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WIE HET WIE GESKEP? DEEL 2

WIE HET WIE GESKEP? DEEL 2

deur Dominic Rusu

Sonde “skep” wet en orde

Ons dink gewoonlik aan die toestand van sonde as vernietigend – om elke volmaakte ding wat deur God geskep is, af te breek. (Wanneer ek die term “sonde” of “toestand van sonde” gebruik, verwys ek na die gesteldheid van sonde, nie individuele dade van sonde nie.) Die idee wat ek wil hê jy moet oorweeg, is dat terwyl sonde afwyking van God se ontwerp (sy wet) is, dit sy eie “kreatiewe” krag in ons wêreld aan die werk het as gevolg van die sondetoestand. Hierdie skeppingskrag het die mensdom in werklikheid daartoe gelei om die valse god van wet en orde te skep.

Satan beny God se skeppingskrag. Watter beter strategie vir Satan as om die mensdom te versoek om uit lyn met God se plan vir lewe te beweeg? Die gevolglike infeksie van sonde het lewe op die aarde op die diepste astrofisiese, klimaats- en genetiese vlakke verander. Chaos en swaarkry het die plek van harmonie en geluk ingeneem. Siklusse van geboorte, oorlewing, voortplanting en dood het gevolg.

Hierdie kreatiewe krag van sonde bestaan uit twee dele:

  • Eerstens, die druk en spanning as gevolg van die chaos
  • Tweedens, die aanpassings wat plaasvind as gevolg van die wil om te oorleef wat in elke lewende wese is

Ons bestudeer die luiperd, sy skoonheid en sy vermoëns, en kan ons nie eers voorstel hoe dit voor sonde was nie. Ons kan sien dat elke aspek van ‘n luiperd se fisiologie, instinkte en gedrag vandag aangepas is vir die moeilike toestande wat in ‘n sonde-toestand-wêreld bestaan. Sy skelet- en spierstrukture, metaboliese werkswyse, dinamiese sintuie, twee-duim-slagtande en intrekbare kloue – alles perfek aangepas vir een doel: om ander diere dood te maak. In daardie sin het die sondetoestand hierdie karnivoor en sy dodelike kragte “geskep”, aanpassings wat die luiperd in staat stel om as ‘n spesie te oorleef, selfs al vergaan sy individuele lede. Hierdie sondegedrewe skepping is die antitese van goddelike skepping.

Alhoewel dit vir ons relatief maklik is om die impak van die sondetoestand op die luiperd objektief te oorweeg en hoe sonde sy aanpassings gevorm het, is dit vir ons baie moeiliker om dieselfde objektiewe gedagte op die menslike toestand toe te pas.

Soos met die luiperd, het die sondetoestand die menslike bestaan gevorm deur aanpassings in ons fisiologie, instinkte, dryfvere en gedrag. Maar baie sien nie die impak wat hierdie sondetoestand op ons siening van God gehad het nie. En net soos aanpassing gemeenskaplike gedrag in die diereryk gevorm het, het die toestand van sonde die gemeenskaplike gedrag, waardes en oortuigings van menslike samelewings gevorm.

Satan se strategie was om die weg te baan vir die vervanging van God met die val van die mens en die intrede van sonde in die wêreld. Nadat Adam gesondig het, het alles begin verander – klimaat, genetika, verhoudings en selfs ons persepsie van tyd, wat nou ‘n eindstreep, ‘n einde en die doodskadu gehad het. Die sondetoestand van chaos en die diep vrees vir nie-bestaan in die menslike samelewing kan gekenmerk word as ‘n konstante, onverbiddelike drukkoker, wat direk die oorlewingsdryfvere en instinkte opgelewer het wat deel geword het van die menslike denke en gedrag.

Dit het gelei tot ‘n negatiewe versterkende kringloop waarin vrees en selfsug (die oorlewingsdrang) verskeie sondige neigings opwek (skep), soos wellus, hebsug, woede, aggressie, oorheersing, vraatsug en trots, wat menslike oorlewingsgedrag vir beide individue en samelewings motiveer wat net groter vrees en selfsug veroorsaak wat meer sondige gedrag veroorsaak om self te beskerm en te bevorder. Individuele selfsugtige (sonde-gebaseerde) gedrag, indien dit nie gekontroleer word nie, lei egter tot chaos wat die groep verswak, wat die waarskynlikheid van die oorlewing van almal behalwe die sterkste verminder.

Ek glo Satan het beplan dat, sodra die drukkoker geskep is, die skaarste en mededinging van hulpbronne om lewe te onderhou, ‘n toernooi sou skep wat mens teen mens stel. Daardie toernooi sou lei tot aanpassing en eksperimentering rondom verskeie vorme van menslike bestuur. En die keerpunt in hierdie kompetisie tussen menslike samelewings was die idee van die oppergesag van die reg.

Net soos biologiese en instinktiewe aanpassings tot die sondetoestand verseker het dat dierelewe voortduur, het die oppergesag van die reg ook bygedra tot menslike oorlewing en vooruitgang. Maar hierdie menslike benadering van oppergesag van die reg is net so ‘n “skepping” as gevolg van sonde as die luiperd se slagtande en intrekbare kloue.

Mense het vinnig ontdek dat hulle ‘n beter kans op oorlewing het deur in groepe saam te werk as alleen. Stamwese is gebore, waarin gesag gekombineer met die oppergesag van die reg nuttig en selfs nodig geword het. Stam oppergesag van die reg het ontwikkel tot stadsoppergesag van die reg, stad-staat oppergesag van die reg en uiteindelik nasionale oppergesag van die reg. Die drukkoker van die sondestaat het vroeë vorme van moraliteit geskep – die oppergesag van die reg, wat op dade gefokus het – en is vinnig gevolg deur die idee van wet en orde.

Wanneer iemand in ‘n samelewing gebore word of by ‘n samelewing aansluit, is die geïmpliseerde sosiale kontrak tussen die individu en die regerende struktuur die volgende: Ek gee ‘n mate van onafhanklikheid en vryheid prys in ruil vir die vergroting van my kans op oorlewing en welstand. Mense wat in sulke gemeenskappe gebore word, leer om óf in te stem om by die oppergesag van die reg te hou en die maniere waarop hulle hulle selfsugtige neigings bevredig, te beperk, óf hulle ly die gevolge van straf – isolasie, verbanning of selfs teregstelling. Oorlewing word verbeter deur beide die oppergesag van die reg te gehoorsaam en ander te dwing om ook te gehoorsaam.

Gedrag wat die wet oortree, word volgens die wet gestraf. En die meeste van ons glo instinktief dat dit reg en regverdig is – anders sou die stelsel ineenstort; chaos sou volg; en ons lewens, ons gesin se lewens en toekomstige geslagte sal minder veilig wees.

As ons terugkyk in die verlede, sien ons dat samelewings met ‘n sterker oppergesag van die reg geneig is om meer effektief te floreer en te ontwikkel as kulture met ‘n swakker oppergesag van die reg. Die voordeel van die oppergesag van die reg is duidelik, hetsy toegeskryf aan ‘n godheid, ‘n koning of ‘n sekulêre moderne republiek.

Die korrelasie tussen die status van die oppergesag van die reg en die bruto binnelandse produk (BBP), ‘n maatstaf van ekonomiese skepping, per capita is nie net lineêr nie, dit is eksponensieel. Dit beteken dat in moderne samelewings ‘n eenheidsverbetering (bv. sterker eiendomsreg, minder korrupsie) in die oppergesag van die reg veel meer lewer as ‘n eenheidstoename in BBP per kapita, en daardie verhouding versnel teen ‘n hoër en hoër tempo namate die oppergesag van die reg verbeter.

Byvoorbeeld, om van die Wilde Weste te beweeg met gewapende manne wat doen wat hulle wil (die sterkste individue wat oorleef), na Amerikaanse polisiehoofde, kringregters en dan na gemeenskapsbalju en plaaslike regters met konsekwente handhawing van die oppergesag van die reg, het gelei tot maatskaplike winste – verbeterde ekonomie, gesondheidsorg, onderwys, infrastruktuur, behuising, persoonlike rykdom, en dus nie bloot oorlewing nie, maar ‘n verbeterde lewenstandaard.

Samelewings verskil met verloop van tyd in terme van die sterkte van die oppergesag van die reg. Ons sien dit afspeel in die spanning tussen individuele regte (vryheid) en wat die maghebbers glo tot voordeel van almal is (oppergesag van die reg). As wette wat ekstern opgelê word, te beperkend raak vir menslike outonomie en vryheid, begin die samelewing ook ly. Dink byvoorbeeld aan die te beperkte oppergesag van die reg in kommunistiese lande. Daar is dus ‘n spanning tussen ons begeerte na individuele vryheid en ons strewe om te oorleef. Totale individuele vryheid – die “wet van die oerwoud” – verminder individuele oorlewing, net soos te veel heerskappy. Om te ver te gaan, verswak ‘n samelewing, beide sosiaal en ekonomies.

Die spanning, walging en vrees wat ons voel terwyl ons vandag na die chaos van onluste kyk, bevestig die bestaan van hierdie nuttige en kragtige menslike instink. Die oppergesag van die reg beskerm ons nie net nie, dit versterk ons as ‘n groep. Daarsonder word ons verswak en kwesbaar vir die chaos van die sonde-toestand wêreld. Maar te veel wet beperk vryheid en smoor groei. Oorweeg byvoorbeeld die impak op die ekonomie deur regeringsbeperkings op besigheid en persoonlike vryheid tydens COVID.

Selfs in ‘n samelewing so sagmoedig en altruïsties soos ‘n kerklike organisasie, sien ons die nut van die oppergesag van die reg. Lede hou by die gedragskode en getuig van die amptelike leerstellings. Ons sien ‘n hiërargie van mag wat handel met afwykings deur individue en sukkel met samelewingsmagte wat druk uitoefen op sy tradisionele norme en oortuigings. Hierdie regsregeringstelsel van die kerk bestaan vir die oorlewing van die groep, nie vir die uiteindelike welstand van die individu nie. Ironies genoeg, deur evangelisasie uitreiking, is die boodskap een van individuele ewige welstand. Maar selfs onder hierdie uitreikings is ‘n strategie vir die oorlewing van die groep.

In die 1970’s het ek ‘n privaat Christelike akademie bygewoon waar dit “teen die wet” was om na die bioskoop te gaan. Die fakulteit sou teaterparkeerterreine patrolleer om ‘wet en orde’ af te dwing. Ons studente was verward. Die rede vir die gedwonge gedragskodes was troebel. Was ons onderwysers so bekommerd oor ons karakters dat hulle hul aande opoffer om moontlike skuldiges te kan uitvang? Was die norme regtig oor moraliteit en karakter? Of was daar iets anders aan die gang?

As ons skoolhoof net eerlik was en die werklike rede vir groepnorme verduidelik het, kon baie hartseer vermy gewees het en ‘n sekere mate van respek gevestig gewees het: “Studente. Ons het reëls teen sekere gedrag – teaterbywoning is een daarvan. Ek gee nie regtig persoonlik om of jy gaan fliek of nie. Die ryk mense wat hierdie organisasie ondersteun, het egter sekere verwagtinge van my. Ons akademie het ‘n beeld wat belangrik is vir ons oorlewing. As ek en die administrasie as liberaal beskou word, word daardie handelsmerk in die gedrang gebring en sal ons van ons inkomste verloor. So, jou keuse: Hou by die reëls of verlaat die kampus; Ek gee nie om wat jy kies nie. Ek gee egter om vir hierdie organisasie en my werk.”

My punt met hierdie voorbeeld is dat die verwarring van werklike moraliteit en die toestand van die individuele karakter met die oppergesag van die reg, wat groepe, organisasies en samelewings beskerm, en eintlik nooit met die individu gemoeid is nie, hoogty vier. En sulke verwarring voed hierdie idee van ‘n god van wet en orde wat oor die uiteindelike hoftoneel in die hemel voorsit.

Aan Hammurabi van Babilon word die eerste uitgebreide en gekodifiseerde oppergesag van die reg toegeskryf, omstreeks 1754 vC. Daar was voorheen regskodes in hierdie streek van die wêreld en elders (bv. China), maar sy kode was ‘n belangrike stap vorentoe in die ontwikkeling van die oppergesag van die reg. Dit het selfs sekere aspekte van die vermoede van onskuld ingesluit. Die kode het wette ingesluit wat laster, bedrog, slawerny, arbeid, diefstal, handel, aanspreeklikheid, egskeiding, owerspel en meineed aanspreek. Latere kodes sluit die Hetitiese, Assiriese en Mosaïese variante in.

Die mense van die Vrugbare Halfmaan was geneig om hul konings as goddelik te beskou. As sodanig is Hammurabi as ‘n god-koning op aarde beskou, en hy word tot vandag toe selfs in sekulêre regerings geëer. ‘n Marmerreliëfportret van sy uitbeelding as die wetgewer word oor die galerydeure van die Senaat in die Amerikaanse Capitol-gebou vertoon. Die oppergesag van die reg was nog altyd gekoppel aan die regerende rol en mag van gesag – hetsy demokraties verkies, of deur geboorte soos in ‘n monargie, of deur geweld soos in die geval van despote.

Die vereniging van die oppergesag van die reg met die geloof in God (hetsy die ware God of ‘n heidense god) het beter groepsamehorigheid en kans op oorlewing beteken. Dink aan die verloop. Gesag het die oppergesag van die reg gebruik om te beskerm, geregtigheid te bewerkstellig, samewerking te versterk en stabiliteit te skep – en sulke gesag word gelykgestel aan goddelikheid. ‘n God-koning se heerskappy was die doeltreffendste wanneer dit regte gedrag afgedwing het deur die uitvoering van geweld, mag en dwang. Burgers het daaraan voldoen as gevolg van die instinktiewe vrees vir nie-bestaan wat deur die sondige toestand veroorsaak word.

Die oppergesag van die reg bied nie net aanpasbare voordele aan groepe nie, dit gee die individu ‘n gevoel van beheer en mag, wat hul eie gevoel van vrees en hulpeloosheid verminder. Reëlonderhouding laat individue veilig en selfs regverdig voel, wat vir die vrees van straf wat sonde inboesem, vergoed. Die oppergesag van die reg doen dus ‘n beroep op die selfsugtige hart as ‘n manier om self te beskerm deur persoonlike gehoorsaamheid en prestasie. Dit bied selfs ‘n gevoel van beheer oor die wetgewer, wat weerhou word om mag te gebruik teen ‘n burger wat die wet onderhou. Dit is geen wonder dat hierdie oppergesag van die reg in elke godsdiens van die wêreld ingesluip het nie.

 

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After reading your book, ‘Could It Be This Simple,’ someone was explaining Christianity in a way that made sense to me for the first time in my life. One morning, I simply prayed “I’m sorry and I love you.” As soon as I silently said that, I could literally feel God’s presence and light flood down on me from above and fill me up with love and joy. I sat there crying my eyes out, because I was so overpowered with this feeling of love and joy. It was just so incredible. I hope that more people can read this book and get a blessing from it. It’s really amazing.

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Testimony 27

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

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Testimony 64

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Testimony 35

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Testimony 50

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