Rushdoony: We Belong to God

R.J. Rushdoony wrote “God’s Property and Possession” circa 1978. Chalcedon has reprinted it now, in 2020, because it’s still true, still pertinent, and has become, perhaps, a harder lesson than it was 40 years ago.

https://chalcedon.edu/resources/articles/gods-property-and-possession

We can say “We belong to God”–but do we understand that this is meant to be taken literally? We are God’s property! Not our own, but His. What makes us God’s property? It’s not only His right as our Creator. In redeeming us with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, “We are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20). And so we are doubly His property.

But we not only consider ourselves to be our own property. Many of us, churchmen included, object to God’s laws and judge His word–as if there were something wrong with it that must be corrected… by us! As hard as it is to understand and accept God’s rights, to transfer His authority to fallible, sinful, foolish human beings is downright preposterous. It goes back to Satan’s con came in the Garden: “Ye shall be as gods.”

Heaven forbid. We wouldn’t last three days with Him off the throne and some worldly know-it-all on it. If history teaches us anything at all, it ought to teach us that.

And by the way: being God’s property means we cannot be the property of any other human being. Or the state. It’s why secular utopians, who are always ready to break eggs to make their omelet, hate God’s word.