Hi all,
I’m continuing with the reasons people are so divided, and our individual and governmental responsibilities…
II)Man has been endowed by his Creator with intelligence and emotion by which to direct free will. These are qualifiers of governance.
If a person is created with a free will, he must have the means by which to direct that free will, thus man was given intelligence and emotions. Upon being given free will, man must also be given the ability to understand right and wrong, their obligations and consequences, and where they fit in a society of other free-willed creatures.
To say it another way: If man is to have the ability to initiate decisions, he must have the means by which to think and feel through the process of those decisions.
Emotions are the ability to experience the consequences of actions. Intelligence can formulate the strategy involved in decision making, but there must also be an ability of a free-willed beings to appreciate, enjoy, see beauty and feel all that comes about as a result of an intelligent decision. Emotions are what enable man to see art for more than a brush stroke, but to feel the emotion the artist was trying to capture. Emotions allow mankind to insert themselves into another person’s situation upon hearing the facts (intellect), experiencing sympathy and empathy (emotions).
Without emotion the free willed person would be void of personality, unable to experience the ups and downs of life.
A person recognizing free will and therefore the gift of intelligence and emotion, will direct his life towards the intelligent use of free will and the disciplines of emotional health.
By contrast an amoral person or government will seek to stir intellect and emotions of people for the purpose of manipulation rather than to encourage its citizens to higher thoughts and higher healthy emotions.
III) Enlightenment or revelation is the source of one’s inner knowing of right and wrong, the revelation of governance of self and also federally.
Enlightenment or revelation is the source of conscience and guilt, the ability to feel remorse and make peace with those we’ve wronged.
If a person has free will, and is given intellect and emotion with which to direct free will, he must also be given absolutes against which to measure his thoughts and emotions. This is the spark of life, when God by His Spirit ties together free will, intellect, and emotion with wisdom from above on how to live with those gifts. This is enlightenment and revelation. It is the voice of conscience and conviction, the sudden knowledge from outside ourselves yet felt within that we have done wrong. It is also the means by which wisdom is applied – wisdom being now to apply knowledge.
Without enlightenment from God a person has intelligence and emotion running full speed within their free will, but they have no wisdom on how to apply knowledge and thought and emotion. With revelation or enlightenment comes our reaction; either to harden oneself against the revelation, or to soften and repent.
A person and a government that is enlightened understands the spirit of the law, whereas an amoral person or government focuses on the law by intellect only – the letter of the law. An amoral person and government shows no remorse, no regret. Understanding free will, intellect and emotion merely by intellect, without understanding the spirit of the law leads to inconsistent and arbitrary court rulings, laws, and enforcement that those with common sense immediately see as wrong.
IV)Relationships are the opportunity for proper governance, of self and federal.
As free will flows to intelligence, emotion, and is bound together by revelation, these together flow into relationships. The relationships in scripture are three:
First vertically to God, second horizontally to other people, and third to creation including the material things we surround ourselves with.
The qualities of free will, intellect, emotion, and revelation are God-designed to function within relationships. These qualities are honed, refined, grown and nurtured within relationships, flowing first from the family, then outward to extended family, neighbors, co-workers and strangers. It is the job of parents to teach children how to handle their free will, intellect, emotions, and revelation/enlightenment within the framework of family. That is the job of parents.
Relationships are therefore the greatest opportunity for the expression of these traits, and placed within context of being stewards over all things created – from the clothing we choose to protecting water ways and wildlife.
Therefore our relationships are intended by God to make us holy, to help us grow into the image of Christ in character, thoughts, and lifestyle.
And I’ve run out of room – the conclusion next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
