Lessons in Liberty by W. M. Healey

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 24, 1911

Lessons in Liberty

By W. M. Healey

IV. Two Diverse Kingdoms

WHEN Christ said, "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight" (John 18:36), He was contrasting the two systems of government in the universe. There are but two principles underlying all authority and government. In one the subjects serve from choice, they obey because they love the law that rules them and the King that governs them. There is no coercion, no compulsion. It is the kingdom of God, and in it is perfect liberty. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 2 Cor. 3:17. There is love, joy, and peace.

The other kingdom is the kingdom of bondage, of slavery, of compulsion. Its subjects hate their king and his laws; and yet they serve him, because they are his slaves. There is hatred, strife, and war. It is Satan's dominion, which he has built upon the kingdom received from Adam. It is called the "kingdom of this world," because it is confined to this world, and here it will come to its eternal end, when "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever." Rev. 11:15.

Then the Christian's prayer will be answered: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

In that kingdom will be those, and only those, who have served God from choice. In that kingdom "dwelleth righteousness." No one can be made righteous by force. It may be possible to compel one, in some measure, to act as tho he were righteous, but the real character would be very different from appearances.

Powerlessness of Compulsion

If the State could make laws to compel men to go to church, to be baptized, to rest on the Sabbath, etc., and should enforce them so that people would have the appearance of being Christians, it would not make a single Christian; they would be as so many dummies, machine-made, and in no way fitted for the kingdom of God.

In the kingdom of Christ there is no glory for those who have taken the sword to compel obedience and worship. "He that taketh the sword shall perish with the sword." There is no mistaking these words; and it is plain that those who would compel others to worship, by force, by the sword, by the power of civil government, will perish in their own kingdom, and have no part in the kingdom of liberty, where dwell the "lowly in heart." There it will be seen that "blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

God made man to be a king, and rule on the earth, and over the earth, first ruling himself in harmony with the principles of the divine government. That he might do this the principles of the kingdom must be first in man, then man in the kingdom. "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city." Prov. 16:32. Many men have taken cities who did not have power to rule their own spirit. To-day men are desiring to make laws and to compel others to worship, who do not possess sufficient power to rule themselves according to the laws of God. Their work is not of God.

Man Not Commissioned to Rule Conscience

God has never commissioned man to compel his fellow man to worship. The teachings of Christ upon this point are very clear; and just before His ascension He gave an emphatic lesson upon it. He was telling Peter what his work would be, and Peter, seeing John, asked Jesus what he was to do, and received a strong rebuke from his Lord. "Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou Me." John 21:21, 22.

Christ has not changed His nature or the nature of His kingdom since He uttered those words to Peter. It is claimed by the church of Rome that Peter was the first pope, and to him was given authority to rule the church; but Christ refused to give him authority over one man, to say nothing of giving it to him over the whole church. Not only did Jesus refuse to give Peter authority over a single disciple, but He even refused to tell him what He Himself required of another. Why then will professors of Christianity not only ask about the duty of others, but themselves define what that duty is, and demand that it be performed under penalties? The asking for laws to compel men to rest on Sunday, is first defining another's duty to God, and then usurping authority over him to compel him to do that which they have created for him. "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth." Rom. 14:4.