The following is a republishing of a series of articles for a newspaper in 2020, slightly modified. Pastor Makelin
Wow. The world has gone off it’s rocker lately! Have you ever felt that things are…shall I say…unsettled? You may have felt this even before the latest crazy, but now it just seems more pronounced lately, no? All this flux can make you come away with fear and can be quite unnerving.
Want to hear something great though? God still reigns. He has established three “estates” (or orders, institutions, forever constant) of which all of us Christians live - all at the same time, where He rules. God’s order for His creation has been established by Him and will not be moved! Let me say that again in a slightly different way. God has established temporal walls of defense for our lives, ruled and governed by Him, yet in different ways…different realms under His rule. The comforting thing to know about these estates, is that no matter how much the devil, the world, or even we ourselves, fight against them, they will not be overcome! As the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah in Chapter thirty-five, verse four: Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Rage as he will, the devil will not overcome! God’s reign in these estates will always exist until the end of time.
Tragically, these defensive walls are sometimes damaged in attacks, vandalized, or one or more of them temporarily breached. When this happens, society will demand the other two estates to compensate in order to pick up the slack. Thus, chaos and fear ensue. This is what we are witnessing now. Yet, each estate is necessary - and good - in its own sphere and hierarchy – not only for a healthy society, but especially as defense against your conscience. No matter the damage, these three estates shall, in the end, exist for your protection until you rest in the grave or the Lord returns.
So, what am I talking about when I say God’s three estates? They go by different names in Scripture, but I will call them, Ecclesiastical (Ministry), Familial (Domestic), and Political (Civil). Each has its own way of keeping God’s order and its own peculiar function, and even though some functions are identical, they still operate uniquely in our lives. Two of these estates were instituted by God before the Fall, (Ecclesiastical and Familial) and the least of the three estates established (Political) is described after the Fall of mankind to sin. None the less, the Political estate is also given by God for our protection.
It is my desire, that once you know about these three estates, see how they function, and see how God has established them for your care, protection, and benefit in this life, that you will not only see His order among all this chaos but so too, that you will not fear. You will recognize the enemy, the devil, for what he is and recognize that his goal is to be constantly battering these defensive walls. This is not a teaching of what you must do, but what has been done for you as revealed in God’s Word of Holy Scripture.
Stay tuned for the Political (civil) estate
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