educate the masses one person at a time. Small incremental steps over a period of time yields great progress if that effort is consistent and continues seamlessly throughout many generation. This must be a grass roots effort. It is more than a plan. It is an agenda with a final goal. It is not, however, monolithic in nature or structure like the Federal government. In other words, it is not a top down centralized plan and it doesn’t come from a single ministry or denomination. Biblical progress must be according to a decentralized strategy and decentralization is precisely what this nation needs. 

Be a Leader, Don’t Look For One

Leadership talent is hard to come by and yet that is precisely what is needed to realize the goal of Christ’s Kingdom. Biblical leadership means grooming others to be leaders so that the army of saints is comprised of self motivated, talented and hardworking leaders.  Gideon’s leadership qualities were duly noted by the Hebrews but instead of following his example they wanted to make him king. They wanted a centralized government with a dominant ruling figure. He refused. 

As a result of man’s sinful nature some men desire to be ruled by others and some want to rule. Neither wishes to be ruled by God. Only sinful men seek to rule other men. Only sinful men go along with tyrants since they are in bondage to a slavish psychology. Rather than be obedient to God each group opts for one or the other situation – tyranny or slavery. Both are wrong. Both are doomed. The dominion mandate does not allow for men to rule over other men, nor does it allow for men to be slaves of other men. Only God can legitimately rule over men and men are only justified in being bond slaves to the Righteous Christ. 

The Biblical Reference Point

The re-establishment of the Scriptures as relevant to every aspect of the social order is absolutely essential to begin the road back to a righteous nation. Some tactical observations:

1.       Learn how to relate to people in the market place. 

Practice how to casually bring up pressing issues of the day and monitor the reaction. Engage people in discussion. Offer some opinion. Try to make people think outside the box of their secular worldview by asking probing questions. Don’t begin by telling them what you think or what they should think. Listen closely to what they are saying. Show an interest in their opinion, wrong as it may be. When you voice your opinion, appeal to their fears as well as their concerns. Do not be confrontational. Show genuine concern and share your frustration in the status quo. Take an interest in people and they will be more apt to take an interest in what you are saying.

2.       Encourage Leadership in others by exhibiting leadership skills yourself.


Not everyone is a leader. Not everyone knows what leadership is yet everyone knows true leadership when they see it. The problem in our secular world is the absence of direction, not leadership per se.

Today’s so called leaders may be leading but they are leading in the wrong direction. A Biblical leader has a moral compass that always points true north. That compass is the Scripture. Even though most people are void of a Biblical compass, as a result of their a priori God-given intuition about right and wrong  they nevertheless have some sense of morality. As a leader you need to capitalize on that and encourage others to think likewise. Leading the way means that you encourage others to become proactive in the affairs of the community. This takes time and requires a strategy based in education. In fact, for many, it will be a strategy based in re-education. 

3.       Be Proactive.

Do not wait for providential opportunities to take action, rather be on the look-out for them. Sometimes you can even create situations that will enable you to advance your plan. The Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky once said, “a good hockey player plays where the puck is…a great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Keep your eyes open for opportunities and then be there to capitalize on them.

4.       Teach others.

This is the strategy: teach others to think Biblically. This takes time and it takes patience. Use every opportunity and every venue to teach. When confronted with objections be careful not to become emotional. Do not take objections as a personal affront since that will cloud your thinking and compromise the way you handle your response. Use every opportunity to simply set forth the truth and leave it there. Let God do the work from that point on. Be as courteous as possible but know when to cut off the debate. Don’t waste your time on gainsayers and those that seek to take you from your mission.

5.       Network with others of the same presuppositions.

Start building a team of those who hold to the same Biblical conviction. This is important but I make it a point to also network with those who are not necessarily Biblically minded yet have a strong sense of right and wrong. These folks can be an asset. Make it your business to sit with these people on an ongoing basis. Invite them for coffee or to join you for lunch. Make mental notes on who may be useful in various areas of influence for future campaigns. Since an excellent character is of utmost importance I always look for character traits firstly and then consider competence. Competence can always be taught. That is not so with character. 

6.       Talent Search 

Finally, Teach others in your team how to spot talent. As you build your core group remind them that they too are ‘talent scouts’ looking for Biblical character and competence in others.

These are some ideas on how to begin a movement for practical Christian Reconstruction.