"Spiritual reconstructionism"

[Dafydd]

Preterists and post-mill futurists both believe that Christ rules NOW and that the Kingdom will progressively spread throughout the world until Christianity is totally victorious. This is not to say that there will not be times of stagnation & reversal, but these will be followed by revival and awakening until God places all culture, government, media - everything - under the feet of Christ.
But what for shall this take? According to the Reconstructionist movement, Christians are to take control of government and culture and, in effect, legislate for Christian morality and standards. This is the theonomic position favored by some Calvinist writers. The supporters of this idea see Christians ruling as God's viceroys. However, this does not seem to me to be the Biblical model. A viceroy rules in the place of a distant monarch and rules by his own abilities. It seems to me that the Biblical ideal is for one's own abilities - ones "self or "ego" - to be surrendered and replaced by the Spirit of Christ. See Galatians 2:20. I believe that Christ will progressively rule through people who can honestly say with Paul "Not I but Christ in me", not just as a doctrinal belief, but  as a statement of personal experience.
The role of the Church now is (in part) to preach this union with Christ through the dying of the old sinful self and the surrender to Christ. In this way, the expanding rule of Christ will be brought about through his faithful people.
I humbly ask you to, first of all, prayerfully read the article at daffydd.simplesite.com and ask God to lead you in this respect. You may be called to be part of what will become a new reformation!

[robycop3]

    Obviously, Jesus isn't yet ruling here, as the prevalence of sin worldwide proves.

[4WD]

Obviously, Jesus isn't yet ruling here, as the prevalence of sin worldwide proves.

According to your definition that is true.  According to the Biblical definition that is not true.

[robycop3]

  No, that view doesn't clash with Scripture at all. In Jesus' parable, He spoke of a nobleman who went on a journey to receive his kingdom, but that nobleman didn't RULE it til he returned. Jesus was speaking of Himself, of course, and He won't rule earth til He returns.  Then, he will rule with a rod of iron, as He said.

[Dafydd]

There is no contradiction. Jesus rules, but not everyone accepts his Lordship (=rule). His rule will become progressively more widespread until all is accomplished and he hands the Kingdom to the Father. This is the river flowing from the Temple that becomes deeper and deeper, but there are still stagnant pools (sin) which are not refreshed - not until all is completed.

[Dafydd]

The problem (as I see it) with the theonomic Reconstructionist position is that it is assumed that the Old Testament pattern of theocracy is  appropriate for the Christian era. But it seems to me that the OT pattern (of judges or kings ruling as God's viceroys) was predestined to fail and, by its failure, to demonstrate just how incapable Man is from representing God on Earth. According to Norman P Grubb, we are created to be vessels of Christ's presence. That is the New Testament position. We could say that the OT presents humans as God's vassals whereas the NT presents us as God's vessels! The vessel does not (cannot) itself rule, but can - should - become an instrument through which God in Christ rules. The way to extend the Kingdom of God is to spread the full Message which includes the truth that we are not only saved to be freed from spiritual death, but we are also saved to become the instruments through whom Christ rules. As DeVern Fromke stressed, salvation has two aspects; saved from (hell) and saved for (the ministry of being the means through which Christ builds his Kingdom).
Jesus told us to seek the Kingdom before all else. That is a divine command. The Christian has no option. Please pray about this; pray that God will show you your role in the building of his Kingdom and then pray this back to God that your role is fulfilled.

[robycop3]

  ACTUALLY, right now, we are "citizens-elect" of Jesus' kingdom, as He hasn't come back yet to rule it. But before he does, the 'beast', mark of the beast, & the great trib will come. Jesus won't return til then. (See 2 Thess.2.)

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

The problem (as I see it) with the theonomic Reconstructionist position is that it is assumed that the Old Testament pattern of theocracy is  appropriate for the Christian era. But it seems to me that the OT pattern (of judges or kings ruling as God's viceroys) was predestined to fail...

I see another problem.  The "pattern" you've identified in the Old Testament wasn't what God intended even during OT times.  The Law was given to Israel... because they screwed up (Golden Calf incident), and it was meant to be a punitive measure, not an example of how to do things.  Later, the kings were added to Israel... because they screwed up some more.  The Old testament doesn't say that the kings were given to whip them into shape, either.  It says they were put there to oppress the people, again as a punitive measure.

Maybe the people were the pattern rather than the leadership?  No, the people were in perpetual rebellion against God all the way up til the captivity, worshiping foreign gods.

So... umm... what is the Old Testament pattern that we should be following?  As nearly a I can tell, the OT only contains examples of how we SHOULDN'T do things.

[lea]

Maybe the people were the pattern rather than the leadership?  No, the people were in perpetual rebellion against God all the way up til the captivity, worshiping foreign gods.

So... umm... what is the Old Testament pattern that we should be following?  As nearly a I can tell, the OT only contains examples of how we SHOULDN'T do things.

Most times when I attended church and listened to sermons on the Old Testament it was about the faithful.
So don't forget about the remnant of Israel. What we have to learn from them is always about how it pertained to their faith.