Published by America. Home of the brave. Land of the free. What is freedom? Is it being free from moral constraints and responsibility for our own actions? Or is it being free to make responsible choices for the better of mankind?
John Adams, the second president of the United States, wrote in 1789: “Our Constitution was designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other…Free government rests upon public and private morality.”
Public and private morality. Did you catch that? The Constitution DOES NOT work without that. Is gay marriage moral? Um, no. And our government is contemplating passing legislation that would legalize gay marriage. Our government is contemplating completely denying the words of our founding fathers in the name of freedom, liberty, and moral relativism. You see, they like to hide behind those words without really knowing what those words mean.
Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth president of the United States, declared, “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them [the foundations of society] if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country”
So is the answer in advocating political action by Christians? That’s been tried for the last 25 years by the Christian Right, and currently America is experiencing the worst moral decay in her history. Why? Isn’t the government the answer to all our problems? Isn’t that why we created government? Wrong.
Read what Dr. Jedediah Morse said in 1799: “In proportion as the genuine effects of Christianity are diminished in any nation, either through unbelief, or the corruption of its doctrines, or the neglect of its institutions; in the same proportion will the people of that nation recede from the blessings of genuine freedom…Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown, our present republican forms of government, and the blessings which flow from them, must fall with them.” He was saying that Christianity, not government, is the driving force behind true freedom.
Secondly, government wasn’t created by man in the first place. Some cave-man didn’t just decide to write up a social contract one day. Rather, civil government exists and functions due to God’s command.
Civil government began in Genesis 9:1-7, when God instructed Noah after the flood. In Exodus 20-22, God through Moses gives a specific pattern for civil government.
Scripture is full of God’s sovereignty and interest in civil government. In Daniel 2:20-21, God removes and sets up rulers. In Proverbs 21:1, he turns a ruler’s heart. In Romans 13:1, He ordains civil powers. Clearly, government is not a secular institution but a God-ordained institution.
So is it our job to function as part of the government? Some men are called to do just that, but for those of us who had other callings in life, no, that is not our job. Keep in mind the Great Commision that Jesus gave his disciples for all time. The Great Commission is why we’re all here. It explains the reason why we’re on this Earth and what we’re supposed to be doing while we’re here. We each have our unique ways of carrying it out however. The Great Commission answers the why? in life, but we have to find out for ourselves, with God’s counsel, the how.
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen”(Matt. 28:19-20).
The church needs to refocus its energies there, instead of on political action commitees. Society consists of the people. If the people change, then society will change. Common sense, right? Only 50 years ago, this country was a much different place, where everyone had some sort of Christian aspect to their lives. Children knew what was expected of them in the future. But as the baby boomer generation began getting older, the focus shifted to material things of this world and has continued heading farther and farther down that road. Approximately 30 percent of Americans presently claim to be born again. If each one of those took it upon themselves to lead just one person to Christ in the next four yeras, that number would reach 60 percent and have a drastic effect on the next elections and politics. And THAT is how things are meant to work. From the ground up, not the top down. By simpling doing what we’re supposed to be doing, we can change this country. The question is: Are you willing to take a stand and change this nation?
Please, leave comments about your personal views.
Great article. I agree with your main points! Well said!