We all stumble over ourselves when caught off guard by a question for which we are not prepared. According to a Crosswalk.com article from 8 October 2024, this apparently occurred when a 15-year-old asked Albert Mohler, who is a cultural commentator and the president of the Southern Baptist Seminary, whether a state might be biblically authorized to leave the United States.
Mohler confidently responded that “the biblical response is clear.” Then, he did everything except quote the Bible. Not a single scripture was offered to substantiate his claim. Instead, Mohler spoke of the Civil War, treason, and the 1869 Supreme Court case of Texas vs. White, asserting from these arguments that the “states have no such power” to leave. All of these so-called reasons have been debunked by Daniel Miller in his book, TEXIT: Why and How Texas Will Leave the Union (2018).
Our focus now turns to the Bible because that was the purpose of the young man’s question. In his response, Mohler never offered a single verse of scripture. So, like the young man, we ask what the Bible has to say about leaving the Union.
God delegated authority to man. When Noah stepped off of the ark, God issued to man the responsibility to police himself and delegated to him the necessary authority to fulfill the duty. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed” (Gen 9:6). This is the origin, the genesis, of government. Jesus, Himself, accepted and approved this principle when He stood before Pilate. Pilate chided Jesus for not speaking to him, and he informed Jesus that he had the power to take Jesus’ life (John 19:10). To this, Jesus responded: “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given to you from above” (John 19:11).
God gave prime directives to government. The apostle Paul wrote to the Romans that the governing authorities have two prime directives: Protect the good and punish the evil (Rom 13:3-4). Notice that the sword is not borne in vain. This concurs with the premise that the government has power of life and death (Gen 9:6). Paul, like Jesus, acquiesced to this precept when he declared that he was ready to die if he had violated the law (Acts 25:11). Thus, the government must protect the law keepers and punish the law breakers. When government fulfills these duties, man is able to “lead a quiet and peaceable life” (1 Tim 2:2).
God authorizes men to choose their form of government. Generic authority authorizes anything that falls under its scope, as long as it does not violate some other precept. For example, the command to the apostles to go into all the world (Matt 28:19; Mark 16:15) required the specific action of going, but it generically authorized any form of transportation (e.g., walking, riding, boating, flying, etc.), as long as some other law is not violated (e.g., stealing the car). With government, God requires man to govern himself, but God generically authorizes man to choose the form or type of government to which he will subject himself, as long as the form of government follows the prime directives. Governments that do not comply are not approved by God.
Forms of government include monarchy, democracy, communism, totalitarianism, etc. The Founding Fathers of the United States and of Texas chose a Republic as their form of government. A Republic is a system in which the people elect leaders to represent them. Yet, knowing the corruption that often accompanies power, shackles were fastened to the leaders in the Constitution to prevent the abuse of power against the people. The Old Testament and secular history are replete with accounts of such corruption. When the people grew weary of governmental abuse, they exercised their God-given authority and enacted measures to curb such behavior (Dan 6:15). Even so in our founding documents.
The Declaration of Independence rests upon “truths” that are “self-evident;” namely, “that all men are created equal,” and that “they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” The fact that the death penalty is to be executed against a murderer inherently infers that life is to be protected and punishment is to be inflicted against the violators. The Right to Life is an unalienable right, except when the rights of others are violated. Jefferson and Madison also wrote that “governments are instituted” to “secure these rights” and that the power of government is derived from the “consent of the governed.” Observe how fluidly they followed the precept God handed down to Noah and the prime directives outlined by Paul (Gen 9:6; Rom 13:3-4).
The Texas Constitution acknowledges that “all political power is inherent in the people” (Art. 1, Sect. 2). Also declared are the terms under which Texas will continue in the Union (Art. 1, Sect. 1). It is understood in any covenantal agreement that, when the terms are violated, one or more parties may choose to end the covenant. This is so declared in the Texas Constitution (Art. 1, Sect. 2).
The U.S. Constitution says absolutely nothing about a state leaving the Union. Therefore, the 10th Amendment becomes applicable, leaving Texas (and the other individual states) to decide for itself if and when it should leave the Union. The Constitutionality of departing the Union is indubitable.
God authorizes changes in the form of government. From the preceding premises, the delegation of authority (Gen 9:6), the prime directives (Rom 13:3-4), and the principle of generic authority clearly establishes a biblical foundation on which men may stand when the forming of government is necessary and when the dissolution and/or amending of that form of government is necessary. The very fact that men are authorized to establish their chosen system of governance inherently includes the authority to change it or abolish it! If not, why not?
The violations of the current administration, and several past administrations, of the federal government stand open for all to see. Many scream for transparency of corrupt officials, yet they refuse to observe the obvious power they wield in their own hands – power given to them by God Almighty – to solve the problem.
“[I]t came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment…. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith Yahweh, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon [via Solomon’s son King Rehoboam], and will give ten tribes to thee…. Because that they [King Rehoboam and the twelve-tribed nation of Israel] have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments….’ (1 Kings 11:29-33)
“In Chapter 12, King Jeroboam and the ten northern tribes secede from King Rehoboam and the two southern tribes, dividing the united nation of Israel into two houses.
“It’s important to note that although the house of Israel’s secession was by Yahweh’s determination, the house of Israel fared no better under King Jeroboam than the house of Judah did under King Rehoboam. In fact, a case can be made that the house of Israel fared much worse than did the house of Judah.
“In other words, secession from a wicked nation does not necessarily equate with a righteous result—not if those seceding don’t themselves submit to Yahweh as their Sovereign to thereby establish a government of, by, and for Him with His triune moral law (the Ten Commandments and their respective statutes and judgments) as supreme.26
“Christendom’s Need for Secession
“America has progressively devolved into a more and more unrighteous nation, much like the united kingdom of Israel under King Rehoboam and similar to England in the late 1700s. In fact, it’s much worse now than it was in late 18th-century America when the Declaration of Independence was sent to King George III. Consequently, the eloquent, impassioned words of the Declaration of Independence resonate with a lot of folks today. It’s not uncommon to hear people once again promoting secession.
“For today’s dominion-minded Christians this is a very pertinent discussion. One day, reestablishing biblical, self-sustaining communities (ecclesias27) for the purpose of dominionizing society on behalf of the King of kings* will invariably entail both God’s austere judgment upon our sinful nation and biblical secession for Christians who are serious about their kingdom calling and obligations. Any secession movement not based upon Yahweh as its Sovereign and His moral law as the basis and foundation of its government will only prove to be but another contemporary instance of man doing what’s right in his own eyes, per Judges 21:25. It will likewise be doomed to failure.”
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who bulld it (Ps 127:1). If we don’t get our spiritual house in order, it makes little to no difference what changes we make.
Mr. Dunkin forgot to mention the greatest gift his Creator blessed him and other humans with-
The powers of reason and logic.
Both powers adequately defend Texas independence.
No Bible verses necessary.
God gives dignity to the individual. God came as Jesus to show us exactly what that meant. The golden rule is the main law for human survival: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Historically, Texas has not been treated as an important entity whose presence is loved and valued. Texas on the other hand has often reached out to help others in need. And it is my observation that Texas has actually been abused by the powers that be, and not allowed to fully develop God-given rights as a community and also as individuals. This person’s comments are not Biblical. Having studied the Bible at a four year seminary — even referring to the original languages — I believe it would be best for him to look at what Texit stands for — through Jesus’s eyes and not his own.