LONANG Library

The rules of authority found in the laws of nature and nature’s God aren’t that complicated. In fact, they are easily stated:

1. All human authority is delegated, not inherent. That is, all authority ultimately belongs to God, some authority has been delegated to men, and God reserves for Himself all authority which has not been delegated.
2. All human authority is limited, not absolute. Thus, human authority extends only to that which God gives him. Human authority is limited by the terms of the divine delegation, and no one defines his own jurisdiction.
3. Human authority is diffuse, not concentrated. Specifically, God delegates authority via His covenants with people. So, God hasn’t given any person total authority – the diffusion of powers is the rule.

The whole of human history is essentially a prolonged attempt to avoid these limitations. People want to exercise authority given to others and stop others from exercising their rights. People want total power and generally deplore accountability. People want to do things only God can rightfully do. And most of all, they want to reverse God’s assumption that they can only do what has been expressly authorized, and instead assume they can do absolutely anything unless expressly forbidden.

These principles have been recognized throughout much of history, and we present for your edification selections from historic and modern writers who have recognized these principles and expounded on them. That modern nations no longer recognize these truths does not mean the world has evolved into something better, but rather that it is decaying into something less well-ordered. You think the increasing power of the state is progress? It is devolution.

The resounding message of LONANG throughout history is that people often did not have the authority they thought they had. It’s as if God’s voice is crying out from the heavens, “You can’t do that!” But will anyone listen? “The forces of darkness are already at work among us, and the spirit of darkness is lawlessness.”