Recent polls indicate that 8 out of 10 Americans still consider themselves to be Christian. And while that is down from two decades ago it is still a pronounced majority. Nearly 2 out of 3 Americans still consider this country to be a Christian nation. Less than half of Americans, however, think the Bible can provide the answers to contemporary problems/issues while during the Bush 43 presidency that statistic never fell below 58%.
While we presently have a liberal leaning president and congress, latest polls indicate 40% of Americans consider themselves to be conservative while just 20% consider themselves to be liberal. The remainder claim to be moderate. Nevertheless the end result is that America is trending away from Christianity and shifting towards secularism.
Another trend gleaned from the above statistics is that many Christians consider their religion to be a personal issue not to be considered in political or governmental issues.
Inasmuch as the Bible is the handbook for Christianity, does the Bible focus on personal issues only, or is it more encompassing to address every aspect of life whether personal, social, moral, or political? Without question the Bible is explicitly clear that every individual’s final destiny is based on their choice of a personal relationship with their Creator. The final chapter of the Bible confirms this great truth.
“…and let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:21
What happens, however, when individual people of like mind join together? Let’s consider for example our own great nation. We are defined as a republic which means in essence that people of like mind join together to elect their leaders. In our unique case this leadership consists of the congress and the president. The purpose is to advance the desires and ideologies of the people. A republic is vastly different than a monarchy. A monarchy is a system of autocratic government where a single person rules forcing his own ideologies on the people under his jurisdiction. A monarch usually inherits his position, i.e. is born into it.
It is interesting to note that when the Declaration of Independence was drafted the purpose of the people was to secede from a monarchy under King George III and adopt a republic form of government with the people’s interests and priorities being the focal point. The people of the colonies acknowledged God in the wording of the original Declaration document. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator…”
And then when the constitution was originally drafted it also reflected and affirmed that the government of the new country of America was to serve the people. From the preamble we find the words:
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.”
As American history progressed this great nation became engulfed in a tragic civil war. A timeless speech by President Lincoln at Gettysburg at the end of that war confirmed once again the sovereignty of the people of the republic called America.
“…that we here highly resolve that those dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
America is unquestionably the most influential nation in the world. However, as noted in the beginning of this column some disturbing trends were cited. While we are undoubtedly maintaining the characteristics of a textbook republic the common values and priorities of the people are slipping farther and farther away from Biblical principles. In many instances the values of the majority are in fact anti-Biblical. When that happens it opens the door to elect officials that will further promote these misguided priorities and anti-Biblical legislation may result.
The Declaration of Independence acknowledged God and Lincoln stated that this nation was under God. But some progressive minds want to remove “under God” from the pledge of allegiance to the banner representing this great republic and those same minds have succeeded in removing “in God we trust” from the face of some new coinage.
How long do we think God will allow such things? According to the Bible government doesn’t exist to satisfy the needs and whims of the majority of people especially if those priorities are contrary to God’s set of standards. In fact the purpose of the nations of the earth including America is to bring glory to the One who created man and allowed them to establish their respective governments.
The truth is that ultimately the greatest nations on earth including the grandest republic called the United States of America will revert back to a monarchy. According to the Bible the monarch will be no other than Christ Himself. He Himself will be the King, Lawgiver, and Judge.
“For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King…” Isaiah 33:22
“…I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron…”
Psalms 2:8-9
“Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.” Revelation 19:15
It is interesting to examine the list of grievances that the colonies had against the monarch of England justifying their desire for an independent republic. It is even more interesting to compare that list with the list of grievances that God has against our republic that He will use to justify the reversion back to a monarchy.