| |
July 04, 2004
|
"America" |
Pastor Brian Shimer
| |
"The Land of the Free"
Romans 13: 1-4
| I. |
Today is Independence Day, as Jeanne so wonderfully reminded
| |
us with her classic children's moment. Don't you like Jeanne. More times than I can count people credit her with introducing them to Jesus in Sunday School. A couple was here with their children at our Easter's celebration and the woman, Amy pointed over at Jeanne and said, "I came here when I was a child and there is my Sunday School teacher." She has touched many, many now adults when they were children. And today, touched some more children as well!
So on this independence Day we are celebrating that fact that we live in this, the "land of the free" not because of actions of man but because of the work of God on our behalf. You and I are benefactors of grace to live in this place and are called to great things, for we know that from those to whom much has been given much will be required. Or, to quote the first Spiderman movie, Great power requires great responsibility.
Many of our current history texts deny that God had much to do with our beginnings. These texts will give you the impression that all of our country's founding fathers were deists -- believing that God was like a watch maker who made the universe and then walked away and has had nothing to do with it. Just as the man or woman who put together the wristwatch you may wear has not had anything to do with it since it was released onto the market.
But even the Scripture text in Romans 13 says God has something to do with the powers in authority over us. Indeed: "All government is established by God."
So we would have to admit even if the founders were deists, that God was still involved. A person's beliefs about God do not make truth. God is who God is no matter what someone may believe. God is no less God if I doubt Him then when I wholeheartedly trust him. My experience of God however will be different.
Of the 55 men at the first Constitutional convention in 1787, only 3 were possibly deists, but even these three had all studied for the ministry. One of these, Benjamin Franklin, called the Constitutional Convention to prayer declaring his belief that "God governs in the affairs of men," now, no deist would say that!
(Quoted in Christianity and the Constitution: The Faith of our Founding Fathers, by John Eidsmoe,Baker Books, c. 95, pp. 43, 215-246, 345, ubp).
| | II. |
But now back to this question of the beginnings of this the "
| |
land of the free -- did God have some intention for America we are called to be living into and up to? I believe so.
The form of government in America is firmly rooted in three Christian concepts.
First, the sovereignty of God.
The founders firmly believed that God had brought them here, that God intended this country to be freed from outside control, and intended to establish here a great nation. They agreed with the passage in today's Scripture that God is the ultimate government, basing the law code upon the Ten Commandments and eventually even putting onto our money the motto: In God we Trust.
Secondly, they believed in the depravity of man.
Since people are inclined toward evil, the government that best suits them is one which is powerful enough to restrain the evil impulses in the heart. Today's Scripture affirms that the government is there to thus deter the evildoer who has reason to fear if he is doing evil for the government holds the power of capitol punishment, described as the sword, which it has the right to use.
But the government holds no fear for those who do not choose evil. So, the government that restrains evil also encourages the good. We are subject to the laws of the government for two reasons then, because of wrath (the government's ability to punish the evildoer) and because of conscience (our desire to remain pure before a Holy God who put the government there).
The concept of the fallen human heart, however, also impacted how the founders thought about the rulers. Since rulers possess sinful natures, then rulers also cannot be trusted with absolute power. As one has said, "absolute power will corrupt, absolutely."
This caused the framers of our constitution to establish the means whereby no one person could have all power in the government with the checks and balances written into our system. The supreme court lacked sufficient checks and balances, and this is the source of our current national crisis as judicial tyranny reigns in a government meant to be of, by and for the people.
The third theological concept was the belief in the Priesthood of all believers.
They believed that because of Jesus, Christian people did not need to gain access to God through a priest or bishop, but could go directly to God (Hebrews 4:16). To know how to do that, all people needed to read and write so that all could interpret the Scriptures in order to be responsible to God for themselves. This caused their emphasis upon education.
The idea of being responsible for oneself is a concept of self government, which Romans 13 addresses, for if we are to obey or be subject to the government, we must think and choose the right, in other words, we must govern our actions.
This was powerfully expressed by a man named Hugo Grotius who died around 1645. Grotius was a brilliant Dutch lawyer, theologian, statesman and poet. He began to practice law at the age of 16 and was read and quoted by our country's founders
(Quoted in Christianity and the Constitution: The Faith of our Founding Fathers, by John Eidsmoe,Baker Books, c. 95, pp. 62, ubp)..
Grotius wrote this statement published after his death in 1654:
He knows not how to rule a kingdome[sic], ... cannot manage a Province; nor can he wield a Province, that cannot order a City; nor he order a City, that knows not how to regulate a Village; nor he a Village, that cannot guide a Family; nor can that man Govern well a Family that knows not how to Govern himselfe[sic]; neither can any Govern himselfe[sic] unless his reason be Lord, Will and Appetite her vassals: nor can Reason rule unlesse[sic] herselfe be ruled by God, and (wholy[sic]) be obedient to Him"
(Teaching and Learning America's Christian History, developed by Rosalie Slater, compiled by Verna Hall, Foundation for American Christian Education, San Francisco: c.65, p. 119).
Grotius' thoughts show the connection between the individual heart's response to God and the broader effect upon society. As we vote we ought to be asking if the person for whom we are voting is a truly Christian person, a person who has submitted his or her heart fully to God, for if a person is not submitted to God, how can he or she govern?
This is not a new thought. John Jay the first Supreme Court Chief Justice under President Washington said it this way: "(God) has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the DUTY as well as the PRIVILEGE and INTEREST of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their leaders"
(all caps, mine. From Restoreamerica.org web page, slide show, slide 2).
Note his language -- it is our duty, privilege and interest -- to thus choose.
What questions do you ask about those for whom you vote? Is your primary concern whether they can govern themselves for they show themselves to be governed by God?
This does not mean a person who says that she separates her religious beliefs from her political ideology -- such a person is double minded and does not deserve your support. But a person who has truly embraced God and is seeking to live out his life in obedience to that embrace. It is our duty thus to vote, and to cast our vote is one act of "obedience" in our system of government which we select and place in power.
In 1830 when the French political philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, came to the United States he was impressed. In France the prevailing philosophy was the worship of "liberty," and a belief that people were inherently good and that given opportunity would create utopia. Instead of Utopia, however, France had just experienced a bloody revolution as supposed innate goodness became abounding anarchy.
He came here and wrote this oft quoted statement:
"I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers, and it was not there; in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, and it was not there; in her rich mines and her vast world commerce, and it was not there. Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great"
(America's Providential History, by Mark A Beliles and Stephen K. McDowell, publ by The Providence Foundation: Charlottesville, VA, c. '89, pp 115-116).
| | III. |
People, pulpits aflame with righteousness are messages calling "
| |
people to holiness. Nearly 200 years later, are we yet good?
Many voices are crying, "no!" The 40 million children murdered through abortion are crying, "no." The statistics on sexually transmitted diseases and promiscuity are shouting, "no." Our addictions to gambling, including the lotto, drugs, and entertainment industry, shout, "No!" Our selfishness, greed and consumerism shout "No!" again.
Our justices have said "Yes" to sodomy, "yes" to the removal of the 10 commandments, "yes" to same sex marriage in Massachusettes and so many youth in our nation are swept into a tide of sentiment that has them impotent to make a difference.
We may still be the wealthiest nation in the world, and one of the strongest, but are we good? God has been giving his call for us to wake up for we have made freedom into license.
And the question is on this independence day: Will we be a people who truly create and walk in a land that is free under God?
On the one hand I doubt:
- When fewer than 50% of those eligible to vote turned out at our last election.
- When a young man who will turn 18 next month refuses to register to vote, saying: "My generation is not much into voting." That young man is saying he is into governmental tyranny!
- When there is such confusion among people about same sex marriage...
On the other hand I have hope.
- When over 1,000,000 people went to prayer for our 2,000 election.
- When our nation responded to pray after 9-11
- When Carl Ness came to me to ask if he could lead a seminar on prayer and fasting and about 10 people have come. What a great year to be praying and fasting!
- When 240,000 people signed the petitions requesting a marriage amendment to be a part of this Oregon election.
- When just yesterday I received in the mail a letter calling for high school and college age youth from across america to come to Colorado Springs for 50 days of "day and night worship and intercession from July 10 to August 28, 2004." They are dedicating these 50 days for 50 states because the sponsors believe, and I agree, that we are at a place of crisis that calls for prayer and fasting.
One of the leaders, Lou Engle, wrote: I believe this is the hour for thousands of young people to come to Colorado Springs to shake the heavens over America for 50 days!
The 2004 election will be unique and needs massive intercession. 34 US Senate seats and all 435 US House seats are up for re-election! This is a powerful time for us to seek God and ask for his mercy upon our land.
I think of the poem on the Statue of LIberty which ends saying:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tossed to me.
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Unless we take steps to pray, to stand, to vote, to be obedient to God when the government chooses evil, we will lose this free land and will have no place into which these "huddled masses" can be welcomed. Unless we believe and act in faith, the land of the free will become the land of the bound and will become occupied territory.
|
|
|