ues. 108 (excerpted from a recent revision of the Shorter Catechism). What provision has God made for the presence and definition of human institutions?
Ans. God, in the Scriptures, has made provision for three human institutions. He has done so for the sake of His own glory and for the good of all men, especially for those who are of the household of faith.
Ques. 109. What are these divinely ordained institutions; for what particular purpose does each exist; what are the particular responsibilities of each?
Ans. The first divinely ordained human institution is that of the one-flesh marriage covenant between one man and one woman. It is ordained for the mutual help of husband and wife; for the increase of mankind with a holy offspring; and for preventing of uncleanness. Husbands, in particular, are charged with the nurture and beautification of their wives and with the nurture and education of their children unto godliness.
The second divinely ordained institution is the visible church of Jesus Christ, consisting of all those that profess the true religion and identify with a gathering of God's people. It is ordained for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world. The bishops of individual churches, in particular, are charged to love and teach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, to administer the ordinances of baptism and communion, to equip the saints of God for the work of service, and to render public worship.
The third divinely ordained institution is the civil magistrate. God, the supreme lord and king of all the world, has ordained civil magistrates to be His servants, over the people, for His own glory and the public good, and to this end has armed them with the power of the sword. The civil ruler, in particular, is charged to defend and encourage those that do right and to punish evildoers.
Ques. 110. What consequences follow when any one of the divinely ordained human institutions neglects its particular responsibilities?
Ans. When the family, as God's Ministry of Health, Education, and Welfare, or the church, as God's Ministry of Reconciliation, or the state, as God's Ministry of Justice, abdicate their respective duties then para-family, para-church, and para-state ministries move in to fill the void left by their abdication. Let's consider some examples.
When a husband does not give himself for his wife in the way that Christ gave himself for the church do his wife's needs for nurture disappear? Do her needs to be taught, encouraged, loved, and protected just take a hike? No, they don't. But frequently she does, and the men she will hike off to see are often elders or pastors of the church she attends. She may go to a Bill Gothard seminar or become an avid follower of Charles Swindoll, James Dobson, or Mary Pride.
When a father does not give himself to training, nurturing, and educating his children does their need for training, nurturing, and teaching disappear? Not at all. Often their mother will try to pick up the responsibility. Or Dad will leave it up to the Christian school, or the Sunday school program, or Youth for Christ to do his thinking and fathering for him. Fathers who do this for years may have to let the Juvenile Court, the crisis pregnancy center, or some other para-family ministry pick up the pieces.
When the elders of a church do not give themselves to pastoring the church of God do the saints in that particular church just put their sanctification on hold? No, they continue to need food, encouragement, correction, and protection from error. And where do they go? To counseling clinics. When the elders of a church do not equip the saints for the discipling of the nations, does all outreach cease? No, these responsibilities, entrusted to one divinely ordained human institution, are taken on by any one of a thousand para-church organizations. While well-intentioned, these organizations operate without biblical mandate and without biblical teaching on how they are to be governed and financed.
When the rulers of a city, state, or nation do not give themselves to the encouragement of those who do right and the punishment of those who do evil, do the evil simply suspend their activity until the civil authorities re-establish a "level playing field?" Nonsense! Civil magistrates who refuse, for example, to protect the lives of unborn children find themselves confronting Operation Rescue.
The point is this. Wherever a husband, a father, an elder, or a magistrate fails to husband, father, pastor, or rule in obedience to the Scriptures he can expect to see the development of extra-biblical ministries.
Ques. 111. What sin is involved in the development of these extra-biblical ministries?
Ans. "There is no fear of God before his eyes."(Psalms 36:1) Chiefly, there are two sins involved. The first, and greater sin is an ungodly carelessness on the part of the husband, father, elder, or ruler with regard to the exercise of his duties. The second is an ungodly fearlessness on the part of those who have sought to replace the biblical ministry of the husband, father, elder, or ruler with another ministry.
Ques. 112. What is the proper response of God's people to the presence of these extra-biblical ministries?
Ans. The proper response of God's people to sin is always the same. Repentance. Husbands who have been careless and inattentive in their husbandry must repent of those sins. Fathers who have been lazy and distracted in their fathering must repent. Likewise for elders and magistrates. Such repentance, if genuine, will result in refreshment from the presence of the Lord in your marriage, home, church, and nation. And that's somethin' that can't be beat.
