Dear Trekker,
With the Fourth of July only a few days off, I have been reflecting on Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” And right beside this pronouncement of Solomon, I ponder the words of the Father of our nation in his farewell address: “Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity (peace and prosperity, happiness and fulfillment) of a nation with its virtue?” Washington goes on to add… “The experiment (of creating a nation and tying it to virtue) at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! Is it rendered impossible by its vices?” Washington simply suggests. I venture to say… it is coming true “in our time”! How have we failed so miserably “in our time?”
I ask myself, “Why do kingdoms rise and wane?” Does virtue, morality and religion play a role? How does America stand in God’s grace? Has he shed His grace on us? Is His grace self-perpetuating? Can we lose His grace by turning our backs on Him? Many (not only Solzhenitsyn) say, “We have forgotten God.” Day to day, we trust in anything but God, do we not?
Then I ask myself, “What role has the Christian church played in our history?” Are we (the Body of Christ) playing that role today? Why or why not?
I wonder… as secular forces have steadily gained the upper hand in our society, could the greatest threat to the stability and perpetuation of American culture be what has happened to the Christian faith in our country?
Our fore-fathers were unquestionably people with a Christian world view. The historical record states quite unequivocally that political and economic prosperity, the basis of government and general welfare, and the pursuit of happiness, were all centered around a dynamic faith in God and His creation of man in His image. A companion thought always has been… we are stewards of His creation, answerable to God!
When we compare the American lifestyles of people of faith in the early history of our country with people of today, one cannot help but see a marked contrast. Of course, when the constitution was adopted, as well as the Bill of Rights, faith as expressed in Christianity (particularly Protestantism) was the only religion in America. It gave a moral foundation to the country. And freedom of religion implicitly referred to the practice of the Christian faith. Other religions were not ever considered. Multi-culturalism was unknown, and certainly not a basis for the solidarity of a nation. In today’s political climate, few venture forth to declare other religions lacking in basic, seedbed morality to build a nation such as America. All men are equal before God; all religions certainly are not! Pluralism has so softened attitudes and convictions, most Americans no longer recognize the uniqueness of the Christian faith which displays God’s initiative, not man’s. The unique blend of Jewish and Christian history provided the moral seed bed for American culture and prosperity. This is unarguable.
If the foundations be destroyed, who will rebuild them? They may not be rebuilt! Surely there is a relationship between personal holiness and blessings; vices bear no good fruit! Nations that forget God go the way of those who never knew Him (Psalm 9:17)! Surely the destiny of all nations is in the hands of God. He “expects” nations who have been exposed to His truth to follow certain moral criteria. When the moral fabric of a people unravels, at some point, manpower is forced to its knees.
Senator and Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, said it well: “If we abide by (live by) the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering, but if we and our posterity (that’s us today) neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory, in profound obscurity.” You say it won’t happen in America. I shudder as I read the truth of these words. Yes, I believe it is happening today!
A nation that once honored sexual purity, as created and instituted by God, should not be surprised when so many problems in the sexual arena today stem from widespread sexual license on all fronts. We are obsessed with flaunting sexual freedom, are we not? We are not focused on anything except the pursuit of “whatever gives pleasure.” The over emphasis on tolerance and license has muted traditional teachings of those values that in part made American great. Will not a just God judge (and punish) righteously (Matt 7:13-14)? All paths do not lead to prosperity of the soul of a nation!
Trekker, I believe in the truth of George Washington’s statement! There is a connection between morality and blessing! The “permanent felicity” of our nation is intimately connected to “our virtue,” or lack thereof. Hence, American national survival may well be “rendered impossible by its vices.” Surely, widespread abandonment of national moral conviction has its consequences. Universal abrogation of the principles of Scripture portends a nation’s doom!
Say a prayer for our nation this coming Fourth of July! We need it! Prayer and fasting as a nation is long gone. But trekkers pray… let’s do it.
Your trekker friend,
Jim Meredith
