In our discussions of politics in the name of Jesus, the point has been raised that it is no light thing to speak in the name of Jesus. This cheerfully granted, and yet I have persisted in saying that unequal weights and measures — the kind used by the Fed — are hateful to God. I have been making this point as a minister of Christ, speaking on His behalf and in His name. On issues like this, I believe that ministers have the right and responsibility to speak for God.
When the objection comes back, which it does, that this means the ministers of Jesus are confusing themselves with Jesus, I not only want to deny the charge, but also — with regard to those who are manipulating all those elastic shekels — to reverse it.
If finite men were to presume to take upon themselves the task of numbering the hairs of our heads, or tracking the fall of all sparrows, what would actually be going on is that they are trying to ascend to the place of the Almighty, wanting to sit in the mount of the congregation (Is. 14:13). Their opinion of themselves has flooded their appointed banks.
It has been mentioned in the course of our discussion that the price of gold and silver can fluctuate, which is of course true (2 Chron. 1:15). But it is also true that this is in the hand of God. The point is not to keep gold constant — which would be to make gold the god — but rather to keep God as God the constant in our hearts. Blessing and cursing are in the hand of God, and we cannot wrest that from Him — and must not try. We can measure God’s blessings, and we should do that. We can count what He has done and is doing. And when we count, we must use honest weights and measures.
When it comes to running world scale economies, liberals are the sorcerer’s apprentice, and the state of affairs in Europe right now is that bucket and broomstick sequence. If you are envious and want that kind of excitement over here, just waitfor a bit and keep voting the way you have been.
Our abilities in the arena of planned economies range between uber-incompetence and mega-moronic. This has been demonstrated time and again, but the reason we won’t let it go is that our ruling class has the marching creed of Milton’s Satan — better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven. It doesn’t matter if their car is wrapped around a tree, just so long as they get to stay behind the wheel.
I have argued for years that only free grace can make free men, and only free men can have free markets. This is because free markets are those markets in which finite men are not trying to grasp the wrist of the invisible hand of God, in order to say, “What are you doing” (Dan. 4:35)? Free men, forgiven men, can trust God, and nobody else can. But if you cannot trust God, then the only thing you can do is attempt to be God. And if you are a god, well then, you must control the currency. You can’t do the fiat lux thing yet, but you are practicing with fiat bucks.
An honest prince will define the currency — he will standardize the weights and measures. This is a dollar. This is a shekel. This is a gallon. A mortal creature can do this, and do it well, and if a ruler does not do it, then he is being disobedient. But if a ruler seeks to control the currency in real time, then two things can be said of him. First, he thinks he is a lord who walks the earth, and second, he is a ninnyhammer. A prophet needs to be sent to disrupt his cabinet meetings. Someone needs to tell him — in the name of Jesus — that he is not nearly so smart as he thinks he is.
Now, when a servant of God tells you that you cannot be as God, and that you cannot manipulate the currency in such a way as to have a happy ending for everybody, and he issues this restriction in the name of the true God, the only thing for it is for the charge to be turned around on him. What you have is a difference of opinion between colleagues, as when Hananiah took the yoke off of Jeremiah and broke it (Jer. 28:10).
When I say, in the name of Jesus, that unequal weights and measures are detested by God, I am actually saying that it is hateful to God for mortal men to act as though they are God. It is therefore ironic that when I say this, I am accused of acting as though I am Jesus. This is the very thing that must be prevented.
So here is the next irony. When ministers speak in the direction of soft socialism (in the name of Jesus), they don’t get accused of thinking they are Jesus. This is because they are leaving room for the graspers at the top of the socialistic state to carry on in the important task of thinking they are Jesus. For example, when Margaret Thatcher adopted the policy of privitizing public housing, one CoE bishop called her policy “wicked.” He was not accused of going beyond what is written — because he was insisting that the state continue to go beyond what is written. Give that gentleman a pass.
When liberals speak in the name of Jesus, they use words that are as elastic and undefined as our currency is. What does Jesus want? Sharing! Community! Perichoretic taxation! When conservatives do it, their words are precise and defined. Stop stealing. Clear title. Rule of law. They are obviously full of hatred and are enemies of all mankind.