Monday, July 1, 2013

What is happening to the United States of America?


Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.  Deuteronomy 8:11-14

Independence Day provides an opportunity for Americans to reflect as a people and as a nation on who we are and what we intend to be. God has made all of us free — free to say yes, free to say no, and free to make up our own minds about our spiritual destiny. Religious freedom goes to the heart of who God is and who we are. So, the fight for religious liberty for all is to ensure against government doing what even God will not do: to violate consciences or to coerce faith.

What is happening to the United States of America?
As Christians we need to defend our personal faith and belief in Jesus Christ, but also the Constitution as that which has formed, guided, and protected us from both others and ourselves.  Have we become all that the original framers of our constitution intended? Are we as a people living up to the high ideals of "liberty and justice for all"?  Are we all God has designed and desired us to be?  If we are honest with ourselves, our answer would most surely be, "No, we are not."  With Thursday being July 4th, this week is a good time to remember what this country was founded on and what we have been and are headed for in the future. 

A Christian Nation?
These words were spoken by Supreme Court Justice David Brewer (1837-1910):
[I]n what sense can [America] be called a Christian nation? Not in the sense that Christianity is the established religion or that the people are in any manner compelled to support it…. Neither is it Christian in the sense that all its citizens are either in fact or name Christians…. Nor is it Christian in the sense that a profession of Christianity is a condition of holding office or otherwise engaging in public service, or essential to recognition either politically or socially…. According to Justice Brewer, America was “of all the nations in the world . . . most justly called a Christian nation” because Christianity “has so largely shaped and molded it.”

The issue of whether or not our nation is a Christian nation is not based in the federal documents, national morality, personal beliefs, or character of the leaders or the people.  It is based in the document upon which we have stood for centuries as the foundation of our nation – The Constitution of the United States of America. The core tenets of our Constitution which have led to “liberty and justice for all” cannot be divorced from the timeless and sacred principles which form and sustain our nation.  Those who framed our Constitution were deeply aware of the hand of providence on their every decision.  Regardless of what the spiritual or religious status of our country seems to be today, the fact remains that our country has been founded and guided by a document that was based directly on Biblical principles. It was founded to be a "nation under God".

Who were these men who penned this document?  What was their agenda and what were their personal values?  Were they Christian men?  Or did they just want to see the right thing done?  This week we will take a look at some of the framers of our Constitution to see exactly what kind of men helped to form this Christian Nation and why.   

Scripture to Claim“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 

Devotional Archive