--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The triune God exercises total government…" description: "\"The triune God exercises total government over all things, and He requires us as His image-bearers to exercise government in Christ in our own spheres ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png" --- # The triune God exercises total government over all things… ![“The triune God exercises total government over all things, and He requires us as His image-bearers to exercise government in Christ in our own spheres in terms of His law.” quote by R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png) > “The triune God exercises total government over all things, and He requires us as His image-bearers to exercise government in Christ in our own spheres in terms of His law.” [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humans are called to govern responsibly, reflecting divine authority in personal and societal realms. **In simple terms:** People should govern responsibly like God. Key Takeaway Exercise responsible authority in all areas. Themes responsibility authority theology Mood thoughtful serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - family - community - government - work - church Key Concepts biblical law stewardship ethics Questions to Reflect On - What does responsible governance look like in your life? - How do you balance divine ideals with practical limits? A Different Perspective Human fallibility can hinder perfect governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) ## Related quotes > [“If anyone attempted to rule the world by the gospel and to abolish all temporal law and sword on the plea that all are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/if-anyone-attempted-to-rule-the-world-by-the-gospel-and-to-abolish/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [We should reduce total government spending as a percentage of the economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grover-norquist/we-should-reduce-total-government-spending-as-a-percentage-of-the-2/) [Grover Norquist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grover-norquist/) > [Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mencius/virtue-alone-is-not-sufficient-for-the-exercise-of-government-laws/) [Mencius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mencius/) > [Officially in America we now have a totally arbitrary and limitless government. That is, we have a ‘total government.’ In short, we’ve got totalitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-salsman/officially-in-america-we-now-have-a-totally-arbitrary-and-limitless/) Richard Salsman > [“Therefore the sage, in the exercise of his government, empties their minds, fills their bellies, weakens their wills, and strengthens their bones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lao-tzu/therefore-the-sage-in-the-exercise-of-his-government-empties-their/) [Lao Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lao-tzu/) > [“The triune God of Scripture lives! He is not static. He is not lifeless. He is not bored. He is not boring. He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rigney/the-triune-god-of-scripture-lives-he-is-not-static-he-is-not-lifeless/) [Joe Rigney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rigney/) > [“Union in action with the triune God is Christian spirituality. That is where the life is drawing its substance from God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallas-willard/union-in-action-with-the-triune-god-is-christian-spirituality-that-is/) [Dallas Willard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallas-willard/) > [If the election of the Father is not universal and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit is not universal, why would the atonement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shai-linne/if-the-election-of-the-father-is-not-universal-and-the-regeneration/) Shai Linne > [“Neither divine nor demonic, this world is the theater of God’s glory. Bound by no inner necessity or thirst for self-completion, the triune God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-horton/neither-divine-nor-demonic-this-world-is-the-theater-of-god-s-glory/) [Michael Horton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-horton/) > [“Glorious Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—I praise you for the incalculable riches of redemption you’ve lavished on us in the gospel. Father, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scotty-smith/glorious-triune-god-father-son-and-holy-spirit-i-praise-you-for-the/) [Scotty Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scotty-smith/) > [Faith is not a once-done act, but a continuous gaze of the heart at the Triune God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/faith-is-not-a-once-done-act-but-a-continuous-gaze-of-the-heart-at/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The operation of God as he is described as acting in the gospel intimates the triune nature of God. Only a triune God can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-f-bird/the-operation-of-god-as-he-is-described-as-acting-in-the-gospel/) [Michael F. Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-f-bird/) > [“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup” (Psalm 16:5). What do you get when you come to the Supper, you compromised, double-hearted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrit-dawson/the-lord-is-my-chosen-portion-and-my-cup-psalm-16-5-what-do-you-get/) [Gerrit Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrit-dawson/) > [“Even more richly than in His name and attributes, God has revealed Himself in His Word as the Triune God. In this revelation He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-henry-kersten/even-more-richly-than-in-his-name-and-attributes-god-has-revealed/) G. Henry Kersten > [Salvation is accomplished by the almighty power of the Triune God. The Father chose a people, the Son died for them, the Holy Spirit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loraine-boettner/salvation-is-accomplished-by-the-almighty-power-of-the-triune-god-the/) [Loraine Boettner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loraine-boettner/) ## More by R.J. Rushdoony > [People do not avoid the Bible because it is difficult to understand as much as because what they understand condemns their conscience and throws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/people-do-not-avoid-the-bible-because-it-is-difficult-to-understand/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [Humanistic law aims at saving man and remaking society. For Humanism, salvation is an act of the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/humanistic-law-aims-at-saving-man-and-remaking-society-for-humanism/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [The end of an age is always a time of turmoil, war, economic catastrophe, cynicism, lawlessness and distress. But it is also an era…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/the-end-of-an-age-is-always-a-time-of-turmoil-war-economic/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [In any age, our problems are a result of sin, and the solution is faith and obedience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/in-any-age-our-problems-are-a-result-of-sin-and-the-solution-is-faith/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [Man lives in time but his life transcends time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/man-lives-in-time-but-his-life-transcends-time/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [All religions segregate also...every religion asserts an order of truth and every other order is regarded as a lie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/all-religions-segregate-also-every-religion-asserts-an-order-of-truth/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [It is significant that, as innocent babies are killed, and capital punishment is withheld from their murderers, the same men who plead for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/it-is-significant-that-as-innocent-babies-are-killed-and-capital/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [One faith, one law and one standard of justice did not mean democracy. The heresy of democracy has since then worked havoc in church…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/one-faith-one-law-and-one-standard-of-justice-did-not-mean-democracy/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [It needs more than ever to be stressed that the best and truest educators are parents under God. The greatest school is the family.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/it-needs-more-than-ever-to-be-stressed-that-the-best-and-truest/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [Life is rarely easy, but, with Christ our King, it is always good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/life-is-rarely-easy-but-with-christ-our-king-it-is-always-good/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [Concerning the press and politicians, the hatred for all such evangelical groups is not because of their real or fancied blunders but because they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/concerning-the-press-and-politicians-the-hatred-for-all-such/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [ “\[T\]he more man accepts his limitations, the better is he enabled to know things truly.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/t-he-more-man-accepts-his-limitations-the-better-is-he-enabled-to/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [“Our character is revealed under pressure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/our-character-is-revealed-under-pressure/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [“Problems are a part of life in a fallen world, and they are necessary part of it, necessary to our testing and to our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/problems-are-a-part-of-life-in-a-fallen-world-and-they-are-necessary/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) > [“Godly men are not revolutionists: the Lord's way is regeneration, not revolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/godly-men-are-not-revolutionists-the-lord-s-way-is-regeneration-not/) [R.J. Rushdoony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) [Explore all 77 R.J. Rushdoony quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/) ## More Christ quotes > [I think, here's what I've realized from interviewing people, and I've been very open about my Catholicism and my love of Christ and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-mohr/i-think-here-s-what-i-ve-realized-from-interviewing-people-and-i-ve/) [Jay Mohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-mohr/) > [“I would even go so far as to say that the mythical character of a life is just what expresses its universal human validity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-g-jung/i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-that-the-mythical-character-of-a/) [C.G. Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-g-jung/) > [Set NOT your hearts on the flowers of this world. They shall fade and die. Prize the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/set-not-your-hearts-on-the-flowers-of-this-world-they-shall-fade-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When the Lord Jesus Christ became my surety . . . He went to Calvary's cross, and all my guilt was charged against Him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allen-ironside/when-the-lord-jesus-christ-became-my-surety-he-went-to-calvary-s/) [Henry Allen Ironside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allen-ironside/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-the-cross/whoever-does-not-seek-the-cross-of-christ-doesn-t-seek-the-glory-of/) [John of the Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-the-cross/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [Christ never preached any funeral sermons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/christ-never-preached-any-funeral-sermons/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [One thing the young Christian should be taught as quickly as possible after his conversion is that Jesus Christ is all he needs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/one-thing-the-young-christian-should-be-taught-as-quickly-as-possible/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If you don't plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kay-arthur/if-you-don-t-plan-to-live-the-christian-life-totally-committed-to/) [Kay Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kay-arthur/) > [Lord, send Your life throughout the entire church. Visit Your church; restore sound doctrine and holy, earnest living. Take away from professing Christians their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/lord-send-your-life-throughout-the-entire-church-visit-your-church/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) [Browse all 9,006 Christ quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christ/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The triune God exercises total government over all things, and He requires us as His image-bearers to exercise government in Christ in our own spheres in terms of His law.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "R.J. Rushdoony" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/the-triune-god-exercises-total-government-over-all-things-and-he/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Christ" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/the-triune-god-exercises-total-government-over-all-things-and-he/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ff0/r-j-rushdoony-8903_christ_the-triune-god-exercises-total-governmen_296024.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The triune God exercises total government over all things, and He requires us as His image-bearers to…” — R.J. Rushdoony", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "R.J. Rushdoony", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-j-rushdoony/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The triune God exercises total government...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/the-triune-god-exercises-total-government-over-all-things-and-he/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-j-rushdoony/the-triune-god-exercises-total-government-over-all-things-and-he/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```