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In the recently released Apple TV period piece Franklin, which stars Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin, there is a scene in which John Adams questions Franklin’s deception of the French and asks something to the effect, “So we are supposed to deceive them?”
To this, Franklin responds, “No, we are to lawyer them.”
What an insightful theatrical depiction of the reality of human-imposed law! Imposed laws are the types of rules that creatures make up and, thus, they are part of the kingdoms of this world—and all the kingdoms of this world are Satan’s (Matthew 4:8, 9; John 18:36), who is the father of lies (John 8:44).
Imposed laws do not define reality, determine outcomes, remove sin, purify character, instill love, or make people righteous; they do not make a better and more just society or world; they do not heal hearts and minds. They do not deliver from death, heal sickness, or resurrect loved ones; they do not heal relationships; they do not reveal the truth about God; and they do not represent God’s kingdom or government!
Imposed laws do not stop evil—in fact, they perpetuate it, because imposed laws restrain the total chaos and the inevitable self-destruction that would otherwise result if sin were unrestrained. However, imposed laws simultaneously create the framework for evil to operate “legally.” In other words, imposed laws are the laws Satan wields to manage his kingdom so as to prevent his wicked followers from completely destroying themselves, while they continue to do evil, exploit, abuse, lie, and cheat—but all through mechanisms that make it “legal” or through tricking the system (such as using immoral lawyers to deceive) to avoid the artificially inflicted consequences the punitive justice system would otherwise enforce.
For instance, slavery is now “illegal” in every country, but there are still various forms of slavery being practiced—sex trafficking, sweatshops, forced child labor, etc. This reveals that imposed laws do not change hearts and minds, do not bring righteousness, do not remove sin but, rather, perpetuate sin because the various imposed laws allow traffickers to continue their evil. They use laws against wiretapping, surveillance, and warrantless searches and exploit rules of due process, evidence, and so much more to continue in their sin. Evil people, those who do not have God’s law in their hearts, do not seek to obey the law; instead, they use law to disobey and restrain the righteous from holding them accountable.
In other words, as Franklin is depicted as saying, they “lawyer.” They deceive, trick, and manipulate to do real evil while calling it “legal”—or at least use the legal system to claim it isn’t legal to hold them accountable because the various rules of evidence or procedure were not followed.
Imposed law has always been corrupt, unjust, a make-believe system that has never brought true justice, but over the past decade or so, the exposure of the injustice of imposed law has been markedly increased. This is occurring because people are breaking God’s design laws, which always results in hardening their hearts against God, closing their hearts to the Holy Spirit and, thus, the presence of God, which restrains evil. The Holy Spirit’s influence is slowly being withdrawn from the Earth. As this occurs, evil is increasing and the imposed law system is being exposed for what it is: a fraudulent system of corruption that is used by evil people to advance an evil agenda.
As long as the majority of people in a society have remained sensitive to the movements of the Holy Spirit and retained within themselves some sense of morality, a desire to live godly lives, then they have acted reasonably in their community discourse seeking to be “law-abiding citizens”; thus, the imposed laws have given a semblance of justice. But the good we have seen in society has never been derived from imposed law; it has been only from the goodness of God operating in the people!
On October 11, 1798, John Adams, Founding Father of the United States and its second president, wrote to the Massachusetts Militia that:
Because We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled by morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition, Revenge or Gallantry, would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
As God has been removed from our culture, as hearts have hardened against heaven, and as the Holy Spirit is withdrawn, the evil passions of the human heart have increased such that no imposed laws will result in a healthier society. For instance,
- Gun laws do not stop murderers.
- Child protection laws do not stop child-molesters.
- Tax laws do not stop cheaters.
Have you seen the recent slew of “squatters” using the “law” to occupy homes and prevent homeowners from using their own property?
Or have you seen various government officials refuse to enforce laws? What happens? More unrestrained evil—like mobs ransacking stores and shoplifting retailers.
Have you seen laws being passed that erode a parent’s ability to educate their children and protect their children from propaganda and godless agendas?
Or have you seen laws being passed that make criminals out of those who speak the truth about God labeling them as purveyors of so-called “hate speech”?
My point here is not to make a political statement but to help you realize that there is no “justice” in an imposed-law system. Justice, doing what is actually right, comes only from the hearts and minds of people who have God’s living law of love and truth written upon their hearts.
The great deception coming upon the world is that we can have justice, order, safety, and security with more laws and more law enforcement. But this is a lie! The only way we get true justice is when God heals people and writes His law on their hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10). And this happens only when we are won to love and trust in God. And that happens only when we reject the lies about God, including the lie that God’s law functions like human law, and return to worshiping God as Creator, which requires realizing that His laws are design laws, the laws reality is built to operate upon.
The beast of Revelation is rising—and when it is fully formed and manifests across this planet, it will arise to do “justice.” It will have its “laws” and will enforce them all under the guise of doing justice, restoring order, punishing evil, and bringing in a new era of peace and safety. Sadly, many Christians will embrace this false god because they have believed that God’s law functions like human law, a system of imposed rules requiring God to inflict punishment for rule-breaking. Thus, they believe that punishing those who won’t obey the law is what “justice” means. All but the very elect of God—those who know God as Creator, who understand God’s laws are design laws—will be taken in under this false system of imposed law and inflicted punishments.
I invite you to reject the false legal system of imposed law and return to worshiping God as Creator—learn of Him, embrace His design laws of love, truth, and liberty, allow Him to write His living law upon your heart and mind—and then purposely choose to practice His methods in how you live and treat others. As Paul wrote in Romans 13, after describing the purpose of human law:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:8–10 NIV84).
When God’s living law of love is written upon our hearts and we actually love others as He loves us, there is no need for it to be written on stone or legislated by human governments. The only way to eliminate evil and restore genuine righteousness is for God to restore His law of love into our hearts and minds. As Peter wrote:
Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:8–12 NIV84).
