Jerald Finney
October 25, 2021
All citations are to the King James Bible

I recently posted a link to a webpage which explains the Bible principles of government, church, God’s prescribed relationship between civil government and church, and the American application of those principles. I added to the post the picture at right, “501-c-3 Church/This Means Your Church Places Government Over God!” One comment to the post stated, “Nothing to worry about…the world is fixin to end any moment…(Duh…)” The comment could mean various things, but I will assume that the author agreed with me and that the statement was a satire for harlot churches to consider.

A ”Christian” lawyer who once was a force for the truth about the relationship of church and state until the 1980’s turned coat when some of the big-boy pastors met with him. They told him that they were looked to and followed by thousands of incorporated 501(c)(3) churches, that they were not going to change, and that they would make sure that he, and the law firm he represented, would be taken care of by them, all the churches and Bible colleges and seminaries that were part of their religious associations. After he defected to serve the god of this world, he eventually began to teach that all churches should incorporate and get 501(c)(3) or 508(c)(1)(A) status. Needless to say, untold numbers of uneducated churches, Bible colleges, Bible seminaries, Bible institutes and believers follow him and his pernicious ways. This attorney said to numerous pastors of unregistered (non-incorporated, non-501(c)(3), etc.) churches that they might as well join them since the government was going to eventually get them all anyway. Needless to say, that lawyer is well fixed materially for the time being although poorly prepared for eternity.

Due to the efforts of pastors, “Christian” attorneys, and their cohorts, most churches, even so-called “Bible-believing” churches in America, are spiritual harlots. They are married to the state through incorporation and the federal government through Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) or 508(c)(1)(A) tax exempt status. They have chosen to enter into an unholy relationship with the state of incorporation and the federal government (actually the Internal Revenue Service).

A church is espoused to the Lord Jesus Christ. God is jealous over the local church “with godly jealousy” for, as He inspired Paul to write, “I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). But Paul feared, “lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Paul knew that Christ, the Bridegroom, wanted to be head over his churches, the bride, in all things (Matthew 18:16, Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18). Christ purchased the church with his own blood (Acts 20:28). He “loved the church and gave himself for it That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of the water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy [set apart for God] and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-26).

In spite of these clear Bible admonitions, most American so-called Bible-believing churches marry a state, through incorporation, and the federal government (the Internal Revenue Service) through tax exempt status. They are spiritual whores. “Nothing to worry about…the world is fixin to end any moment…(Duh…).” They may as well choose to commit spiritual fornication since the government is going to get all the churches anyway. I wonder how our Lord, the Bridegroom feels about that. Wonder if they will feel shame after this life on earth is ended and they stand before Him in judgment (1 Corinthians 3:12-17, 2 Corinthians 5:8-11, Philippians 2:9-10, Revelation 20:11-15).