KINGDOMCONCEPT (4)
UNDERSTANDING THEKINGDOM
CONCEPT OF CONSTITUTION
After the invasion of Iraq by the military forcesof the United States and the other alliancenations, the first objective after toppling SaddamHussein was to create a new nation. It is interesting to note that thefirst order of business was to construct a constitution, and it tookmonths for that exercise to be completed. The process of nation-building could not proceed until that document called the constitu-tion was completed and accepted by all the principals involved.The heart of all nations, empires, and kingdoms is the constitu-tion. There is no nation or kingdom without a constitution. In arepublic, the constitution is the covenant the people make withthemselves and which they hire by vote, a governing body to keepthat covenant for them and with them. In a kingdom, the constitu-tion is the king’s covenant with his citizens and his kingdom. In thecase of the former, the constitution is produced by the aspirations of the people, while in the latter case the constitution is initiated by the king and contains the aspirations and desires of the king for his cit-izens and his kingdom. This is the primary distinction between akingdom and a democratic republic. For example, the Constitution of the United States begins with the words, “We the people....” However, when reading the constitution of the Kingdom of God asdocumented in the Scriptures, it always says, “I, the Lord, say...”Like every other governmental system, every kingdom has aconstitution. The constitution of any nation has to do with the man-ner in which the government of that nation is organized, particular-ly with regard to the way sovereign power is exercised. It embodies the basic laws and principles that guide that government and laysout the specific powers and duties of that government in relation both to the people and to other nations and governments. A consti-tution also delineates, guarantees, and protects the specific rights ofthe people who live under its jurisdiction. Regardless of the type of government, a constitution is estab-lished by whoever exercises power. In a totalitarian state or a dicta-torship, the supreme leader, along with a ruling elite of croniesappointed by him, determine the laws and conditions under which the people live laws usually designed for their own benefit andenrichment at the people’s expense. In a republic or democracy, on the other hand, power lies withthe people. They elect leaders to represent them and then petitionthose leaders to enact laws and policies that will benefit the elec-torate. In a democracy the leaders are answerable to the people.Those who fail to perform adequately or who violate the people’strust can be voted out and replaced. Through their elected leaders,the people establish their own constitution.As noted earlier, a kingdom is different. In a kingdom all powerresides in the king. It is the king, therefore, who establishes the con-stitution for his kingdom. The constitution of a kingdom is the doc-umented will, purposes, and intent of the king. It expresses theking’s personal desires for his kingdom and sets out the principlesunder which the kingdom will operate as well as establishing themanner and conditions of how the king will relate to his people andthey to him. A kingdom constitution is stamped with the essence ofthe nature, character, and personality of the king. This is why it is always good to have a king who is righteous, benevolent, and com-passionate, with a genuine concern for the welfare of his citizens.
A ROYAL CONTRACT
In a kingdom, the constitution is a royal contractthat the kingh as with his subjects—his citizens. It is notthe contract that the cit-izens have with the king, and this is a very important distinction. Inthe first, the contract originates with the king and in the second,with the people. A contract generated by the people is a democracy,the complete opposite of a kingdom. A royal contract, on the other hand, originates completely and exclusively in the heart, mind, andwill of the king. His citizens have no input concerning the terms or conditions of the contract.This is the approach the King of Heaven has always taken with mankind. When God began to establish a Kingdom colony on earth,He set out all the conditions and parameters beforehand. Everything was already in place by the time Adam arrived on the scene. All Adam had to do was follow the terms and conditions that God had already established: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and thebirds of the air, over the live stock, over all the earth, andover all the creatures that move along the ground.” So Godcreated man in His own image, in the image of God Hecreated him; male and female He created them. Godblessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increasein number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:26-28).Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, inEden, and there He put the man He had formed....The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden ofEden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord Godcommanded the man, “You are free to eat from any treein the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of theknowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you willsurely die (Genesis 2:8,15-17).As you can see, this entire contractual process was completelyunilateral on God’s part. Adam had no input at all; in fact, when thecontract was drawn up, he wasn’t even around yet! After he was cre-ated, Adam simply received the completed contract from the handof the King.The same is true regarding God’s contract with Abraham. First,God determined what He was going to do and then presentedAbraham with the completed contract:The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, yourpeople and your father’s household and go to the land Iwill show you. I will make you into a great nation and Iwill bless you; I will make your name great , and you willbe a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoev-er curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will beblessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your verygreat reward.”...He took him outside and said, “Look up atthe heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can countthem.” Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be”(Genesis 15:1,5).Such unilateralism on God’s part is an expression of His sover-eignty. To both Adam and Abraham (Abram) God was saying, “Thisis Mygovernment; this is the agreement I am making with you. Youdon’t dictate the terms or tell Me what you want. I tell you what IKingdom Principles 130 want for you and what I will do for you.” A kingdom constitution isinitiated bythe king, fromthe king, and for the king’s pleasure.A kingdom constitution, then, is the document that constitutesthe king’s desire for his citizens. In a republic, the constitution is thepeople’s contract with themselves, while in a kingdom it is the king’scontract for the people. In a democracy, the people plan and decidewhat they want to happen to them. But in a kingdom, the peoplehave no say. Instead, the king tells you what he wants to happen toyou.This is why God would make a statement like:For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper youand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me ,and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Mewhen you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found byyou... (Jeremiah 29:11-14).So the Kingdom constitution states the King’s desires for His cit-izens. And because He is a righteous and benevolent King, Hisdesires are always for our greatest good and benefit. The King ofheaven wants to bless us; He wants blessings to overtake us. We arealways trying to tell God what to do, especially today: “Here’s what Iwant, here’s what I want, here’s what I want....” But God says, “In thisKingdom, Imake the contracts.”
THE KING’S WILL AND TESTAMENT
In addition to being a royal contract, the constitutionin a king-dom constitutes the expressed will of the king. It is the king’s willexpressedin tangible, written form. This means that the constitutionis not limited to an oral contract. Putting the constitution in writtenform sets it up as a standard that can be measured easily as well asmaking its terms and conditions clear to everyone. This is why in theKingdom Concept #4 131 Kingdom of Heaven we have a bookcalled the Bible. The Bible is theexpressed will of the King in written form. It is the constitution ofHis Kingdom.As we have already seen, the words of the king become the lawof the land. His words do not produce the contract; his words arethecontract. And out of this contract—this constitution—comes thelaw. The constitution is not the law; the constitution produces thelaw. What I mean is that the constitution establishes the terms, con-ditions, and rights of life in the kingdom. This leads to laws designedwith the express purpose of ensuring that all of those terms, condi-tions, and rights are preserved, protected, and accomplished.The constitution is the will and the testament of the king for hiscitizens. Will and testamentare two different but related words thatare both important. A willis what is in the mind of a person—his orher desire and intent. A testamentis the physical documentation ofa person’s will, codifying his or her desire and intent in the form ofa legal document. A will, then, is in your head; a testament is whenyou write down what is in your head. This is why lawyers always ask,“Do you have a will andtestament?” The written testament clarifiesto all parties your desire and intent and makes them verifiable in acourtroom.That is why I call the Bible the constitutionof the Kingdom ofheaven. It is even divided into two sections called the Old Testamentand the New Testament. The Bible, then, comprises God’s docu-mentedthoughts concerning His citizens—His expressedwill,desire, and intent for the human race He created in His own image.A will kept in one’s head can never be defended in court. It is for thisreason that God commanded Moses and all the other prophets inthe Bible to write. He wanted a testament that could be testedor con-testedin the court of the universe. So we take the Bible and we bringit before the court of the universe and say, “This is what my Kingguaranteed me.” Then the King says, “According to My word, be itdone unto you.”
A testament provides protection from the abuse of rights. It pro-tects the rights of the beneficiaries of the will. If all you have is a will,how can anyone know what you want for your beneficiaries? Yo uknow what you want, but what if you die suddenly? How will yourbeneficiaries be protected and receive the benefits you desire forthem unless your will is written down and documented legally? Thatis the purpose of a testament. A testament can be contested in acourtroom. There is no doubt as to what you meant.The Word of God, written down and printed in the book we callthe Bible, is the most powerful document we have. It is the constitu-tion of the Kingdom of Heaven, the testament of the will of the Kingfor His citizens.
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF THEKINGDOM CONSTITUTION
1//. The source of the constitution is the king, not the citizens.Where as the Constitution of the United States begins with the words, “We the people...” the constitution of God’s Kingdom says, “I, the Lord...” We who live in dem-ocratic states can always amend our constitution because we, the people, created it. But we cannot changeGod’s constitution because we didn’t write it.That is why I believe the biggest conflict in the coming years willbe between the Kingdom and religion. Religious people keep tryingto adjust God’s constitution. They debate it and discuss it and become embarrassed or angry over parts they don’t like. Sometimes they even change it or water it down to make it more palatable for modern spiritual tastes. This is absolute foolishness. The King of Heaven established the constitution for His Kingdom and only Hecan change it. But He won’t. He is eternally unchanging, and so isHis Word, because the King and His Word are the same. It says so right in the constitution: The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perishfrom His land (Psalm 10:16).But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposesof His heart through all generations (Psalm 33:11).Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepterof justice will be the scepter of Your kingdom (Psalm 45:6).But You, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations (Psalm 102:12).Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heav-ens (Psalm 119:89). Long ago I learned from Your statutes that You estab-lished them to last forever (Psalm 119:152).The Word of the King is unchanging and unchangeable. Yet hardly a day goes by without some religious leader somewhere going on some talk show or on a cable news channel and expounding his or her “opinion” about issues of the day that the Bible addresses plainly. When asked about gay rights or gay marriage or abortion orthe like, they speak as if these and other matters are open to debate.In religion, perhaps, they are. But not in the Kingdom of Heaven.In my travels all over the world, I am asked frequently to respondto these kinds of questions. I always frame my answer from a Kingdom perspective. A typical interchange might go somethinglike this:“Dr. Munroe, what do you think about homosexuality? What areyour thoughts regarding abortion?”“I have no thoughts about those things.” “But...you are supposed to be a man of God.”“I have no thoughts about these things because an ambassadornever gives his personal opinion; it’s illegal. My personal opinion isout of bounds. Others who represent a religion may express theiropinions. But I do not represent a religion—not even Christianity. Irepresent a government—the Kingdom of Heaven. I am an ambas-sador, and ambassadors do not give their opinion. However, my gov-ernment’s position is...” and then I quote from the constitution—theBible.In the Kingdom of Heaven, we do not have the privilege of tam-pering with the constitution. It is not our document; it is the King’s. And Kingdom citizens obey the law of the King. 2// The constitution contains the benefits and privileges ofthe citizens.It spells out the advantages that come withbeing a Kingdom citizen as well as everything the citi-zens can expect from the King. In the Bible, these oftentake the form of promises. Here are just a few:Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shallwe drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans runafter all these things, and your heavenly Father knowsthat you need them. But seek first His kingdom and Hisrighteousness, and all these things will be given to you aswell(Matthew 6:31-33).Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyonewho asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him whoknocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).For God so loved the world that He gave His one and onlySon, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish buthave eternal life (John 3:16). I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believesHim who sent me has eternal life and will not be con-demned; he has crossed over from death to life (John5:24).Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trustalso in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if itwere not so, I would have told you. I am going there to pre-pare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place foryou, I will come back and take you to be with Me that youalso may be where I am (John 14:1-3). Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Fatherin heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:19-20).Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has beenpleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).Each of these benefits, or promises, was spoken by Jesus, the Sonof God who came to earth in human flesh to announce the return and restoration of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. 3/ The king obligates himself to the tenets of the constitution. A king and his word are the same, and when he speaks,his word becomes the constitution. So when a king’sword is spoken (or written down), the king is obligated tocarry it out. That is why the Bible states that whateverGod says, He will do and whatever He promises, He willbring to pass. Once the King of heaven speaks, it is asgood as done. God cannot fail to keep His Word, for ifHe did, He would cease to be God. 4// The constitution contains the rights established by the kingfor the citizens.In addition to the benefits and privileges accruing to Kingdom citizens, the constitution also delineates and sets forth their rights. Rights in a consti-tution are important because they are the grounds for making law, which is the next stage. If I said to you, “Igive you my car, my house, and my boat,” I have just expressed my will. If I then document it on paper, itbecomes a testament and your constitution. Now I haveto make sure that laws exist to protect what I gave you. At that point, I would call in a lawyer to draw up a for-mal document because a lawyer knows the law of the environment to protect the piece of paper that states mywill for you. The lawyer reads it and makes sure it is in acertain form where it becomes integrated into the sys-tem of society with the rights to protect it.Then, if someone contests it, you can go to court. The court isthe law, and the court says, “This is a legal document. Everything written here he has a right to receive.” So the constitution contains your rights, and the laws protect them. Therefore, the constitutionis the sourceof law; it is not the law itself. If God says, “I will bless you, I will prosper you, I will make yourname great...” that’s constitution. If He then says, “...if you obey Meand keep My word, and walk uprightly,” He has given you laws thatset the conditions for the benefits and privileges to apply. The gov-ernment says you are free to do commerce, to lease, to buy proper-ty, etc., as long as you pay taxes, do not break the law, obey the social order, and respect people’s property. They give you all these consti-tutional rights, but they are contingent upon your honoring thelaws. The Kingdom of Heaven is no different. 5// The constitution cannot be changed by the citizens—onlyby the king.This principle should be perfectly clear bynow and needs no further elaboration. 6// The constitution is the reference for life in the kingdom.How are Kingdom citizens supposed to live? What arethe values, the ethics, the moral code, and standards of behavior for citizens of the Kingdom, and where can theybe found? In the constitution. God’s standards for life inHis Kingdom are found throughout the Bible. Such stan-dards as these:You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall notmake for yourself an idol. You shall not misuse the name ofthe Lord your God....Remember the Sabbath day by keep-ing it holy....Honor your father and your mother Youshall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. Youshall not steal. You shall not give false testimony againstyour neighbor. You shall not covet (Exodus 20:3-17).And:Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit theearth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for right-eousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure inheart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peace makers,for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3-10). 7//.The constitution contains the statutes of the kingdom.Statutes are fixed, predictable standards. “Teach me Yourstatutes,” King David of Israel says. Normally, where theword “statutes” shows up, you will find “laws” in the same sentence. Statutes give the physical image of law. That’swhy we call a carving in stone a statue. Or we call it an image. Image is the same as statue. A statue is perma-nent. A statue means simply a fixed, predictable image orstandard. Think about a statue in your town. When itrains does the statue change? What if it snows? What ifthe temperature tops 100 degrees? If you spit on it, curseit, hate it, does the statue change? Of course not. Itremains the same no matter what. A statute is the same way. That is why laws are called statutes. Astatute does not adjust itself to the times. A statute does not accom-modate the environment. It remains consistent within the changing environment. A statute is not affected by the conditions around it.Some people think the constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven needs to be changed or “reinterpreted” to accommodate modern times,values, and mores. On the contrary, the Kingdom constitution is anunchanging standard against which all modern values, mores, beliefs, and ideas must be measured. Without some dependable,righteous, unchanging standard, society will collapse. We can see signs of it all around us. The constitution contains the statutes of the Kingdom. One time Jesus said these words: “Heaven and earth will pass away before My statutes change. I will move the heavens and the earth before I move My statutes” (see Luke 16:17; 21:33). Who are we to dare to think that we have the right or the authority to change or set aside the statutes that the King of Heaven has set in place? Religious people can do that any time they want, because they are not really in the Kingdom. Kingdom citizens, however, cannot. Our constitution says, “The word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Pet 1:25a)
PRINCIPLES
1. Every kingdom has a constitution. 2. The constitution of a kingdom is the documented will,purposes, and intent of the king. 3. In a kingdom, the constitution is a royal contractthat theking has with his subjects his citizens. 4. A kingdom constitution is the document that constitutesthe king’s desire for his citizens. 5. The constitution in a kingdom constitutesthe expressedwill of the king. 6. The Bible is the expressed will of the King in writtenform. It is the constitution of His Kingdom. 7. The words of the king become the law of the land. 8. The constitution is the will and the testament of the kingfor his citizens. 9. The Bible comprises God’s documentedthoughts con-cerning His citizens His expressed will, desire, andintent for the human race He created in His own image.
UNDERSTANDING THEKINGDOM
CONCEPT OF CONSTITUTION
After the invasion of Iraq by the military forcesof the United States and the other alliancenations, the first objective after toppling SaddamHussein was to create a new nation. It is interesting to note that thefirst order of business was to construct a constitution, and it tookmonths for that exercise to be completed. The process of nation-building could not proceed until that document called the constitu-tion was completed and accepted by all the principals involved.The heart of all nations, empires, and kingdoms is the constitu-tion. There is no nation or kingdom without a constitution. In arepublic, the constitution is the covenant the people make withthemselves and which they hire by vote, a governing body to keepthat covenant for them and with them. In a kingdom, the constitu-tion is the king’s covenant with his citizens and his kingdom. In thecase of the former, the constitution is produced by the aspirations of the people, while in the latter case the constitution is initiated by the king and contains the aspirations and desires of the king for his cit-izens and his kingdom. This is the primary distinction between akingdom and a democratic republic. For example, the Constitution of the United States begins with the words, “We the people....” However, when reading the constitution of the Kingdom of God asdocumented in the Scriptures, it always says, “I, the Lord, say...”Like every other governmental system, every kingdom has aconstitution. The constitution of any nation has to do with the man-ner in which the government of that nation is organized, particular-ly with regard to the way sovereign power is exercised. It embodies the basic laws and principles that guide that government and laysout the specific powers and duties of that government in relation both to the people and to other nations and governments. A consti-tution also delineates, guarantees, and protects the specific rights ofthe people who live under its jurisdiction. Regardless of the type of government, a constitution is estab-lished by whoever exercises power. In a totalitarian state or a dicta-torship, the supreme leader, along with a ruling elite of croniesappointed by him, determine the laws and conditions under which the people live laws usually designed for their own benefit andenrichment at the people’s expense. In a republic or democracy, on the other hand, power lies withthe people. They elect leaders to represent them and then petitionthose leaders to enact laws and policies that will benefit the elec-torate. In a democracy the leaders are answerable to the people.Those who fail to perform adequately or who violate the people’strust can be voted out and replaced. Through their elected leaders,the people establish their own constitution.As noted earlier, a kingdom is different. In a kingdom all powerresides in the king. It is the king, therefore, who establishes the con-stitution for his kingdom. The constitution of a kingdom is the doc-umented will, purposes, and intent of the king. It expresses theking’s personal desires for his kingdom and sets out the principlesunder which the kingdom will operate as well as establishing themanner and conditions of how the king will relate to his people andthey to him. A kingdom constitution is stamped with the essence ofthe nature, character, and personality of the king. This is why it is always good to have a king who is righteous, benevolent, and com-passionate, with a genuine concern for the welfare of his citizens.
A ROYAL CONTRACT
In a kingdom, the constitution is a royal contractthat the kingh as with his subjects—his citizens. It is notthe contract that the cit-izens have with the king, and this is a very important distinction. Inthe first, the contract originates with the king and in the second,with the people. A contract generated by the people is a democracy,the complete opposite of a kingdom. A royal contract, on the other hand, originates completely and exclusively in the heart, mind, andwill of the king. His citizens have no input concerning the terms or conditions of the contract.This is the approach the King of Heaven has always taken with mankind. When God began to establish a Kingdom colony on earth,He set out all the conditions and parameters beforehand. Everything was already in place by the time Adam arrived on the scene. All Adam had to do was follow the terms and conditions that God had already established: Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, in Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and thebirds of the air, over the live stock, over all the earth, andover all the creatures that move along the ground.” So Godcreated man in His own image, in the image of God Hecreated him; male and female He created them. Godblessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increasein number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (Genesis 1:26-28).Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, inEden, and there He put the man He had formed....The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden ofEden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord Godcommanded the man, “You are free to eat from any treein the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of theknowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you willsurely die (Genesis 2:8,15-17).As you can see, this entire contractual process was completelyunilateral on God’s part. Adam had no input at all; in fact, when thecontract was drawn up, he wasn’t even around yet! After he was cre-ated, Adam simply received the completed contract from the handof the King.The same is true regarding God’s contract with Abraham. First,God determined what He was going to do and then presentedAbraham with the completed contract:The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, yourpeople and your father’s household and go to the land Iwill show you. I will make you into a great nation and Iwill bless you; I will make your name great , and you willbe a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoev-er curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will beblessed through you” (Genesis 12:1-3).After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision:“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your verygreat reward.”...He took him outside and said, “Look up atthe heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can countthem.” Then He said to him, “So shall your offspring be”(Genesis 15:1,5).Such unilateralism on God’s part is an expression of His sover-eignty. To both Adam and Abraham (Abram) God was saying, “Thisis Mygovernment; this is the agreement I am making with you. Youdon’t dictate the terms or tell Me what you want. I tell you what IKingdom Principles 130 want for you and what I will do for you.” A kingdom constitution isinitiated bythe king, fromthe king, and for the king’s pleasure.A kingdom constitution, then, is the document that constitutesthe king’s desire for his citizens. In a republic, the constitution is thepeople’s contract with themselves, while in a kingdom it is the king’scontract for the people. In a democracy, the people plan and decidewhat they want to happen to them. But in a kingdom, the peoplehave no say. Instead, the king tells you what he wants to happen toyou.This is why God would make a statement like:For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper youand not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me ,and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Mewhen you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found byyou... (Jeremiah 29:11-14).So the Kingdom constitution states the King’s desires for His cit-izens. And because He is a righteous and benevolent King, Hisdesires are always for our greatest good and benefit. The King ofheaven wants to bless us; He wants blessings to overtake us. We arealways trying to tell God what to do, especially today: “Here’s what Iwant, here’s what I want, here’s what I want....” But God says, “In thisKingdom, Imake the contracts.”
THE KING’S WILL AND TESTAMENT
In addition to being a royal contract, the constitutionin a king-dom constitutes the expressed will of the king. It is the king’s willexpressedin tangible, written form. This means that the constitutionis not limited to an oral contract. Putting the constitution in writtenform sets it up as a standard that can be measured easily as well asmaking its terms and conditions clear to everyone. This is why in theKingdom Concept #4 131 Kingdom of Heaven we have a bookcalled the Bible. The Bible is theexpressed will of the King in written form. It is the constitution ofHis Kingdom.As we have already seen, the words of the king become the lawof the land. His words do not produce the contract; his words arethecontract. And out of this contract—this constitution—comes thelaw. The constitution is not the law; the constitution produces thelaw. What I mean is that the constitution establishes the terms, con-ditions, and rights of life in the kingdom. This leads to laws designedwith the express purpose of ensuring that all of those terms, condi-tions, and rights are preserved, protected, and accomplished.The constitution is the will and the testament of the king for hiscitizens. Will and testamentare two different but related words thatare both important. A willis what is in the mind of a person—his orher desire and intent. A testamentis the physical documentation ofa person’s will, codifying his or her desire and intent in the form ofa legal document. A will, then, is in your head; a testament is whenyou write down what is in your head. This is why lawyers always ask,“Do you have a will andtestament?” The written testament clarifiesto all parties your desire and intent and makes them verifiable in acourtroom.That is why I call the Bible the constitutionof the Kingdom ofheaven. It is even divided into two sections called the Old Testamentand the New Testament. The Bible, then, comprises God’s docu-mentedthoughts concerning His citizens—His expressedwill,desire, and intent for the human race He created in His own image.A will kept in one’s head can never be defended in court. It is for thisreason that God commanded Moses and all the other prophets inthe Bible to write. He wanted a testament that could be testedor con-testedin the court of the universe. So we take the Bible and we bringit before the court of the universe and say, “This is what my Kingguaranteed me.” Then the King says, “According to My word, be itdone unto you.”
A testament provides protection from the abuse of rights. It pro-tects the rights of the beneficiaries of the will. If all you have is a will,how can anyone know what you want for your beneficiaries? Yo uknow what you want, but what if you die suddenly? How will yourbeneficiaries be protected and receive the benefits you desire forthem unless your will is written down and documented legally? Thatis the purpose of a testament. A testament can be contested in acourtroom. There is no doubt as to what you meant.The Word of God, written down and printed in the book we callthe Bible, is the most powerful document we have. It is the constitu-tion of the Kingdom of Heaven, the testament of the will of the Kingfor His citizens.
SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF THEKINGDOM CONSTITUTION
1//. The source of the constitution is the king, not the citizens.Where as the Constitution of the United States begins with the words, “We the people...” the constitution of God’s Kingdom says, “I, the Lord...” We who live in dem-ocratic states can always amend our constitution because we, the people, created it. But we cannot changeGod’s constitution because we didn’t write it.That is why I believe the biggest conflict in the coming years willbe between the Kingdom and religion. Religious people keep tryingto adjust God’s constitution. They debate it and discuss it and become embarrassed or angry over parts they don’t like. Sometimes they even change it or water it down to make it more palatable for modern spiritual tastes. This is absolute foolishness. The King of Heaven established the constitution for His Kingdom and only Hecan change it. But He won’t. He is eternally unchanging, and so isHis Word, because the King and His Word are the same. It says so right in the constitution: The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perishfrom His land (Psalm 10:16).But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposesof His heart through all generations (Psalm 33:11).Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepterof justice will be the scepter of Your kingdom (Psalm 45:6).But You, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations (Psalm 102:12).Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heav-ens (Psalm 119:89). Long ago I learned from Your statutes that You estab-lished them to last forever (Psalm 119:152).The Word of the King is unchanging and unchangeable. Yet hardly a day goes by without some religious leader somewhere going on some talk show or on a cable news channel and expounding his or her “opinion” about issues of the day that the Bible addresses plainly. When asked about gay rights or gay marriage or abortion orthe like, they speak as if these and other matters are open to debate.In religion, perhaps, they are. But not in the Kingdom of Heaven.In my travels all over the world, I am asked frequently to respondto these kinds of questions. I always frame my answer from a Kingdom perspective. A typical interchange might go somethinglike this:“Dr. Munroe, what do you think about homosexuality? What areyour thoughts regarding abortion?”“I have no thoughts about those things.” “But...you are supposed to be a man of God.”“I have no thoughts about these things because an ambassadornever gives his personal opinion; it’s illegal. My personal opinion isout of bounds. Others who represent a religion may express theiropinions. But I do not represent a religion—not even Christianity. Irepresent a government—the Kingdom of Heaven. I am an ambas-sador, and ambassadors do not give their opinion. However, my gov-ernment’s position is...” and then I quote from the constitution—theBible.In the Kingdom of Heaven, we do not have the privilege of tam-pering with the constitution. It is not our document; it is the King’s. And Kingdom citizens obey the law of the King. 2// The constitution contains the benefits and privileges ofthe citizens.It spells out the advantages that come withbeing a Kingdom citizen as well as everything the citi-zens can expect from the King. In the Bible, these oftentake the form of promises. Here are just a few:Do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shallwe drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans runafter all these things, and your heavenly Father knowsthat you need them. But seek first His kingdom and Hisrighteousness, and all these things will be given to you aswell(Matthew 6:31-33).Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyonewho asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him whoknocks, the door will be opened (Matthew 7:7-8).For God so loved the world that He gave His one and onlySon, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish buthave eternal life (John 3:16). I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believesHim who sent me has eternal life and will not be con-demned; he has crossed over from death to life (John5:24).Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trustalso in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if itwere not so, I would have told you. I am going there to pre-pare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place foryou, I will come back and take you to be with Me that youalso may be where I am (John 14:1-3). Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Fatherin heaven. For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them (Matthew 18:19-20).Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has beenpleased to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).Each of these benefits, or promises, was spoken by Jesus, the Sonof God who came to earth in human flesh to announce the return and restoration of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. 3/ The king obligates himself to the tenets of the constitution. A king and his word are the same, and when he speaks,his word becomes the constitution. So when a king’sword is spoken (or written down), the king is obligated tocarry it out. That is why the Bible states that whateverGod says, He will do and whatever He promises, He willbring to pass. Once the King of heaven speaks, it is asgood as done. God cannot fail to keep His Word, for ifHe did, He would cease to be God. 4// The constitution contains the rights established by the kingfor the citizens.In addition to the benefits and privileges accruing to Kingdom citizens, the constitution also delineates and sets forth their rights. Rights in a consti-tution are important because they are the grounds for making law, which is the next stage. If I said to you, “Igive you my car, my house, and my boat,” I have just expressed my will. If I then document it on paper, itbecomes a testament and your constitution. Now I haveto make sure that laws exist to protect what I gave you. At that point, I would call in a lawyer to draw up a for-mal document because a lawyer knows the law of the environment to protect the piece of paper that states mywill for you. The lawyer reads it and makes sure it is in acertain form where it becomes integrated into the sys-tem of society with the rights to protect it.Then, if someone contests it, you can go to court. The court isthe law, and the court says, “This is a legal document. Everything written here he has a right to receive.” So the constitution contains your rights, and the laws protect them. Therefore, the constitutionis the sourceof law; it is not the law itself. If God says, “I will bless you, I will prosper you, I will make yourname great...” that’s constitution. If He then says, “...if you obey Meand keep My word, and walk uprightly,” He has given you laws thatset the conditions for the benefits and privileges to apply. The gov-ernment says you are free to do commerce, to lease, to buy proper-ty, etc., as long as you pay taxes, do not break the law, obey the social order, and respect people’s property. They give you all these consti-tutional rights, but they are contingent upon your honoring thelaws. The Kingdom of Heaven is no different. 5// The constitution cannot be changed by the citizens—onlyby the king.This principle should be perfectly clear bynow and needs no further elaboration. 6// The constitution is the reference for life in the kingdom.How are Kingdom citizens supposed to live? What arethe values, the ethics, the moral code, and standards of behavior for citizens of the Kingdom, and where can theybe found? In the constitution. God’s standards for life inHis Kingdom are found throughout the Bible. Such stan-dards as these:You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall notmake for yourself an idol. You shall not misuse the name ofthe Lord your God....Remember the Sabbath day by keep-ing it holy....Honor your father and your mother Youshall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. Youshall not steal. You shall not give false testimony againstyour neighbor. You shall not covet (Exodus 20:3-17).And:Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit theearth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for right-eousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure inheart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peace makers,for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3-10). 7//.The constitution contains the statutes of the kingdom.Statutes are fixed, predictable standards. “Teach me Yourstatutes,” King David of Israel says. Normally, where theword “statutes” shows up, you will find “laws” in the same sentence. Statutes give the physical image of law. That’swhy we call a carving in stone a statue. Or we call it an image. Image is the same as statue. A statue is perma-nent. A statue means simply a fixed, predictable image orstandard. Think about a statue in your town. When itrains does the statue change? What if it snows? What ifthe temperature tops 100 degrees? If you spit on it, curseit, hate it, does the statue change? Of course not. Itremains the same no matter what. A statute is the same way. That is why laws are called statutes. Astatute does not adjust itself to the times. A statute does not accom-modate the environment. It remains consistent within the changing environment. A statute is not affected by the conditions around it.Some people think the constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven needs to be changed or “reinterpreted” to accommodate modern times,values, and mores. On the contrary, the Kingdom constitution is anunchanging standard against which all modern values, mores, beliefs, and ideas must be measured. Without some dependable,righteous, unchanging standard, society will collapse. We can see signs of it all around us. The constitution contains the statutes of the Kingdom. One time Jesus said these words: “Heaven and earth will pass away before My statutes change. I will move the heavens and the earth before I move My statutes” (see Luke 16:17; 21:33). Who are we to dare to think that we have the right or the authority to change or set aside the statutes that the King of Heaven has set in place? Religious people can do that any time they want, because they are not really in the Kingdom. Kingdom citizens, however, cannot. Our constitution says, “The word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Pet 1:25a)
PRINCIPLES
1. Every kingdom has a constitution. 2. The constitution of a kingdom is the documented will,purposes, and intent of the king. 3. In a kingdom, the constitution is a royal contractthat theking has with his subjects his citizens. 4. A kingdom constitution is the document that constitutesthe king’s desire for his citizens. 5. The constitution in a kingdom constitutesthe expressedwill of the king. 6. The Bible is the expressed will of the King in writtenform. It is the constitution of His Kingdom. 7. The words of the king become the law of the land. 8. The constitution is the will and the testament of the kingfor his citizens. 9. The Bible comprises God’s documentedthoughts con-cerning His citizens His expressed will, desire, andintent for the human race He created in His own image.
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