Having grown up in what is now called the “evangelical” community, I have been indoctrinated in the notion that America is a “blessed country” along the lines of the Israelites. Most will not say it out loud, but they really believe that America is God’s second chosen people. Evangelicals often speak in terms of God’s wrath if America continues on its course regarding homosexuality, abortion, and general “sinfulness.” If America does not repent and turn back to God, it not only will not be blessed and but will surely be doomed.
Certainly, God, along with Christianity, is a vital part of America’s history. Freedom from the tyranny of the Dutch state religion was the impetus for the Mayflower. We were subject to the Church of England under our monarchist genealogy. Our founding fathers recognized a Creator in our founding documents; although, their beliefs may be surprisingly different from those of today’s evangelical. Our Federal and State Constitutions provide for freedom of religion. Prayers have been said before public meetings throughout our history. We swear our oaths on the Bible. God is interwoven in our nation’s fabric.
But are we a “Christian” nation? I have to answer “no.” We are a nation made up of mostly Christians or those who profess to believe in the Christian God. However, the intent of the founders was to separate church and state so that we do not have a state religion. We have the freedom to worship the god of our choice. We are also free from the state’s dictating our religion. If the bulk of American’s decided to believe in the Muslim god (or any other god) the founders would sanction the use of the Koran for oaths and the praying to Allah before sporting events. It is the people’s choice, not the State’s. There has been a fine line in the courts between allowing expression of religious choice and the government’s sanctioning of that expression.
So are we as a nation doomed? I do not believe God will judge us as a nation. Yes, we have been blessed beyond measure. (Unless, you were an African taken from his home and enslaved. Or you were a Japanese-American, placed in an internment camp. Or if you were a woman considered as chattel during the first half of our existence. We are still healing from those wounds.) As a whole, we are rich. We generally have an abundance of food and shelter, and an abundance of non-necessities. We have freedoms and opportunities unlike any other country. Will we continue our blessed lives? That depends on the choices of the people and their natural consequences.
Most evangelicals point to God’s treatment of Israel throughout the Old Testament as the basis for the belief that we are on the brink of damnation. However, God set Israel apart to be His people for a specific reason. They were set apart from other nations to point the world to Him. God demonstrated his wrath when Israel turned its back on Him and began worshiping other gods or idols. This happened over and over throughout the Old Testament. The history of the Jews is the story of a people in need of a savior because without Him they could not reconciled to God. As a result of original sin, the world is separated from God and, like the Israelites, in need of redemption.
Unless the impact of the New Covenant of the Cross (see future entry on Teleoism) is appreciated, today’s Christian can only believe that we live under the same threat of discipline that the Israelites did. However, the reason Jesus Christ came to earth was to be the Savior - the only means to keep man holy and in relationship with the Father. Jesus reconciles the believer with the Father; it is a done deal. Any punishment due for sin was borne on the Cross. There is no condemnation for the believer. In addition, the New Testament does not speak in terms of nations; it speaks in terms of individuals. Paul and John and Timothy, among others, do not write letters to heads of state. They write to the churches. They do not say to them that their nation will crumble if they do not repent. Instead, they speak in terms of relationships among brothers and between individuals and their God. The final judgment in Revelation is an individual judgment. The question will be: What did you do with His son? The only sin that leads to condemnation is the rejection of Jesus Christ.
Our fear should not be that our nation will fall and be subject to fire and brimstone. It should be that our nation will be (or is) a nation of unbelievers. The natural result of true Christianity is living in harmony with others through the grace of God. It requires genuine self-denial and sacrifice, not putting oneself first. It involves actively taking care of one another, being the good Samaritan. It does not involve phrases such as “I believe that God just wants me to be happy.” If it involves hurting another, God does not want you to be happy. It will not be homosexuality or abortion that destroys this nation. If America is doomed, it is a direct result of choices that are contrary to God’s laws, that is, loving the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. Loving the Lord requires knowing Him and His character and acting in a manner consistent with that character. He designed this world to operate in a certain way, and operating contrary to that design leads to natural, negative consequences. Homosexuality, abortion, divorce, vengeance, unrighteous anger, unkindness, impatience, grudge-holding, jealousy, greed, - these are all examples of man putting himself first.
A nation of unbelievers can love their friends, but it takes the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit to love, actively love, your enemy. A nation of unbelievers is like the nation of Israel of the Old Testament because the unbeliever does not have the savior. However, unlike Israel we are not subject to national judgment. The nation dominated by unbelievers is subject to situational ethics. It operates in a world it cannot understand because unbelievers do not see the world through the eyes of the Creator. Denying the laws of God will lead to chaos and destruction, not as punishment but as a natural consequence. Just as the law of gravity does not punish an object that falls to the earth and is destroyed, the object fell as a natural consequence of the law of gravity. The problems we are facing are not the punishment of a vengeful God, but the natural consequence of living in opposition to God’s laws, moral and physical, as he set them out at the time of creation.
Certainly, God, along with Christianity, is a vital part of America’s history. Freedom from the tyranny of the Dutch state religion was the impetus for the Mayflower. We were subject to the Church of England under our monarchist genealogy. Our founding fathers recognized a Creator in our founding documents; although, their beliefs may be surprisingly different from those of today’s evangelical. Our Federal and State Constitutions provide for freedom of religion. Prayers have been said before public meetings throughout our history. We swear our oaths on the Bible. God is interwoven in our nation’s fabric.
But are we a “Christian” nation? I have to answer “no.” We are a nation made up of mostly Christians or those who profess to believe in the Christian God. However, the intent of the founders was to separate church and state so that we do not have a state religion. We have the freedom to worship the god of our choice. We are also free from the state’s dictating our religion. If the bulk of American’s decided to believe in the Muslim god (or any other god) the founders would sanction the use of the Koran for oaths and the praying to Allah before sporting events. It is the people’s choice, not the State’s. There has been a fine line in the courts between allowing expression of religious choice and the government’s sanctioning of that expression.
So are we as a nation doomed? I do not believe God will judge us as a nation. Yes, we have been blessed beyond measure. (Unless, you were an African taken from his home and enslaved. Or you were a Japanese-American, placed in an internment camp. Or if you were a woman considered as chattel during the first half of our existence. We are still healing from those wounds.) As a whole, we are rich. We generally have an abundance of food and shelter, and an abundance of non-necessities. We have freedoms and opportunities unlike any other country. Will we continue our blessed lives? That depends on the choices of the people and their natural consequences.
Most evangelicals point to God’s treatment of Israel throughout the Old Testament as the basis for the belief that we are on the brink of damnation. However, God set Israel apart to be His people for a specific reason. They were set apart from other nations to point the world to Him. God demonstrated his wrath when Israel turned its back on Him and began worshiping other gods or idols. This happened over and over throughout the Old Testament. The history of the Jews is the story of a people in need of a savior because without Him they could not reconciled to God. As a result of original sin, the world is separated from God and, like the Israelites, in need of redemption.
Unless the impact of the New Covenant of the Cross (see future entry on Teleoism) is appreciated, today’s Christian can only believe that we live under the same threat of discipline that the Israelites did. However, the reason Jesus Christ came to earth was to be the Savior - the only means to keep man holy and in relationship with the Father. Jesus reconciles the believer with the Father; it is a done deal. Any punishment due for sin was borne on the Cross. There is no condemnation for the believer. In addition, the New Testament does not speak in terms of nations; it speaks in terms of individuals. Paul and John and Timothy, among others, do not write letters to heads of state. They write to the churches. They do not say to them that their nation will crumble if they do not repent. Instead, they speak in terms of relationships among brothers and between individuals and their God. The final judgment in Revelation is an individual judgment. The question will be: What did you do with His son? The only sin that leads to condemnation is the rejection of Jesus Christ.
Our fear should not be that our nation will fall and be subject to fire and brimstone. It should be that our nation will be (or is) a nation of unbelievers. The natural result of true Christianity is living in harmony with others through the grace of God. It requires genuine self-denial and sacrifice, not putting oneself first. It involves actively taking care of one another, being the good Samaritan. It does not involve phrases such as “I believe that God just wants me to be happy.” If it involves hurting another, God does not want you to be happy. It will not be homosexuality or abortion that destroys this nation. If America is doomed, it is a direct result of choices that are contrary to God’s laws, that is, loving the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and loving your neighbor as yourself. Loving the Lord requires knowing Him and His character and acting in a manner consistent with that character. He designed this world to operate in a certain way, and operating contrary to that design leads to natural, negative consequences. Homosexuality, abortion, divorce, vengeance, unrighteous anger, unkindness, impatience, grudge-holding, jealousy, greed, - these are all examples of man putting himself first.
A nation of unbelievers can love their friends, but it takes the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit to love, actively love, your enemy. A nation of unbelievers is like the nation of Israel of the Old Testament because the unbeliever does not have the savior. However, unlike Israel we are not subject to national judgment. The nation dominated by unbelievers is subject to situational ethics. It operates in a world it cannot understand because unbelievers do not see the world through the eyes of the Creator. Denying the laws of God will lead to chaos and destruction, not as punishment but as a natural consequence. Just as the law of gravity does not punish an object that falls to the earth and is destroyed, the object fell as a natural consequence of the law of gravity. The problems we are facing are not the punishment of a vengeful God, but the natural consequence of living in opposition to God’s laws, moral and physical, as he set them out at the time of creation.
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2 comments:
"A nation of unbelievers can love their friends, but it takes the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit to love, actively love, your enemy."
I wonder if I can do this.. I do indeed have trouble loving those who have or continue to persecute me...I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit and God's guidance in my life.. the blessings and the challenges both.
Good post.. a lot to consume at one reading..
"The problems we are facing are not the punishment of a vengeful God, but the natural consequence of living in opposition to God’s laws, moral and physical, as he set them out at the time of creation."
AMEN!
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