The Scepter of Righteousness in Unrighteous Times
by Christopher Hendrix
“Along the Paris streets, the death-carts rumble, hollow and harsh. Six tumbrils carry the day’s wine to La Guillotine. All the devouring and insatiate monsters imagined since imagination could record itself, are fused in the one realization, Guillotine.” This quote comes from the story Charles Dickens penned in A Tale of Two Cities. This scene foreshadows the French Revolution and the bloodlines that spilled into the streets. The wine pointed to the blood of those who were slaughtered, who did not fit their ideology. Backed by the Enlightenment period, secularization undergirded the push to destroy the monarch and the Catholic Church within the country. While things were a mess in France and a change needed to happen, the French Revolution answered in one of the worst ways. Blood spilled in the public square with approvals and cheers.
Fast forward to modern America, and that same secular root has produced blood overflowing into our streets. Going all the way back to the industrialization of mass abortions, the abuse of psychologists upon children, and the forsaking of God in the public places, America has become a modernized version of the French Revolution. Secularization has infiltrated the public minds and has neutered churches. This Satanic ideology replaced the authority of the Lord with the authority of the State. Secularism’s understanding of morality and beauty derives from the government and not Scripture. The result? The reversal of good and evil. Is. 5:20, Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
The French Revolution 2.0
The heart of the mass shootings, killing of innocent people randomly, and assassinations stems from what America has reaped. What motivated the trans shooter in the Catholic School shooting at the end of August? Hatred for truth and Christians. What was the root of the slaying of Iryna Zarutska? The sinfulness of a wicked and deranged man who should have been removed from society long ago. The justice system enabled this bloodshed by not fulfilling its God-given duty and punishing evil-doers. What led to Charlie Kirk’s assassination? The buildup of hatred towards those who preach the Gospel in the public square. This hatred has been fueled by rhetoric calling for violence, destruction, and breaking down the social order. From physical attacks upon Christians protesting abortion to the destruction of property through rioting and looting, the secularization of our institutions and laws has produced chaos and evil.
Returning from the Abyss
What’s the answer? Is there hope? Some of the articles immediately after Kirk’s assassination said yes. They wrote that America can return from where we are at. But, return to what? Return to where we were two decades ago? Five decades ago? A century ago? These things that happened didn’t occur overnight. They began when America embraced early feminism, lowered its family view, and stopped preaching the white hot Gospel in the pulpits and public square. I don’t want to return to the time when America started its fall. I want a new beginning. One that can and only should be founded upon Christ.
A Blood Bought Ruling Practical Righteousness
Hebrews 1:8–9 says,
But of the Son He says, 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, And the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You. With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”
Christ rules in righteousness. True justice stems from Him. Jesus Christ rules and reigns even now! He sits on the throne, and the Father is putting His enemies under the feet of Christ. Every command and truth in Scripture is righteous. This means that every command leads to true peace, love, comfort, and goodness for people. The problem with our culture is that we fall to the lie of Satan. Does God really want our good? So then, instead of seeking the righteousness of Christ, we fall to the temptation secularists put in front of us. We fall to their version of goodness. Then, we wonder why we don’t see righteousness dominating the public square?
But the question is, how do we live out the righteousness of Christ and His rule? What is the tangible and practical way God gave us to do this? It starts with repenting of sin. Churches are filled with people who are fine with their sin. From sexual sin to the ‘little lies,’ we tolerate sin in the church. If this is the case, how much more will sin be tolerated publicly? Along with repentance, belief in Christ as Lord and Savior is required. Do our hearts truly trust wholeheartedly in the Word? Do we think through how the Bible guides our beliefs? Are we permissive with sin because of our emotions?
Next, we should think and act in marriage and with children in a biblically informed manner. Are husbands loving their wives as Christ loved the church? Are wives submitting to their husbands and their leadership in the home? Are children being taught the Word by their parents consistently and often, while being disciplined when needed? If we act like secularists in the family institution, then we’ve lost society. Then, do we view the church rightly? Do we understand the mandate to be a part of a church and worship weekly? Do we view the church as an activity or a social club? If so, then we’ve missed it badly. Church isn’t about doing, it’s about receiving and worshipping. Stop thinking online church is OK. It’s not. Get into the body and worship the Supreme Christ.
Finally, we ought to be bringing the Gospel into the public square. Debate, dialogue, our work lives, our social lives, and yes, even the government. A government makes and enforces laws. What kind of laws do we want? Laws that are based on man’s opinion or what they think is best in the moment? If so, then we’re no different than Nazi Germany. But when Christians step up and want laws that stem from the Bible, things begin to change for the better. When we demand that murder, rape, and kidnapping be punished with the death penalty, then we start to draw nearer to righteousness. Yes, Christians must forgive, but we mustn’t mix categories. We forgive, but that doesn’t prevent Romans 13 from being applied. Otherwise, we have to say the Bible contradicts itself. Evil doers must be punished, not according to our standard and what we think is right, but according to God’s standard. For righteousness is only defined by Him because He is righteous.
So then, let’s mourn for the state of our country. Let us pray and seek the Lord on behalf of our nation. And let us strive to live out righteousness. A righteousness that we’ve already been given through Christ. A righteousness that He currently rules with and gives to us.