Recently, I re-read a book I have called, “Autobiography Of Madame Guyon,” which is about the life of Jeanne-Marie Guyon. For those who have not heard of her, I will give a brief synopsis of her life.
Madam Guyon was born in France in 1648 to a wealthy aristocratic family, but was mostly raised by nuns in a Catholic convent until she was considered old enough to marry. Then at the age of 16, she was forced to marry a much older man who did not love her, and she was constantly subjected to cruel treatment by his mother and her maidservant, who lived with them. During the twelve unhappy years of her marriage, added to her misery were the deaths of her half-sister, followed by her mother, her son, and her daughter and father who died within days of each other. Then she bore another son and daughter shortly before her husband’s death in 1676, which made Madame Guyon a widow by the age of 28. Also during that time, France was filled with spiritual and moral darkness, which was caused by corruption and immorality that were rampant in the leadership of the Catholic Church and in the leadership of the Country under King Louis XIV. However, all of this caused Madame Guyon to earnestly cry out to God, but her mother-in-law would not allow her to pray, so she cried out to God silently from her heart, and God answered her by drawing her into a close, inward relationship with Himself, which delivered her from darkness and filled her heart with light, love, peace and joy. Then, she began to share her testimony in letters written to her friends and acquaintances, and some of them were also drawn into a close relationship with God. But the Catholic leadership in France found out what Madame Guyon was doing and considered it heresy, so they sent her to prison where she spent years in dark, cold, and damp conditions until the wife of King Louis XIV intervened on her behalf and was able to get her released. But she was then banished to spend the remainder of her life in a place called Blois, where she lived under house arrest and was forbidden from engaging in public discussions or correspondence, except with special permission, until she died on June 9, 1717 at the age of sixty-nine. However, while she was in prison, she wrote her autobiography, and while she was under house arrest, she wrote other books, numerous letters, and many poems, which were somehow circulated throughout France, and eventually throughout the world as well.
After I finished reading this book, I thought about the spiritual and moral condition of France during Madam Guyon’s lifetime and realized that what is happening in our time is probably worse because corruption and immorality has now become rampant all over the world. Then, I thought about what governing authorities are now doing to try to take freedom of religion and freedom of speech away from people, and realized that in Western democratic countries, people have been taught that freedom of religion and freedom of speech are a fundamental right, and that has caused many (including Christians) to believe they should fight against their governing authorities in order to retain or regain these rights. But as I pondered what I have read regarding Madam Guyon, and many others who suffered persecution throughout history, I realized that most of these people never fought against the ruling authorities of their time. So, I searched the New Testament scriptures and found that what Jesus, the apostles, and other leaders of the early Christian Church taught does not support fighting against earthly rulers and authorities. So, I asked God how He wants Christians in our time to respond to the governing authorities. In answer, He told me the following:
“From the beginning of Christianity, many Christians, such as Jeanne-Marie Guyon, did not fight against the ruling authorities of their time because they had inner freedom, which is only found in an intimate relationship with Me. Inner freedom is true freedom, which can never be taken away from you because love, faith and truth that come from Me are far more powerful than any weapon that could ever be formed against you. And, in this place of inner freedom, you will be filled with My Holy Spirit and be led by My Spirit to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and the peaceful fruit of righteousness, which will give you an inner peace that will make you unshakeable regardless of your outward circumstances. Therefore, the best way for Christians to fight for freedom is to find inner freedom through an intimate relationship with Me, and speak the truth in love if, when, and as you are directed to do so by My Holy Spirit. Then, if you are persecuted and lose your outer freedom, nothing will be able to stop My truth, love and faith from going forth into the world, and growing and spreading until it is shed abroad in hungry hearts everywhere.”
Portions of Scripture that I would encourage you to prayerfully consider:
In Matthew 5: 2-16 Jesus said, “…’Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.'”
In Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'”
Acts 4: 16-22, “‘What are we going to do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.”
Acts 5:27-29, “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.'”
In Romans 13:1-7 Paul said, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”
In Titus 3:1-2 the apostle Paul said, “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”
The writer of Hebrews 13:17 said, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
1 Peter 2:13-23 the apostle Peter said, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”
Romans 8:31-39, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Galatians 5:13-24, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints….”
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