Psalm 33:1-12 “Rejoice in
the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the
LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten
strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise. For
the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. He
loves righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the
LORD. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of
them by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea
together as an heap: he lays up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth
fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. For
he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. The LORD brings
the counsel of the heathen to nought: he makes the devices of the people of
none effect. The counsel of the LORD stands for ever, the thoughts of
his heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD:
and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”
This week, Michael writes
that some would like to erase the motto of the United States, "In God We
Trust." Such people are aliens to the spirit which gave birth to
this country. Our country was founded by people who came here to
establish the Christian Faith and glorify God. This is "The American
Covenant" since God's relationship to man was in the form of a
covenant. The founders established a covenant with God. The first
covenant in America was the Mayflower compact. They landed at Cape Cod
and drew up this compact, "The birth certificate of America." It begins "In the name of God, Amen."
Their purpose was
twofold: The glory of God and the advancement of the Christian
Faith. Official documents that followed have repeated this purpose for
the founding this country. William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth
colony, wrote the first history in America about the Plymouth plantation. The purpose for establishing a colony in America was "The advancement of
the kingdom of Christ" and that this new nation would be a stepping stone
for advancing the Christian gospel to the rest of the world.
Today, the fact that America
was established on Christianity is adamantly opposed. However, our country was
established as a Christian nation and not a Christian state. In 1892, the
courts established that America is a Christian nation. Daniel Webster
said, “our fathers were brought hither by their dedication to a Christian
nation.” Let us cherish these sentiments, in the full conviction that those
people are happiest which partake of the highest degree of Christianity.
Even though all of the
founders were not Christian, they embraced the Christian world view that was
prevalent at the time. Examples were Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson who
embraced a godly world view although they did not profess Evangelical
Christianity. Charles Hodge of Princeton was one of the greatest theologians of
Presbyterian Christianity. According to Hodge, When Christians came to
this country, they professed Jesus Christ as their Savior. They taught
their children to read the bible as the word of God. They joined together
in their communities and they declared Christianity to be the common law of the
land.
Let's continue Michael's message on America's Christian roots in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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